New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. today called upon the Governor to amend his 2016 State Budget to include the construction of a second track on the LIRR from Sayville to Montauk. The 2nd Track proposal was endorsed by the Editorial Board of Newsday last summer. Such a track would not only permit additional seasonal service, but would facilitate the goal of increased year-round service through a shuttle to the South Fork.

Thiele spearheaded the addition of $37.5 million in the MTA Capital Plan many years ago for such a shuttle service. The LIRR failed to implement this initiative.

The Governor’s 2016 Budget proposal already includes a major capital improvement along the LIRR’s main line from Floral Park to Hicksville. Thiele stated that the proposal does not go far enough for Long Island. “The LIRR has to expand its mission beyond just being a commuter railroad between LI and NYC. The LIRR is missing an important opportunity to increase public transit to the South Fork, not only during the busy summer season, but year-round.”

Last summer, the over-crowding on the LIRR’s popular Cannonball to the Hamptons was well documented. The demand for public transit to the East End, as well as for commuting within the East End has been demonstrated. However, track capacity has been identified as a major infrastructure limitation.

Not only would such increased service benefit the economy, it would serve to reduce the number of cars of the South Fork’s traffic-choked local roads. These local roads have becoming increasing unsafe during the summer season. They were never meant to handle the current volume of traffic.

It was decided long ago that new East End highways are not feasible. The answer lies with under-utilized rail lines that could expand public transit. A second track from Sayville to Montauk would be a key part of the solution. Such a track certainly would provide the additional service necessary to get tourists and second homeowners out of their cars and onto the train to reach the East End. But it would do much more. That second track would also make regular shuttle trains possible from Patchogue to Montauk on the South Fork. These regular shuttle trains would also benefit the year round East Enders who now must commute to their jobs by car.

Suffolk Transit bus service could then be reconfigured and coordinated with the shuttle trains to move people from the train stations to the commercial and job centers on the East End. The second track would not only get passengers from the city to the East End, but would also provide new public transit opportunities for East End residents to get out of the “trade parade” that clogs CR 39 and the Sunrise Highway each morning and afternoon.

The viability of such shuttle service was proven by the Volpe Study commissioned by the five East End and paid for by state dollars many years ago.

Thiele stated, “This truly would be the type of transformative project that Governor Cuomo is seeking to improve the quality of life and economic climate on Long Island and in New York State. We only need the political will to make it happen.”