BY RYAN LYNCH | Ryan Lynch is senior planner and Long Island coordinator at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a non-profit advocacy and policy organization working for a more balanced transportation network.
November 3, 2008
The Nassau County budget for 2009, which passed last week, failed to increase its subsidy to Long Island Bus. That makes the sixth straight year without a funding increase. The nation's preeminent suburban bus system - a system that supports 36 million riders a year and one that's on pace to break all previous ridership records by the end of 2008 - continues to be treated like an unwanted family member.
The failure to support Long Island Bus is only one symptom of the consistent refusal of elected officials on Long Island to support transit infrastructure and the constituents who depend on it. In recent years, almost every smart transit project on Long Island has been delayed or blocked by elected officials worried about upsetting a tiny but vocal constituency, rather than advancing a greater public need.
So as you go to the polls tomorrow to vote on Congressional representatives, state senators and members of the Assembly, consider whether your elected officials are serving your transportation needs.
Here are some of Long Island's recent transit lowlights:
Blocked: Long Island Rail Road Port Jefferson rail yard. A rail yard that would have increased LIRR service on the Port Jefferson branch and helped commuters take full advantage of LIRR's future Grand Central Terminal connection (a.k.a. East Side Access) was scuttled by members of the Assembly and local elected officials due to debunked fears that proximity to the yard would reduce the property values of local residents. In fact, studies show improved public transportation tends to increases property values.
Delayed: LIRR third track project. Some 289,000 people ride the LIRR on an average weekday, of which 41 percent ride along the main line corridor. Implementing a third track along this corridor will let these commuters have quicker and more efficient rides, as well as allow them to fully reap the benefits of the future LIRR connection to Grand Central. Yet a small but loud opposition, bolstered by state senators, members of the Assembly and local elected officials, has fought to delay this project while the rest of LIRR commuters suffer and the future costs of the project, ultimately paid for by all Long Islanders, rise. The LIRR recently said that it has to delay the project due to budget constraints, but surely hostile local elected officials didn't help.
Who knows? Transit component for the Nassau Hub project. County Executive Thomas Suozzi has said for some time that he wants to bring transit to the Nassau Hub. The project could help ease congestion, support future growth and is supported by a number of our members of Congress. Unfortunately, state and local elected officials have sat by idly, while local residents have tried to sidetrack the project due to misguided fears of property devaluation (see first example).
Of course, there are elected officials who support mass transit projects on Long Island. The problem is they generally support them in silence. For example, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign recently surveyed Long Island's state elected officials. Of those who responded, almost 90 percent supported the LIRR third track project, yet they haven't championed the project publicly.
Certainly, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's outreach efforts have left much to be desired over the years. But the failure of elected officials to support smart transit projects remains a disappointment - because when they do support them, good things happen.
New Jersey is a great example. Unlike Long Island, where young, educated families are leaving in droves and creating a "brain drain," New Jersey is experiencing a "brain gain" - particularly among the coveted 24- to 44-year-old age group. This is partly because New Jersey officials helped lead the way in moving the state away from sprawl and encouraging smart growth and transit-oriented development around projects like the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
As someone who is contributing to Long Island's "brain drain," I can tell you that my move to Brooklyn - after having spent the first 20 years of my life in Northport - was partially because Long Island couldn't offer me the vibrant downtowns, affordable housing and efficient transit choices I desired.
As the economy plummets, energy concerns increase and transit ridership grows, elected officials on Long Island - from the state senators and Assembly members we elect tomorrow to the supervisors, mayors and county executives who'll seek our support in the years to come - must ensure that a robust investment in Long Island's transit infrastructure is undertaken. This investment will create a system that will meet our 21st century transportation challenges, protect our environment and jump-start our economy. It may even mean that people like me will start moving back.
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