When it comes to Long Island transportation issues, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State speech left much to be desired.

Most of the Long Island projects he referenced have already been under way since the MTA’s $32 billion 2015 – 2019 Five Year Capital Plan was approved.

What Gov. Cuomo overlooked is important to riders and taxpayers who have to pick up the tab.  No comment about status of the $5.8 billion he still owes toward fully funding the $32 billion MTA 2015-2019 Five Year Capital Plan.

Add an additional $1 billion he pledged in response to ongoing NYC Transit subway and LIRR Penn Station problems.  

Construction costs for the Gateway Tunnel is $29 billion.  

Cuomo committed contributing 25% of the total cost, but has yet to identify the source of his $7.25 billion.      

The MTA $29 billion 2015-2019 Five Year Capital Plan was increased by a $3 billion amendment to $32 billion.  

This amendment added $1.6 billion in MTA long term debt. MTA LIRR failed to follow federal NEPA environmental guidelines forfeiting any opportunity for Federal Transit Administration funding.

The original cost of this project grew from $600 million ten years ago, $1 billion three years ago, $1.5 billion two years ago, $2 billion last year and now $2.6 billion today. If costs continue to grow, who will pick up the tab?      

Completion of double tracking for the Ronkokoma branch will cost $387 million. Double tracking from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma was part of the original scope of work for electrification of the Ronkonkoma branch.  

It was completed in December 1987.  To save the project due to insufficient funding, double tracking was dropped in favor of single track electrification and passing sidings.  

The project will not be completed 16 months early as Cuomo boasted in his speech, but rather 31 years late! 

There will be no increase in rush hour service.  

Without finishing Main Line Third Track by 2022 along with East Side Access by 2023, there is no potential Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal capacity for additional Ronkonkoma rush hour service.  

Penn Station has been operating at 100 capacity for decades.  Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and Metro North also have long term plans to increase Penn Station service. 

Missing from last years June $300 million Penn Station West End Concourse  opening was a seating area and rest rooms. (Was someone afraid of the homeless invading this new facility?)

There are only three new ticket vending machines which do not accept cash.  

Next is $1.6 billion for the Penn Farley Complex including the Moynihan Train Hall. Partial financing comes from a $500 million federal loan.  

The loan is to be paid back by revenues generated from private sector investments with shortfalls covered by the MTA. This project adds no new tracks or platforms and primarily benefiting Amtrak not LIRR riders.  

Mid Suffolk Yard for $125 million is good news, but why no funding for a new Port Jefferson yard branch east of Huntington?

No reference to the cost of additional rolling stock, expansion of storage capacity at other yards and funding source to support increasing the LIRR overall fleet by several hundred new cars.

This is needed to support his previous promises of “an 81 percent increase in ridership capacity during the evening rush hour and 67 percent increase in the morning rush hour.” upon completion of both Main Line Third Track and East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal.  

No reference to the cost or timing for building a new LIRR Intermodal Transportation Hub to serve his $1 Billion Belmont Park Islanders Arena.  This would be needed to serve LIRR, Nassau Inter County Express, NYC Transit, private and charter bus operators.  

No comments about the down side to Jamaica Station signal, track and infrastructure improvements for $375 million.  

Riders will miss the old simple switch/walking across the platform between tracks 1 & 2 or 2 & 3 to the desired Penn Station or Atlantic Terminal bound train.  

Now they will have to walk over to new tracks 9 & 10 with travel time for Atlantic Terminal bound riders increasing. Thousands of riders who once had a one seat ride will lose this benefit with everyone having to change at Jamaica.   

There is no allocation of $150 million to reopen the old Penn Station Hilton Corridor also known as Gimbels Passageway.

This once provided a direct underground route to Herald Square including connections to the Broadway N, R, Q & W and 6th Avenue B, D, F & M subway lines along with the PATH system.  

Cuomo continues to be silent about delays in spending $432 million available under a 2016 Federal Transit Administration Super Storm Sandy grant for repairs to Penn Station East River Tunnels.

Amtrak has said they will not be able to begin substantial work until 2024 after LIRR begins East Side Access service to Grand Central Terminal.  MTA, on behalf of the LIRR which was awarded the federal funding, still has not committed to spending these dollars on this critical tunnel work.  

When it comes to paying for all his promises, Cuomo reminds me of Wimpy who famously said “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” 

Long Island taxpayers and LIRR riders should be prepared to stand by for higher fares, taxes along with more debt and borrowing in coming years to cover the costs for all of Cuomo’s $100 billion worth of transportation promises. 

Sincerely,

Larry Penner

Great Neck

(Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked 31 for U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 N.Y. Office.)