Yet again Larry Penner submits an opinion piece with half truths masquerading as fact-based reporting (“LIRR Service to Grand Central.”). Yet he again he demonstrates he never lets the inconvenient facts get in the way of a good half truth.
Mr. Penner states how a mandatory FRA safety feature for the East Side Access fell way behind schedule. This certainly appears to be the case.

What Mr. Penner does not tell us about is an October 14, 2022 letter from an Assistant Engineer in the LIRR Signals Department to the Federal Railroad Administration. It took approximately five minutes for me to find via Internet. https://railroads.dot.gov/LIRR-ESA-PTC-waiver.

In the letter he requests the waiver and provides a detailed description of more than half a dozen safety features both inside the motorman’s cab and the tunnel to prevent accidents. Mr. Penner also does not tell us that a Professional Engineer in Amtrak concurs with this assessment.

Nor does Mr. Penner tell us that a Zoom meeting had been scheduled on 11/7/2022 for the purposes of a Q & A session. Only in Mr. Penner’s bizarre universe.

Mr. Penner is against the East Side Access project and has written various opinion pieces on the subject.

While I am not offering an opinion for or against I will say Mr. Penner is entitled to his opinion. I will also say Mr. Penner has given powerful reasons for being against the project. Mr. Penner is not entitled to tell lies, half truths, or cherry pick his facts to support his opinion. Only in Mr. Penner’s bizarre universe.

Nat Weiner

Bronx,