In October, the Garden City Park Civics Association and Town of North Hempstead Councilman Angelo Ferrara, hosted a meeting with representatives of the MTA’s Architectural and Engineering construction contractor that will be managing the third rail work.
The meeting covered general information and timelines for projected work between the Denton Avenue overpass up to about Herricks Road, including the Merillon station and Nassau Boulevard reconstructions.
It is important to note that the design is not final and approved, information was presented with the caveat that plans are subject to change based on the final approved design.
Work is anticipated to occur in stages, as follows: May 2019 to Sept 2019 rebuilding Merillon station and the Nassau Boulevard overpass. Nassau Boulevard and the Merillon station will remain open with a reduced parking lot.
Traffic on Nassau Bouldevard will often be reduced to one lane flow with flagged opposing traffic movement. The Denton Avenue overpass will remain unaffected and open to traffic until December 2020, when traffic will be impacted due to construction. It should be noted that the MTA’s Memorandum of Understanding with Garden City, limits total closure of these overpasses to no more than two weekends without the contractor incurring penalties.
The third track will be constructed on the south side of the existing tracks, and permanent sound attenuation walls will be constructed along the entire south side, or Garden City side. In GCP, the only area to have a permanent sound barrier will be behind the houses on Atlantic Ave., extending from about 5th Avenue to Corbin Avenue.
Let me repeat, at present, this is the only stretch to have permanent sound attenuation walls on the north GCP side the tracks. While the remaining stretch of track covers industrial areas, all GCP residential areas are located just a few blocks to the north.
As it is, AM trains are sometimes startlingly heard in my area at 1.25 miles distance. This is a concern for residents living closer to the tracks. The reason provided for no sound barriers in the industrial stretch was that the south side attenuation wall would (allegedly) deaden and suppress much of the train noise directed to the north.
This is counter-intuitive because the third track will result in greatly increased train traffic traveling in both directions, hence more noise, and, importantly, sound is not unidirectional— it will not be focused solely to the south into the sound deadening wall. It will be projected north as well, as it is now.
It seems more likely that the combination of increased train traffic plus incomplete sound barrier coverage is not a good solution for much of GCP, and will negatively impact the quality of life.
We were, however, told that the MTA is looking to replace current trains with trains having quieter undercarriages. Well, that is absolutely fine, but we do hope the MTA will also be looking to preserve eardrums and sanity in our own lifetimes.
As it was, in the mid-1960s, the MTA had so-called advanced plans to improve train traffic and flow along the line, with a second track to be constructed from Huntington to Port Jefferson. (There is still no second or electrified track from Huntington to Port Jefferson, it remains single track except at stations).
We were informed that there is currently no staging area for the GCP/GC work, and that GC will apparently not allow a staging area on its side of the tracks, not even on MTA property. (While we were informed of this, I cannot find this specific requirement spelled out in GC’s MOA with the MTA).
A staging area is critical as a way station to accept construction materials, vehicles, worker parking, etc., and will help keep additional traffic off local streets (as much as possible). The MTA is said to be actively looking for an acceptable staging area, however, as of this letter none had been found.
It is noted that workers, vehicles, and materials, will be transported each day from the MTA’s Hicksville depot, and will return via the same. This means there will be a lot of back and forth bussing going on.
As noted, the process remains in the design phase; the MTA has not yet submitted its 35% Design Report to the Town of North Hempstead Building Department. We were advised that there will be an information session following submittal of the 35 percent Design Report to the town.
Based on my professional work with large government A&E contracts, the 35 percent design is the next, and maybe last, good opportunity for changes to be made and for people to submit comments. This is standard practice.
The 35 percent design will be followed by submittal of the 65 percent design, which addresses the comments made to the 35 percent, followed by the 90 percent design (pre-final design), than the final approved design.
Everyone’s help is needed. It is important for people to be involved with their civics associations and with Town officials, to attend information sessions, and to provide timely comments and feedback on the MTA’s plans.
Limited information can be obtained on the MTA’s website LIRRExpansion.com which will be updated as the schedule and design continues to develop.
Andy Kraus is the Community Ambassador for the MTA’s A&E contractor; a message can be left at his answering service 516-203-4955, and he will promptly call you back.
In closing, I requested that the GCP portion of the website be updated with the information presented at the civics meeting, and must be continually updated as detailed plans develop.
Stephen Cipot
Garden City Park
Cipot is a retired US EPA project manager, with extensive work with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and government A&E projects
