At a recent meeting with representatives of the LIRR, an alternative plan for the crossing elimination at Covert Avenue in New Hyde Park was presented to the officers of SOV and others. According to this alternative, a series of quadrant gates (a four gated system) would be installed at the Covert Avenue crossing and a potential “quiet zone” would be imposed at this site.
Although the plan claims to reduce the number of residential and small business condemnations along Covert Avenue, it is important to note that it will actually INCREASE gate down time at this crossing and therefore promote even GREATER roadway congestion! Not only does SOV anticipate that the NYS Dept. of Transportation will have great difficulty endorsing such a proposal due to its inherent weaknesses, we also assert that such a plan may, in fact, be detrimental to the health and safety of our community and to those who travel along this roadway.
Additionally, this alternative allows for the installation of the third track through New Hyde Park in a manner that is even less costly than the original proposal. Not only is SOV highly speculative about the need for the third track, but we also remain unconvinced about the benefit it will afford the residents of our community.
Thus, we respectfully encourage the MTA, LIRR, and the NYS Dept. of Transportation to go back to the drawing board and create a plan that considers more than just the budgetary impact it will have on their own purses! The residents of New Hyde Park will settle for nothing less than the best plan – one which reduces roadway congestion, promotes greater safety, preserves our suburban lifestyle and eliminates the need to condemn residential and small business properties in our community.
