New Hyde Park "Save Our Village" Association: Long Island Freight Derailment Prompts Serious Concerns

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Long Island Freight Derailment Prompts Serious Concerns

On October 23, 2007, another railway accident occurred involving freight cars owned by New York and Atlantic Railway. Two cars on a freight train hauling stone derailed in Holtsville (Suffolk County), forcing the temporary suspension of service on the Long Island Rail Road between Ronkonkoma and Yaphank Freight trains on Long Island are operated by New York and Atlantic Railways on tracks owned by the LIRR.
The Long Island Truck – Rail Inter Modal Facility (LITRIM Facility Project) at the former Pilgrim State Hospital site in Kings Park is under review by the NYS Department of Transportation. This project coupled with the LIRR Mainline Corridor Improvement Project are two of several rail expansion proposals in our region which may result in significantly more freight railway traffic passing through the mainline corridor. This can potentially have a direct and negative impact on the quality of life in Bellerose, Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Garden City, Carle Place, Mineola, Hicksville, and the surrounding communities.

Increasing the capacity of freight rail traffic justifies our immediate concern about the increased potential for freight derailments and other accidents. This time, the derailed freight cars were hauling stone. However, are our village, town and county government agencies prepared to address the immediate consequences of a potentially catastrophic accident involving other kinds of freight passing through our neighborhood? Although SOV New Hyde Park continues to explore this important development, we encourage all residents who live along the mainline corridor to make their concerns known to those who have direct influence on these matters.

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.:Who are the supporters of this association?:.

We are a group of concerned citizens from New Hyde Park who are committed to “saving our village” from the MTA’s and NYS Dept. of Transportation's current “LIRR Main Line Corridor Improvement Project” and its significant environmental, social, and economic effects on our village’s quality of life.

.:What issues are we addressing?:.

Two simultaneous tasks are proposed by this project proposal which will significantly impact our area by modifying the footprint of the Village of New Hyde Park.

- The Grade Crossing Separation Project eliminates 3 LIRR grade crossings in New Hyde Park. Covert Avenue and New Hyde Park Road will be re-graded to allow commuter and commercial traffic to pass under the existing railroad lines. The South 12th Street LIRR grade crossing will be permanently altered according to one of three proposed plans.

- The Third Rail Track Project calls for a third railroad line into the Village of New Hyde Park for the purposes of increasing railroad traffic through our village.

.:How do these issues affect our community?:.

- The condemnation and elimination of at least 27 residential homes and businesses has been proposed in the Village of New Hyde Park.

- In addition to forcing several homeowners and taxpayers out of our village, all New Hyde Park taxpayers will be additionally challenged with the serious burden of increased school and property taxes brought about by the resulting loss of tax revenue.

- The condemnation and elimination of at least 27 residential homes and businesses has been proposed in the Village of New Hyde Park. - In addition to forcing several homeowners and taxpayers out of our village, all New Hyde Park taxpayers will be additionally challenged with the serious burden of increased school and property taxes brought about by the resulting loss of tax revenue. - Permanent and undesirable effects can be triggered by these proposals: existing traffic routes will be modified which require the redirection of commuter and commercial traffic through our residential neighborhoods, cement retaining walls along roadways will change our suburban appearance and obstruct residents’ access to roadways, mandatory speed limits will be altered, another railroad line will be constructed closer to residential properties, and daily railway traffic will dramatically increase. These changes can cause significant noise pollution, air pollution and vibration, as well. As a result, the health and safety of those who live in our community will be seriously and permanently impacted.

.:What is the mission of this association?:.

We seek to support all NHP homeowners and taxpayers who are directly impacted by railroad expansion projects in our village. We strive to be a strong voice that clearly expresses their interests and represents their needs.

We seek to network with other towns and villages along the mainline corridor and to stand in solidarity with them on the issues related to railroad expansion. Additionally, we seek to encourage ongoing collaborative relationships with all communities in an effort to preserve our quality of life as Long Islanders.

We seek to work with all elected representatives and experts in the fields of environmental science, law, engineering, architecture and others as we explore and recommend viable alternative solutions to railroad expansion.

We seek to protect the future stability of our village by ensuring that all projects planned for our village, now and in the future, preserve our suburban quality of life.

.:What can you do?:.

This is a critical time for our community. Your support is urgently needed! If you are interested in learning more about the cause or for more information, please:

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