The best bet for reducing Long Island truck traffic is still alive. On Tuesday, Gov. Paterson vetoed a bill that would have killed plans for a truck-rail intermodal facility (the LITRIM project) in Brentwood. Paterson said in his veto message that it was premature to rule out the project before the environmental review process was completed , especially given the potential benefits of the project. LITRIM would allow LI-bound freight to be taken by rail into the island before being transferred to trucks for local deliveries, eliminating an estimated 156,000 truck trips per year. Only 1% of freight currently reaches Long Island by train.
In June, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to transfer land at the former Pilgrim State Hospital site to an adjacent nature preserve. The Regional Plan Association, NY League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, Tri-State, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and labor groups and other advocates and elected officials urged Paterson to veto the bill, which would have closed off what NYSDOT determined was the best site on Long Island for an intermodal (see MTR # 426).
Opponents of the project have argued that there is too much traffic in the area. Certainly, there is significant traffic near the Pilgrim site, most of it caused by mall and big-box developments which were welcomed by local elected officials (see MTR # 564). The governor has directed NYSDOT and other agencies to meet with area elected officials, developers, and civic groups to develop a regional traffic plan.
NYSDOT is currently working on the final environmental impact statement for LITRIM.
I would tend to agree with the first commenter. The EPA has questioned the LITRIM site merits and this has largely been ignored in the DEIS. Also ignored are the environmental aspects of the site itself, and negative impacts on the largest nature preserve in Western Suffolk County. The fact is that LI needs several smaller intermodals dispersed in locations from mid-Nassau to Eastern Suffolk. If all traffic is concentrated at the single location in Brentwood there will be a great decline in air quality, groundwater quality, and mind-numbing congestion as all of the new traffic tries to get in and out of the area and onto local highways such as the LI Expressway. Smaller depots to serve particular industrial parks and distribution points should also be constructed, and reviving old rail spurs to do so should be considered. It is hard to imagine why we should spend tax dollars to build such a large facility, when other incentives could be given to private companies to build their own sites… something they have already proven they are willing to do. LI has many unused rail spurs that could once again be used in a new capacity, if only there was will to look into how to get it done.
Denis
I agree with commentor #4, for merits of smaller dispersed terminals along Long Island as opposed to a single terminal in Brentwood.
If there is to be positive economy generated by this facility, there must also be local trucks bringing local goods and products to the facility for the ” return trip” of the railcars that otherwise would be empty and require total costs of operation to reflect only a one way delivery cost condition.
Local trucks coming to the facility will also use the same roads, local roads, plus the proposed truck hauling roadways of the facility and perhaps magnify the total truck impact to the local community.
Trucks typically use “air brake systems” for stopping, and that itself emits sounds when the pressurized air is emitted from that system, in addition to the noises trucks make when by normal downshifting of the manual transmission gearing. Then you have the polluting exhaust emitted by these large vehicles with diesel type particulates that are small enough to enter your lungs and stay there, plus the other toxic exhaustive fumes of any petrol burning vehicles.
So, is it fair to burden one community with these truck induced noises, pollutant emissions, and extra traffic on certain roads ( for both to and from directions from the freight terminal), for something that may prove ineffective and possibly inefficient as well?
Go listen to tractor trailer trucks pulling into any Home Depot for their deliveries, or gasoline trucks pulling into the local gas station, and you will hear all the noises that will constantly pervade the local community as a result of this Terminal being proposed, and those sounds are audible even a quarter mile away.
Given all the vast development occuring in Brookhaven and Riverhead, how can this location for a freight & truck modal facility be effective?
Industrial and agricultural activities are highest from Brookhaven to the north fork of Long Island, that includes the Long Islands established Winery Vineyards, the large farm areas, and even the Sod farms.
There must be ample equipment, fertilizers, and other agriculture related items that could be delivered by rail to some point in Riverhead as a better Terminal facility location.
Building booms will continue in the east end of Long Island for the next 20 years, while the Brentwood area is well over 90% developed and so are all points surrounding the proposed Brentwood location for atleast 20 miles.
Is it intelligent to deliver supplies destined for out east on Long Island via the Brentwood Terminal, or is it smarter to have mulitiple smaller terminals that can fit the separate developing needs with time?
What some of the commenters here seem to forget is that transportation planning for NY State is not about Brookhaven and Riverhead, these type of projects should be looked at regionally. And for the region, this is a win/win.
People are so oriented towards themselves they forget that we all have to work TOGETHER. Sometimes that means taking your head out of your neighborhood and looking down from above at what is good for everyone. I know that in our society of personal gain and no shared pain NIMBY seems so appealing. But at least try to think of others before your commute or your home values.
I’m sure whoever thinks this is a great idea doesn’t live anywhere near the site. Traffic is already a nightmare there, only to get worse once the new outlet mall and strip malls open that have just been built. I don’t know what the people who plan this stuff are thinking. I’ve lived in Commack for almost twenty years and love it here, but would seriously think about moving off of Long Island with the addition of the intermodal. This area of Suffolk county is the only area close enough to work in the city and still be near open spaces. Why don’t you put it in Nassau County. I’m sure the residents there would love it.
One thing for sure is that Long Island is a traffic and trucking nightmare.
On one hand the EPA sites the EIS inadequate, yet non point runoff/pollution to drinking water and surrounding oceans, bays and harbors is the worst in the metro coastal area.As well Nassau and Suffolk counties persistent non-attainment status in air quality must be taken into consideration.
Classic case of the left hand is unaware of what the right hand is doing!
Consolidating freight to rail and mitigating the trucking impact to local distribution is a no brainier and a win/win solution for all of Long Island.
In fact this proposal will provide greater governance over impacts at the local level. Since as is, with questionable GPS data more and more freight haulers are using local and residential streets to get from point A to point B.
The unspoken detail,increasingly the burden of maintaining “infrastructure” falls on the local taxpayer maintaining streets and roads never intend for such use.No one ever mentions the cost of Asphalpt, an oil dependent resource in this argument.
The sinking ship is Long Island!
The Inter Modal Facility is an unprecedented opportunity, which at best, will some what mitigate a life style,dependent on fossil fuel that county and local officials have created and approved over many decades.
Pamela Tamaddon
While not having read the EIS on this project one thing for sure is that Long Island is a traffic and trucking nightmare.On one hand supposedly the EPA sites the EIS inadequate, yet non point run of pollution to drinking water and surrounding oceans, bays and harbors is the worst on the entire metro coastal area.This of course is from decades of unregulated development that required no mitigation measures for strip mall and big box development.
Consolidating freight to rail and mitigating the trucking impact to local distribution is a no brainier and a win/win solution for all of Long Island
The Draft EIS for the LITRIM was given a thumbs down by EPA letter of July 2007 that was sent to Robert Arnold, FHWA Administrator ( google it). Air Quality concerns were cited for point source type impact it noted, and the critique by EPA also stated there was insufficient supporting documentation for the report conclusions, and further investigation to support the conclusions of the EIS should be made. The Draft EIS Report for LITRIM attempted to sugar coat the impacts as being “exempt”, however EPA comment to FHWA noted the impacts are more appropriately “Non Exempt” meaning the idea of the impacts of LITRIM cannot be considered unnecessary to evaluate and consider by being “exempt”.
Senators Flannagan and Trunzo must maintain their stance that correctly considers this LITRIM works by the State to be inappropriate. The draft EIS Report has shown itself to be in error in content and magnitude of impacts, so why continue something that is flawed despite so much taxpayer money spent by the State to float a leaking vessel.
Commenter #7 is wrong. This effort to stop the intermodal facility in Brentwood is not NIMBY. It is about poor planning all around. There has been unchecked development in this area — granted, not the fault of the NYS DOT. However, in the ten years that the LITRIM was conceived, much has changed on LI and in this area, including a parcel of Pilgrim land that has regenerated. That regeneration makes the land off limits according to the Laws of 1987, state law that created the Edgewood Preserve and protected the area surrounding it from unnecessary development. This is a rare and irreplaceable Long Island wildlife habitat. Moreover, the Pilgrim parcel sits atop a critical recharge area. Transferring this parcel will extend the PROTECTED groundwater area — where Nassau and Suffolk Counties get clean drinking water from. Finally, no one is opposed to intermodals or progress or anything else. What we have said is that this project is out-dated. It is too big — not just for this area, but any area. We are not suggesting this particular intermodal be moved to another area. We are saying that there should be smaller intermodals in industrial areas that service Queens, Nassau, Western and Eastern Suffolk Counties. That way, no one area is disproportionately compromised. Smaller intermodals spread out across LI is the way to go. We get freight by rail but not at the expense of any one region — a region already overdeveloped and overstressed. This is completely irresponsible and not progressive planning. We can have our win-win but it requires the NYS DOT to realize that this project is not the way to go. They need to be the leaders by going back to the drawing board and figuring out how to bring freight by rail to LI in a responsible fashion. So much money has already been spent on this project. The state is in a fiscal crisis — we do not have money to waste on this project as designed, when our public lands are on life support because we don’t have money to hire staff to take care of our great natural resources.
Patricia
It is hard to believe that 2 years have passed and the studies that were done after this controversy still have not been released, ostensibly due to the fact that serious flaws in the original EIS were found. There are at least 2 proposals now by private firms to build smaller intermodals in Brookhaven, they also are not perfect, but their scale is manageable and the taxpayer would not have to fund such a money pit. Meanwhile, NY&A RR has seen fit to clear trees from the old pilgrim spur to get the line cleared for future TRIM operations , while the rest of the project is still on hold. This is in violation of the spirit of doing an EIS and may be segmenting the process. It is high time to give up on this boondoggle in the making and let private investors create their own sites, and transfer the land to the Edgewood preserve
There has not been any news on LITRIM lately, but it appears that the Brookhaven Rail Terminal is now open for business and is doing well without any public funding (so far). However, they are planning an expansion, purchased about another 95 acres from private owners and are now about to add over 200 more acres of land purchased from Suffolk County. While this area is not near many homes, it already hosts the Caithness power plant (also a candidate for expansion). This may negate the need for LITRIM to be located in the densely populated Brentwood, Dix Hills and Deer Park areas. A smaller western depot somewhere in Nassau might be desireable, but does such property exist far enough from homes and close enough to the LIE? Also, a lot of money was spent to restore the rail spur to EPCAL Calverton, which could be a great depot to use for an eastern LI Intermodal, but so far I have seen little activity on this line. Supplies could come in and farm goods could be shipped out. There are thousands of damaged cars out there from the Hurricane Sandy disaster but they all appear to be coming and going on trucks, not the rail line.