Long Island Railroad Expansion

"What is stopping the LIRR from rebuilding the Central Branch extension from Country Life Press to Bethpage as an alternative to the Third track on the main line which is getting bogged down?

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What is stopping the LIRR from rebuilding the North-South link between the Hempstead and West Hempstead branches? Is it simply not useful?"

Personally, I think you have some *GREAT* ideas. I've wondered about these things myself for some time. I can see a couple of very good reason for reviving the WH -CLP branch. The right of way is also completely intact. As far as the Central Branch, perhaps a new, large park-and-ride lot could be built on the remains of Mitchell Field if any real estate is still available. I can also see some logic in a Port Jefferson - Wading River revival.

It's easy to find obstacles for these projects - and the objects would be huge indeed. Still, don't let that discourage you! I am thinking about writing some letter to some officials this year about this. Who knows? Maybe once the East Side Access project is behing them, they might actually take a look at these ideas.

Fred M. Cain,
Displaced Islander in Topeka, Indiana

I wonder if with gas prices going back up again, if people will start to demand more railroad service. I for one wish I could walk to a station a little closer to my house. The nearest one currently is two miles away, and the road to get there isn't safe to walk on.

"I wonder if with gas prices going back up again, if people will start to demand more railroad service. I for one wish I could walk to a station a little closer to my house. The nearest one currently is two miles away, and the road to get there isn't safe to walk on."

I think so. I also believe that passenger train service is quite popular on the Island compared with some other areas of the country. For example, I have a childhood friend and former classmate (now in her late 50's) who does a suburb-to-suburb commute from Locust Valley on the OB branch to Mineola because she doesn't like fighting with the automobile traffic on the roads. She finds the train ride a lot less stressful - especially so during periods of bad weather.

After the East Side Access is complete (or, should I say *IF* it's complete?), the desire on the part of both New Yorkers and their elected officials to continue investing in the rail sector will still be there. In my opinion, some new services and expansions on the Island should be looked at. Many people would assume that it would do no good to write to elected officials and upper LIRR management on the subject. Such people can have a point at times but I disagree. It never hurts to write. Some officials even enjoy getting letters because they are made to feel like people are taking interest in their work. Therein lies the key. When writing to an official, make sure you let them know that you greatly appreciate the work they've been doing while also letting them know that you have an idea that you wish someone might take a look at some time.

Fred M. Cain,
Topeka, Indiana

Bad neighbor wrote "Can any of the proponants of expansion tell me where all this money would come from to expand anything?

I cant afford any more taxes, and I cant pay $50 each way to cross the Throgs Neck and Verrazano Bridges"

People in NY have no idea how much they are being used and ripped off.
The tolls , railroad fares, taxes, electric bills are just insane.
Gotta wonder where all this money is going.
Right now I live in northern illinois about an hour from Chicago to the south, and a little less then an hour to Milwaukee to the north.
I have all the amenites that living in NY gives me, times 2.
I have a one bedroom apartment with a patio and backyard, a garage, the complex has a free health club and indoor and outdoor pools. My rent is 560 a month.
21 degrees here today with a little snow.. maybe Ill go for a swim in the indoor pool.
On LI, the same apt would be 1500 to 1800 easy.
Winters get rough, but no problem, i can live in FLA in the winter, have a condo and still pay less then I would for one place in NY.
I have a merta station in town, if I want to go to chicago on a weekend to see the Mets play the Cubs, or the white sox play the yankees, i can get a metra rail pass for the weekend that costs 7 dollars for unlimited rides on their system. Thats all weekend long on their entire system.
if I want to drive to milwaukee, about 50 miles away to go out to dinner, or see a brewers game the total toll cost is zero, no tolls.
If I want to drive to Chicago, I can take non toll roads and pay nothing, or go on route 90 and be in chicago in an hour for 2 dollars.
Saw the Brewers play the Mets, Dodgers, and Braves for free last summer.
BP offers free brewers tickets for each 6 purchases of 8 gallons or more. Gotta buy gas anyway might as well have free baseball too.
I am one of those guys who leave the air conditioner set at 75 all summer long, and the heat also set at 75 all winter long.
I leave my lights on, (used to drive my father nuts) My average electric bill every month is about 60 dollars. try that in NY.
I drove to NY to see my friends in December., when i left Illinois, i stopped at dunkin donuts for a large iced coffee and a muffin, cost me 2 dollars.
A few days later I stopped at the dunking donuts in bayside, got the same large iced coffee and muffin, it was over 4 dollars.
Pretty much everything costs double in NY, one has to wonder why, its not like Chicago is a small town.
Went to see a friend in Linden NJ, decided to go over the verrizano bridge, since cars are not allowed on the ferry anymore. The toll was 11 dollars!!
(As a comparison, My sister lives in the Tampa Bay area, the skyway bridge is 1 dollar and the bridge and road travels over tampa bay).
Lets not forget the income tax in Ny state, AND NYC.
Florida has NO income tax.
The point being made here is NY city is a ripoff, dirty, and crime ridden.
I know some have to stay because of Jobs and families.
Just remember, when You retire there are places where one can live very well for a lot less. Keep your money for yourselves, not crooked politicians.

Don't worry ...Junior will fix this mess

http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/docum ... essage.pdf

Well, I agree, which is one reason why we're moving from Brooklyn to Ocean County, NJ Sunday. King Bloomberg is raising the NYC water tax 12 percent and it's just the last straw. During the blizzard, cars that had to park in bus stops (buses were not running) were ticketed. It's the height of irrationality. Living here is becoming impossible. King Michael seems to have the idea that the purpose of law enforcement is to raise money for the City. Hiring a traffic commissioner who doesn't drive, and you get ticketed for driving in a bike lane even if there's no bicycle within 50 miles...we've just had it.

One problem I think is that the City of NY is trying to be all things to all people, and that's just not possible. The City cannot be all things to all people. It just costs too much to try to do it and it's not sustainable. I'll miss the LIRR, and there's no passenger rail where we're going, so I'll have to do a little traveling to watch or ride trains, but we're renting a 3 br, 3 bath house with central air and a big yard for what a water closet would cost in NY. No more property ownership, so no more property taxes, and less responsibility.

Wilsonpooch, as a former RR employee and now a healthcare provider, I found your post insightful.

Having been across the US, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, 8 cities in Australia and Tahiti and having experienced much of the world, I look at it this way. I pay a premium to have access to one of the most culturally diverse places on earth. I live within an hour of Broadway shows, beaches, parks, museums, vineyards, an aviation gateway to the world, and on and on.

Unlike other doctors and Joneses trying to keep up with each other, I decline to pay a premium on a car (ie.Lexus over Toyota,) but others decide thats important to them. Likewise, you've decided whats important for you.

Having said that, when I retire and should I consider moving, I wouldn't move out of state, but out of country.

That said, what I found TERRIBLY ironic was your last quote:

"Keep your money for yourselves, not crooked politicians."

And you say this from CHICAGO, of all places on earth?!??!!!!! Chicago breeds crooked politics.

keyboardkat wrote:One problem I think is that the City of NY is trying to be all things to all people, and that's just not possible. The City cannot be all things to all people.

I beg to differ on this opinion, the city is all things to all people. Whether it be for work, tourism, or fine dining, there is something for everyone in New York City. It's not really a destination where one want to utilize a motor vehicle, unless out of necessity ( New York City is a walking city, almost everything is easily accessible by foot ). There is an extensive railways, subways and bus networks for the areas that require a longer distance of travel. There's so much that is offered in such a small place that it's well worth the premium to have access to it. Are taxes high ? absolutely, but that's not isolated to New York City, that includes the entire metropolitan area ( NY, NJ, CT ). Prices are higher because of the market we live in, not because we're gouged ( unless you figure school taxes on Long Island into the equation ).

It takes a lot too keep all of this infrastructure functioning and improve it at the same time. Surprisingly Chicago hasn't quite learned this, last I read the CTA network was falling apart from neglect.

wilsonpooch wrote:Bad neighbor wrote "Can any of the proponants of expansion tell me where all this money would come from to expand anything?

I cant afford any more taxes, and I cant pay $50 each way to cross the Throgs Neck and Verrazano Bridges"

People in NY have no idea how much they are being used and ripped off.
The tolls , railroad fares, taxes, electric bills are just insane.
Gotta wonder where all this money is going.
Right now I live in northern illinois about an hour from Chicago to the south, and a little less then an hour to Milwaukee to the north.
I have all the amenites that living in NY gives me, times 2.
I have a one bedroom apartment with a patio and backyard, a garage, the complex has a free health club and indoor and outdoor pools. My rent is 560 a month.
21 degrees here today with a little snow.. maybe Ill go for a swim in the indoor pool.
On LI, the same apt would be 1500 to 1800 easy.
Winters get rough, but no problem, i can live in FLA in the winter, have a condo and still pay less then I would for one place in NY.
I have a merta station in town, if I want to go to chicago on a weekend to see the Mets play the Cubs, or the white sox play the yankees, i can get a metra rail pass for the weekend that costs 7 dollars for unlimited rides on their system. Thats all weekend long on their entire system.
if I want to drive to milwaukee, about 50 miles away to go out to dinner, or see a brewers game the total toll cost is zero, no tolls.
If I want to drive to Chicago, I can take non toll roads and pay nothing, or go on route 90 and be in chicago in an hour for 2 dollars.
Saw the Brewers play the Mets, Dodgers, and Braves for free last summer.
BP offers free brewers tickets for each 6 purchases of 8 gallons or more. Gotta buy gas anyway might as well have free baseball too.
I am one of those guys who leave the air conditioner set at 75 all summer long, and the heat also set at 75 all winter long.
I leave my lights on, (used to drive my father nuts) My average electric bill every month is about 60 dollars. try that in NY.
I drove to NY to see my friends in December., when i left Illinois, i stopped at dunkin donuts for a large iced coffee and a muffin, cost me 2 dollars.
A few days later I stopped at the dunking donuts in bayside, got the same large iced coffee and muffin, it was over 4 dollars.
Pretty much everything costs double in NY, one has to wonder why, its not like Chicago is a small town.
Went to see a friend in Linden NJ, decided to go over the verrizano bridge, since cars are not allowed on the ferry anymore. The toll was 11 dollars!!
(As a comparison, My sister lives in the Tampa Bay area, the skyway bridge is 1 dollar and the bridge and road travels over tampa bay).
Lets not forget the income tax in Ny state, AND NYC.
Florida has NO income tax.
The point being made here is NY city is a ripoff, dirty, and crime ridden.
I know some have to stay because of Jobs and families.
Just remember, when You retire there are places where one can live very well for a lot less. Keep your money for yourselves, not crooked politicians.

Yeah, but you don't have real pizza.

Having also just moved to Illinois (abit working in NYC still, dont ask), I agree with everything pooch says for once. Thankfully I am south of Chicago though.

Tun, you could not have said a truer comment.

wilsonpooch wrote: I drove to NY to see my friends in December., when i left Illinois, i stopped at dunkin donuts for a large iced coffee and a muffin, cost me 2 dollars.
A few days later I stopped at the dunking donuts in bayside, got the same large iced coffee and muffin, it was over 4 dollars.
Pretty much everything costs double in NY, one has to wonder why, its not like Chicago is a small town.
Went to see a friend in Linden NJ, decided to go over the verrizano bridge, since cars are not allowed on the ferry anymore. The toll was 11 dollars!!
(As a comparison, My sister lives in the Tampa Bay area, the skyway bridge is 1 dollar and the bridge and road travels over tampa bay).
Lets not forget the income tax in Ny state, AND NYC.
Florida has NO income tax.

I get it, things are cheaper elsewhere, but this is far too complex an issue to be discussed on a railroad forum. Shall we discuss Chicago's sales tax? The nuances of financial dealings there? Our entire country is head over heels in crippling debt with no plans for improvement and the cost of living, IMO, is something that is going to rise everywhere. NY and this region are just ahead of this unfortunate trend. How are those parking meter rates in the Loop going for you since that bunk deal? Sell off some more "public" property to keep costs artificially down, sounds shrewd. (sarcasm) Let's enjoy tax cuts financed by foreign debt. Let's put our monthly grocery bill on the credit card because we don't want to see our checking balance move. Let's keep our collective heads in the sand so we don't think we'll be hitting massive inflation and higher costs for just about everything in the next few years.

The Skyway bridge, an impressive structure and fun to drive over as well, doesn't compare at all to the Verrazano Narrows. First of all, the daily ridership figures are 50,500 for the Skyway and 189,962 for the Verrazano. (Wiki) The Verrazano has twelve lanes counting both decks for traffic, and the last time I drove across the Skyway, it had four. The Verrazano is a more than vital link between LI and SI as well as commuters between NJ and NYC, the Skyway facilitates a link between St. Petersburg and Manatee County, FL that unless you're in Pinellas county to begin with, you'd never touch the bridge. Keep in mind the $11 is ONE WAY (Say you're driving across the bridge E and W bound in one day, that would work out to $5.50 cash) and I think SI residents get some sort of a discount. Also the toll is reduced with EZ-pass.

I agree 100% that NY is overpriced, but you can't sit here and compare apples to oranges. You really expect a bridge toll in FL to be the same as one in NYC? You really expect a Dunkin Donuts in Bayside, Queens to cost the same as *Nondescript place in Illinois*?

Like I said, I agree wholeheartedly that NYC is overpriced and living in NY is somewhat of a ripoff in comparison - but I have a bad feeling the cost of living across the nation is going to be on the rise this decade.

yes i miss Ny Pizza and bagels lol...and I dont live in Chicago I live 75 miles northwest of Chicago on the wisconsin border.

"the daily ridership figures are 50,500 for the Skyway and 189,962 for the Verrazano"
thats about 1 milllion seven hundred thousand dollars a day on the verrizano bridge alone, almost 651 million a year from the verrizano alone.
One would think the structure that has the most cars would have the lower toll.. think about it..
NYC gets over 30 million a DAY in tolls alone.
Thats almost 11 BILLION dollars a year. In tolls alone.
Just dont understand where all this money is going.
One thing could draw me back, if they ever build those apartment houses across the street from citi field, I would be interested in living there, despite the cost. Would probably get rid of my car in that case, with the number 7 train and LIRR in walking distance.
Yes Im that big of a Mets fan...

Yes, it's probably the most expensive spot in the world, but the Tool thinks it's worth every buck. Nowhere compares. When you can afford its prices, New York is a fantastic place to live.

Ever consider a job that pays better?

Yeah Wilson..when I saw you at the Wedges luncheon you did mention something about moving back...Cant be all its cracked up to be I guess..you can take the boy out of NY but....

yeah for better or worse NY is Home and always will be.. I do Miss the beaches.. no beaches in the midwest.
Maybe florida.. lol beaches and warm.. and somewhat less expensive then NY.
I suppose I could live out east, that would still leave me withing striking distance of what NYC has to offer..
My rant was more about how insanely expensive NY is, and it is.