MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale

EuroStar wrote:

MattAmity90 wrote:Speaking of this stretch of track, about 5 hours ago someone went around the gates at either Carll's Path or Commack Road and was struck and killed by a train. About 3 hours ago, service was restored. If I was the LIRR, I would invest by converting both Commack Road and Carll's Path into crossings with signals in the median (Lowell Ave, Carleton Ave, Stewart Ave), or convert them into a 4-quadrant gated crossings.

Report of the accident: http://nypost.com/2017/09/18/man-killed ... irr-train/. Assuming that they got the details right, it is very disturbing that a 94-year old would not know any better and would try to go around the gates. I think curbed median dividers preventing going around gates should be standard at all crossings with maybe exceptions for narrow streets where there is not sufficient space for them.

It is very disturbing that a 94-year old would go around the gates, but it's not the first time I've heard that one of our wise senior citizens has gone around the gates and gotten hit. In late-2007 a woman in her 70's went around the gates at Roslyn Road just when the project was almost complete (new bridge was in place) because she thought the tracks were a street. Luckily they got the woman out before the train hit the car at 70 MPH.

Judging from the picture in the article that looks like Carll's Path, and just looked at the crossing on Google Earth and it is Carll's Path.

hrfcarl wrote:I do not know if those rails and ties are going to be used, but sure looks like they graded from where those are laying INTO the siding to about where the current siding ends (starts just west of Commack Road, stone cars for Giaquinto Masonry?). I then asked if the switch into this siding is moved from near PC Richards/Commack Road to closer to Carll's Path, could there be a FUTURE plan (probably not part of Double Track) to eliminate the crossing at Commack Road (never mentioned Carll's path being eliminated), especially if there is going to be additional train traffic on this branch and the amount of vehicle traffic on this road?

UPDATE: Passing the area between Carlls Path & Commack Rd today I saw that segment of rails & ties have been connected to the back end of the existing siding. So again I ask: is the plan to remove the current switch near Commack Rd for this new one near Carll's path? Again, if yes, is there a future plan to eliminate the Commack Rd grade crossing?

The siding that serves the area behind PC Richards will now be accessible from the west. The current switch will be removed since the second track will be on the south side of the current main - where the switch currently sits. The Commack Road crossing is not being eliminated.

grobtech wrote:The siding that serves the area behind PC Richards will now be accessible from the west. The current switch will be removed since the second track will be on the south side of the current main - where the switch currently sits. The Commack Road crossing is not being eliminated.

There are actually NO plans for grade crossing elimination along the entire Ronkonkoma Branch, just the second track despite the fact the branch has quite the handful of hazardous crossings. Those hazardous crossings will hopefully get an upgrade in safety like Stewart Avenue did, and hopefully something will be done about Executive Drive next to Deer Park (especially the right turn when traveling West, since Trucks have gotten stuck on those Jersey barriers that protect the signals).

Well by 20 or 30 years from now when enough grade crossing accidents kill enough people and cause enough delays to thousands of passengers, then the State will elevate the tracks like they did in the 60's with the Babylon branch.

Four Quadrant Gates would eliminate the idiots from doing the 'run-around'. Sure, the cost is about 40% more . . . so what's a human life worth? (not the idiot driving, but the passenger.
I Have watched a lot of video of Europe passenger & freight operations and note that most grade crossings a totallly blocked by crossing gates. Trains don't sound horn! Guess they figure if the lights are flashing and gates down why blow horn?
Stupid is as stupid does.
F. Gump

regards,
vince
LIRR Route Photos:> https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/album.php?albumid=248" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Video:> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkJzw0MwL1k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with you Vince.

Vince.. "Smart is what Smart does"

The crossings that should be 4 quadrant gated:

-Wicks Road.
-Executive Drive.
-Commack Road.
-Carll's Path.
-Straight Path (ESPECIALLY!)

There is also time to further enhance other crossings that have had upgrades:

-Ocean Avenue.
-Lowell Avenue.
-Carleton Avenue.
-Brentwood Road.
-East Great Neck Road.
-Wellwood Avenue.
-Stewart Avenue.
-South Oyster Bay Road.

Electric road work signs are up in Deer Park at LI Ave, saying Carl's Path closed on 10/21-10/23 for road work. As they're placed on both sides of the tracks, I'm assuming this is referring to the work to rip out and replace the old siding track at the grade crossing?

It's going to be real interesting when they get to do this at Commack Rd. I'll plan on not venturing out around town that weekend.

milepost39 wrote:Electric road work signs are up in Deer Park at LI Ave, saying Carl's Path closed on 10/21-10/23 for road work. As they're placed on both sides of the tracks, I'm assuming this is referring to the work to rip out and replace the old siding track at the grade crossing?

It's going to be real interesting when they get to do this at Commack Rd. I'll plan on not venturing out around town that weekend.

There must be no track outage involved, as that's Dual Mode weekend.

Line shutdown east of Farmingdale the weekend of 10/28-29, likely the last time this year.

Electrical construction crew beginning to string wires on the new poles that were erected on the south side of the new ROW on the grade between Wyandanch and the Deer Park Ave. overpass.
Another construction crew working just east of the Carll's Path crossing. Portable roadway signs flashing a message that the road will be closed this weekend. Decent amount of construction equipment (front end loader, backhoe, pavement roller and one of these https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q ... 5405009495" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) at the site. Noticed a switch has been cut into the existing ROW just east of the crossing facing east toward the new ROW and the section of track with wooden ties set off the the south side of the new ROW.

New power lines? What about the ones that were erected on the North side of the ROW when the branch was electrified? The ones that have one perpendicular plank with two wire insulators.

Carlls Path Xing work has been completed. The new second track is in with concrete ties.

Uber car got hit at Broadway in Bethpage. Person and passengers were able to get out before the train was hit, unlike the idiots that drive around the gates, his car stalled before the gates went down and unfortunately the car couldn't get fired back up. M3 car 9809 bound for Penn Station using Track 2 hit the Honda Accord and pushed it to about halfway between Broadway and Stewart Avenue. Service was suspended for 60-90 minutes.

By the way, with Carll's Path officially being a two track crossing, does anyone know when the next weekend outage will be for Ronkonkoma Branch work?