There is a lot of work going on within the MTA.
The completed, ongoing or soon to be started projects are:
While I am happy that these projects were finally started or approved, I do not believe in the long run that they will make any difference in current LIRR service.
Ronkonkoma Double Track
There is a lot of attention surrounding this one. And while it’s good news it was finished earlier than scheduled, it’s just a disaster waiting to happen. More track means more trains means more chances for the LIRR to fuck up.
It may make a difference but there’s always delays involving people, debris and “other things” that the LIRR has yet to master in clearing away in a timely manner.
It goes without saying that this part of the LIRR should have been elevated as the Babylon line was many years ago but that time is long gone.
Oh well so much for da gubment knowing best, eh?
Third Track
When this is done it will be a big deal. It’s been talked about for a very very very long time but held up because of bureaucratic red tape NIMBYism.
Will this make LIRR service better and able to recover from delays faster? Not sure. We’ll find out when it’s done and service starts but as I said before, more track, more trains means more chances for delays. Another point is will there be crossovers so trains can move to a track with no problems if there is a stuck train, for example?
I doubt it. And I feel the third track will be a complete waste of money and be under-utilized by the LIRR.
East Side Access
Since I work on the east side only 4 blocks from Grand Central I should be happy about this. I am, this should have been done a long time ago. Yet, I still have reservations about it. Will there be any issues because of bad construction? How deep will it be? Will all of the escalators and elevators be operational?
How FAR will it be from the subway concourse? Are all of the pedestrian traffic issues worked out? Will there be bottlenecks of pedestrians because of bad planning? I assume yes there will be.
Overall, I am not very enthusiastic about the ongoing projects. The main problems of the LIRR are bad communication, poor system resiliency and schedules that are stuck in the 1930’s. The new projects mentioned here are welcome but the Fail Road should fix its foundation issues first rather than trying to dress up the system and hide the true ailments.
LIFE ON THE FAIL ROAD 