Community Watchdog

A reader who signed himself as VINNY MAGRINO posted a comment about the LIRR Hicksville train station issue that addresses a big part of many of the problems across Long Island. He wrote: "STOP POINTING THE FINGER AT EACH OTHER AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF , PERIOD. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM TODAY, NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE CHARGE. IT'S ALWAYS BLAME THE OTHER GUY."

It's not exactly finger pointing, but that's what it looks like to those of us who don't care whose jurisdiction it is, we just want the problem fixed.

The Hicksville station has at least three agencies that are responsible for cleaning up the area - the LIRR (for the station and all the platform areas, plus the areas under the trestle), the Town of Oyster Bay (for all the out areas and parking lots) and the state Department of Transportation (for the roadway areaon Route 107). BUT, DO YOU CARE?

Apparently, these agencies don't coordinate their cleaning efforts, don't communicate with each other and assume they're all doing what's right and responsible.

Long Island is always going to suffer because of "finger pointing" as long as there are overlapping jurisdictions. We're in a maze of taxpayer-supported jurisdictions and we're not about to escape anytime soon.

Our Sunday column in Newsday focused primarily on conditions at the LIRR station in Hicksville. Judging by many of the comments posted with the story readers want to let off steam or just rag on other bloggers.

We appreciate feedback, but we''re also hoping to hear from commuters who have real issues with the LIRR station they use every day. That means we'd need your name, address and day phone number. The best way to do that is by email. Our address is watchdog@newsday.com. Let us know which station you use and what the problem is.

Thanks.

The area behind Ron Sme was cleared of trees and other vegetation to prevent train wheels from skidding, but Sme said the LIRR's "trimming" was excessive.
Newsday photo by Alan Raia

On Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook, the LIRR removed every bit of vegetation near tracks in late 2007, including the 30- to 50-year-old trees. It looks like a scene from the 1930s Dust Bowl. The LIRR said there would be some trimming, but it does not seem proper to butcher the landscape.
--Ron Sme, Lynbrook

We made a bunch of calls to the LIRR over a month-long period before we got answers. Spokesman Sam Zambuto said the railroad is now hammering out a beautification plan with local officials and residents.

The tree-cutting was part of a vegetation management program to address “slip-slide” concerns, a condition where train wheels skid on acceleration and braking due to an oily residue from crushed leaves, Zambuto said.

The Lynbrook area between Denton and Ocean avenues was one trouble spot on the Long Island Railroad’s Babylon branch.

Workers cut tree limbs that were entangled in overhead signal lines and others that were hanging over the tracks. Zambuto didn’t know the number of trees removed, but Sme estimated 20 were cut.

The phone number for LIRR’s vegetation management program and replaning efforts is 718-558-8228

--MICHAEL R. EBERT

A couple of reader reax based on an item in the Community Watchdog column published Sunday dealt with freight trains parked over Deer Park Avenue (Route 231), and one issue that goes farther back about a Hicksville couple who wanted a large tree removed so their sight-line wasn't impaired.

On the freight train issue (see below):

I agree 100% with the LePore's. These trains are parked every weekend on the 231 train overpass. I have called the town and nothing has been done. Have you ever noticed the signs that say town beautification program at this overpass? A beautiful clock,brickwork and landscaping below this overpass were put in. Why would an elected official let these trains park on the top of this overpass after all the time and money was spent to beautify this area? I bet our town supervisor wont take a new picture of that area with the trains parked overhead standing next to the town beautification sign. These trains must also be putting a strain on the overpass with all the consent weight on it. God forbid something broke with these trains parked over the cars sitting at the red light. What else can I do to get the town to move these trains 100 feet in either direction? The President Victor Paul is lying when he says 10 or more cars. There are never more than 10 cars parked up on that overpass and they are still there over the entire weekend just about every week. Please forward this to Mr. LePore so that he can contact me and I will join him in the fight to get these trains moved. What a joke it is getting these trains moved 100 feet in either direction. I am sorry to be a little negative but the elected town officials work more for the businesses than they do for the people who live in the town these days.

On the tree issue:

Please stop cutting down trees! That is not progress, nor is it necessary to kill a hundred yr. old tree so someone can see out of their driveway. Tell them to back out slowly & they will see just fine. Not every problem deserves the easy solution. People have to live in the environment & with the environment. Sidewalks can be replaced w/o cutting down trees. New trees will take decades to provide shade or make a dent in CO2 removal. Please consider the consequences of your actions. Thank you.

Alex and Kathleen LePore say freight trains stored by the Deer Park Avenue overpass ruin the look of their community.

Graffiti-laden freight trains used by the New York & Atlantic Railway are constantly parked over the Deer Park Avenue-Route 231 LIRR overpass. It’s a major eyesore in our community. All we are asking is that the cars be moved off the overpass farther down the tracks to eliminate the eyesore. Our contacts with the company have gotten us nowhere.

We called New York & Atlantic Railway President Victor Paul who said he’ll instruct workers to move cars as far east as possible in an effort to ease the eyesore. If 10-11 cars are stored, they should clear the overpass. But if more cars have to be stored there, they will be visible.

Deer Park is his place of last resort for storing freight cars, used only when all other storage areas provided through NYAR’s contract with the Long Island Rail Road are filled.

Paul said if there are special events being held in the community, such as a parade, he will try to have the trains moved temporarily for aesthetics and return them when the event is over.

The number of cars stored on L.I. mirrors the economy, he said. The slower the economy, the more freight cars stand idle.

LIRR spokesman Sam Zambuto said in prepared statement, “The LIRR has had discussions with the New York & Atlantic Railway on the issue...in response to concerns raised by residents, elected officials and Newsday’s Community Watchdog. The LIRR and NYAR are exploring alternate locations for the storage of these freight rail cars and, in the near term, the NYAR is preparing protocols for the storage of the cars to the east and/or west of the trestle.”

Related sites on this topic:

Q. The LIRR crossing on Oakwood Road in Huntington is so uneven the cars go around it to avoid the raised pavement on the tracks. It's just a question of time before one car swerves into another car. I have been after people since last year to get it fixed. I wrote the town and county and learned it's the LIRR's responsibility. I left a message a few weeks ago at the railroad and they never called.
Jean Kouwenhoven, Huntington

A. Drivers won't have to do any more pothole dodging at the Oakwood Road crossing.

Workers finished overhauling the roadway by the tracks on Tuesday, using 20 tons of new asphalt, LIRR spokesman Sam Zambuto said.

After we called the railroad about the problem, the crossing was reinspected. Zambuto said that inspection confirmed what the railroad already knew -- the crossing needed help.

Previous inspections had put the Oakwood Road crossing on the railroad's repair radar, although the LIRR did not perceive a "current hazard,” Zambuto said.

"The crossing needs asphalt work and that was something we were planning to do,” Zambuto said before the repair work began on Nov. 21.

The asphalt on both sides of the tracks was replaced across all four traffic lanes. Repairs were also made to the rubberized crossing panels for smoother driving over the tracks. Oakwood Road is one of 290 street-level train crossings within the LIRR system that are regularly inspected, Zambuto said.

Anyone with a problem involving an LIRR crossing should call Public Affairs at 718-558-8228. Complaints can be emailed by visiting mta.info, click the FAQs/Contact Us button on the left and then click E-mail at the bottom of the page.

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