MTA board OKs $28 billion for LIRR, other projects

Written by jrood

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted to spend $28.1 billion to improve transit infrastructure in the region, including the tackling of major projects on the Long Island Rail Road, Newsday reported. At a Manhattan meeting, the board voted to adopt the MTA's proposed five-year capital program, which would fund large transit projects from 2010 to 2014. The proposed budget still requires approval from the four voting members of the state's MTA Capital Program Review board.

For the Long Island Rail
Road, the plan includes $137.9 million to build a second track between the
Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma stations; $65 million in funding to improve parking
at the busiest stations, including by building garages; and funding to create
frequent shuttle service between some infrequently served stations and Main
Line stations.

Among other projects
included in the plan are development of a "smart card" fare payment
system that would bill customers and would not require swiping; development of
"countdown clocks" at subway stations to inform riders when the next
train is coming; and purchase of hundreds of subway and rail cars.

Responding to concerns
raised by some transit advocates, the MTA recently revised the plan to address
two of Long Island’s most pressing transit needs. The plan now includes funding
to study the viability of creating a regional bus authority in which the MTA
would take over ownership, expand and improve existing bus systems in Nassau
and Suffolk. Funding also is included to conduct an environmental impact
statement for the long-discussed project to build a third track between
Hicksville and Floral Park.

A state Legislature rescue
package adopted in May to address the MTA’s financial problems included funding
for only the first two years of the five-year plan. MTA officials have said
they still are about $10-billion short of the proposed plan’s total cost, and
state lawmakers and auditors have warned against heavy borrowing to cover the
entire plan.

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