MTA Board votes to accept environmental study for LIRR expansion

Written by Maggie Lancaster, assistant editor
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board voted to accept the findings of the year-long environmental study for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) expansion project, one of New York's most significant efforts to increase capacity of the commuter railroad since it was first built in the mid-19th century.

In November 2016, the MTA Board voted to use a two-step public process to identify the private construction firms that are best qualified to work on the project and then, in the future, select one based on the best proposal to meet the project’s objectives. MTA says the Requests for Proposals and environmental study were done in tandem so the agency’s decision making would be properly informed by ideas that might emerge during the procurement process.

“Keeping our transportation infrastructure up to date is critical to our region’s future,” said MTA Interim Chair Fernando Ferrer. “Today, the board voted to advance the critical LIRR Expansion Project, which uses innovative approaches to keep construction cost and time to a minimum and incorporates extensive industry and public input.”

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