Fed up with questions left unanswered by MTA/LIRR officials, local assemblymembers said they took matters into their own hands Feb. 14 and appointed a "community- driven" New York State Assembly Advisory Committee on the third track plan in order to "galvanize and focus community efforts" in fighting the highly controversial megaproject.

Assemblymen Thomas Alfano (21st Assembly District), Tom McKevitt (17th Assembly District) and Rob Walker (15th Assembly District), who are spearheading the effort, state that the committee's formation comes on the heels of what they call a "secret impact statement" developed by the MTA and given to the federal government.

They are referring to the MTA/LIRR's submission of its Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PDEIS) to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for review earlier this month.

Assemblymembers are questioning why they and those communities that would be most directly impacted by the project have yet to see it.

"What's so hard with being up front with homeowners? What's so hard about making this an open process so that people have all the facts and information?" Assemblyman Alfano said, adding that the recent submission is "proof positive of the shenanigans of the MTA plan to mislead, confuse and keep people in the dark."

The assemblymen each appointed members to the Advisory Committee, which plans on holding hearings in an effort to coordinate a united community effort to block the third track plan. The committee is made up of the following appointees and their sponsors: Mineola Mayor Jack Martins (chair), appointed by Assemblyman McKevitt, Floral Park businessman Timothy Dalton (vice chair), appointed by Assemblyman Alfano; New Hyde Park Mayor Daniel Petruccio, appointed by both Assemblymen McKevitt and Alfano; and Westbury Village Trustee Bill Wise, appointed by Assemblyman Walker.

The assemblymen wanted a different type of committee, comprised of members from all different walks of life who look forward to working with other community groups fighting for the same end - putting a stop to the third track project.

"The Advisory Committee is a sure-fire way to focus all community efforts to protect neighborhoods," Assemblyman Walker said. "We need everyone to be involved and this board working with us will make it happen."

Assemblyman McKevitt added, "This is the most positive and pro-active way we can have an open discussion with the community and formulate a plan to open this process for our communities."

McKevitt said he appointed Mayors Martins and Petruccio (who could not attend the Feb. 14 press conference) because they have been "leading advocates for Mineola and New Hyde Park against a proposal that could have devastating consequences to these communities."

Mineola Mayor Martins said residents have waited long enough - more than a year and a half since the June 2006 scoping sessions were held - for answers to their concerns. "It is time to draw back the steel curtain on the secrecy that's descended on this issue," he said.

Assemblyman Alfano, who said the MTA's actions are an "affront and a slap in the face" to his constituents, appointed Dalton because Tim "understands the Floral Park community, not only as a businessman, but as someone who has a generational lifelong investment in our community."

Dalton recalled when the MTA back in the late '50s, early '60s raised tracks in Floral Park. "At that time we did see a lot of condemnation of properties. We saw people go out of business. It was just an extremely tough time for our community to live through," Dalton said. "And now the MTA wants to do it to us a second time. We're standing ready and we support our communities. It's time for the MTA to come forward and discuss what they're exactly planning to do. It's all smoke and mirrors and we're really tired with that whole attitude."

The Main Line Corridor Improvements Project provides for an additional track along a 10-mile stretch between Floral Park and Hicksville. Railroad officials believe the project would ultimately "improve service reliability for the LIRR systemwide by providing more capacity and flexibility to move trains." Five LIRR branches carrying 41 percent of the railroad's total ridership, LIRR officials state, converge on this stretch of the railroad known as the Main Line Corridor.

Assemblyman Alfano pointed to recent statements made by LIRR President Helena Williams when she said that the third track project for residents in Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Garden City and Mineola would "be a burden."

Further, the assemblyman pointed to the fact that in Floral Park, John Lewis Childs School would be impacted at South Tyson Avenue creating a tremendous vehicular traffic and inconvenience to motorists.

"Somehow hearing the LIRR president saying that 'this is an investment that needs to be done' is a public-be-damned attitude that is unacceptable to me and the parents of the children at John Lewis Childs School," Assemblyman Alfano said.

Despite the expected burden, LIRR officials believe the third track is a "vital component" to the completion of the $6.3 billion East Side Access project in 2014 when LIRR customers will, for the first time, be able to travel directly to the East Side of Manhattan via Grand Central Terminal.

The third track will add what LIRR officials are calling a passing lane to the corridor, "separating express trains from local trains' and offering "greater capacity, operational flexibility and faster recovery time in the event of incidents or delays."

The plan also calls for grade crossing eliminations and upgrades to bridges throughout the corridor, such as Ellison Avenue in the Village of Westbury.

"Through the planned elimination of grade crossings in the corridor, the project enhances safety and accident prevention, improves traffic flow in local communities while also reducing train horn warning noise," LIRR officials state.

The draft plan submitted to federal officials offers two grade crossing separation alternatives that address five grade crossings under review in the corridor: Covert Avenue, South 12th Street and New Hyde Park Road in the Village of New Hyde Park; School Street in the Village of Westbury and Urban Avenue in the New Cassel area.

There are two options, A or B, proposed for grade crossing improvements with, LIRR officials note, no priority assigned to one option over the other.

According to an LIRR release, Option A separates the roadway from the tracks at New Hyde Park Road and Covert Avenue. New Hyde Park Road and Covert Avenue traffic would cross underneath the tracks. The South 12th Street crossing would be closed and a pedestrian crossing would be constructed over the tracks. Further, Urban Avenue would be closed to traffic with a pedestrian bridge constructed over the tracks. Urban Avenue traffic would be diverted to a new bridge over the tracks, connecting Bond Street with Railroad Avenue. School Street would remain open at-grade with protection enhancements for vehicular traffic.

The release continued, stating, Option B intends to minimize community impacts even further, particularly in the Village of New Hyde Park, where Covert Avenue and South 12th Street would remain as grade crossings with protection enhancements for vehicle traffic. The other proposed improvements would be identical to Option A, with New Hyde Park Road separated, Urban Avenue's traffic diverted to a new Bond Street bridge and School Street remaining at-grade.

The Assembly Advisory Committee immediately plans on scheduling three hearings to listen to community input, draft a plan of action and present it to the Assembly delegation for action. The first hearing will be conducted in New Hyde Park; the second hearing will take place in Floral Park; and the final hearing will be conducted for the Mineola and Westbury communities. Dates, times and locations will follow.

LIRR officials state that once the FTA reviews the plan, it will be made available for public review and additional public hearings will be scheduled. If final FTA reviews are completed in early 2009, engineering design on the project would then take place next year, with an estimated construction start in the first quarter of 2010.