In August, 2001, local officials celebrated an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the New York & Atlantic Railway (NYA) that ensured the Hempstead branch be permanently closed off to future freight traffic and only be used for passenger commuters. Moreover, the agreement was intended to streamline the movement of rail freight on Long Island by taking more trucks off the road.

Residents living along the tracks that run parallel to Merillon Avenue, known as the Central Extension, however, thought the agreement offered empty promises of ridding Garden City of freight traffic since freight trains can still be heard rumbling on the tracks at all hours of the night. A Houston Road resident even accused local politicians of once again keeping affected residents in the dark, claiming that "No more freight in Garden City" isn't actually true. "They're so proud no more freight will run on the Hempstead line but now it'll run on the Hicksville line, which goes through Garden City as well."

According to Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell, during an interview with the Garden City Life late last month, "The Central Extension carries no more freight than it always had."

She added, "What we've been assured of by all the parties is that any track upgrading [on the Central Extension] is strictly meant to improve service and is not, in any way, intended to increase the amount of freight on that line. I can't even tell you how old those tracks are. We've been trying to upgrade the tracks incrementally to improve the service and make the ride smoother and quieter."

The original agreement to privatize the LIRR's freight operation was part of Governor George Pataki's plan to have a robust rail freight operation in the downstate area and reduce the region's dependence on trucks. The LIRR and NYA, as a result of the agreement, exchanged storage yards for equipment and trains. Specifically, the LIRR provided NYA with a Hicksville Yard facility in exchange for the Garden City Yard facility.