After nearly 15 months of no response from MTA/LIRR officials, Mayor Gerard Lundquist got a call last week from LIRR's director of government affairs requesting a meeting - ASAP - with Garden City officials to provide them with a status report on the Main Line Corridor Improvement Project - or what is now commonly referred to as the third track project.

On the verge of seeking several procedural approvals, the MTA/LIRR did not want any information leaking to the public without first briefing respective legislators and mayors. They plan to meet with neighboring communities as well, such as Mineola, New Hyde Park, Floral Park and Bellerose.

Mayor Lundquist expressed to MTA/LIRR officials at a Dec. 5 meeting his dissatisfaction with the lack of response to all the public input received during the 2005 scoping sessions.

"Since over a year ago, there has been no communication on their part ... There has been intensive communication on our part to get information. All of the comments that we received from the residents and the property owners' associations, the letters we have written all went unanswered," Mayor Lundquist, who believes a third track is economically unnecessary and would provide absolutely no benefit for residents and taxpayers on Long Island, said. "This is essentially the only response we've gotten in over 15 months so it's been a long time coming."

According to MTA/LIRR representatives, "mitigation modifications" have been incorporated into the proposed project as a result of public input received between May and December 2005. Further, they agreed too that a need to meet with people who could be impacted by the project is necessary; Mayor Lundquist suggested reaching out to the village's four property owners' associations.

To review, the overall project encompasses 11.5 miles of track from Queens Village to Hicksville, traversing the communities of Bellerose, Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Garden City, Mineola, Carle Place and Westbury.

Specific to Garden City, the new track would be 14 feet closer to 38 residential properties along New Hyde Park Road to Rockaway Avenue, the Nassau Haven Park play area, the Garden City Bird Sanctuary and the Tullamore Park play area.

Further, rumors surfaced months back that the Nassau Boulevard bridge overpass had to be reconstructed, concerning several residents because of the likelihood of increased truck traffic on the already busy roadway. However, a new single-track bridge is slated for construction to the south of the existing double track bridge, according to MTA/LIRR officials, who further state that the new single-track bridge would have no impact to the Nassau Boulevard/Merillon Avenue intersection.

At Denton Avenue, MTA/LIRR officials also believe that would remain a one-lane bridge. The new track would also be located to the south of the existing track, along the same grade, with a recommendation made to the state that a traffic signal be installed. Arnold Finnamore was relieved to hear that a multi-lane road - at this time - is not slated at Tanners Pond Road, where he lives. "The residents of Tanners Pond Road two years ago all signed a petition stating that we were opposed to any increased potential for traffic on Tanners Pond Road and to not change the underpass," Finnamore said.

As part of the project, there are 80 parcels in the corridor that would be impacted by takings and easements. According to MTA/LIRR officials, only four properties in Garden City, they said, will be directly impacted by a third track alignment: three residential properties currently owned by the village and one permanent right of way of approximately 17 feet.

MTA/LIRR officials state that the existing corridor will experience an "increase in trains by 2030" in both the "no build" and "build" conditions; "increased service levels are projected due to both background growth in population and employment, as well as the opening of East Side Access in 2013." Further, they believe this project will reduce train horn noise by eliminating grade crossings in New Hyde Park and constructing a third track.

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is expected to be given to the Federal Transportation Agency (FTA) in April 2007 with a public review and comment process to take place between September 2007 and December of 2007. The final EIS is expected in June 2008 with a record of decision in September 2008. The EIS will describe the proposed alternative as well as mitigation of environmental and socio-economic impacts, particularly property impact.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the coordinating agency for this project. Their comments are to be incorporated into the DEIS before its submission to the FTA.

The information village officials received is available for public review at village hall and the Garden City Library.