Members and friends

This morning’s speaker, NY State Department of Transportation Regional
Director, Subi Chakraborti, gave us an overview  of the
responsibilities of the NYSDOT. We also discussed specific projects that
are either planned or in progress.

 

The department does not have direct responsibilities to rail service,
however where rail service has an impact on the roads there is
cooperation. One of LIMBA’s long standing goals has been increasing rail
freight because it significantly reduces the impact of pollution and
road damage caused by trucks on the roads. The NYSDOT believes strongly
that an inter-modal rail truck transfer station would be a good idea for
the Pilgrim State hospital property. We agree! With less than 2% of all
freight coming to Long Island by rail, an increase to 10% would remove
325,000 trucks each year. (these statistics were developed by NY &
Atlantic RR)  

 

While a lot of NYSDOT’s works are not ribbon cutting events because they
are maintaining the enormous infrastructure we already have, there have
some noteable changes. The HOV lane , like it or not, was one of them.
Most the  of the NYSDOT budget is devoted to rebuilding the roads and
briges that we have in place. There was the redecking of the southbound
Robert Moses Causeway bridge a few years ago. There are now plans to
rebuild the northbound lanes of that structure. They will be redesigning
the traffic circle at Jones Beach. The revised situation is called a
"Roundabout"The nature of the changes will produce less accidents. One
more thing on Jones Beach, there will be a bicycle path built along
Ocean Parkway from Jones Beach to Captree, a 12 mile link. Now what we
need is a bicycle path over Robert Moses Causeway.

 

Other projects around Long Island include the rebuilding and redesigning
Rt 347. This is a very large project involving at least 2 overpasses and
additional lanes. That contract will be let in sections.

 

The NYSDOT has already converted 80% of its traffic signals to Light
Emitting Diode technology (LED). This technology reduces power
consumption by about 90% and reduces service needs significantly.

 

Subi or someone in his department will now be giving LIMBA updates on an
annual basis.