You can learn a great deal about the priorities of our elected officials by what they say and don’t say when it comes to delivering funding for transportation projects. Over the previous few weeks,

Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul and others, announced federal funding of $1.3 billion toward advancing the $1.6 billion East River Tunnel reconstruction, $1.3 billion toward the $3.1 billion Metro North Bronx East Penn Station Access, $3.4 billion toward the $7.7 billion New York City Transit Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 and $3.8 billion toward Amtrak’s $16.8 billion Gateway Tunnel (for two new tunnels plus rehabilitation of two existing Hudson River tunnels connecting New Jersey with Penn Station) projects.

Schumer, Gillibrand and Hochul, by their actions, or in this case inaction, have clearly indicated no interest in supporting reopening the old Port Washington LIRR branch Elmhurst Queens station.

The MTA 2025-2044 Capital Needs Plan lists reopening the old LIRR Elmhurst station as costing $210 million.  This year marked the 38th anniversary of the closing of this station.

The MTA originally allocated $40 million, which was sufficient funding at the time, to pay for this work under the MTA $32 billion 2014 – 2019 Capital Program. In 2016, $4 million was to be spent for planning, environmental review, design and engineering.

This would have been followed by construction in 2018 for $36 million.  The new station was anticipated to be opened by the end of 2019.  In 2017, the MTA added $3 billion ($1.95 billion for LIRR Main Line Third Track & $700 million for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2) to the $29 billion 2015-2019 Five Year Capital Program Plan bringing it up to $32 billion.

Buried in this plan amendment was reprogramming $37 million originally allocated to support the construction of the new Elmhurst LIRR Station to pay for other project(s).

Only $3 million remained for preliminary design and environmental review.  Restoration of $37 million to support final design, engineering and construction was supposed to have been included within the $51 billion MTA 2020 – 2024 Five-Year Capital Plan. This never happened.

There is no commitment in the MTA 2025 – 2044 Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment Plan to allocate and spend $210 million for reopening this station.  Construction could have been completed years ago at less cost.

Will MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and Acting LIRR President Richard Free hold their predecessors accountable for this 400% cost increase?  Will they rectify this and find funding to honor past commitments?

LIRR commuters, transit advocates, taxpayers, local residents and elected officials still support reopening the Elmhurst LIRR Station and await your decision.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management.