Long Island has a current and growing need for rail-truck transfer facilities

As Long Island continues to develop and grow, its dependence on trucking for its commercial needs will strain its already aging and congested road network. Non-highway alternatives such as freight rail will be important assets for Long Island's future development. Some of the benefits of freight rail for LI include removing trucks from the congested Long Island Expressway, reducing pollution, creating safer roads, increasing efficiency, lowering freight costs, and creating new jobs. Rail planning should follow market receptivity. It should have community involvement, follow environmental laws, and be in locations where there would be optimal community impact. Despite some inherent challenges, there are a number of positive rail developments in various stages of development in Suffolk County. October 14 marked the 30th anniversary of the Staggers Act, a watershed piece of legislation that ushered in today's modern freight rail industry. Before the 1980 Staggers Act, government regulations inhibited competition, leaving railroads loaded with debt and unable to keep up with new competition from trucks and airlines. As a result, many railroads went bankrupt, investments stagnated and rail service suffered. Local leaders are working on a number of economic development projects that are expected to help attract and retain jobs to our county. By far the most important project, funded by a $4.8 million federal grant, will let Riverhead Town live out its longtime plan of having freight trains running to and from Enterprise Park at Calverton. This project will rehab the Calverton rail spur. The spur was originally used by the Grumman Corp. to transport materials when the company built Navy fighter jets at the site. Eventually the land was turned over to the town for economic development. In all, 100 new jobs have been created at Enterprise Park during its early stages of development. New tenants include Riverhead Building Supply, The Alfred T. Tebbens Steel Corp., Reilly Woodworks, and Mivila Foods. Many of these tenants needed a location with access to rail to meet their customers' expectations. In Yaphank, ground has broken on the new Brookhaven Rail Terminal on Sills Rd. The freight terminal includes a 3.4-mile commercial rail spur, will cost about $22 million, and will take up to 15,000 trucks off the road annually. Over the summer, the University Transportation Research Center released a draft study on intermodal options for LI, titled "Consideration of Potential Intermodal Sites for Long Island." The study demonstrates that most goods in the region are transported by truck, and that a lack of adequate rail freight service to the metropolitan region has created economic and environmental penalties. On Long Island, there is a current and growing need for rail-truck transfer facilities, based both on a growing demand for commodities on Long Island and the need to reduce the number of motor vehicles, particularly trucks, on the roads because of air quality and congestion concerns. The study looks at several potential locations, including the Pilgrim State property in Brentwood, Calverton, and others. Access to freight rail can reduce costs as well as create new jobs, made possible by the Staggers Rail Act, while investing in planning to secure community accepted sites. Eric Alexander is the executive director at Vision LI, Northport, N.Y.