Action
Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyzing alternatives to meet LIRR's need to store electric train cars on the railroad's Huntington/ Port Jefferson Branch in Suffolk County, New York. As required by the Record of Decision issued by the FTA on May 21, 2001, for the MTA LIRR East Side Access Project, the EIS will be tiered from the Final EIS issued for the East Side Access Project in March 2001. As stated in the Final EIS for the East Side Access project, under a tiered NEPA EIS approach, the lead agency focuses on the issues that are ripe for decision in the first-tier document and prepares further environmental analyses as elements of the subsequent actions become adequately defined. FTA and MTA/LIRR are notifying interested parties of the intent to prepare an EIS and inviting public participation in the study to identify a suitable site or sites to meet LIRR's existing and long-term storage needs on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch, east of Huntington between Huntington and Smithtown Stations. The new storage yard(s) will permit the LIRR to increase the number of electric train cars in operation on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch. Increased train cars will allow the LIRR to provide additional service to accommodate projected ridership growth, and provide new service to Grand Central Terminal as part of the LIRR's East Side Access Project, as well as to increase the number of electric train car spares to insure more reliable services.