The first of six public comment hearings was held on Tuesday on the Long Island Rail Road’s third-track expansion project. Many of those who spoke called it Long Island’s most consequential infrastructure project in decades.
The proposed third track would be built along a 9.8-mile stretch of the railroad's Main Line corridor between Floral Park and Hicksville.
Grant Havasy, president of the Long Island Builders Institute, called the third track the first step for Long Island’s future.
“It’s not 9.8 miles that’s affected. It’s geographically 118 miles and the millions of people that reside on this island. Our future job growth, our future health care services, our future technologies and our future families are all at stake.”
Just two of those who commented in the two-hour hearing spoke out against the project with concerns related to noise and pollution. More opposition to the plan is expected at hearings to be held in Hempstead on Wednesday and New Hyde Park on Thursday.