MTA commits to new West Shore light rail study

[MysteriousBtrain]

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A light rail on the West Shore is one small step closer to becoming a reality.

After years of being noncommittal, the MTA has pledged to study the corridor in considering the transportation option.

It came in the form of a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, from MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast, in which he "commits to an evaluation" of a West Shore light rail along a retired right-of-way.

The March 30 correspondence states, "The product of this evaluation will be an assessment of transportation options and issues identified associated with each corridor that will be submitted to you no later than June 30, 2017."

State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) credits his newfound power as a member of Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan's inner circle as the reason for the MTA commitment.

Flanagan, a Long Island Republican, made Lanza chairman of the Senate's Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee, giving the Staten Island lawmaker authority over the MTA capital budget.

"The MTA came to me about the capital budget and I made is clear early on, immediately, in the first meeting that I would not pass the MTA capital budget, I would hold the whole thing up if not for the funding of the study," Lanza said.

While the $5 million estimated cost of a study, an alternative analysis, isn't listed as a line in the MTA capital budget, Prendergast's promise makes it a reality.

Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) led the charge in that chamber.

"I, along with Sen. Lanza and so many of my colleagues in local and state government have advocated for a transit study of the West Shore corridor for many years and it gives me great pride to announce this commitment," Cusick said. "For far too long, Staten Islanders have suffered through heinous commutes which rank among the worst in the entire nation. This evaluation will provide us with a clear path forward toward alleviating this issue, and I am so proud of the real results we have obtained today."

Read more:

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/mta_commits_to_new_west_shore.html

[Union Tpke]

this is great news for Staten Island, which has been underserved. Like in Hudson County, there could be a lot of development around the line.

[traildriver]

I would like to see them arrange with NJTransit to extend the Hudson-Bergen light rail line over the Bayonne Bridge if possible, and then to the St. George Terminal.   MTA could fund their portion like they do with NJT and Metro North on the Port Jervis commuter rail line, including owning a few cars to contribute to the pool....

[CenSin]

So Staten Islanders get the second-best option after subway. And then the west shore will never see subway service given the people’s reaction to shutting down a short segment of the for repairs.