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Goldfeder: In today's difficult economy, complete restoration of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line would offer affordable, reliable transportation to those who desperately need it and prepare our city for future growth
Goldfeder applauds State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s MTA Capital Needs report which includes restoration of service to the Rockaway Beach Rail Line
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway), a staunch advocate for the restoration of the abandoned Rockaway Beach Rail Line welcomed the support of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli who released a report which included the rail line as a realistic, efficient and inexpensive option to improve transit options for Queens residents.
“This report is a huge step forward and I will continue to work closely with State Comptroller DiNapoli, my colleagues and the MTA until the Rockaway Beach Rail Line becomes a reality,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. "I applaud State Comptroller DiNapoli for his tireless efforts to assist our Queens families and improve transit services.”
According to State Comptroller DiNapoli’s report, the MTA has stated that given the fiscal constraints of the current economy, it will need to respond with “new strategies to boost capacity and accessibility, and which are more strategic in scale and location and are accomplished within customers’ commuting lifetimes.” The MTA cites the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch as an example of this approach. Restoring service on the Rockaway Beach Branch would be a less costly way to speed commutes between South Queens and Manhattan, improve travel within the borough, and promote economic growth.
“This is great news,” said Phil McManus, founder of the Queens Public Transit Committee. “Our City, State and Federal governments need to invest in transportation for all the people. Imagine the social, economic, recreational and environmental opportunities if we completely restored the Rockaway Beach Rail Line.”
Additionally, DiNapoli’s report found that despite $90 billion in capital investments since 1982, the MTA has not restored the entire transit system to a state of good repair because it has not received all of the funding it has sought and because cost overruns on large capital projects siphoned off resources that could have been used to modernize the system. At the Governor’s request, the MTA has formed a committee of outside experts to provide input on the upcoming capital program, which is expected to report its findings in September.
The Rockaway Beach Line, also known as the White Pot Junction Line, was created around the turn of the century and was owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road. It provided residents with safe, affordable and expedient access to other parts of the city and 40 minute commutes to midtown Manhattan from Rockaway. Since elected, Goldfeder has made transportation and the restoration of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line a top priority.
In February of 2012, he called on Governor Cuomo to immediately restore the line to ease commutes for Queens residents. In May that year, Goldfeder launched a petition that garnered nearly 3,000 signatures that were later delivered to Governor Cuomo, the Port Authority, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in support of bringing the line back to life. Additionally, Goldfeder has teamed up with the Queens College Office of Community Studies to conduct a feasibility study on the potential community impacts of various proposed redevelopment options for the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch line.
“We are on the right track and I will continue to fight for full restoration to give our families the transportation we deserve,”concluded Goldfeder. “In today's difficult economy, complete restoration of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line would offer affordable, reliable transportation to those who desperately need it and prepare our city for future growth.”
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