Bellone Announces Suffolk County as recipient of $300k Federal Grant for “Plane-to-Train Connectivity Study between Ronkonkoma L.I.R.R. Station & MacArthur Airport”
The United Planning Work Program, which was developed by The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) has awarded a $300,000 federal grant to Suffolk County for a study, geared to Spur Economic Development.The funding will be used for a study to improve Plane-to-Train connectivity from the L.I.R.R. Ronkonkoma train station to MacArthur Airport. The appropriation of the funds were approved during The Suffolk County Legislature general meeting on June 21st, 2016.
“This is another step toward spurring economic development in the Ronkonkoma Hub which will create thousands of new jobs in Suffolk County and provide a more convenient public transportation option to our residents… For years, our region has been complacent with the lack of infrastructure and public transit options to key destinations. Long Island MacArthur Airport is an easy and convenient airport for residents to access, and with a plane-to-train connection to the railroad, you can be in New York City in under an hour.” – Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone
The study will be conducted, with help from Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning, to analyze the best method of increasing connectivity between the Ronkonkoma Station and Macarthur Airport. The study will also assess land use opportunities, economic development and the benefits that correspond to train-to-plane public transit connections. Revolutionary alternatives to costs, construction time, environmental impacts and efficiency of use will be included in the study as well.
The study is expected to cost an estimated $375,000, of which the remaining $75,000 balance has been matched by Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning. The remaining balance has already been set aside in the 2016 Suffolk County Operating Budget.
The study comes as a welcomed addition to Suffolk County’s Innovation Zone initiative, introduced last year by the County Executive. The Innovation Zone initiative was designed to connect new and existing transit-oriented downtowns to neighboring research institutions and amenities to develop a quality of life ecosystem, geared at attracting younger generations back to Suffolk.
Visit www.suffolkcountyny.gov for more information on the funding and the Innovation Zone plan.