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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/12/1994 . . . Southold Transportation Symposium October 12, 1994 Synopsis The following is a compilation of the information, suggestions, and ideas resulting from the day-long Transportation Symposium held aboard a special four-car train of the Long Island Rail Road. At the Symposium we wanted to reach the widest possible cross- section of town citizens to seek input from all quarters. This goal met with great success. We were offered an impressive array of information, and lively discussions took place in each car during the morning and afternoon sessions and even during lunch at the Ronkonkoma station. This report is the beginning of a continuing dialogue with the general public on the subject of transportation alternatives for the North Fork. We will solicit further ideas and inspiration through open meetings as we proceed. We ask you to please network with your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and others interested in transportation. We welcome your comments. You may contact us at Town Hall, 53295 Main Road, Southold or by calling (516) 765-1938. The Synopsis follows the agenda you will find in the center of the accompanying Journal. The "Review of the History of Transportation on the North Fork" and a "Review of the Transportation Core Concept..." will also be found in articles contained in the Journal. The key points resulting from the topical discussions are highlighted as follows: Category: Railroad . Symposium was held on 4O-year old equipment, which was nicer and more comfortable than the daily train. . Old diesel equipment, shabby coaches, poor scheduling, and the longest, most costly ride on Long Island has caused a major decline in ridership. Most of this market has gone to Sunrise Buses and Hampton Jitney. . In December 1994, the L1RR will decide on new double decker diesel coaches which will be more attractive. They will be equipped with cellular phones, improved lavatories, and will be better maintained. . Will decide by June 1995 about new dual-type locomotives which can operate electrically or on diesel. This would allow travelers to go directly from NYC to Greenport without changing trains. . It would cost 10 times as much to electrify all the rails as it would to purchase new dual-use locomotives. . All stations platforms will be raised so that trains will be easier to board. . Will improve all stations. Shelter sheds will be uniform. This latter raised objections, and it was stated that the station in Southold is temporary and Town mav have a say in final design. . Stations are poorly marked if approached by road. . Railroad does not encourage bicycles on board. . . . . [n response to a participant question, they will examine the bike transport rule to see if more hours can be provided for transporting bicycles. . Further investigation is needed to develop bike storage at stations. A major stumbling block is the need for local administration of storage facilities. . Participant question: can the RR right-of-way be used for bicycles, cross-country skiing, hiking, etc.? . Stations should be transportation hubs. Need information capabilities at train stations. . This past summer LlRR focused on the South Fork because of greater RR usage there - a ratio of 200-1 vs. North Fork . Suggests use of "Trail Blazer" signs for special roads. Put up signs directing people to the railroad stations. . Expand on railroad use of "Passport to Long Island" concept which offers tours to special places. This year there were 28 tours, including two destinations on the North Fork. Will try to get a casino package, also perhaps Tanger and Splish Splash. They are focusing more on the other seasons - i.e.. North Fork is beautiful in the Fall. Category: Buses . Every local schedule change affects all other bus company schedules in the area. . Each company has its own radio system, but they are not connected to each other. They will be soon. . The "feeder routes" are great but when underused are very expensive. It could cost $15 per person per run if ridership is low. . Fewer people going to Riverhead on bus to work. More people are coming east to work. . Sunrise meets 4 of 6 ferries coming into Orient from New London each day. Category: Ferries Cross Sound Ferry : . Since the late 1940s, the ferry has [inked East End farmers with New England markets. CSF also owns a tug, dredge and dock. They are replacing old vessels with newer ones. The new terminal facilities were built in the mid 1980s and they have upgraded the reservation system. . Working with off-season motor coach bus tours. They are trying to increase the market in the "shoulder" season - earlier spring and later fall. . We need better scheduling linkages between the ferries and other transport, such as AMTRAK at the New London station, and with public bus routes on the North Fork. . . . We need a transportation link from the Orient Ferry landing to Greenport as well as a direct ferry link from New London to the South Fork. North Ferrv Com pan V - Shelter Island: . The company dates back to the 1840s. . The Suffolk County Legislature grants the right to operate the ferry and to set the rates. . Labor costs make up 65% of the operating costs. The company is owned by Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Association. The ferry dock property in Greenport is rented from the MT A/LIRR. . Business had been decreasing until 1993, and has since picked up 3% and is nearing the late 80's high. Category: Automobiles Report from local police departments: . Southold population grows to 50,000 in summer. . 5 traffic control officers are employed in the summer. Need more officers to help direct traffic during busy spells. . Passing on the right is illegal throughout the Town, but is permitted to expedite traffic. If you have an accident doing this you are at fault. . Bicycles are causing concern. The new route from Greenport to Orient should help, but drivers and riders need to be educated. . Bicycles have the right-of-way, even in the traffic lane. That right is often not recognized by automobile drivers. Need to control parking in breakdown lanes/bicycle lanes and at farrn stands and yard sales. . It was suggested that the police contribute articles about car and bicycle safety to the local newspapers. . Could use better signs to alert drivers of upcoming sites, attractions. . Need better aud more strict law enforcement. . Greenport is experiencing increasing pedestrian traffic. . Pedestrian right-of-way in crosswalks needs to be enforced. The signs in Riverhead at crosswalks are working. Report from the American Automobile Association: . The automobile is a tough competitor - it is very convenient. . Public transit is very expensive and is losing users nationwide. . Need off-street parking. , . . . Our villages are not pedestrian-friendly. Sidewalks are too narrow, there are too many curb-cuts. . Need facilities to accommodate travelers. Need to better accommodate bicycles and shuttle buses. . Reduce curb-cuts and coordinate traffic signals on Rte. 25 or make them traffic- sensitive. . Also, increase the use of Rte. 48, which is beautiful and can handle more traffic. It is our "big bonus road" which the South Fork does not have. We need to manage it better and make better use of it. . Need better directional signs, better lane delineation, especially at night. New York State Department of Transportation: . There will be major DOT emphasis on ride sharing and reduction of drive-alone travel in the future. . There will be new opportunities for biking and walking in conjunction with DOT projects. . Improvements are scheduled for Route 25 in Cutchogue for 1996. . We are encouraged to contact Regional DOT office in Hauppauge to have design input. . DOT will be adding a bicycle lane on the Orient Beach State Park road. . Participant suggested initiating an "adopt-a-highway" program on the North Fork. . Suggest off-season use of large, existing parking lots in Rivcrhead so that people can park in Riverhead and ride on public transportation to the East End. . Need local parking for cars so that owners can bicycle in the area Category: Other Forms of Transportation Bicvcling: . The average age of touring cyclists is 46 and the average distance they drive to a destination for cycling is 410 miles. The average income is $60--70, 000 and cyclists are both male and female (about SO-SO). They spend about $100 per day on overnight trips and $15-$SO per day on day trips. They can improve the local economy without damaging the environment. Rails to Trails Conservancy found that property values increase adjacent to bike trails. . Cyclists favor touring, family cycling; . Develop network of routes: NYC to Orient and Montauk, and also North and South routes across the island. . Bicycling should be a safe, enjoyable experience and should be integrated as a form of transportation. . . . Bike routes should be marked with high visibility striping. Signs should mark routes signaling drivers to watch for cyclists; designate safe bicycle routes; use riffle strips. . Roadsides which are now used for bicycles are littered with glass and debris. Adopt a highway program? . There is a need for safe bicycle storage in lockers. . Promote bike racks on buses as well as increased bicycle access on the railroad. . The L1RR says they allow bicycles, but only during off-peak hours which results in very limited times permitted.(see Rail Road section) . Use loaner bicycles in business hubs. . Cyclists would like more off road trails, and bicycle paths could become cross- country ski trails in winter. . Cyclists are attracted by farm lands, low traffic roads, sense of community, scenic beauty. This is one of the last special places. Boating: . Fiberglass changed the face of boating on the East End by creating maintenance-free boating, allowing ordinary (not exclusively rich) people to afford boats. . There are over 2000 boat slips in town mainly occupied by people who do not live here. Therefore, many people drive their cars out to reach their boats. . Marinas cause lots of automobile traffic because people drive out to reach their boats. . More than 2500 vessels visit the town during the season. . Most hamlets are on or near the water and could be linked by water taxi service. Aviation: . General aviation is limited in Southold Town. It is about 1/3 pleasure, 113 commercial service and business, 1/3 agriculture. . Light aircraft are an important travel connection for the East End and should be better utilized. Seaplanes have limited potential because of higher operating costs. Lack of public airports restricts this type of transportation. . . Mattituck airbase is suitable for light planes, but is limited because it is a private facility, has no night lighting, and no weather reporting capacity. Fishers Island has the only municipal airport in Southold Town, and is equipped with lights for nighttime operations. . . Peconic Field (Grumman) may become a general aviatiou airport, attracting more visitors by air. . Visiting pilots have very few public transportation options if they fly here. There is a need to integrate the Mattituck Airport with other transportation links and bring air travelers to our East End resources (winerics, beaches, festivals, shopping). . . Afternoon Session NYS Department of Transportation: . Travel on LI is at a crossroads. DOT wants to improve travel and reduce pollution. . Now the emphasis is on moving more people rather than more vehicles. . They want to maximize the highways in existence, but add very few highway- widenings because this results in more traffic. . They want to encourage people to use express buses, RR, car pooling, HOY lanes. . Need better directional signs for trucks. New Ways of Gettinl! Around . Survey of transportation needs . Improved Services: Shuttle, Jitney, minivan. . Don'tput up a lot of stop lights; State has warrants that must be analyzed before traffic . signals can be put up. Sometimes they cause more trouble with traffic. . Add traffic signal - Rte. 25 left turns. . Hire more traffic control officers during peak periods. . Need incentive - coupon book for people who use public transportation, with discounts in stores. . Design walking tours. . Create Eurail-type pass . Idea - work with L1LCO to seek experimental electrical mini van; maybe get grants; . access to new kinds of vehicles . Use side roads to go to village . Newport has a good system of mini vans. Look into this. . Coordination of public transportation - more convenient scheduling and education on other means of transportation. Survey of riders' needs. . Transportation and Information centers - hamlets. . Better bus service Greenport to Riverhead. . Better and speedier rail service. Continuous service Greenport to Ronkonkoma. . More convenient handicapped public conveyances. . Maybe an electric launch in Greenport Harbor. . Bicycle paths - more and safer routes, road marking. . Bike facilities, especially at transportation hubs. . . More off-street parking at transportation hubs. . Illumination of roads. . Reduce speed limit, especially in hamlets - safety. . Local input on transportation and land use. . More East/West one way . Maglev - Greenport to New York Recreation and Tourism . The Railroad Museum hopes eventually to run scenic trips between Greenport and . Southold; Engine 39. . The L1RR is underutilized, and there is a strong need to coordinate L1RR with local bus schedules. . . . Participant suggested a NF rail shuttle which would run between Greenport and Riverhead with a connection to the South Fork. Now there is no rail connection. . Consider a bus to the ocean beach daily in the summer. . Need centrally located tourist booths near transportation hubs, not in locations you must drive to. Display all schedules and pertinent information at each location. . Use "Mystic style" computers to give directions. . Advertise on Cross Sound Ferry: shuttle to Greenport, etc. - Leave your car at home! . Have tour-jitneys from hubs to out-lying attractions - historic, cultural, scenic, recreational, special events . NYS Dept. of State) is working diligently to identify routes in and around hamlets that would become a "North Fork Network". An example is Stowe, Vermont. . State $ for Gateway Information Centers - one in Orient and one in Riverhead . Better public parking. . Safer crosswalks. . Need places to get off highway, snacks, picnic areas, restrooms, computerized information about lodging, activities, restaurants. . Need to let people know where thing are - more informational signs. . Separate corridor for bikes, hiking. Many people feel unsafe near roads; need to be away from road. Worst part is from Greenport to Orient Point. . Promote trails; walking tours along railroad right-of-way? . Adopt-a-Highway program. . Preserve and enhance our historic features; educate tourists on our history. Greenport is single most popular attraction in Southold Town. Must be supported by Town and encouraged to prosper. Greenport needs help developing waterfront. It is a prime location being wasted. Improvement would improve Greenport as a destination, and would enhance Southold Town. Needs to be carefully developed to its full potential. Essential to North Fork. Improvinl!: our Economv . Promote agriculture, viticulture, and aquaculture . More community involvement . Promotion and featuring of East End products . Promotion of arts and crafts . Coordinated marketing . Address empty stores in shopping centers Summary: Want smaller, jitney type vehicles for small groups going to specific places, or going in electric cars, with funding coming from grants. More trails Fewer cars Improved safety for bicycles, pedestrians Coordinated transit schedules Better use of RR bed, better stations, bikes; more attractive transportation alternatives. Bike Train for weekends. Improved rail service Signs need to be attractive, informative. Greenport waterfront must be resurrected. We do not want mopeds as an alternative form of transportation. . , . . Wrap-Up Supervisor Tom Wickham Must define the problems - be concise and precise. I. Traffic congestion on our roads and how to deal with it and get community consensus 2. Deal with problem through infrastructure and management of infrastructure. Therefore, we need to figure out how to use what we have, and decide what needs improving. We need professional help. A major Transportation Study for the North Fork will be done in the next year. We need basically to know what we want out of the study, so the results are what we can use. Sobering note: Watch out for conflict - not everyone agrees with all suggestions, and misconceptions easily develop. A change in transportation will have an impact on social, cultural, economic aspects of community. Change won't happen if we don't stay focused and on track. Don't go off in all directions. We must also keep working toward consensus. Other thou!!hts: Do we think in tenus of tourist economy or local comfort? If we develop a transportation model that serves hamlet and tourists well, will probably be successful. Each hamlet should be asked to give input into what is important to it in terms of walking, biking, recreational trails, tourism and local needs.