Suffolk: Romaine Saves Key Railyard Plan from MTA's Post-"Congestion Pricing" Graveyard

The billion-dollar fiscal fallout from Governor Hochul's 11-hour suspension of the MTA "congestion pricing" plan almost claimed another victim this past week.

"Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine told The Point Friday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had canceled a series of future meetings between the MTA and the county — after a year of regularly holding such meetings — and that the MTA was stopping the rail yard project in Port Jefferson Station in its tracks," reported Newsday. "'It is a whole host of plans that they are single-handedly dismantling. If they kill this, they’ll put us back more than a dozen years. This is not progress. Each one of these projects is a piece that builds a mosaic for Long Island’s future.'"

"Romaine said he spoke to Gov. Kathy Hochul about Lawrence Aviation Friday while she was in Suffolk County. He said he told the governor of his concerns but did not get a definitive response. Hours later, multiple county sources with knowledge of the ongoing situation said that Romaine’s conversation with Hochul and The Point’s inquiries led the MTA and the Long Island Rail Road to reaffirm their commitment to the project and to assure Romaine and others that Lawrence Aviation was still a go. 'My goal is to make this happen,' Romaine said. 'If I have to embarrass or cajole, I’ll do that… We’ve got to build a better transportation system. And I would like to try to do something before I leave to push us in that direction.'"