LIRR's Fleet of Electric Train Cars Arrive Five Years Later Than Scheduled

Long Island Morning Edition

The Long Island Rail Road’s entire fleet of new electric train cars have finally arrived, LIRR officials said yesterday, about five years later than originally scheduled.

LIRR officials confirmed that the last of the 202 cars purchased from Kawasaki Rail Car for about $730 million was delivered to the railroad last month in time to meet the LIRR's latest target completion date of May 2024.

“The LIRR has had all of the M9 cars since April 3,” LIRR President Robert Free said in a statement. Alfonso A. Castillo reports on Newsday.com that the delivery marks the culmination of a long and arduous journey for the M9s, which the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hired Kawasaki to manufacture in 2013.

Almost from the outset, the procurement was plagued with blunders and bad luck that led to cascading delays. In 2015, LIRR officials acknowledged that when designing the cars, they failed to include enough space to fit in new federally mandated crash prevention equipment, forcing a redesign. In 2018, the first eight cars to be manufactured by Kawasaki were damaged in a derailment before they could be delivered to the LIRR. The relative scarcity of the M9s among the LIRR's fleet of about 1,100 train cars led to some riders dubbing them the “unicorns.”

Many commuters lucky enough to catch an M9 have praised some of its new amenities, including electrical outlets on every row, push-button doors between cars, and closed-loop armrests that are less likely to snag on clothes than the LIRR's previous generation of trains, the M7s.

One common complaint about the M9s: LED interior lights that could be too bright for some drowsy morning commuters.

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A roughly 18-acre parcel of vacant land on Route 25A in Wading River once slated for development with retail, office and restaurant uses called the “Central Square” plan has now been permanently preserved for agricultural use. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Peconic Land Trust yesterday announced the preservation of the remaining 8 1⁄2 acres with the acquisition in December of a conservation easement restricting the land to agricultural purposes — and eliminating the possibility of residential or commercial development. “The entire property is protected. The ‘Central Square’ plan is entirely dead,” Peconic Land Trust Senior Project Manager Julie Wesnofske said Monday. Funding for the conservation easement was provided by $2 million from New York State’s Agriculture and Markets farmland protection program, donations from the community and a bargain sale by the Zoumas brothers, according to Peconic Land Trust. The entire parcel was conveyed by Zoumas to the Condzella family in March for agricultural uses.

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ERASE Racism is holding anti-racist trainings in Riverhead in the hopes of teaching community members about racism and how to have conversations surrounding race and diversity. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the trainings will be held at the Holiday Inn Express on Route 58 in Riverhead, with the first part tomorrow from 5:30pm to 8:30 p.m. The nonprofit, whose mission is to “expose and address the devastating impact of historic and ongoing structural racism on Long Island, in New York, and nationally,” is hosting the event in partnership with the Long Island Hate and Bias Prevention Unit of the state’s Division of Human Rights.

Part one of the training on Wednesday evening titled “Understanding and Unraveling Racism,” will give people a shared understanding of what racism is “and how oppression plays out” on Long Island, said Laura Harding, president of ERASE Racism.

That’s tomorrow from 5:30pm – 8:30pm at the Holiday Inn Express on Route 58 in Riverhead.

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Worries about mental health and cancer are among the top concerns on the minds of Long Island residents, according to preliminary results from an ongoing survey. While mental health, depression, and suicide were listed as the top issues among Suffolk County respondents in their neighborhoods, cancer topped the list in Nassau. Residents in both counties were also anxious about heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and substance abuse. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports on Newsday.com that these were some of the early results from the Community Health Assessment Survey, which asks about residents' health concerns and those of their community. The Long Island Health Collaborative — a partnership that includes several area hospitals, health departments, and providers — compiled the findings based on roughly 400 survey responses.

Experts say the results point to the rise of mental health issues and the lack of available providers, and also reflect the realities of Long Island's higher cancer rate compared with the rest of the state. Still, physicians hoped to take those unsettling thoughts and turn them into action, from providing better cancer screening education to living a healthier lifestyle.

When respondents were asked what health issues required more screenings or education in their community, the top response was mental health screenings at roughly 32% in Suffolk County. Cancer, with about 24% of the picks, was the second-highest response, according to the survey, which allowed respondents to have multiple responses to the question.

Physicians say prevention in the form of screenings and a healthy lifestyle is the best advice they can give residents worried about cancer.

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A new digital parking app in use at the parking lot behind Claudio’s in Greenport had the community buzzing last week — with more questions than answers. Greenport Deputy Mayor Mary Bess Phillips and former Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell were among those who weighed in.

Chris Francescani in THE SUFFOLK TIMES reports that Greenport Village Mayor Kevin Stuessi said that the village received “an amended site plan application from Claudio’s recently, which should cover all of their property, including current and proposed uses as requested.” He said Claudio’s management is scheduled to appear before the Greenport Village planning board on May 31, “to review all current ‘as built’ uses and any potential new ones for any needed approvals. As for this current parking system they just installed, village counsel is currently reviewing in advance of this meeting.” Jonathan Abbott, who runs events and marketing for Claudio’s, told THE SUFFOLK TIMES that that the only thing that has changed since last year is the form in which the parking payment is taken. In the past, parking attendants collected $10 fees to park on the lot. Now payment is made through the automated app.

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Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station will host International Water Safety Day this coming Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The station is at 160 Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett. The goal of International Water Safety Day is to spread global awareness of the ongoing drowning pandemic and educate youth in becoming safer in and around water. As reported on 27east.com, representatives from East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue, East Hampton Hurricanes, East Hampton Junior Lifeguard and Nipper Guard programs, East Hampton Marine Patrol, Eastern Long Island Surfrider Foundation, YMCA East Hampton RECenter, Amagansett Lifesaving Station, Paddle Diva, East Hampton Historical Society and Rotary Club of East Hampton will lead discussions and interactive activities on water safety. Water Safety Day will also have refreshments, prizes and a wealth of education to help waterproof our community. Saturday's event is free. Water Safety Day is supported by the Hampton Lifeguard Association, whose mission is to waterproof Long Island’s South Fork. For more information visit hamptonlifeguardassociation.com.

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The Stony Brook University Faculty Senate yesterday narrowly defeated a motion to censure the school's president, Maurie McInnis, for her handling of the arrests of 29 pro-Palestinian protesters earlier this month. Bart Jones reports on Newsday.com that the SBU Faculty Senate defeated the resolution by a 55-51 vote, with three abstentions, said Richard Larson, a professor and president of the senate.

The senate originally was to vote on a “no confidence” resolution, but switched it to a lower-level censure vote with somewhat less critical language, he said.

President McInnis said she appreciated the backing.

“I am deeply grateful for the support of the Stony Brook faculty at this challenging time for so many universities,” McInnis said in a statement.

“I realize there remains passionate disagreement among members of our community on the issues we are facing, and I pledge to do whatever I can to help our campus heal and move forward,” she added.

The vote was largely symbolic — the faculty senate does not have any administrative power at the university. Professor Larson said the vote shows that the campus is divided.

Some faculty members have been circulating a petition supporting McInnis, said Gallya Lahav, a political science professor.

“I think she handled it with grace. I think she handled it in the best way she can,” Lahav said. McInnis forcefully spoke out against antisemitism on campus, she added.

SBU officials warned students protesting on May 1 that they had to move from the grassy hill where they had camped out, saying it was scheduled for other events. But the demonstrators refused, triggering the arrests.