The community is grateful for the Long Island Railroad’s effort to improve the Mastic-Shirley Station but is suffering sticker shock over the $7.5 million cost. Complaints have spurred Senator Dean Murray to request an itemized breakdown of the money spent.
“While the community and I appreciate the upgrades made to the station, several elected officials and dozens of constituents from the area have reached out to my office, questioning the costs of the improvements,” Murray wrote to Janno Leiber, the Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the railroad’s controlling entity.
“During this time of greater attention to expenditures at all levels of government, I would like to request an itemized breakdown of all costs associated with the project.”
The Senator also asked if the money came from the $24.5 million Suffolk County pays each year for station maintenance or if the funds came from the MTA’s Five Year Capital Plan.
“Structurally, a station has to be a lot more secure than something you'd have in your backyard,” Murray continued. “I do understand that these projects may cost a bit more, but with that said, $7.5 million does seem a bit steep. So I'd like to know where and how that money was spent.”
“For what was done, the cost seems excessive,” said Center Moriches resident John Montecalvo.
Chris Anderson of Mastic Beach guessed: “It will probably say something like this: Material cost: $250,000. Labor cost: $7 million.”
“It took them almost all winter to construct the useless ‘pavilion' and put up the new platform shelter,” said Shirley resident Kathryn Nocerino. “There is still no seating or source of heat for passengers.”
Nocerino went on to say that the station is an “active crime area, with muggings and frequent car break-ins. There is also a prostitution problem—johns cruise the area. There is almost no police presence. Riders do not linger here after exiting trains. For most of the day, this is a deserted no-man’s-land,” she said, adding, “RIders' real needs for safety, comfort, and security at the Mastic-Shirley Station remain unaddressed.”
Senator Murray has recently contacted U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, asking that the federal government tie funding for the MTA to cost-cutting efforts. “We’ll help you out, but you've gotta clean up your act,” Murray opined.
“What bothers me is they act like nothing is wrong. They become indignant if someone says they are wasting a ton of money and have to rein in expenses.”
In her efforts to fund the transportation behemoth, Gov. Kathy Hochul stirred up a hornet nest of controversy by instituting a congestion pricing toll in lower Manhattan and proposing a payroll tax on Long Island and surrounding areas.
The MTA spends $19.9 billion annually and is looking for the state to cover a $68.4 billion capital budget, all while Leiber reports a $33 billion budget deficit.