Federal Grant to Suffolk County Given to Promote Economic Growth

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council has allocated $300,000 of federal funding to Suffolk County to study extension of the Long Island Railroad and to stimulate economic growth, announced County Executive Steve Bellone on Thursday.

At a meeting on June 21, the Suffolk County Legislature approved the funding.

Officials hope to extend the railway from Ronkonkoma Station to MacArthur Airport. Easing travel between the airport and the rest of Long Island could boost other economic activity in the region.

This study, which will cost an estimated $375,000, will be also be funded by another $75,000 from the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

“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,” said Bellone in a statement. “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 rail road, you can be in New York City in under an hour.”

The County's Department of Economic Development will run the "plane-to-train connectivity study," assessing the best options for constructing the transit infrastructure and the challenges the project would face.

Bellone hopes improving the county's infrastructure more broadly will bolster local economies and create more job growth for residents.

Photo Credit: Adam E. Moreira via Wikimedia Commons