Saturday, February 18, 2017

Stink trains also a problem in Bayside

From the Queens Chronicle:

Sleeping while engines idle at the Long Island Rail Road’s yard in Bayside between 215th and 220th streets is not easy, some say.

“Our lives continue to be gravely affected by the Long Island Rail Road’s work yard, construction site junkyard and dump site,” neighborhood resident James Lollo said at last week’s Community Board 11 meeting.

“The stench” is so bad, he said, that it results in “eyes and sinuses irritated [and] throats sore.”

Lollo added that the LIRR officials responsible for the yard should be ashamed of themselves.

“I don’t know how they’re able to sleep at night,” he said.

Another Bayside resident irked by the idling engines also complained at the meeting.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) sent a letter to LIRR President Patrick Nowakowski two days after the meeting calling his attention to the matter.

“Residents state that diesel trains are left idling for hours during the day and evening hours sometimes until 1:00 a.m.,” the lawmaker wrote. “This has caused several environmental concerns for residents who state that the noise is unbearable and they are unable to open their windows due to the fumes that come from trains idling in the yard.”

The MTA’s LIRR press office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

13 comments:

JQ LLC said...

One can assume, well me, that this is being done selectively in areas where people or officials, like the candidate Avella, who do not kowtow to condone or support our corrupt mayor or since it's the MTA, our vainglorious governor.

For example, last year during the July 4th weekend in Middle Village.

Joe Moretti said...

Just more continuous bullshit quality of life issues that this city, its administration (past and present) allows to happen unchecked and does NOTHING about. I have lived in other cities and have been to many and NYC is the number 1 worst as far as quality of life issues that happen daily and for years/decades unchecked, especially considering the cost of living here.

The list just goes on. Maybe many of us have to contemplate why we are still here, it is not like NYC is a "unique" city anymore, because it is not, filled with chain and big box stores, mediocre culture and nothing cutting edge at all.

Anonymous said...

AVELLA HAS BECOME PADAVAN. SEND A LETTER , WAIT MONTHS, GET NO RESPONSE, HOPE PEOPLE JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU "DID SOMETHING" aka SENT A LETTER.

WAKE UP PEOPLE.

Anonymous said...

I have an uncle who was a mechanic for the LIRR (note the word WAS)he says ever since the merge with the MTA equipment is being neglected and falling apart.

Junkyard is correct because that where most those warn out diesel switcher locomotives belong. The 12 & 16 cylinder motors are running so rich and dirty the sulfur dioxide can be smelled a 1/2 mile away. They also run a cheap #2 fuel in them. When the engines and fuel trim systems are shot they dump the locomotives into light duty, assorted yard switcher service.
The motormen don't turn them off because the workers are afraid these shot to shit locomotives wont re-start when they need to move them.

These engines need complete rebuilding and I have no clue how the EPA allows the MTA-LIRR to get away with this shit. Yes indeed the MTA LIRR is the worst neighbor you can have. The people that run the MTA are assholes, most are Caribbean islanders with little education who get jobs via relatives making up most that union.

Anonymous said...

Why select a site to live next to like this in the first place?
Yeah...the situation stinks...but shouldn't the buyer or renter beware?
The LIRR doesn't give a crap , so things probably will not change.

(sarc) said...

Wow.

These people got a great deal on their homes because there were train tracks behind their property.

Now they are shocked and dismayed to find out that trains are operating on the tracks.

Buyers beware...

Anonymous said...

S what makes LIRR so special as to be above the law that states no idling of any engines near residential areas?

Someone (environmentalists, tree huggers, Al Gore, affected residents, anyone) take matters to the authorities.

Anonymous said...

So the LIRR is exempt from New York City's regulation against letting an engine idle for more than three minutes?

Anonymous said...

@Joe Moretti said... "Maybe many of us have to contemplate why we are still here, it is not like NYC is a "unique" city anymore, because it is not, filled with chain and big box stores, mediocre culture and nothing cutting edge at all."
Joe I'm here for my NYC pension. When I "cash out" I will be looking for a better place to live. Texas, Maine, New Hampshire, PA or North Carolina are looking good to me.

Anonymous said...

We the people are being destroyed by pollution.
All you anti nature people need to spend a week in nature and see how your body feels.

Anonymous said...

Location! Location! Location!
A good location makes your investment a good one. A bad one makes it shit!
Duh?

Anonymous said...

'Caribbean islanders' - really?

The rest of your comment is valid - LIRR's locomotives are older and not well maintained. However, even the large for-profit freight railroads are still using some of the same locomotives because there are no quality replacements for smaller locomotives on the market. If you think the EPA gives a fuck (especially now under Drumpf), you're kidding yourself. If anything, the EPA's regulations on locomotive emissions will be rolled back.

Getting back to those people of a darker skin tone you seem to hate... many years ago you could say 'italians with little education', or 'irish with little education' were going after those same union jobs... You do realize that not everyone can afford a college education? And the kids of the white people that used to hold those jobs don't want those jobs today - primarily because their parents made enough through union jobs to put them through college?

Anonymous said...

>“I don’t know how they’re able to sleep at night,” he said.

It's easy - they don't live anywhere near the trainyard.