Queens City Councilman: LIRR East Side Access Project Is Too Loud
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A New York City Councilman joined residents of the Sunnyside section of Queens Saturday to protest the noise caused by the East Side Access construction project for the Long Island Rail Road.
The project is the first expansion of the LIRR in over a century, and the largest transportation project in the country. But Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-26th) and some of his constituents said it's also way too loud.
Residents have complained that they are "suffering from ongoing and deafening noise pollution from the project," and also complained that industrial drilling has caused structural damage to their homes and properties, according to Van Bramer's office.
The councilman said in a news release that his office recently received a noise report, which said the noise levels in the area often exceed 100 decibels. That level is well above approved guidelines, Van Bramer's office said.
Van Bramer and some constituents have demanded that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority find a way to reduce the noise.
Once completed, the East Side Access project will provide LIRR customers with a one-seat ride to a new station under Grand Central Terminal – saving 40 minutes for commuters headed to the East Side of Manhattan and making an easier ride for those who go on to Penn Station, the MTA said.
The MTA did not immediately respond to a request from 1010 WINS for response to the protest.
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