A New Railroad Line Through Scarsdale?

Could a new railway line be constructed through Scarsdale? It sounds preposterous but a new track through Scarsdale is one of the options explored in a report from the Federal Department of Transportation on the future of the railway system.

Rail transportation along the Northeast corridor is plagued by infrastructure problems and outdated technology and has insufficient capacity to meet demand. To address these issues, in 2012 the Federal Railroad Administration launched NEC (Northeast Corridor) FUTURE to develop alternatives for rail transportation improvements for the corridor.

Since that time, the group has come up with four alternatives to address the issues, and though it's unlikely it would pass Congress, one of the plans includes a high-speed train line that would run either in a tunnel underneath Scarsdale or on an aerial structure above us.

According to reports, "The rail transportation spine that runs from Boston to Washington, D.C. accommodates over 2,000 passenger trains and 70 freight trains each day.... There is insufficient capacity to reliably meet today's travel demand or to expand travel options as the region grows. With highways and airports facing similar structural problems the Northeast is facing mobility challenges that could have economic repercussions for the region and the nation as a whole."

Planners have researched the issues and options and come up with four alternatives for the future:

They are as follows:

No Action: accommodate the same number of trains as today, with likely declines in service and limited intercity service.

Alternative 1 maintains the rail line as it is today but increases capacity by expanding capacity, adding tracks and relieving chokepoints.

Alternative 2 would expand service, maximize the capacity and service and provide a supplemental train route between New Haven, Hartford and Providence to serve more passengers and reduce trip time.

Alternative 3 transforms the role of rail by becoming a dominant mode choice for travel in the Northeast. As part of this plan an additional rail spine would be added "primarily in tunnel or aerial structure through Scarsdale and White Plains, where a new White Plains East station is proposed."

How would the railway acquire the property rights to build the line? According to Scarsdale's Deputy Village Manager Robert Cole, "It is typical for state and federal agencies to first attempt to negotiate land acquisition with property owners before a specific alignment is announced. If such negotiations are not successful, then eminent domain proceedings can be initiated, or a different alignment can sometimes be identified."

How likely is it that a line will be built through Scarsdale? Given that the estimated budget for Alternative 3 is $290 billion, it far outstrips the expense for the other options. It is therefore far less likely to be built than Alternative 2, estimated at less than half the price, $135 billion. About the proposal, Mayor Jon Mark says, "While all these numbers are astronomical, it seems unlikely that Congress would budget $290 billion to expand rail travel in the Northeast Corridor given all the other demands for tax dollars -- and assuming Congress could coalesce around this project at all. "

However, the Village had the opportunity to comment on an Environmental Impact Statement for the alternatives and the Mayor took the opportunity to write to the Federal Rail Administration. In his letter below, dated December 19, he says that a tunnel or an aerial structure would have "significant adverse impact to our residents, their homes, their property values, their quality of life and the character of the Village."

Read his letter here and read more about the proposal here.

Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Northeast Corridor Program Manager U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration
Orie Bowling Green, Suite 429
New York, NY 10004

Re: Northeast Corridor Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Comments

Dear Ms. Reyes-Alicea:

On behalf of the Village of Scarsdale, New York, I submit the following comments regarding Alternative 3 of the Northeast Coridor (NEC) Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement. While the Village strongly supports intercity passenger rail service, we are deeply concerned about the new spine included in Alternative 3. As proposed, the new spine would branch off from the existing NEC at New Rochelle, NY, and pass through the Village of Scarsdale "primarily in tunnel or aerial structure." A new rail spine through Scarsdale, whether it be by tunnel or aerial, would result in significant adverse impacts to our residents, their homes, their property values, their quality of life and the character of the Village. The future-serving new spine is also terribly costly, diverting necessary investment from other local, regional and national passenger rail, commuter rail, heavy rail, and other public transit assets.

The overwhelming backlog of state of good repair needs, both regionally and nationally, should be fully funded prior to entertaining construction of costly new lines, including the proposed NEC spine through Scarsdale. To illustrate, the MTA system constitutes a suite of critical local, regional, and national assets that must be protected with appropriate maintenance and upgraded over time to keep pace with safety and security updates, storm resilience, and commuter needs and expectations. To those ends, the MTA's 2015-2034 Twenty-Year Capital Needs report identifies nearly $106 billion in necessary core asset investment. Similar investment is required in other economically important regions across the Nation. While we do need to plan for future needs, our expenditures must first meet the needs of the present.

Alternative 3's ambitious goal of transforming the role of rail by having it become the dominant mode choice for travel in the Northeast, relies on costly overbuilding to support future demand. ln the process, it sacrifices $155 billion in funding otherwise available to meet the overwhelming existing needs of our Nation's aging and outdated passenger rail and public transit infrastructure while also generating significant adverse impacts to the residents of Scarsdale. Therefore, I strongly urge the Federal Railroad Administration to prioritize regional and national state of good repair ahead of costly major expansions targeting projected future growth, and request that Alternative 3 of the NEC Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement be removed from further consideration.

Respectfully submitted,
Jonathan I. Mark, Mayor

Residents are also invited to comment on the alternatives. The Village staff recommends that you write a letter and submitting it both in hard copy and by email. Email comments can be submitted here and hard copies should be mailed to:

Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Northeast Corridor Program Manager
U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration
One Bowling Green, Suite 429
New York, NY 10004

In addition, you can attend a public hearing and submit a comment card or letter in-person. The hearing dates and related information can be accessed here.