By:Jason Scheer
Fewer than 100 people attended the hearing, a mere fraction of the thousands of riders who will be negatively affected, both in their wallets and in their daily commutes.
Lynbrook Mayor Gene Scarpato told the meeting that even though Lynbrook is on the Long Beach line, many who reside in the western part of the village use the Westwood station, which is on the West Hempstead line.
"People walk to that station from five or six blocks away," he said. "It's a very important line. [If the line closed], then all of those people would then have to go to Valley Stream by car, or the main line in Lynbrook by car, and all the Malverne people would also have to go to Valley Stream or Lynbrook by car."
If the West Hempstead branch were to close, Scarpato said, Lynbrook station doesn't have enough available parking to serve additional commuters.
"As it is, we don't have enough parking right now to accommodate the people who use the line now," he said. "It would be devastating. I don't know where they would go."
Malverne Village trustee Patti McDonald and her husband Steven urged the MTA panel to consider the impact of closing down the West Hempstead branch.
"I feel very strongly that if you stop the Long Island Rail Road service to the West Hempstead line, it will have a devastating effect, not only to the residents who use the line, but to the business owners as well," she said.
"I can't understand why the MTA can't find the means to do more with less, to do what's necessary to keep lines like the West Hempstead line open," Steven said.
As for the proposed fare hikes, commuters complained that they can't afford higher ticket prices, and will have no choice but to drive to work.
East Williston Mayor Nancy Zolezzi, speaking for the Nassau County Village Officials Association, which represents communities such as Rockville Centre, Malverne and Lynbrook, said shutting down commuter lines would significantly increase traffic on area roads.
The MTA faces a substantial deficit in 2005. Originally estimated to be $436 million for fiscal 2005, the deficit is now pegged at $236 million, due to increased revenue from real estate tax subsidies. However, the agency's budget, by law, must be balanced. Thus, the MTA initially proposed fare hikes of 20 percent, but is now proposing hikes in the five to eight percent range.
The fare increases are necessary to offset rising costs from employee pension funds, health and welfare costs, and debt service, said MTA and LIRR spokesperson Brian Dolan.
The elimination of branches, like the West Hempstead line, wouldn't happen before 2006. It is too early to know for certain what stations or lines will be closed, said Dolan. "We're not in the business of shutting things down,"he said.
Some commuters are infuriated by the mere threat of their station's possible closing.
"Let me tell you," said one angry commuter at the Westwood Station in Lynbrook, "if they close down this line. I will move."
Many of those in attendance were from nearby towns. Attendees who made the trek from the western Nassau and eastern Suffolk questioned the MTA's foresight in scheduling the hearing for 4 p.m. on a weekday, which meant that many commuters weren't able to attend.
