Updated: November 24, 2009, 12:51 pm

$4.8 Million Secured For Calverton Rail Spur

Riverhead - Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Congressman Tim Bishop (D-1st) announced that, after months of advocacy, New York Governor David Paterson has officially certified that the proposed Calverton rail spur is qualified to receive $4.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Currently, rail on Long Island moves less than two percent of all freight, the lowest percentage of any metropolitan area served by rail. According to Supervisor Phil Cardinale and Riverhead Town Board members, this project will help businesses in the Calverton Enterprise Zone expand as well as attract several new businesses.

"The receipt of this $4.8 million federal grant funding the reconstruction of the Calverton Rail Spur will result in a great leap forward in the development of the Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL)," said Supervisor Cardinale. "Riverhead has long awaited this day and sincerely thanks Senator Schumer and Congressman Bishop for their extensive and persistent efforts on behalf of our Town."

"This award is monumental in terms of infrastructure to support long term economic development for EPCAL and the East End region," said Town Councilman John Dunleavy. "Not only will access to freight rail lower the cost of goods for the entire East End, the removal of trucks from the Long Island Expressway and Metropolitan New York area roads will provide benefits to all Long Islanders, the NYC area and beyond." The project would reactivate a freight rail spur that was initially constructed by the Grumman Corporation, which shut down operations at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in the late 1990s.

One example of a benefit of a rail spur would be the price of stone, which is higher on Long Island than anywhere in New York State. Building and road construction on Long Island uses millions of tons of stone. This spur would help reduce the price of stone and has been requested by regional quarries for years.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes several transparency and accountability standards. One of those standards requires governors to personally certify that a state is using federal taxpayer dollars appropriately. Paterson certified the rail spur project on November 10, 2009. Senator Schumer and Congressman Bishop have advocated for the project for months.