Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday a commitment to spend upwards of $150 million to connect the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to MacArthur Airport.
The Islip airport, which serves four airlines — including JetBlue and Southwest — currently has no rail link.
Despite being located just three miles from the Ronkonkoma LIRR station, the only public transportation option between the train station and the airport is a lengthy, two-bus trip that takes about an hour.
Tied to North Terminal Project
The proposed rail project would connect the LIRR Ronkonkoma station to a new station at the planned North Terminal. It would also include a pedestrian walkway linking the airport and the station.
This funding is in addition to Hochul’s previous commitment of $40 million to support the North Terminal’s construction.
However, the future of the North Terminal project — and the train station — remains uncertain.
In January, the Suffolk County government cut ties with JLL, the master developer of Midway Crossing, a $3 billion multipurpose project that would have included the new terminal and train station.
The county says it grew frustrated with the Chicago-based real estate conglomerate for moving slowly on the project, which took on multiple iterations under JLL, including an unsuccessful bid to build a new arena for the New York Islanders.
Across-the-Aisle Praise for Hochul
Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter thanked Hochul for her “leadership and committment to investing” in the region.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine — who, like Carpenter, is a Republican — praised Hochul, a Democrat, calling her support “a great win for the people of Suffolk County.”
It’s easy to see why: Hochul’s backing revives the North Terminal project, which has been in limbo since Suffolk County parted ways with JLL.
North Terminal Project Future Remains Uncertain
Whether Hochul’s support is enough to move it forward remains unclear. The county has not given a clear signal as to how it will proceed with development on the 170-acre site and related transportation projects, which includes the possibile extension of Amtrak service to Ronkonkoma.
Complicating matters, the Town of Islip is also developing TOI360, its first master plan since 1979, as residents push back against what they view as overdevelopment that imperils their suburban quality of life.