November 2, 2020
Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!
It was nice to get a rare sunny day and that certainly brought out the trick or treaters in our Village. It was great to see kids of all ages out and about in costumes and masks. Although trick or treating was a little more difficult on the south side, adjacent to Covert Avenue. The county also took advantage of the rare sunshine to complete the paving of Covert Avenue on Saturday. I’d like to thank John Eskridge., the Resident Engineer on site for heeding my demands that the large dump trucks of asphalt cease traveling on residential roads filled with trick or treaters. Thanks also to Police Officer Titterton who responded to my 911 call to divert traffic from the same streets.
The work on Convert Avenue was scheduled to be completed by October 23rd, prior to closure of the South 12th Street crossing. Inclement weather prolonged the work on Covert, leading to a few hours of managed chaos on Saturday. But we got through it. Crews will be returning to stripe the road.
On Monday of last week, 3TC informed us they will begin driving sheets piles along the right of way with the vibration hammer. This is perhaps the most intrusive work they do. Nearby homes shake continuously from the vibration. My home shook when work was done on Covert Avenue, 983 feet away. To my disbelief, 3TC informed us that they would be doing the vibration hammering at night; Monday through Thursday (Nov. 2nd – Nov. 5th) from 10 pm to 5 am. Vibration hammering would be done during the day on the south side of the tracks. The people living along the rail would be subject to this torture around the clock. It would be impossible for people living between 1st Avenue and the tracks to sleep.
3TC explained that this work had to be done when no trains were running. So it would seem, the operation of the railroad (with only 30% of the riders as this time last year) takes precedence over the people of New Hyde Park who have been bearing the brunt of the Third Track project.
A call to the Project Executive resolved the issue and a new schedule was developed so that all the intrusive work has been shifted to daytime. There will still be nightwork that needs to be done, but the most intensive work will be restricted to daylight hours, per our agreement with the LIRR.
It seems New Hyde Park has been under a constant state of construction for the last few years. It’s very disruptive and taxing to Village resources and an annoyance to residents. However, the energy we invest today will pay dividends for decades to come. The infrastructure that has and is being maintained and improved is critically important. Much of it has been done at the expense of and coordinating with outside agencies.
Recent and Current Capital Projects in the Village of New Hyde Park
| Project | Entity | Status |
| Reconstruction of South 9th Street | NHP Village – Funded by NYS Third Track | Complete |
| Reconstruction of 5th Avenue | NHP Village – Funded by NYS Third Track | Complete |
| Reconstruction of North 6th Street | NHP Village – Funded by NYS Third Track | Complete |
| Upgrade of Gas Mains on residential streets | National Grid | Complete |
| Upgrade of Gas Mains on Jericho Turnpike | National Grid | Complete |
| Resurfacing Jericho Turnpike | National Grid | Complete |
| Resurfacing Lakeville Road | Nassau County | Complete |
| Resurfacing Covert Avenue | Nassau County | In Progress |
| Elimination of Covert Avenue RR Crossing | NYS Third Track Project | Complete* |
| Elimination of NHP Road RR Crossing | NYS Third Track Project | Complete* |
| Elimination of South 12th Street RR Crossing | NYS Third Track Project | In Progress |
| New Railroad Station | NYS Third Track Project | In Progress |
| Sound Wall and Landscaping around LIRR | NYS Third Track Project | In Progress |
| New filters and quieter pumps at Water Tower | Water Authority of Western Nassau | In Progress |
*Punch list issues remain
While a lot has been done, and it’s been disruptive, there is still more to be done. We appreciate the patience of all New Hyde Park residents for putting up with the commensurate inconveniences. The Village will continue to do everything possible to mitigate the adverse effects during construction. We’re happy to do so – for the benefit of all of those little trick or treaters, so they will have a safe and efficient New Hyde Park for years to come.
Thank you and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Lawrence J. Montreuil
Mayor, Village of New Hyde Park