New LIRR terminal is Grand

The changes coming to the Long Island Rail Road will be significant and consequential — to residents, businesses and the region as a whole.

First, there's the completion of the Main Line's Third Track. Then, there's the full opening of the new Elmont station. But the $11.2 billion project long known as East Side Access is likely the biggest game-changer.

No longer just a plan that for years was saddled with delays and cost overruns, the LIRR connection to Grand Central Terminal is now very real. Trains are doing test runs and arriving at platforms in a nearly-finished terminal, and preliminary schedules are in place. The new terminal below the existing Grand Central even has a new name — Grand Central Madison. It's not the grandest of monikers, but at least it tells LIRR riders where they are going.

But picking a good name isn't nearly as important as making sure the new terminal and tracks, and the workers involved, are ready come December. Building the structure and connections far below ground took decades, but the LIRR has just six months to make it all operational. 

That's an enormous job, but the LIRR and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority seem prepared for the work ahead. The railroad is testing systems and signals, hiring new workers and training thousands of employees. The massive effort will require extensive coordination and leadership. 

Also key: Preparing and communicating with riders, who might need to change habits and rethink commutes. The MTA expects that half of LIRR riders who now travel to and from Penn Station will use Grand Central Madison instead. Officials also are emphasizing the critical expansion of the reverse commute, made possible by the Third Track. Island employers would be smart to use the ease of public transit as a pitch to lure workers from the city.

With many commuting options now, it remains to be seen which will work best. The MTA also is eliminating 10 morning rush trains to Penn Station. That could adversely affect some riders. While it's wise to pare down service a bit to accommodate future East River Tunnel closures, and it's clear the MTA eventually wants to use some Penn slots for Metro-North trains, the authority must ensure that Grand Central Madison's opening doesn't come at the expense of riders who still want to use Penn — in both directions.

The MTA must remain flexible and open to shifting schedules in response to ridership trends. Careful analysis of how riders use Grand Central Madison and Penn is warranted. 

To get riders on board, a wide-reaching public awareness and encouragement campaign is necessary. The MTA is holding information and public comment sessions in June and July. Check the new schedules and make your voices heard.

This is a moment unlike any the Island has experienced in recent memory. If the region, and the MTA, can make the most of it, the Island's next stop could be a grand one.