S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8029--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 21, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. COMRIE, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT in relation to directing the metropolitan transportation authori-
   ty  to  study  and  report  on  the  feasibility of rehabilitating the
   Lefferts Boulevard Bridge
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.    Legislative  intent.  The  legislature hereby finds and
 declares that the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge is an essential almost  100-
 year-old  structure  in  Kew  Gardens, Queens that has been owned by the
 MTA/Long Island Rail Road since 1925. The bridge has  been  an  integral
 and essential focal point for community life in Kew Gardens for the past
 century.    Presently,  the  bridge  is home to a series of longstanding
 local businesses, many of which have served the community, and  contrib-
 uted  substantial  revenues  to the MTA, for multiple generations, while
 hard at work in their humble storefronts on top of the  bridge.  For  at
 least the past thirty years, the MTA/LIRR has let the bridge deteriorate
 to the point where it appears to be structurally compromised due to lack
 of  attention,  investment  and proper maintenance. These neglectful and
 inattentive acts have led the MTA/LIRR to declare that the  only  option
 available  as  a  next  course  of  action is complete demolition of the
 bridge. However, widespread demolition is unpalatable to  the  community
 for  many reasons, including displacement of the businesses, disposition
 of the property and disruption to  essential  quality  of  life  issues.
 Furthermore,  the  affected  community  believes that rehabilitation and
 reconstruction of the bridge decking is possible and  has  retained  its
 own  experts  to provide evidence to this effect. Additionally, the LIRR
 also commissioned a 2016 inspection report that indicated, in exhaustive
 detail, the steps necessary to repair the present  deficiencies  of  the
 bridge, in contrast to demolition.  However, the MTA has yet to consider
 these  rehabilitative options, which would cost only a fraction of demo-
 lition. Given the vast importance of the future of the bridge, the asso-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15211-02-8

 S. 8029--A                          2
 
 ciated businesses and public safety, it is in the best interest  of  all
 parties that the MTA undertake a feasibility study of other alternatives
 with specific research centering around the impacts, economic and other-
 wise, to the affected community.
   §  2.  The metropolitan transportation authority shall conduct a study
 to examine the feasibility and  impact  of  the  rehabilitation  of  the
 Lefferts Boulevard Bridge. Such study shall focus on the costs and bene-
 fits of such rehabilitation and shall include, but not be limited to the
 following issues:
   (a) all feasible alternatives to demolishing the bridge;
   (b) the economic impact of all such alternatives;
   (c)  a  plan  for  preserving, without interruption, all businesses in
 place that currently occupy surface space above the bridge; and
   (d) the economic impact to surrounding businesses  if  such  rehabili-
 tation does not occur.
   §  3.  Within  ninety  days  after the effective date of this act, the
 chairman of the metropolitan transportation  authority  shall  submit  a
 written  report  to  the  governor,  temporary  president of the senate,
 speaker of the assembly and mayor of the city  of  New  York,  with  the
 findings  and recommendations of the study conducted pursuant to section
 two of this act.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.