independent utility report · 2019-12-06 · southwest of the crooked hill road improvements. the...

NYSDOT Long Island Expressway (I-495) Operational Improvement Project

Technical Memorandum - Independent Utility Report 1 | P a g e

Long Island Expressway (I-495) at Crooked Hill Road (CR13)

Operational Improvements, Towns of Islip and Smithtown, Suffolk

County, NY

PIN 0229.48

Independent Utility Report

November 2019



Technical Memorandum - Independent Utility Report

Reference: Long Island Expressway (I-495) at Crooked Hill Road (CR 13)

Operational Improvements, Towns of Islip and Smithtown, Suffolk County

NYSDOT – Region 10

PIN 0229.48

Subject: Independent Utility Report

Date: November 12th, 2019

1.0 Purpose of Technical Memorandum

This technical memorandum has been prepared to support the decision to advance the

Long Island Expressway (LIE / I-495) at Crooked Hill Road (CR 13) Operational

Improvements (hereafter referred to as the “Crooked Hill Road Project”) and the Long

Island Truck-Rail Intermodal Facility (hereafter referred to as “LITRIM”) as two independent

actions despite the geographic and transportation system proximity. This technical

memorandum documents the proposed alternative for the Crooked Hill Road Project

would address a unique set of identified needs and meet the discrete purpose and

objectives established for the project.

The following narrative illustrates that, in accordance with 23 CFR 771.111, each project

would:

1) Connect logical termini and be of sufficient length to address environmental matters

on a broad scope;

2) Have independent utility or independent significance (i.e., be useable and be a

reasonable expenditure even if no additional transportation improvements in the

area are made); and

3) Not restrict consideration of alternatives for the other project.

2.0 General Location of the Projects

Both projects are located in Suffolk Country in central Long Island. The Crooked Hill Road

Project is located in the Towns of Islip and Smithtown. The approximate limits of the

primary study area extend east-west from Commack Road (CR 4) to Wicks Road (CR 7),

and then north-south from the LIE to College Road (CR 106). LITRIM is located in the Town

of Islip with the site consisting of approximately 105 acres of land on property previously

owned by the Pilgrim State Hospital adjacent to G Road approximately one-half mile

west of the Sagtikos State Parkway. Refer to Figures 1 and 2 for each project’s

corresponding limits.



Figure 1: Crooked Hill Road Primary Study Limits



Figure 2: LITRIM Project Location



3.0 Project Needs

Crooked Hill Road Project:

With increased development in the area in recent years, there are increased vehicular

movements (traffic) in the vicinity of Crooked Hill Road and a lack of routing options to

access shopping, businesses and services from the LIE. Lack of direct access from LIE to

Crooked Hill Road has resulted in persistent congestion at the LIE Service Roads and

Commack Road, Wicks Road and Crooked Hill Road intersections.

The Long Island Expressway (I-495) handles approximately 120,000 vehicles per day and

the C-D Road System handles another 58,000 vehicles per day within the Sagtikos State

Parkway (908K) interchange. The Sagtikos State Parkway handles approximately 90,000

vehicles per day and currently operates at or over capacity within the Long Island

Expressway interchange during the peak hours. There is congestion in the northbound

and westbound directions in the morning and congestion in the southbound and

eastbound directions in the evening.

LITRIM:

The LITRIM Facility was initiated to address four problems related to freight movement on

Long Island:

• Increased Long-Haul Truck Traffic – Long-haul truck traffic continues to increase on

Long Island roadways.

• Highway Congestion – Recent growth on Long Island has resulted in delays in the

transportation of freight due to increased highway congestion.

• Rising Costs of Freight Transport – The cost of shipping freight via long-haul trucking

continues to rise as trip travel time increases and schedule reliability decreases.

• No Alternative to Truck Freight – Currently, freight movement on Long Island is

handled almost exclusively by trucks.

A May 2005 analysis of potential freight markets in the region indicates that there is

significant market potential for intermodal containers and bulk commodities.

Construction of a truck-rail intermodal freight facility at the Pilgrim site was forecasted to

process one million tons of freight by rail per year in 2010. That tonnage is predicted to

consist of a mix of bulk and intermodal freight. Bulk goods will include 398,000 tons of bulk

transload and 54,000 tons of bulk carload. Freight transport using TOFC and COFC are

forecast to be approximately 354,000 tons. By 2030, rail tonnage at the Pilgrim site is

forecast to increase by approximately 52 percent.

4.0 Project Purpose and Objectives


The purpose of this project is to improve traffic operations on the roadway system in the

vicinity of Crooked Hill Road and the LIE North and South Collector Distributor (C-D) Roads



(906A, 906B). This project provides access to Crooked Hill Road from the LIE C-D Roads

and provides return moves from Crooked Hill Road to the LIE C-D Roads.

LITRIM:

The purpose of the LITRIM Facility is to increase the percentage of freight delivery to Long

Island by rail in conjunction with short-haul trucking for local distribution to improve the

efficiency, quality, and cost of freight service on Long Island.

5.0 Environmental Classifications and Schedules


This project is being advanced as a Class III project under the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA). A Draft Design Report / Environmental Assessment (DDR / EA) is

currently being reviewed by FHWA and is expected to be approved by early 2020.

Construction of the project is anticipated to begin in 2020 with completion in 2022.

LITRIM:

This project was classified as a NEPA Class I project. A Design Report / Draft EIS (DR / Draft

EIS) was prepared by NYSDOT, in cooperation with FHWA, in 2007. Further review of the

site selection was performed in 2011. Development is pending state and local approval.

There is no anticipated approval date. No design or construction dates have been

established. This project is currently not included in the NYSDOT 5-Year Capital Program.

6.0 Logical Termini and Independent Utility

6.1 Logical Termini

The improvements for the Crooked Hill Road Project came about as a result of early

actions and roadway mitigation proposed under the Sagtikos State Parkway / Sunken

Meadow State Corridor Study. There are clear logical termini for the improvements

proposed under the Crooked Hill Road project. The proposed construction limits extend

to the North at the LIE South C-D Road and corresponding ramps between Crooked Hill

Road and Wicks Road. The project extends to the South along the Sagtikos State Parkway

from the LIE Interchange to College Rd. The proposed improvements do not extend into

the proposed site limits of the LITRIM facility as detailed in Section 2.0 above.

All proposed improvements under consideration for each of these projects are physically

separated. The defined logical termini for each project represent rational end points for

the independent actions being considered.



6.2 Independent Utility

Even though the roadway improvements were proposed as early actions in the Sagtikos

State Parkway / Sunken Meadow State Corridor Study, as noted above, the Crooked Hill

Road Project has independent utility and would not restrict the consideration of

alternatives for LITRIM.

With the increased development of area shopping and businesses at the Commack

South Shopping Center and other surrounding areas, the Crooked Hill Road Project will

provide improved access to these businesses and services via new on and off ramps to

and from the LIE C-D Roads.

The project is anticipated to reduce volumes on adjacent local roadways and

intersections. Independent of the traffic volumes that would be generated by LITRIM, the

proposed Crooked Hill Road improvements will generate vehicle diversions from the

following adjacent intersections at Commack Road and Wicks Road

Intersection Daily Vehicles Diversions per Intersection (2041)

Commack Road and LIE NSR 900

Commack Road and LIE SSR 3900

Wicks Road and Vanderbilt Pkwy 500

Wicks Road and LIE SSR 800

The industrial parks in Hauppauge, Deer Park, and Brentwood as well as the growing

commercial shopping area in Commack all stand to benefit from this proposed new

access. Travelling to Suffolk County Community College's Brentwood campus will also be

more convenient for students, faculty, and visitors.

6.3 No Restrictions of Alternatives

Federal Regulations 23 CFR 771.111(f) require that, in order to ensure meaningful

evaluation of alternatives and to avoid commitments to transportation improvements

before they are fully evaluated, the action evaluated in an EIS shall, among other criteria,

not restrict consideration of alternatives for other reasonably foreseeable transportation

improvements. Each project is a “reasonably foreseeable transportation improvement”

for the other.

The proposed improvements for the Crooked Hill Road Project and LITRIM are physically

separated and each project has a discrete purpose. The Crooked Hill Road Project

alternatives are situated within the LIE and Sagtikos State Parkway Interchange and focus

on improving access at the LIE and Crooked Hill Road for the existing and increasing

development in the surrounding area. LITRIM alternatives focus on the truck and freight



operations on Long Island roadways and the proposed facility, one and a half miles

southwest of the Crooked Hill Road improvements.

The improvements associated with either project would not preclude consideration of a

reasonable range of alternatives for the other.

7.0 Conclusion

The Crooked Hill Road Project and LITRIM are independent of each other. The projects

have two distinct and different purposes, as well as independently stated objectives.

Each project can proceed prior to, concurrently with, or subsequent to the completion

of the other. Neither project requires the completion of the other to function as

intended.

The advancement of the Crooked Hill Road Project, independent of LITRIM, addresses

specific transportation needs associated with providing the vehicles access to area

shopping and businesses, while alleviating traffic volumes from existing intersections at

Commack Road and Wicks Road. Based on the comprehensive network study that was

completed for the Crooked Hill Road Access Modification Report to address

engineering and environmental considerations, it was concluded that this project is

considered to have independent utility if it would be constructed absent of the

construction of LITRIM in the project area.

LITRIM is anticipated to help alleviate Truck Traffic from adjacent Long Island Roadways.

It would not however provide the same access or geometric improvements in the LIE-

Crooked Hill Road-Sagtikos Interchange. Those needs would be addressed

independently through the Crooked Hill Road Project.

independent utility report · 2019-12-06 · southwest of the crooked hill road improvements. the...

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