LIRR East Side Access

East Side Access, the $11.1 billion infrastructure project bringing Long Island Rail Road commuter rail service to Grand Central Terminal in East Midtown Manhattan, continues advancing closer to completion. The new 700,000-square-foot terminal – recently named Grand Central Madison – will have eight tracks and four platforms on two new levels below the existing lower level of Grand Central Terminal.

AKRF completed the Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to NEPA requirements in fewer than two years – much faster than comparable environmental reviews at the time. The environmental team considered many alternatives and the full range of construction and operation effects of new train facilities, increased service throughout the LIRR system, and construction of the new tunnel through Manhattan.

Our work included Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments for several hundred facilities along the alignment that could have impacted soil and/or groundwater and could require special materials handling and enhanced health and safety procedures. Hazardous materials investigations were required at multiple sites in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. Potential rail yard sites were also evaluated on Long Island for their potential impact on natural resources, including upland and wetland ecology. Among the issues were the potential impacts on terrestrial habitats and coastal zone conditions, including the drainage basin for the Great River in Brookhaven.

Following completion of the EIS and as engineering progressed and construction began, AKRF conducted environmental reviews of modifications to finalize the project design and prepared NEPA-compliant environmental re-evaluations, including technical memoranda and a Supplemental Environmental Assessment.

Photo courtesy of New York Governor’s Office via Flickr