By Ernie Fazio
The discussion about having the Southwest Airlines terminal at Islip-MacArthur Airport adjacent to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) goes back many years. Paul Townsend, who was the editor of Long Island Business News, made that argument since before the terminal was built.
The idea of having a train that services the airport and leaves you a mile from the terminal makes absolutely no sense. Whatever the reason the terminal was built where it is, can no longer be justified, if it ever could.
Islip–MacArthur Airport is more convenient to those of us in Nassau and Suffolk, but if we want to make it more attractive to people who live in Queens and Brooklyn, we need to make that airport easier to access.
One suggestion to make the terminal more accessible is building a light rail to connect the LIRR and Islip-MacArthur, but what is wrong with that idea is that it may be very costly and it probably would not be able to handle a large volume of passengers. Another problem is that it would necessitate another loading of luggage.
After examining the situation, the best resolution appears to be moving the terminal near the LIRR station in Ronkonkoma. That is what Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter had in mind. Her proposal would include funding to build a new terminal at the northwest section of the airport. Unfortunately, the town council shot down the proposal by a 4-1 vote.
It is disappointing to see the town council disapprove of a forward-thinking initiative that would encourage more visitors to the airport while reducing traffic congestion. One council member said they are considering other options, but gave no specifics.
Kudos to Supervisor Carpenter for taking an innovative, proactive approach on this issue. Too bad the town council stood in the way.
Ernie Fazio is the chairman of LIMBA (Long Island Metro Business Action).