MTA

Railroad crossing work will shut down Edgar Avenue in Aquebogue Thursday and a portion of River Road in Calverton Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

The MTA will be working on the LIRR grade crossing on Kroemer Avenue in Riverhead starting around 7:30 p.m. this evening. Work is expected to continue through 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Riverhead Police said.

The MTA is working on the LIRR grade crossing at Roanoke Avenue. Work is expected to continue through 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

River Road in Calverton, between Edwards Avenue and Route 25, will be closed to through-traffic from 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 1 until 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 2 for a railroad grade crossing upgrade by the MTA, Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said.

Volunteers are wanted to help with a fall cleanup and planting at the Riverhead train Station Saturday morning, starting at 8:30 a.m.

Home Depot has donated plants for a landscape plan developed by Cornell Cooperative Extension to beautify the area around the Riverhead train station. The town is seeking volunteers to help with the planting Saturday morning.

Local elected officials and festival organizers say they can't understand the LIRR's decision, made without consulting them, which they say will worsen traffic on local roads this weekend.

Vince Taldone, a public transit advocate and board member of the Five Towns Rural Transit advocacy group, called plans to move the Railroad Avenue bus stop to Cedar Street “a poor transit planning decision” that is “nonsensical and ultimately cruel.”

The little-used "jury train" will be "repurposed" a LIRR official said in an interview yesterday. It will arrive in Riverhead earlier and continue on to Greenport, making a westbound return trip departing Greenport at 10 a.m. Two new trains are planned for weekends beginning in the summer of 2018.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele called an 'invitation' only, closed-door meeting of 'stakeholders' to discuss LIRR's East End service. Stakeholders, as defined by Thiele and the LIRR, don't include the public — taxpayers, riders or members of the press.