EDITORIALS

Save the L.I.R.R.

Given the level of service provided on the South Fork by the Long Island Rail Road, a good argument might be made in favor of tearing up the tracks and replacing them with a new road (dare we say bypass?) from near Southampton Village at least to the East Hampton Town line. Riders, or, perhaps more accurately, would-be riders, have for many years complained about a schedule that seemed more about moving the rail cars from one place to another than serving passengers' needs, particularly on westbound runs. But abandoning rail would make us more dependent on automobiles at a time when transportation alternatives should be promoted. Doing away with trains would be a major step backward.

The idea of tearing up the tracks, if it has been proposed as a way of getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's attention, is a risky gamble. The M.T.A. might just take the South Fork up on it. The L.I.R.R. seems to have given up on serving the South Fork villages and hamlets in a meaningful way a while ago. When new passenger cars were added a few years ago they were chosen with commuters in mind, not people bringing luggage for a weekend. There's room for a briefcase on racks above passengers' heads, but not much else. The Friday trains out of New York City take on the frantic air of a hurricane evacuation, as riders try to cram their bags and sports equipment into whatever space they can find.

As proposed in a study commissioned by the Southampton Town Board, rail service would end at the Southampton train station; buses would take passengers the rest of the way to Montauk. A new transfer facility, more like cattle pens than the "visitor center" mentioned in the study, would accommodate the up to 1,500 passengers per trip as they are herded onto buses. The consultant who wrote up the study's findings said that buses would actually serve riders better, by being able to take them to places like Sag Harbor, for instance, which are now inaccessible by train.

A more sensible proposal in the study is for expanded rail service on the South Fork. Trains would run more frequently and shuttle buses or "light-rail" trains would go to the now unserved hamlets and villages. People close to the issue say, however, that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would not be enthusiastic about this prospect.

The idea of doing away with rail service would seem to be counterintuitive for Southampton Town officials, who have made a mantra of complaints about vehicles headed for destinations in East Hampton Town. The consultant said that about 10,600 vehicles a day that cross the Shinnecock Canal on County Road 39 during the summer are bound for East Hampton. Eliminating rail service east of Southampton Village would only cause that number to grow as more people chose personal cars over complex and time-consuming public transportation.

In East Hampton, replacing the rail bed with a road would seem all but impossible; the tracks bisect the village. Nor would there be much space in many locations for a second set of tracks, as might be required for light-rail service, without the condemnation of numerous houses. Another unfortunate result would be along the long stretch of Hither Hills State Park where the L.I.R.R. rails now run. A highway there seems unthinkable.

State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. has proposed legislation to create a Peconic Bay regional authority to help deal with transportation problems in the five East End towns. This authority would not supplant the M.T.A. but work with it in a supporting role. Keeping a direct rail connection to New York City should be important to second-home owners and weekend visitors. Mr. Thiele's much-needed attempt to seek some middle ground with the M.T.A. could help maintain and perhaps improve this service. Now is not the time to abandon rail service on the South Fork or make it less rider-friendly.

Math and Science Teacher Shortage

A story in The Star two weeks ago about the East Hampton School District's search for math and science teachers caught our attention. Two math teachers and a science teacher are needed. Until suitable candidates are hired, substitutes will fill their spaces at the chalkboard.

Across Long Island, there are more available positions in these disciplines than job applicants, the district superintendent said. Teachers' salaries, vacations, and benefits are good by local standards, but the cost of living on the South Fork can pretty quickly eat up most of what anyone earns, even teachers. This adds to the fact that math and science graduates can find higher-paying jobs in industry, the superintendent said.

An attractive solution to this problem might be a scholarship for residents seeking graduate degrees in these disciplines who would like to return to the South Fork to teach. While it would be no guarantee of a stream of future math and science teachers, a scholarship like this might come with a quid quo pro, increasing the chances of finding needed staff down the road.

Road's Return

All but hidden amid black pines and scrub oak on Napeague, a roadlike path above which four miles of Long Island Power Authority electrical transmission lines used to run lies unnoticed. It is used primarily by wildlife. Trail walkers from time to time find their way along its desolate length. Occasionally, someone on a dirt bike or all-terrain vehicle makes an illegal traverse. The utility poles have been gone from the right-of-way for a couple of years now, since the power lines were run along Cranberry Hole and Napeague Meadow Roads.

After a two-year process, LIPA has agreed to turn the right-of- way over to the East Hampton Town Trustees. This is good news. While there has not been discussion of an alternate use of the narrow route, bringing it back into public control is assurance that it will not be misused. As it runs through Napeague State Park and along an old trustee dirt road, the right-of-way should be returned to nature. Those involved in the pending transfer to the trustees are to be congratulated.