Babylon Chamber President Says Bus System Has Merit

Would the addition of a Bus Rapid Transit system on major north-south roads in Suffolk help stir the County’s economic engine?

County Executive believes yes and the president of Babylon Town’s Chamber of Commerce also feels the idea could work in certain areas.

Recently, Bellone put forth several mass transit proposals that included having bus lanes on the Sagtikos Parkway that could provide a connection to the Deer Park Train Station, Heartland Development, the Kings Park Train Station and surrounding downtown shopping districts.

“When I first heard (the idea) I was a little concerned since it had been talked about before,” said Walter Wenzel, president of the Town’s Chamber of Commerce. “With the cutbacks in the economy, it’s going to be a long road to hoe.”

But Wenzel feels the idea of north-south bus system does have merit in certain areas, most notably the Route 110 corridor as the remaining areas around Republic Airport are developed.

Beyond Route 110, it remains unclear if a Bus Rapid Transit system would work along a north-south thoroughfare such Route 231. The roadway, which is often congested, connects residents to business districts in Deer Park, North Babylon and Babylon Village.

While the idea of a mass transportation system has not yet been discussed for Route 231 specifically, Wenzel believes it can work and help local businesses, so long as the system is reliable and low cost to the riders.

“We have to give people a reason to not use their cars,” he said.