LIRR watchdog down to just 8 of 12 members

The watchdog group representing the Long Island Rail Road's 300,000 daily riders is down to just eight people -- four below full strength -- with several vacancies left unfilled for years by Nassau and Suffolk politicians.

It's been nearly a decade since the LIRR Commuter Council, which wields considerable influence with the nation's largest commuter railway, had all 12 of its seats filled. Officials say the four vacancies are among the most the council has operated with since it was created 30 years ago by the State Legislature.

"It's the only voice that the riders have in the decisions that are made by the Long Island Rail Road, said Mark Epstein, the council's new chairman. He has made filling the vacancies a top priority. "A full council can only help us bring in more varied experiences."

All four vacancies come from Long Island. Nassau and Suffolk County are each supposed to have five members appointed by the county executives and approved by the governor. Nassau is short three members, and Suffolk has had one empty seat for about a year.

Council officials said the vacancies have persisted even though they have forwarded names of potential recruits to the county executives.

A spokesman for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said his office "has spent time thoroughly reviewing resumes to ensure that commuters are properly represented on the LIRR Commuter Council."

Mangano plans to send the name of one prospective member, Kathy Comerford, a Morgan Stanley executive, to the governor's office this week. "Other selections will be made in the coming days," Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin said.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

"At a time when the MTA is taking more than ever from our taxpayers, it is important that those who sit on the Council hold the MTA accountable for their actions," Nevin said.

Dan Aug, spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, said the county will disclose the name of its appointee "in the very near future." There was no immediate explanation of why no nominee has been offered so far.

Of particular concern to the council are the vacancies in Nassau, where more than half of the LIRR's ridership lives, but which now has only two council representatives.

William Henderson, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Permanent Citizen's Advisory Committee -- the council's parent agency -- said the biggest delays in filling the Nassau seats came under the administration of former County Executive Thomas Suozzi. He did not appoint a council member during his first seven years in office and only partly filled vacancies in his final year.

Suozzi declined to comment.

Because all council members -- who are unpaid -- are relied upon to network with and gather feedback from other commuters on their respective train lines, the shortage of members means fewer perspectives for the council to share with LIRR management.

"It really does hurt us in that sense," Henderson said. "You have a thin representation from the area where most of the people are commuting from."

LIRR officials declined to comment about the council vacancies.