International Speedway Corp. is continuing its development plan for a NASCAR speedway on Staten Island. In addition to talking to NYC elected officials and business and civic groups, the company has recently approached NJ Transit about a light rail link from Bayonne, New Jersey to the complex, sited on Staten Island’s West Shore. News reports said ISC officials plan to use some of the track’s profits to fund the link, although no dollar figures or other details were released.

For years, Staten Islanders have asked for a transit connection to New Jersey, but various proposals have gotten nowhere. Even a bus link to the Bayonne terminus of the Hudson-Bergen line has been shot down by the MTA, which has trouble thinking outside the state border (MTR #271). Staten Islanders have had a mixed reaction to the NASCAR plan, predictably expressing concern about traffic congestion problems. However, the NASCAR plan would limit car access to the site, requiring most fans to ride buses or ferries. A light rail link funded through the project could give Staten Islanders a longed-for amenity. If the dialogue makes any progress, a connection would not be active until 2009 at the earliest.

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