New Elevators and Sidewalks Will Make Stations Accessible and Improve Customer Experience
Upgrades Are Part of a Seven Station Package of ADA Upgrades
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber today announced accessibility upgrades to three Long Island Rail Road stations in Queens: Laurelton, Locust Manor and St. Albans. The upgrades are part of the 2020-2024 Capital Program, which includes an historic $5 billion investment in accessibility systemwide.
The upgrades will provide street and platform elevators, new sidewalks and curb ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and all necessary signage. They are part of a seven-station package that also includes Massapequa Park station in Nassau County and Amityville, Copiague, and Lindenhurst stations in Suffolk County.
“Our transit system is the lynchpin of this region and has to be accessible for everyone. The MTA considers accessibility a top-tier priority, and we are taking action to improve the lives of our customers, said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “I have already committed to building elevators at the LIRR’s Locust Manor, Laurelton and St. Albans stations. We’re already designing them; we’ve already funded them and it’s going to happen within the timeframe of the current capital program.”
“Providing safe, reliable service for everyone who rides the Long Island Rail Road can only be accomplished by having a system that is accessible to all. We will do this by improving our infrastructure and increasing accessibility,” said Long Island Rail Road Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “The upgrades at these three stations in Queens will provide modernized and accessible stations that will serve Long Island Rail Road customers for years to come.”
“The MTA has made an historic investment of billions of dollars as part of our ongoing commitment to having a fully accessible transit system,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “These station upgrades will greatly enhance accessibility, increase safety, and improve customer comfort by creating modern stations with smooth and reliable service.
“These new elevators will create a much better experience for LIRR customers with mobility disabilities, and the countless riders who travel with luggage, strollers, bicycles and more,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “We need to continue enhancing accessibility at our stations to deliver a commuter railroad network that leaves no rider behind.”
“Long Island and New York City should be the most accessible places in the world, and the best way to do that is to upgrade as many LIRR stations as possible as quickly as we can,” said MTA Board Member Victor Calise. “These new elevators will not only benefit Long Islanders, but they will also be a major improvement to the lives of all riders who live near the LIRR’s Locust Manor, Laurelton and St. Albans stations.”
NYS Senator Leroy Comrie said, “From my first public hearing as Corps. Chair, my constituents have been fighting for elevator access at the Laurelton, Locust Manor, and St. Albans stations. The Addisleigh Park, Federated Blocks of Laurelton, Merrill Park, and TriAngular Civic Associations, along with civic leaders have joined me in advocating for these upgrades due to our aging population, families with strollers, and the necessity for accessibility in Southeast Queens. I’m glad to see the MTA/LIRR has expedited these investments, as these upgrades are planned in the 2024 capital budget program. I hope these elevator additions will be fully realized within the next 18 months.”
“Southeast Queens residents, especially seniors and those with limited mobility, have long been shortchanged when it comes to accessible mass transit options,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Quite simply, the already limited number of stations in Southeast Queens, including the Laurelton, Locust Manor and St. Albans LIRR stations, must be made fully accessible to all our residents regardless of ability as quickly as possible. I’m pleased MTA leadership has made a commitment to add elevators at these stations, and I look forward to working with the MTA to expedite these installations to ensure that everyone is able to safely and conveniently get around our borough and city.”
Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman said, “The residents of Laurelton wrote letters, made calls, and had tours of the Laurelton LIRR station all because they wanted an elevator for the station. They wanted the station to be accessible for all and now their hard work has been answered as the MTA will install elevators at Laurelton, Locust Manor and St. Albans. Thankful to Senator Leroy Comrie Chair of Corporations. Also, MTA’s Janno Lieber for prioritizing our commuters.”
Councilmember Nantasha Williams said, "Ensuring that all of our train stations are fully accessible with working elevators is incredibly important for this community. We are a neighborhood with a significant senior population and families with young children that rely on elevators in order to use our public transit system. I would like to thank the LIRR for their commitment to adding new elevators at the Laurelton and Locust Manor stations. I look forward to working together to ensure that all LIRR station in the 27th district have working elevators."
"All New Yorkers deserve easy, safe, accessible, and reliable modes of transportation in their communities," said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "Erecting elevators at the Laurelton and Locust Manor Long Island Railroad Stations fulfills a longstanding commitment to ensuring all residents in District 31 can utilize all available modes of transportation in the District. Providing elevator access at Laurelton and Locust Manor will help regenerate ridership, following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide an invaluable asset for my constituents."
Locust Manor
Improvements include:
- Two enclosed elevator towers located on each platform side serving street level to platform level.
- Two ADA-compliant elevators will be installed to serve customers for both the eastbound and westbound platforms.
- ADA-compliant sidewalks to/from the elevators at street level.
- Two weatherproof Help Point emergency/information kiosks with equipment enclosures.
Laurelton
Improvements include:
- An enclosed elevator tower.
- An ADA-compliant elevator will be installed to help customers reach the platform.
- An ADA-compliant sidewalk to/from the elevator at street level.
St. Albans
Improvements include:
- An enclosed elevator tower and an ADA-compliant elevator will be installed within an existing pedestrian tunnel connecting the street level with the platform level.
- The existing pedestrian tunnel will be reconstructed to provide required height clearances.
- An ADA-compliant sidewalk will be built throughout the length of the site to provide access to both Linden Blvd. and Baisley Blvd. and access to/from the elevator at street level.
- ADA Parking will be built close to the new elevator.
- New guardrail/handrails and treads at staircase.
- Two weatherproof Help Point emergency/information kiosks with equipment enclosures.