With New Underpasses at Covert Avenue and New Hyde Park Road Recently Opened, All LIRR Main Line Crossings in New Hyde Park Will Be Eliminated as of Saturday
S. 12th Street Crossing Among Eight Being Eliminated Through LIRR Expansion Project
Automobiles and trains have been sharing roadway space in New Hyde Park since the dawn of mass motoring. That will come to an end on Saturday as crews working on the Long Island Rail Road Expansion Project close the last of three crossings on the Main Line in New Hyde Park.
MTA Construction & Development today announced that crews will permanently close the Long Island Rail Road grade crossing at S. 12th Street in New Hyde Park this Saturday, Oct. 24. Workers will replace this crossing with ramps to an underpass that will allow pedestrians and wheelchair users to safely travel between the two sides of the tracks. The underpass is scheduled to open in the spring.
Plans to transform the crossing into an underpass were developed in coordination with the community. The transformation will improve safety by eliminating a potential point of conflict between motor vehicles, pedestrians, and trains. It also means the permanent end to a long-term nuisance to neighbors – the sounding of train horns, ringing of bells and flashing of bright red lights as trains approach, along with traffic backups that can occur when the gates are down.
“The closure of this crossing is a historic, major win after many previous efforts to eliminate the grade crossings failed,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “This crossing closure is the latest evidence that the LIRR Expansion Project is not slowing down because of the pandemic. This project is critical for Long Island, it’s critical for the LIRR, funding is secure and we’re not letting the pandemic get in the way.”
“One less crossing means one less potential point of conflict between trains and roadway users,” said Phil Eng, President of MTA Long Island Rail Road. “Every crossing that is eliminated helps us run a safer railroad and one less prone to delays that come from potential incidents. Replacing this crossing with a pedestrian underpass is great for the community and it is great for the railroad.”
As trains approach the station in New Hyde Park, the crossing’s gates are in the down position 32% to 42% of the time in the AM and PM peak hour periods. The need for grade crossing elimination is further illustrated by the fact that there was a total of six fatal crashes at grade crossing locations in the LIRR Main Line corridor between 2007 to 2017.
The MTA has significantly improved safety and traffic flow in New Hyde Park over the past 18 months. At Covert Avenue, which is 1,300 feet to the west of S. 12th Street, the MTA replaced the former railroad crossing with an underpass that opened on Oct. 12, 2019. At New Hyde Park Road, which is 1,000 feet to the east of S. 12th Street, the MTA replaced the former railroad crossing with an underpass that opened two months ago, on Aug. 24.
Both the Covert Avenue underpass and the New Hyde Park Road underpass are safe and convenient alternatives for motorists and pedestrians.
The pedestrian underpass is slated to open within six months. Simultaneous to this work, MTA Construction & Development is rebuilding the adjacent New Hyde Park station’s platforms. The new platforms will be lengthened and positioned to accommodate a third track of the Main Line. While this work is underway, station customers will be able to use temporary platforms west of S. 12th Street.