ADA Accessibility Coming.

About half an hour ago, the MTA LIRR announced that nine stations will see ADA accessibility work via elevators according to their Facebook page. Of the nine stations, seven will have elevators installed to make them ADA compliant for the first time finally. The other two will see their elevators replaced. Here are the nine by branch:

The four remaining on the Babylon Branch:

1.) Lindenhurst
2.) Copiague
3.) Amityville
4.) Massapequa Park

The two remaining on the Far Rockaway Branch, plus one replacement:

1.) Valley Stream (elevator replacement)
2.) Laurelton
3.) Locust Manor

West Hemsptead Branch with St. Albans.

Auburndale on the Port Washington Branch will have its elevator replaced.

https://www.facebook.com/mtalirr

Looking at the layout of the remaining Babylon Branch stations, the most likely location for the new elevators at Lindenhurst, Copiague, and Amityville would be in between the ground level ticket office and the adjacent Western staircase that has the escalator next to it, there is plenty of room. Massapequa Park on the other hand...that's going to be an issue. The space between what I just mentioned is going to be a tight squeeze. Although, we are talking about three stations elevated from 10/25/1968 to 8/7/1973, and one that was the last to be elevated on the branch from 12/21/1977-12/13/1980.

They said it will take 36-42 months to get the project completed overall, but I don't think it should take that long to install an elevator at a new station. Locust Manor is the only station that will have two elevators installed since it is the only one with two side platforms.

This will be a small topic that I will update in the future, and track before-during-after.

The Current timeline for ADA accessibility work is as follows:

Copiague - Weekend of September 23-24, 2023
Amityville & Lindenhurst - Weekends of October 7-8 and 14-15, 2023
Massapequa Park - Weekend of November 11-12, 2023

This leaves just East New York, Hunterspoint, Hollis, Bellerose and Willets Point to go. Kew Gardens is fully
accessible on both platforms, but lacks direct access between eastbound and westbound.

LIRR is on track to being to the first legacy (pre-1970s) system to be 100% ADA.

gamer4616 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 7:16 am The Current timeline for ADA accessibility work is as follows:

Copiague - Weekend of September 23-24, 2023
Amityville & Lindenhurst - Weekends of October 7-8 and 14-15, 2023
Massapequa Park - Weekend of November 11-12, 2023

I was specifically told by a member of the LIRR that of 3 remaining Suffolk County stations on the Babylon Branch, Copiague would be first. In fact, the original plan was to only make Copiague ADA accessible. Thankfully, those lawsuits forced them to include Lindenhurst, Amityville, and Massapequa Park. On those weekends, will station service be affected by any chance?

Thanks for the update, because today marks 50 years of elevated service for the ACL segment: August 7th, 1973. It took only 50 years, but it should have been sooner. Babylon, Massapequa, and all stations Freeport to Penn Station were ADA compliant. Seaford (2009), Wantagh (2018), Bellmore (2000), Merrick (1999) came before these four.

This is something interesting that I didn't know about elevator installation (at least for a station that is finally going to be ADA accessible). I read an article recently on Amityville's Village Facebook page that this past weekend (14th-15th) the station AND parking lots were both closed due to the installation of the elevator shaft.

I know the crane needed space, but both? They obviously need to break apart a segment of the canopy and cut a hole in the platform, but since I saw the blue box is located near the escalator, I'm shocked that they didn't just close off the Western half. Only have the rear 4-6 cars of a WB and front 4-6 cars of an EB platform (it is only 10 cars long). The Northern parking lot could've stayed open because the power poles run on the Northside of the viaduct. I didn't see this occur at Bellmore and Merrick from 1998-2001 with their elevator installations.

Either way, the slated completion of the elevator at Amityville, and probably Copiague's and Lindenhurst's as well, is early-2024 (they say Q2 of 2024).

I can't find photos from Copiague or Lindenhurst, but the Amityville Village Hall said they put up barricades (blue boxes) so they could bore through the concrete and put in the supports for the elevator. It was also made clear on why the entire parking lot(s) were closed. Just as I expected, the elevator will be located in between the ticket office on the ground and the escalator/staircase. I expect the same at the other 3 stations as Massapequa Park gears up for this weekend. Photos courtesy of Amityville City Hall.

Found out the locations of where the elevators will be installed at the four stations. I was correct about Amityville and Lindenhurst, but incorrect about Massapequa Park and Copiague. Locations:

Massapequa Park: Two segments to the East of the ticket office near the parking lot crossover.
Amityville: Right next to the ticket office, in between the ticket office and the escalator/staircase to the West.
Copiague: Two segments to the East of the ticket office, displacing some handicapped spots.
Lindenhurst: Right next to the ticket office, in between the ticket office and the escalator/staircase to the West.

The latest track work timeline lists Laurelton (February-March) and St. Albans (April) for upcoming ADA related work.

gamer4616 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:47 pm The latest track work timeline lists Laurelton (February-March) and St. Albans (April) for upcoming ADA related work.

That's good to hear, especially St. Albans because many don't realize just how busy that station actually is. Seeing those timeline months has me thinking that Lindenhurst, Copiague, Amityville, and Massapequa Park will be completed within that time frame. Someone posted a video just before they closed Amityville for that weekend. They removed the canopy for that section and turned it into a skylight, it is weird even though the last segment on the East end is open with 3 mushroom lights. Maybe it's because those 4 stations have canopies that are cover the entire platform-length.