ADA Accessibility Coming.

Elevator at Massapequa Park is STILL not finished as of 8/29/2024. Although, the new elevators have opened on a Friday, so it could be finished tomorrow.

MTA hasn't put out any photos, so who knows?

The last ADA holdout on the Port Washington Branch, Willets Point, has yet to see a planned timeline for
construction. ADA is more important here given that Willets Point is now a full time 24/7 station and no
longer simply for Mets games, U.S. Open and major events such as concerts.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Sun Sep 08, 2024 12:40 am The last ADA holdout on the Port Washington Branch, Willets Point, has yet to see a planned timeline for
construction. ADA is more important here given that Willets Point is now a full time 24/7 station and no
longer simply for Mets games, U.S. Open and major events such as concerts.

Yet Auburndale is having the elevator replaced, and it's on the Port Washington Branch. Massapequa Park was the last Babylon Branch station to be elevated, and now they will be the last Babylon Branch station to be ADA accessible. Yeah, Mets Willets Point I forgot about. The disabled have to get off at Woodside, take the elevator up to the 7 train because the station at Willets Point for the 7 is ADA accessible. Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Bellerose are still not accessible either. St. Albans is seeing signs of work now, basically half the station is closed.

Forest Hills is accessible by ramp.

Kew Gardens has both platforms accessible, but without an ADA compliant connection.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 10:42 pm Forest Hills is accessible by ramp.

Kew Gardens has both platforms accessible, but without an ADA compliant connection.

Speaking of connections; stations such as Bethpage, Deer Park, Brentwood, and Central Islip could use ADA accessible crossover tunnels. Basically, all of the Hempstead Branch stations, and New Hyde Park have them.

R36: Kew Gardens DOES have a compliant connection - requiring the use of these three surrounding
street sidewalks listed from the westbound platform to the eastbound platform: Austin Street E to the
Lefferts Boulevard overpass west sidewalk (past Dani's House of Pizza - a local KG favorite) to Audley
Street ramping down to the eastbound platform. The problem for walking impaired or wheelchair users
is the grade on the overpass and walkway past Dani's. The direct ramp on the westbound side past the
Austin Ale House has stairs - and is a very busy place during the outdoor dining season...

MA90: The LIRR will NOT construct undergrade tunnels at stations when there is already a reasonable
ADA alternate available that is advertised to the General Public...From the stations you mentioned:
Bethpage - East end of station via the Stewart Avenue crossing
Deer Park - East end of station via the Long Island Avenue crossing
Brentwood - West end of station via the Brentwood Road crossing
Central Islip - East end of station via the Lowell Avenue crossing

New Hyde Park was a special case in which New Hyde Park Village objected to the construction of the
overhead elevator towers and bridge types built at the other stations during the Third Track Project.
The response was to construct the underpass at the west end of the station with both a staircase and
long ADA compliant ramps on both sides. On the east end there is access to both platforms that is ADA
compliant but not between Platform A and B (under the New Hyde Park Road underpass).

I will add these two examples: Farmingdale has an underpass at the center of the station. ADA access
between the two platforms is via the Secatogue Avenue crossing at the W end of the station...

Bay Shore once had a underpass at the station that was closed and replaced by a pedestrian overpass
just west of the station building. ADA access between platforms is via the Fourth Avenue crossing at the
east end of the station.

The LIRR is reluctant to construct new underpasses because of their high cost and the potential of
security problems - which was the reason the underpass at Bay Shore was closed. The new NHP
underpass was designed with good sight lines and lighting along with cameras and corner mirrors
in the undertrack tunnel as added security features.

MACTRAXX

The draft 2025-2029 MTA Capital Program announced today includes ADA at Willets Point, East New York and Bellerose. Willets Point and Bellerose will also be in the station renewal program.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 5:00 pm The draft 2025-2029 MTA Capital Program announced today includes ADA at Willets Point, East New York and Bellerose. Willets Point and Bellerose will also be in the station renewal program.

Ask for it, now we're going to get it! About time, but it should have been in the 2020-2024 Capital Program.

MattAmity90 wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 5:00 pm The draft 2025-2029 MTA Capital Program announced today includes ADA at Willets Point, East New York and Bellerose. Willets Point and Bellerose will also be in the station renewal program.

it should have been in the 2020-2024 Capital Program.

MA90: Mets-Willets Point, East New York and Bellerose improvements were not funded under the previous
MTA program...The MTA can only do so much under any given Capital Program systemwide with NYCT and
MNCR along with LIRR projects to be dealt with by MTA Capital Construction...

Mets-Willets Point began to be served with regular train service in the past four years to serve a nearby NYC
C-19 vaccination site as a response to "The Problem" (my term for the Pandemic) by PW Branch trains...
This added even more flexibility for riders attending Mets games and special events such as the US Open
Tennis Tournament...Flushing Meadow Park in itself can attract ridership during the outdoor season...

The East New York LIRR Station is in one of Brooklyn's toughest neighborhoods and in that regard had
developed a reputation over time as being a place that some riders would avoid even with the massive
Broadway Junction NYCT complex nearby...Any ADA additions (elevators and/or ramps) will have to be
designed to be secure enough that those using ENY will feel safe...

Bellerose Station has become redundant with the construction of Elmont-UBS Arena Station under one
mile west...Retaining Bellerose Station has the support of both the Villages of Bellerose and Floral Park -
the west end of FP is S of the LIRR Main Line tracks - the station is surrounded by residential areas...

Elmont-UBS Arena Station is designed with only one access point to Bellerose Terrace on the north side
and no direct access to the western end of Floral Park on the south side due to NIMBY opposition from
both of these communities not wanting added car or pedestrian traffic from Belmont Park or UBS Arena.

Each ADA improvement can be costly with elevators at the top of the list...Elevators have to be designed
with security in mind (camera survelliance is an example) being that they can become vandalism targets
and/or "latrines" from loiterers depending on the location (I have seen both instances) to make ADA (and
any other) riders that can not handle an escalator or stairs have confidence in their usage...MACTRAXX