Over 100 new parking spaces at LIRR Ronkonkoma Station lot

Written by jrood

MTA Long Island Rail Road Ronkonkoma customers now have 110 new parking spaces available to them thanks to the completion of the first half of a new lot located on the northeast side of the station. Work on this western half of the lot began last May.

The rehabilitation of the
former dirt lot included the installation of new drainage, curbs, sidewalks,
asphalt paving, lighting, striping, signage, fencing and landscaping. Work is
now under way on the eastern half of the lot. In addition to the new spaces,
customers may find alternative parking in the garage as work on the eastern
half of the lot continues. Handicapped and additional street-level parking may
also be found in areas to the west of the garage and bus loop.

When completed, the eastern
half of the lot will have approximately 184 spaces. In all, there will be 294
rehabilitated spaces when the work is completed during the first quarter of
2010. Approximately $4 million is budgeted for the Ronkonkoma parking lot rehab
under the Capital Program. There are approximately 6,095 parking spaces at the
Ronkonkoma Station. Since 1986, more than 14,000 new, rehabilitated or replacement
parking spaces have been added in the LIRR service area under the MTA LIRR
Capital Program.

Also, effective now
through mid-December 2009, MTA Staten Island Railway advises customers to allow
extra travel time as trains may need to move at slower speeds due to fallen
leaves on the tracks. Fallen leaves, when crushed by moving trains, leave a
slippery residue on the running rails. This residue may affect the train’s
ability to move and stop. In order to ensure safe operation, trains may operate
at reduced speeds and/or operate at slower than normal speeds while entering or
leaving stations.

"Crushed leaves
present us with one of our biggest seasonal operational challenges," said
John G. Gaul, chief officer of the Staten Island Railway. "It’s an
industry-wide problem for rail systems that operate outdoors in highly-vegetated
areas made worse by such conditions as light rain or morning dew."

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