Upgrades Made at St. Albans LIRR Station
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
St. Albans LIRR Station.
MTA
NEW YORK CITY - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) completes upgrades at St. Albans LIRR station in Queens.
As part of the LIRR ADA Package 1, the project included a reconstruction to the tunnel to “provide required height clearances” as well as installed a new elevator machine room, concrete sidewalks, guardrails and treads at staircases, CCTV security cameras, LED lighting, new signage, and two new weatherproof Help Point emergency kiosks. Citnalta/Scalamandre and Parsons Transportation Group worked on the project as a joint venture.
Other stations that will receive improvements as a result of the LIRR ADA Package 1 include Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, Massapequa Park, Auburndale, Valley Stream, Laurelton, and Locust Manor. Not only will the stations receive accessibility improvements, but the stations will also be brought up to a state of good repair. At Auburndale station, the MTA will open a modernized elevator as part of its upgrades. The replacement was recently completed ahead of schedule and under budget. At this location, crews installed handrails at both staircases and guardrails, added new CCTV cameras, made enhancements to signage and upgraded the electrical service.
The MTA says the Design Build approach used allowed crews to use the existing elevator shaft to replace the components and necessary equipment. Crews worked to replace the elevator cab, update equipment for a smoother ride, replace and modernize the elevator machine room, electrical, and mechanical equipment, as well as make upgrades to the remote monitoring equipment, cameras, and intercom system to ensure a faster response time in case of emergency.
“Modernized elevators and station enhancements improve the customer experience and ensures everyone can use our system,” said Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. “The LIRR is more than 90% accessible, meaning parents with strollers and people with mobility issues can get to work, school and local entertainment.”
“Thanks to innovative contracting methods like project bundling and design-build, we’re delivering these upgrades better, cheaper and faster than ever before,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “In fact, not only did we deliver this newly accessible station within the budget, but also two months ahead of schedule, which is a testament to the success of the new MTA that’s two months earlier that folks in this neighborhood are able to use a fully accessible station.”
“This is a great day to celebrate accessibility, which, as you heard before, is truly universal,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “We’re not just talking about the one million New Yorkers with disabilities. We’re talking about the tourists who go up and down. Used to go up and down these stairs with luggage. The parents with strollers. And yes, our elderly community members, our aging community members for whom we want to say, Forget about Florida and the Carolinas. Stay in New York with your community that you help build. Age with grace.”
