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Partly Cloudy New train station opens
Arrives late, over budget, but ‘worth the wait’
After more than two years of construction, delays and headaches for Valley Stream commuters, the Long Island Rail Road station is finally — officially — finished. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials are still determining a ribbon-cutting date, but the main station building is now open to commuters.
“It was definitely worth the wait,” said Mayor Ed Cahill. “It’s exactly what the residents wanted.”
The project, which was funded by the MTA and whose original cost estimate was $5.8 million, went $1 million over budget, according to LIRR officials. The renovation was divided into three phases, and the final phase — the reconstruction of the station building — encountered the most problems. According to LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena, that portion of the project was delayed because of problems with leaky roofs.
A new ticket office, waiting room and restrooms were built, and escalator enclosures were added. New lighting was installed, along with a new public address system, a wheelchair-accessible ramp, new sidewalks and landscaping around the station plaza.
LIRR President Helena Williams said that working with the community on the project — residents sent back surveys to the village detailing how they wanted the renovated station to look — helped designers match it to the community’s wants and needs. “We are particularly pleased that we were able to work so closely with local community leaders and elected officials on the design,” Williams said, “so the thousands of customers who use the station each day can truly call it their own.”
James Allocca, 52, who lives in Valley Stream and commutes into Manhattan, said he is happy that the station renovation is complete, though he acknowledged that the construction had almost no impact on his daily commute. “It didn’t really affect me besides having to walk a little farther to get my ticket,” Allocca said.
He added that he hopes the beautification of the station doesn’t affect the price of his train ticket. “They could have slapped a coat of paint on it and it would have been fine,” Allocca said. “But if beautifying the station makes my ticket go up, then what good is it?”
