Comptroller Stringer: Dozens of LIRR Stations in Brooklyn and Queens are Inaccessible and Falling into Disrepair

Comptroller pens letter to LIRR expressing concerns about several station rehabilitation and accessibility projects that are over budget, behind schedule, and deficient

Requests information on the reduced-fare Atlantic Ticket pilot and whether local LIRR stations are being upgraded to accommodate increased ridership

The City was required to pay the Metropolitan Transportation Authority $97.4 million in FY19 for the operation and maintenance of local commuter rail stations

  Spotlighting deteriorating conditions and inaccessibility challenges that inhibit seniors, young children, and people with disabilities at Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer sent a letter to LIRR President Phil Eng seeking a comprehensive timeline for the agency to meet its commitment to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades at 18 Queens and 2 Brooklyn stations. The letter also requested a concrete roadmap regarding station rehabilitation plans at Hollis and Hunters Point Avenue, the construction of new stations in Elmhurst and Sunnyside, and the installation of elevators at Murray Hill, Nostrand Avenue, and St. Albans. Comptroller Stringer’s office has received frequent complaints from local residents and passengers about deteriorating conditions at these stations including old and faded signage, malfunctioning ticket machines, excessive litter, unsanitary conditions, and broken platform surfaces, as well as a lack of elevators or ramps.

“Maintaining and providing equitable access to our public transit system is critical to building a city that works for every New Yorker. The LIRR stations in Queens and Brooklyn should be providing fast, frequent, reliable, and affordable transit to hundreds of thousands of New York City residents living beyond the subway’s reach. Instead, far too many are underutilized, inaccessible, deteriorating, and locked behind an exorbitant pay wall,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “This issue isn’t just about basic maintenance – it’s an issue of fairness. Behind every motionless elevator or deteriorating station there are New Yorkers who can’t travel. There are people who can’t make it to school or the doctor or a job interview. We need to improve mobility and job access throughout the five boroughs, and that means we need to invest in our commuter rail stations, dramatically reduce in-city fares on the LIRR and Metro-North, allow free transfers to the subway and bus, and increase off-peak frequencies.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s letter to LIRR, click here.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s comprehensive plan for opening up the commuter rail system within New York City, (October 2018) click here.