Board Urged To Keep Elmhurst LIRR Plan
Three local lawmakers urged the MTA Capital Plan Review Board to include rebuilding the Elmhurst Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station in its final five-year capital plan.
Last week, the board rejected the MTA’s initial five-year, $32 billion proposed slate of improvements, which included the estimated $40 million reconstruction of the LIRR stop at the corner of Broadway and Whitney Avenue that was closed in 1985 and later dismantled.
Negotiations on the final plan, however, are ongoing.
Days after the board rejected the capital plan, Representatives Joe Crowley and Grace Meng- along with City Council Member Daniel Dromm-wrote to State Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald, who chairs the review board, urging her to keep the Elmhurst LIRR stop in the final plan.
The proposed Elmhurst LIRR station would include two, 12-car long platforms on either side of the tracks, platform shelters, ticket vending machines, lighting and communication systems and elevators between the platform and the street.
For years, local lawmakers and civic leaders urged the MTA to rebuild the Elmhurst stop, citing population growth and overwhelmed public transportation services in the area. Crowley, Meng and Dromm repeated those claims in their letter to McDonald, adding that “the potential to provide an economic boost to the neighborhood and the city is simply too important to pass up.”
“Despite a lack of adequate transit services, Elmhurst has become one of Queens’ most dynamic and fastest-growing communities,” they wrote. “In order for this growth to be sustainable and help maintain livable communities, residents must have access to a broader array of transportation options that allow for easier mobility west and east. We want to build on Elmhurst’s success and ensure the needs of this vibrant neighborhood are met.”
