The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the completion of station and accessibility upgrades at the St. Albans Long Island Rail Road station in Queens, including a new street-to-platform elevator, new communication and security systems and parking lot accessibility improvements. According to the MTA, the St. Albans station serves more than 1,000 riders daily.
Additional upgrades include reconstruction of the station’s tunnel to provide required height clearances, as well as new concrete sidewalks, two weatherproof Help Point emergency and information kiosks, station signage, LED lighting, CCTV security cameras, guardrails and treads at staircases and a new elevator machine room.
“Modernized elevators and station enhancements improve the customer experience and ensure everyone can use our system,” LIRR President Rob Free said. “The LIRR is more than 90% accessible, meaning parents with strollers and people with mobility issues can get to work, school and local entertainment.”
These improvements coincide with the February 2022 expansion of the CityTicket system, which LIRR riders can use for discounted fares within New York City during peak and off-peak hours. According to the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul, customers have saved more than $100 million on Metro-North and LIRR fares since March 2022.
“I’m pleased to see the completion of accessibility improvements at St. Albans Station, an investment that delivers real progress for Southeast Queens riders,” State Senator Leroy Comrie said. “For far too long, residents have called for real improvements to local transit, and this project is a meaningful step toward equity and inclusion in transportation. These upgrades will make a daily difference for seniors, parents and commuters. I thank MTA leadership, Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer, as well as LIRR President Rob Free for their partnership in continuing to invest in our community.”
The public authority noted that railroad ridership is surging across the MTA network, recently citing an announcement from Hochul’s office claiming it was on track for a record-breaking year. The MTA attributed the CityTicket expansion to the growth in ridership at city stations, which is rising faster than systemwide baselines.
From 2021 to 2025, the monthly average ridership across the LIRR has grown by 179%. According to the MTA, ridership grew by 183% at Rosedale, 215% at Queens Village and 224% at Jamaica. More than 766,000 riders now travel to and from Jamaica Station on the LIRR per month, the public authority continued. This ridership growth includes travel to the JFK AirTrain and the 168th Street Bus Terminal, with connections to ten New York City Transit and five NICE bus routes.
The MTA also claimed that 96.4% of LIRR trains reached their destination on time this year, which is the best rate in its history, even surpassing pandemic years. The most recent statistics from the MTA show customer satisfaction with the LIRR reached 81% in Spring 2025, up five percentage points from the fall of 2024, when it reached 76%. Customer satisfaction has consistently grown since Spring 2024, according to MTA surveys.
The project, which is a joint venture between Citnalta/Scalamandre and Parsons Transportation Group, was supported by the Federal Transit Administration.
“Thanks to innovative contracting methods like project bundling and design-build, we’re delivering these upgrades better, cheaper and faster than ever before,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA construction and development. “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.”
The project was completed as part of LIRR ADA Package 1, which is aimed at improving accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The package targeted nine stations throughout Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties — Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, Massapequa Park, St. Albans, Locust Manor, Laurelton, Valley Stream and Auburndale.
The MTA stated the project aligns with its overall goal to make all LIRR stations ADA accessible. In addition to accessibility improvements, the MTA said these projects will provide state-of-good-repair work and aesthetic improvements using the innovative design-build method.
“This is a great day to celebrate accessibility, which, as you heard before, is truly universal,” said Quemuel Arroyo, the MTA’s chief accessibility officer. “We’re not just talking about the 1 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.”
The MTA also announced the opening of a modernized elevator serving the Auburndale LIRR station as part of larger accessibility and safety upgrades. The replacement, which the MTA said was completed under budget and ahead of schedule, is crucial to keep the system running effectively and efficiently, resulting in fewer repairs and fewer disruptions needed later.
