Town to pilot parking program at Bellmore-Merrick train stations

The Town of Hempstead and the Long Island Rail Road will pilot a parking permit program at the Merrick and Bellmore LIRR stations in the near future. In selected lots, only town residents with valid stickers will be permitted to park. Stickers will cost $3 a year, said Mike Deery, the town’s communications director.

“We’ve been working with the Long Island Rail Road, and we’re looking to implement a pilot program,” said Deery, who added that he is unsure when the program might begin, as the town and LIRR are still mapping out where the designated permit lots will be.

Deery said the pilot program comes in response to residents who said they could not find spaces after 7 a.m. because too many commuters from other Long Island towns use the Merrick and Bellmore lots.

Deery noted that a parking permit will not guarantee a commuter a parking space. Parking will continue to be on a first-come, first-served basis, he said.