By:Cindy J. Roth
Bellmore LIRR commuter complaints about the train station are moving beyond poor station maintenance. In a recent open forum hosted by Leg. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), many commuters said they are frustrated about the lack of parking spots at the popular Nassau County train station.
"It's impossible [to find a parking spot]," said Harrison Goodman, frequent Bellmore LIRR commuter. "It's almost fruitless to drive around looking for a spot."
About 40 daily commuters, Larry Silverman, commuter advocate to the MTA Board and Mike Deery, Town of Hempstead spokesperson, attended the forum. Silverman said many commuters claim the lack of a parking permit system in Bellmore was to blame for over crowded lots.
"Bellmore has no permit system so commuters come from other towns to park in Bellmore and take up desperately needed spaces," Silverman said.
Silverman said the lack of a permit system might be due to the fact that federal and state grants were put toward the purchase of the land, therefore prohibiting and limiting the exclusion of state residents from parking in the Bellmore lots.
Denenberg wants to know why the parking spaces, 1,619 spots in total, cannot be restricted to Town of Hempstead residents.
"The state was involved in the original purchase and creation of the lots 50 years ago but it is time to turn them over [to the Town of Hempstead]," he said.
The Town of Hempstead maintains and cleans the LIRR lots but has no jurisdiction on parking. The Herald's questions regarding the initiation of a permit system went unanswered by the MTA.
Because parking spots are limited, commuters often park illegally on Sunrise Highway or on local streets. Goodman, who has lived in Bellmore for over 40 years, said the parking problem has grown along with the population in Bellmore. When the parking lot is full, Goodman said the closest place to park legally for an extended period of time is over a quarter of a mile away.
Commuters not only have to contend with each other for parking spots but also with the employees of local businesses. Commuter Sam Schuster said workers at the Verizon facility, located adjacent to the station, use the station's parking lots.
Restricted hourly parking on nearby streets, and a lack of open parking spaces, makes the LIRR parking lot a depot for shoppers who frequent the newly revitalized downtown area.
Susan Kelly, a worker at The Bellmore Pooch Pad on Pettit Avenue that is located parallel to the train station parking lot, said the shop's customers try to find parking spots wherever they can. Kelly, who parks her car in front of the shop, said she always gets ticketed because the parking spots have a two-hour time limit.
"There is just no place to park," Kelly said, adding that commuters sometimes park in front of private homes Pettit Avenue when the train station parking lots are full.
