By EVAN NEMEROFF
Mark Weiss, Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Hewlett Harbor, experienced this for himself a few weeks ago while waiting on the platform for a train to New York City. During this visit to the station, he heard various complaints from others at the station and decided to do something about it.
Weiss sent a letter to Helene E. Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Long Island Rail Road, on Jan. 16 asking for better safety and enclosed shelters on the Hewlett station platforms. While there are two shelters on the westbound platform, heading towards New York City, and one on the eastbound platform, heading towards Far Rockaway, he feels something must be done to protect local residents from foul weather conditions.
“The Long Island Rail Road has an obligation to its riders, and to the community, to maintain its property," Weiss said. "With all the money and effort the LIRR expends to promote increased usage, it seems that investing in quality-of-life projects that enhance the LIRR experience and that assure safety and comfort should not be too much for riders to expect.”
Weiss believes that vandalism should no longer be used as an excuse for not providing proper and adequate protection against the elements, as is provided by the LIRR at other platforms in the system, such as Valley Stream, which is also part of the Far Rockaway Branch.
“The LIRR must stop looking at the condition of the Hewlett platform shelters as an acceptable level of property damage.” Weiss said. “Ms. Williams must begin to look at the conditions at Hewlett station as reflective of a potentially dangerous situation that demands immediate and deliberate attention.”
Vandalism has been occurring at the station for about three years, according to Weiss. At the front shelter on the westbound side of the tracks, the slats on the shelter are up and a few of windows are knocked out. Because of this, during the winter months the cold air easily comes into the shelter, especially when there are strong wind gusts. "There is no glass protection in the front of the shelters," said Sheldon Bender, who has used the Hewlett station every weekday for the past 30 years. "There is a space that was smashed and nothing was done to replace this."
The mayor has seen an increased number of riders using the train due to the current economic conditions and wants the LIRR to fix the problems that upset those passengers. "What I really want is for the shelters to be rebuilt as they are supposed to be," Bender said. "It’s also important, if the shelters are fixed, that the LIRR protect what they invest in by installing cameras. This will deter criminals from performing illegal activities if they are being watched."
Tom Cohen, a resident of Hewlett who has been riding on the LIRR for 26 years, dislikes the condition that the shelters are currently in. “The shelters are always in constant disrepair," he said. “There are discarded beer bottles inside them and the facade is even missing on one. There is no protection from the wind and it doesn't help when we are five to six feet off the ground.”
Since both shelters located on the westbound track are near the front of the train, passengers are often forced to squeeze into these waiting areas during the winter months. “When there are bad weather elements, everybody runs to the first shelter and it is tough to fit all the people,” Cohen said. “It is a terrible situation and there needs to be a shelter on the far end of the platform by the cemetery. Only having two shelters is not enough to handle the volume of people that use the station, especially during the rush hours in the morning.”
Another pressing issue is that the Hewlett ticket office is located on the eastbound side of the tracks, causing passengers to wait on the platform for an extended period of time before their train comes. Other local stations, such as Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Woodmere have their ticketing offices on the westbound side of the tracks. “The new ticketing station is great, but it is far away from the track's platform,” Weiss said. “For people, especially those with kids and carriages, to wait on the platform with the current conditions in bad weather is a problem.”
Weiss is also requesting that their be more LIRR police at the station, especially in the evening hours, and for security cameras to be installed on the platforms to assure that the Hewlett station remains safe and to protect the rail road's investment in shelters and other infrastructure improvements. “When people drop off their kids at night at the station, they have to wait for the train to come to make sure their kids are safe,” Weiss said. “There is not a lot of light at the station that limits people’s protection.”
The LIRR is taking action after reading Weiss’s letter. "Platform shelters perform an important function for our customers, protecting them from foul weather,” said LIRR spokesperson Sal Arena. “We received the communication from the Mayor and inspected the damage and ordered the materials needed to restore the shelter. The MTA Police Department has increased patrols and inspections at the Hewlett station and is working with the Nassau County Police Department to further address the issue."
Weiss is hopeful that the LIRR will fix the shelters for the benefit of the people that are paying to use the train. “I am not expecting heat in the shelters, just something that could act as a wind barrier,” Weiss said. “Hewlett riders need extra protection at the station from the cold weather and more security to make sure there are no problems which will help their quality of life.”
Comments about this story? ENemeroff@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
