By Mike Schnitzel
Plans for the new station were announced at a press conference hosted by state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) on Oct. 26 at the station.
According to LIRR President James Dermody, there will be an eight-month design period, with construction on the new station to begin at the end of that period. Once construction begins, it should take about a year to complete. Dermody said that tearing down the current station and building a new one would be cheaper than renovating the current one, and that the drainage problems at the current station should be solved as part of the new project.
"A temporary station should be in place in June, and construction of the station should take about a year," said Dermody.
The funding for the new station will come out of the LIRR's share of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital funds program, according to Thomas Dunham, a spokesman for Skelos. Skelos teamed with state Assemblyman Bob Barra (R-Lynbrook) and local officials, including Mayor Edward Cahill and town Councilman Jim Darcy, to obtain funding for the project from the state.
According to Skelos, the new station will feature a 2,000-square-foot waiting room, an improved platform with a waiting room, a ticket office, public restrooms, pay telephones, equipment rooms and new public address and passenger display systems. It will be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
"[This project] was not just for the convenience of commuters," said Skelos, "but is a way to improve the downtown area."
Village Clerk Vincent Ang echoed Skelos's sentiments, saying that the project, which he called long overdue, will be a boon to business in the community. "This is about improving the infrastructure and making it more aesthetically pleasing," said Ang. "That's where a private business wants to invest."
Also, according to Cahill, LIRR is footing the bill for the renovation and expansion of Municipal Lot No. 19, putting in new lighting and removing the island in the center of the lot. LIRR agreed to pay for the refurbishments in exchange for use of village property. With the refurbishment, which should be completed next spring, the lot will expand from 106 spots to 306, Cahill said. "The whole combination of a new and improved station plus more parking will hopefully attract more people to the stores on Rockaway and Franklin avenues," he said.
Commuters at the Valley Stream station on Friday were happy to hear about the planned improvements. "It's a good idea, because they need a better capacity in the waiting room," said Ngierot Edward-Smith, 18, a resident of Far Rockaway who works at a mortgage bank in Valley Stream. "It will make my experience here more comfortable."
Angela McDonald, who takes the train to her job in Valley Stream, hoped that the waiting room would be open year round. "Sometimes during the summer they'll close the waiting room, and I don't want to get stuck outside on a windy or rainy day," she said.
According to LIRR spokesman Sam Zambuto, the Valley Stream station serves more than 2,100 commuters per day during the morning rush hour. Trains stopping at the station are predominately from the Far Rockaway and Long Beach lines, but a few trains from the West Hempstead and Babylon lines make occasional stops there, he said.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@lih-erald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
