By Jennifer La Lima and Hector Flores
Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat of Merrick, is tired of the pigeon droppings he must maneuver around to catch a train into New York City, where he works as an attorney.
"I'm a commuter myself," Denenberg says. "Bellmore and Merrick are the pigeon capital of the world. They have horrific pigeon problems. At times, I can't even use the banisters."
The Long Island Rail Road/Metropolitan Transportation Authority maintains the Bellmore and Merrick stations. As a county legislator, Denenberg has no authority to regulate the state-run MTA. But like so many other issues outside his purview, he is jumping into the pigeon problem at local stations, seeking to raise public awareness.
Denenberg has held a series of meetings on the stations. He convened his third recently at the Bellmore Memorial Library. Guest speakers included Raymond Powers, line manager of the LIRR's Babylon branch, and Robert Brennan, assistant director of corporate communications for the MTA.
Denenberg began by saying that the LIRR and MTA are taking commuters' concerns, raised at previous forums, seriously -- especially the complaints about the pigeons. And, he noted, the LIRR/MTA is better maintaining local stations.
Brennan said that the LIRR/MTA must take a reasoned, balanced approach to controlling pigeons at the stations. "Compared to a lot of other railroads, we've spent a lot of money on pigeon control," he said. "Many people feel we are not doing enough, but many other people who are concerned about the welfare of the birds ask us how we can put up the netting that we've used. They have even come to rip the netting down."
Powers noted that the Bellmore and Merrick depots have many spaces where pigeons can easily roost. He said that the LIRR/MTA is concerned about maintaining the stations' cleanliness. He noted that stairwell handrails are wiped down at least three times a day. Officials have tried to stop the pigeons from nesting on the high ledges around the trestle by surrounding them with netting and installing plastic spikes on the ledges. But at times the birds get around them.
The Herald recently toured the Merrick station, and found the netting and spikes broken in places.
Powers said, "I am responsible for 18 stations, and Bellmore and Merrick have the worst pigeon problems. We are actively trying to find a solution."
Denenberg also said he has received complaints about the smell of urine in the waiting rooms at the train stations in Seaford, Wantagh, Bellmore, Merrick and Freeport. In a recent Herald series on the stations, residents reported that drunken revelers often urinate at the stations late at night. Powers said that urine is promptly cleaned, and a new disinfectant, designed to eliminate the odors, was recently ordered.
The Bellmore train station is cleaned two times a day, once in the afternoon or at night. Trash receptacles are emptied, banisters wiped down and bathrooms cleaned. The stations also receive heavy-duty cleaning, including power-washing, at least once a month.
As of November, the Bellmore train station had received heavy-duty cleaning 14 times since the beginning of the year, and had been spray-washed nine times in the previous eight months.
Brennan said there are difficulties in planning spray-washing. "When we spray-wash, we can't have trains coming into that space," he said. "It is a complicated and coordinated routine to keep everyone protected and get the job done. It's not just a matter of simply spraying the platform down."
Brennan assured meeting attendees that the LIRR would do its best to address their concerns.
For more information on Denenberg's next LIRR forum, call his office at (516) 571-6219.
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