By:Hector Flores
The meeting, which took place July 27 at the Bellmore Memorial Library, was hosted by Denenberg. Guest speakers included John Vitiello, branch line manager of the LIRR, and Robert Brennan, assistant director of corporate communications for the railroad.
Some of the issues raised included pigeon contamination, lack of parking and unclean platforms at five LIRR stations: Bellmore, Merrick, Freeport, Seaford and Wantagh.
ÒTonight I want to form a small group of volunteers to attend monthly meetings and to follow up with the MTA on issues that are of great concern to our community,Ó Denenberg said. Joining his Commuter Council were Larry Rubinstein of Bellmore, Peter Hirschhorn of Merrick, Charles Diana of Wantagh, Mary Myhie of Freeport, and Peter Ruffner of Seaford.
Residents who attended the meeting agreed that pigeon droppings are a major concern and expressed their disappointment that nothing has been done to curb the problem. In response, Vitiello explained that pigeon contamination is a problem at only two stations. ÒBellmore and Amityville have the most birds,Ó Vitiello said. ÒFreeport, Seaford and Merrick have only a minor problem when it comes to pigeons.Ó
He also explained that efforts to make railroad stations pigeon-proof have met with some difficulties. According to Vitiello, there have been incidents in which the nets used to keep pigeons out of a stationÕs staircases have been cut.
Vitiello said that there are some bird lovers who believe that the nets are cruel to pigeons. But the reality is that when the nets are cut, pigeons get tangled in them and end up being injured or, worse, choking to death.
Raising the issue of parking was Marc Miller of Bellmore, who said that he has noticed that the number of parking spots is diminishing, and he has seen construction vehicles parked in spots meant for commuters. ÒAll of a sudden there are construction vehicles parked on MTA parking lots [between Centre Avenue and Newbridge Road],Ó he said. ÒI have seen construction vehicles, and just the other day I saw a boat parked on the lot, north of Sunrise Highway and west of the Verizon building.Ó
Denenberg acknowledged that his office has received similar complaints, and MTA representatives vowed to investigate the matter.
However, Myhie was more concerned with what she saw as a failure of the MTA to keep the Freeport platform clean. She demanded that there be more cleaners.
Vitiello acknowledged that the Freeport station is messy, but insisted that a cleaning crew cleans the station at least three times a day, once in the morning, a second time in the afternoon and a third time in the evening. ÒI have seen the station get cleaned and, almost instantly, the station gets filled with papers and garbage,Ó he said. Vitiello attributed the messiness to the heavy use of the station by beach-goers on their way to and from Jones Beach.
As a result of the high volume of commuter traffic, Vitiello suggested that residents make more of an effort to help keep the platform clean.
Aside from the usual problems faced by Long Island commuters, Rubinstein raised the issue of rude and unprofessional railroad employees. ÒThere have been times when I have seen a train car closed and railroad employees drinking [alcohol beverages] inside those cars,Ó he said.
Brennan told riders that if they ever witnessed railroad employees acting unprofessionally, they should contact his office at (718) 558-8228 with the name of the train, its destination, the line, the car number and the employeesÕ cap numbers or a full discription of the employees. Brennan said his office would conduct a full investigation of the matter. To contact the Commuter Council, call DenenbergÕs office at (516) 571-6219 or 409-6623.
