MTA Long Island Rail Road’s $40-million improvement project at Massapequa Station entered its next phase on August 25 with work shifting to the station’s east end.
Meanwhile, customers will be able to use the newly constructed west end platform and waiting room and glimpse artwork of artist Peter Drake, a native Long Islander, for the first time. In addition, a new station elevator is scheduled to go into service shortly after Labor Day.
As contractors turn their attention to the reconstruction of the east side of the station, that section – including the east side underpass – will be closed to the public
New Platform & New Pocket Track
The project, which got underway in the Spring of 2013, includes the replacement of the 12 car elevated platform, canopy, staircases, elevator and escalator as well as the platform waiting room, lighting, public address system and signage. The Railroad is adding a new pocket track just east of the station that will improve frequency and flexibility of train service. The station rehabilitation and the pocket track represent a $40 million investment, the most significant Railroad improvement effort at Massapequa Station since the station was raised from street level in 1953. The LIRR is carrying out the work in phases arranged to ensure that train service continues uninterrupted throughout the project.
Temporary Boarding Pattern & Parking Adjustments
During this second phase of the project, westbound customers will board the first six cars of trains and eastbound customers will board and exit from the last six cars of trains. The station’s escalator will be closed for the duration of construction and reopened when Phase 2 is completed during the summer of 2015.
The Phase 2 parking changes are as follows:
- Approximately 21 new parking spaces will be open along the southwest side of the station along the sidewalk on Broadway.
- Approximately 12 parking spaces for the disabled, now located at the north entrance of the east tunnel, will be relocated to the north entrance of the west tunnel.
- Approximately 30 parking spaces adjacent to the brick substation near the east tunnel will be temporarily closed for crane activities and to accommodate the staging of construction materials and equipment.
Arts for Transit
The Massapequa Station project also features permanent artwork commissioned by the MTA Arts for Transit program, artist Peter Drake, who grew up in Garden City. Drake has created scenes for 17 laminated glass windows lining the walls of the new waiting room and two mosaic panels for the stairwells that lead customers from the street to platform level and two large mosaic panels that will be installed on the platform during Phase 2 of construction. Drake’s scenes of people waiting for trains were inspired by the 1930s-era lead figurines and street furniture of vintage Lionel train sets. The art also pays homage to role of a former airfield the Massapequa Park in the early days of flight.
Getting Ready for East Side Access
The station renovations are part of a multi-phase initiative to improve infrastructure and train service in Massapequa, a station that serves approximately 6,000 customers every weekday. The pocket track is one of several improvements the LIRR is making in anticipation of the completion of the East Side Access project, which will enable Long Islanders to travel directly to Grand Central Terminal and the East Side of Manhattan for the first time. The extra track space will begin paying immediate dividends when it becomes available in 2016, providing the LIRR with greater operating flexibility along the Babylon Branch. Following the opening of East Side Access service, the pocket track will allow the LIRR to turn trains for return trips to Penn and Grand Central Terminal without traveling out to Babylon. First stop Massapequa! East Side Access promises to be a transformational event in the history of transportation on Long Island, saving up to 40 minutes a day for Long Islanders who commute to the East Side.
