L&M Publications
Merrick Life • Bellmore Life • Freeport-Baldwin Leader • Wantagh-Seaford Citizen

Residents from Seaford to Freeport gathered at the Merrick Library last week to voice their concerns about conditions at the Long Island Rail Road commuter stations.
   
Cleanliness, pigeon droppings, elevators and escalators, parking restrictions and parking enforcement were some of the issues raised by residents.
   
“Cleanliness remains a problem at all the stations, especially with regard to the elevators in Freeport and Merrick,” said Legislator David Denenberg, who also said that pigeon droppings “pose an another problem in Merrick and Bellmore.”
   
Meanwhile, there is still no working escalator at the east end of the Merrick train station and the platform at Wantagh is falling apart.
   
Bob Brennan, director of government and community affairs for the LIRR, addressed the concerns.
   
“We are cleaning the elevators more but people continue to pee in there,” he said.
   
Mr. Brennan said that over the years the LIRR has tried to address the pigeon problem, “but we have cut services, workers and I can’t justify more anti-pigeon devices. We’ve done our homes and use approved anti-roosting devices.”
   
The escalator project is “six months ahead of schedule, and will take about a year to complete. No one makes the parts in the United States anymore. We have to get them from France or Germany,” he said.
   
Parking also remains a problem in Bellmore and Merrick. Several Merokians complained about the insufficient number of parking spaces at these train stations.
   
Several speakers contend this situation is exacerbated by a local business in Merrick that parks its customers’ cars in Town of Hempstead Lot M9 intended for commuter parking. Residents said there was no enforcement of the parking regulations in that lot.
   
Mr. Brennan explained that the commuter lots in Merrick and Bellmore are owned by the Town of Hempstead, and that residents should address those concerns with the town.
   
Claudia Borecky, president of the North and Central Merrick Civic Association, told residents that the civic association wrote a letter to the Town of Hempstead requesting that signage be installed in the [M-9] lot that would limit parking. “There should be signage that says ‘no parking between midnight and 6 a.m.,’ ” she explained. “That should help alleviate the problem.”
   
Ms. Borecky passed around a sample letter written  for residents to send to town Supervisor Kate Murray and town Councilwoman Angie Cullin, urging them to provide Town of Hempstead parking permits in the lots in Bellmore and Merrick.
   
“There is insufficient number of parking spaces available for commuters,” said Ms. Borecky. “Every train station along the Babylon branch provides permit parking spaces except for the lots of Bellmore and Merrick. Commuters travel from Suffolk and the Town of Oyster Bay [Massapequa] to take advantage of the free parking and lower fares,” she said.
   
Town of Hempstead officials have noted that parking could not be restricted at these lots because they were funded with federal grants.
   
“But I looked at the agreement and it says the Town of Hempstead can have permit parking,” said Ms. Borecky, who believes some of the lots were acquired partially with Town of Hempstead money.
   
“Other stations along the Babylon branch also received federal grants and yet provide permit parking,” she wrote in her letter. Ms. Borecky suggested that approximately half of the parking spots could be for Town of Hempstead residents at a charge of $4 a year.

By Laura Schofer

Laura Schofer, staff writer for L&M Publications, has been recognized with several awards for many of her feature pieces published in Bellmore and Merrick Life, The Citizen and The Leader.

Comments(1):

1. Graffiti and damged fencing all along LIRR Babylon Line

   Another long running problem that the LIRR and local jurisdictions seem unable or unwilling to properly address is the graffiti all over LIRR property in the Wantagh and Bellmore area and the fact that there are so many sections of the fence line along their right of way that either have huge gaps in them or are missing entirely. In this day and age of terroism and the "see something say something" mantra we hear from MTA officials it is inexcusable that the LIRR can not secure their track line from even graffiti vandals. NY State law requires that railroads maintain their fence lines and Federal anti track tresspass regulations require railroads to maintain security along the line. There is also the issue of the LIRR just being a good neighbor- home owners are expected to maintain their property and must clean up graffiti within a set time frame or face fines- why is the LIRR not held to the same standard. When you speak to LIRR officials they say they don't have the money or the staff. But this is always their response no matter what year it is. Given the huge tax burden the avergae LI resident carries - this excuse is no longer ok from any level of government. Whether it means coordinating with other government entities, reorganizing the way the LIRR cleans, secures and runs it's stations, or some combination - the LIRR needs to find away.

   Monday, May 09, 2011 Michael