The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced that the new Arthur Kill station, the first new Staten Island Railway (SIR) station built by the MTA since 1971, opened on January 21. The new station, located on Arthur Kill Road in the Tottenville area, replaces the Nassau and Atlantic SIR stations that will be demolished. The two older stations had short platforms that did not adequately accommodate the railway’s modern fleet.
“The new Arthur Kill station offers more transportation options to Staten Island residents by giving motorists the choice to leave the driving to us and take Staten Island Railway,” stated Thomas F. Prendergast, MTA chairman and CEO. “This station reinforces the Governor’s commitment to all parts of our transportation network. We know our customers here want more choices, and we are working hard to improve their options.”
The new station has platforms that can accommodate SIR’s fleet of four-car trains and allow boarding at all doors, as compared to single-door boarding at the Nassau and Atlantic stations. The Arthur Kill station features a new parking lot, benches, surveillance cameras, Customer Assistance Intercoms, and bicycle racks. The station is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.
The northbound and southbound platforms are connected by an overhead structure that is accessible via platform staircases and ramps. Both towers of the structure and the connecting overpass are covered by canopies and enclosed with windscreens. New LED fixtures provide lighting to supplement natural lighting through transparent windscreens.
The artwork in the windscreens at the top of both towers and in the overpass was designed by artist Jenna Lucente and commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. “Tottenville Sun, Tottenville Sky,” consists of 28 large-scale laminated glass panels featuring a mix of wildlife and landscape scenes that are unique to the area’s geography and community.
“This new station has been a long time coming but it was well worth the wait,” said NYC Transit President Ronnie Hakim. “The new station allows us to move Staten Island transportation another step into the future along with other major projects like the rehabilitation of the St. George Terminal, the recent reopening of the improved Grasmere station, new rail cars and bringing real-time train arrival information to all stations.”
Lessons learned after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 resulted in design changes to improve storm resiliency that added to the construction timeline. Resiliency-related infrastructure enhancements include raising and improving the tracks, storm-proofing storage facilities and the electrical distribution and communications systems, and installing a heavier-duty drain system with underground detention tanks and perforated drain pipes for controlling water runoff and limiting soil displacement.
Funding for the $27.4 million project was provided in the 2010-2014 MTA Capital Program.