New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that improvements will be made to the Hicksville and Jamaica Stations on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) 40-mile line between Jamaica and Ronkonkoma.
Work has begun on a $121 million project to rebuild, reimagine and modernize the Hicksville station, the busiest station on Long Island. LIRR has also awarded a $64.9 million contract to create a new platform and tracks at the Jamaica station, the LIRR’s central hub and main transfer point. The projects are funded by the Governor’s $27 Billion MTA Capital Program.
“Revamping these two heavily trafficked transportation hubs will provide better, faster and more reliable train service for Long Island Rail Road riders,” said Governor Cuomo. “Time and time again, transportation investment has a ripple effect of progress and economic growth on the surrounding community.”
“These projects are part of this administration’s aggressive and comprehensive plan to revamp the state’s infrastructure and are two more reasons why New York is Built to Lead,” added Cuomo.
Work started this month on the modernization of the LIRR’s 55 year old Hicksville station and the preparation of an adjacent site where the railroad will build a new connection to an existing siding west of the station.
Upgrades to the station include: Wi-Fi and USB charging stations; enhanced interior waiting room; new platforms with glass-enclosed, heated waiting rooms; improved lighting; a translucent canopy roof; improved stairways, escalators, plaza elevators; and a video security system, audio and digital communications systems and better signage. The station will also feature laminated art glass installations by New York-based artist Roy Nicholson. The station work is expected to be completed by the spring of 2018.
At the direction of Governor Cuomo, the construction timeframe was reduced to 22 months, 13 months sooner than originally planned. The Hicksville project is supported by the MTA Capital Program.
“The modernization and expansion of the Long Island Rail Road is critical to the economic growth of our region and thus we commend Governor Cuomo's historic investments in infrastructure projects like the Third Track and Double Track, as well as the reconstruction of a brand new LIRR station at one of our busiest hubs in Hicksville,” remarked Kevin S. Law, president and CEO of the Long Island Association.
Jamaica Station’s new platform will have glass-enclosed, heated waiting areas and Wi-Fi and USB charging stations. It will also feature brightly colored art glass installations by New York-based artist James Little on the station’s westerly bridge, and on the stairs leading from the platform to the AirTrain mezzanine.
The Jamaica Station infrastructure was built in 1913. The new platform and tracks will allow the LIRR to more easily re-route trains, take tracks out of service and support supplemental train service to and from Atlantic Terminal.
“More tracks and platforms mean fewer delays. This award for Phase I of the project, which is funded by the Capital Plan, is great news,” stated MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “It will help speed up what LIRR customers have come to call ‘the Jamaica Crawl,’ introduce new services such as Wi-Fi and USB charging stations, and build on our ongoing commitment to renew, enhance and expand every aspect of the MTA."
The project is one element of the Jamaica Capacity Improvements Project that began in 2010 and is being carried out in two phases with a projected investment of $442 million by the end of 2019. Funding for Phase I of the project comes from a combination of the MTA’s 2010-2014 capital plan and the 2015-2019 plan.
Congressman Gregory W. Meeks said, “We continue to invest in the upkeep and rehabilitation of critical transportation and infrastructure, guaranteeing a more efficient commute for thousands of New Yorkers. The Hicksville and Jamaica station hubs are two of the busiest locations in the state, and these updates will not only enable us to provide more frequent train service, but dramatically improve the travel experience for our riders, overall. I look forward to the progress of this project, and thank Governor Cuomo for his commitment to this issue.”
The investment in the stations are among a number of projects to improve LIRR service on the central spine of the railroad, which lies between Jamaica and Ronkonkoma.