Contracts awarded to Rebuild Jamaica Station and Hicksville Station

[bobtehpanda]

 

Two of the Long Island Rail Road's central hubs are about to get makeovers. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wedensday that work has begun on a $121 million initiative to rebuild, reimagine and modernize the Hicksville station, the busiest station on Long Island. In addition, the LIRR has 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. Renderings of the Hicksville project are available here and of the Jamaica project here. The capital investments will improve the two key stations on the LIRR's 40-mile spine between Jamaica and Ronkonkoma.

"Revamping these two heavily trafficked transportation hubs will provide better, faster and more reliable train service for Long Island Rail Road riders," Governor Cuomo said. "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."

Jamaica Station Enhancements

The new platform and tracks at Jamaica station 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 for customers attending games and events at the Barclays Center. The new platform will also feature glass-enclosed, heated waiting areas, as well as Wi-Fi and USB charging stations allowing customers to stay connected and charge their phones while they wait for the train. In addition, New York-based artist James Little will create brightly colored art glass installations on the station’s westerly bridge, and also on the stairs leading from the new station platform to the AirTrain mezzanine.

MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast said, "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. 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 which will modernize Jamaica Station infrastructure, which was built in 1913. The work will streamline track configurations, which have remained largely unchanged since the station was built, and speed service. The project 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.

The new platform at Jamaica, slated to open in 2019, is one in a series of the LIRR system-wide capacity improvement projects, which also include an uninterrupted second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, and a third track on the Main Line from Floral Park to Hicksville, as well as the East Side Access project to bring LIRR trains into Grand Central Terminal. Once East Side Access is complete, the new platform at Jamaica station will dramatically enhance service between Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and Jamaica Station, enabling shuttle trains to depart every 7½ minutes during rush hour and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours, which will provide a significantly higher level of service than that available under current timetables.

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."

Senator James Sanders Jr. said, "Transportation is key to ensuring access to jobs, education and more. The improvements at Hicksville and Jamaica stations are a positive step forward in helping commuters reach their destinations quickly and safely. I applaud the Governor’s commitment to these projects and look forward to celebrating their completion."

Senator Leroy Comrie said, "The LIRR is a critical transportation artery and yet many of its facilities desperately need to be modernized. Thanks to Governor Cuomo, the state is undertaking a massive effort to completely transform two of the most important stations as part of his vision for transportation revitalization in New York. While I was able to allocate $300,000 for infrastructure improvements at LIRR stations, it is my hope that Governor Cuomo will continue to support my effort to see improvements at all of the stations in the 14th Senatorial District."

Assemblywoman Vivian E. Cook said, “Thanks to the Governor’s continued support of the MTA, the renovation of the Jamaica LIRR station will revitalize our aging infrastructure and improve the passenger experience. This project will overhaul the station for an easier, more reliable commute for riders every day of the week. This is the next step in the continued revitalization and transformation of Jamaica and the project will have a ripple effect of positive impacts for the entire region.”

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said, "These projects are yet another example of Governor Cuomo’s commitment to strengthening New York’s infrastructure. The Jamaica Station project in particular will help make traveling easier and more convenient for both Queens residents and for the many visitors who transfer to the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica after they take the AirTrain from JFK Airport. Important transportation projects like these will help guarantee that Queens will enjoy prosperity and an increased quality of life for many decades to come.”

Hicksville Station Rehabilitation

Sixteen miles east of Jamaica, work has begun on another project – a $121 million modernization of the Long Island Rail Road’s aging 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.

The upgrades to the 55 year old station include Wi-Fi and USB charging stations throughout the station; an enhanced interior waiting room; new platforms with glass-enclosed, heated waiting rooms; improved lighting; a translucent canopy roof; improved stairways, escalators, plaza elevators, a video security system, audio and digital communications systems and better signage. The renovated station will also include new laminated art glass installations by New York-based artist Roy Nicholson, who designed the mosaic tile art work in the station ticket office in 2001. With construction beginning this month, 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 one of a number of LIRR projects covered by an innovative 2013 Project Labor Agreement between the LIRR and the Buildings and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk that has helped reduce construction costs by 10%. The project is supported by the MTA Capital Program.

Kevin S. Law, President and CEO of the Long Island Association said, “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."

Senator Jack M. Martins said, "I am pleased to work with Governor Cuomo to rebuild and revitalize the Hicksville station. With better waiting areas, new platforms and more efficient service, these upgrades will transform the LIRR's most utilized station for the better. This project will make commuting easier for the thousands of residents who use the Hicksville Train Station each day."

Assemblyman Michael Montesano said, "Hicksville is the busiest station on Long Island, so it is in need of a 21st century upgrade. The improvements to the Hicksville station will streamline the daily lives of thousands of commuters and provide for a better travel experience for everyone. Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, these strategic transportation infrastructure investments support the economic growth and strength of our communities and Long Island as a whole."

40-Mile Spine from Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Improvements

The efforts to improve Jamaica and Hicksville Stations are among a number of projects designed to improve LIRR service on the busy, central spine of the railroad, a 40-mile corridor from Ronkonkoma, through Hicksville, to Jamaica. These projects include infrastructure renewal, the purchase of new trains, the expansion of the train storage yard in Ronkonkoma, the addition of pocket tracks along the Port Washington and Babylon Branches, the addition of a second track in Suffolk County and a proposed project to add a third track in Nassau County.

Click on the following PDFs for renderings:

Hicksville project

Jamaica project

 

http://www.mta.info/news-lirr-long-island-rail-road-jamaica-hicksville-governor/2016/09/21/121-million-initiative

 

Does anyone have more information about the Jamaica Capacity Improvements Project? It's cool to see the pictures for the new Atlantic Shuttle platforms though.

[Union Tpke]

What they are doing with Brooklyn service is horrible. I am totally against the plan. It would reduce it into a shuttle. The number of passengers going between Nassau and Suffolk and Brooklyn has increased by more than 50% within the last 10 years. The LIRR should be increasing service to Brooklyn. While there would be more frequent service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal, service from Jamaica to where you live on LI doesn't run that frequently. You will get to your destination in the same amount of time. There would not be direct service anymore, and to make connections, people will have to go up to the overpass and then walk to the out of the way Platform F, and then go back downstairs. If the LIRR is trying to gain more Brooklyn to Jamaica riders, then the fare would have to be significantly lowered. However, this is not likely because of the ludicrously high operating costs. A better project would involve rebuilding the track layouts east and west of Jamaica.

 

This is a great post. https://gallery.mailchimp.com/69d8acc358c2fb2608af2fd87/files/2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes.pdf?utm_source=LIRRToday-%23Distribution&utm_campaign=ff5910ca63-2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes9_7_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_357a112c00-ff5910ca63-156235425

[QM1to6Ave]

I hope they heavily advertise the Jamaica to Atlantic shuttle once it opens, and offer some fare discounts. Even without discounts, I'll keep using that connection. It is such a convenient way to get to Brooklyn.

 

I wish they could improve the whole damn neighborhood around Jamaica terminal. It is still so sketchy.

[CenSin]

I hope they heavily advertise the Jamaica to Atlantic shuttle once it opens, and offer some fare discounts. Even without discounts, I'll keep using that connection. It is such a convenient way to get to Brooklyn.

 

I wish they could improve the whole damn neighborhood around Jamaica terminal. It is still so sketchy.

Well, as long as you stay upstairs, all the dirt and grime underneath won’t touch your feet. I still can’t believe my sister commuted to Jamaica to work all these years. There is a story about some incident every day.

[CenSin]

This is a great post. https://gallery.mailchimp.com/69d8acc358c2fb2608af2fd87/files/2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes.pdf?utm_source=LIRRToday-%23Distribution&utm_campaign=ff5910ca63-2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes9_7_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_357a112c00-ff5910ca63-156235425

It reminds me of the and situation at Sheepshead Bay. The MTA’s insistence on the authority and correctness of timetables is one of my pet peeves.

The one occasion where more frequent better serve Long Islanders would come when the LIRR lets trains depart Jamaica without their scheduled connections—it’s a pretty skeevy move that’s becoming unfortunately more commonplace...if you’re train is late, the LIRR will sometimes let your connecting train go off without you so that train stays on-time and isn’t counted as late, yet you’re left on the platform waiting for the next train, and get delayed considerably more as a result.  If the next train is 5 minutes away instead of 25, you’re not out that much more time, but that’s a solution to a problem that shouldn’t exist.

So the LIRR’s proposed increased frequency of trains is effectively meaningless if you’re coming form or going to someplace east of Jamaica...the next question then becomes: is the LIRR’s plan more convenient for riders looking to go between Long Island and Brooklyn?  In terms of convenience, it’s next to impossible to beat a direct through train, where you don’t even have to get up to go to Brooklyn.  I’ve been beating the drum for more direct service to Brooklyn for ages, and if rider feedback from the LIRR’s Islanders game service to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is any indication, direct, one-seat rides are far and away the preferred way to get to places.  But since it’s not possible or practical to give everyone a one-seat ride all of the time, connections are needed on some occasions.  When it comes to connections, the fewer steps people have to take, and in particular, the fewer steps people have to climb, the better—the LIRR’s current setup for connections at Jamaica, where two trains arrive across the platform from one another and all you have to do is walk from one to the other, is pretty ideal.

[QM1to6Ave]

Well, as long as you stay upstairs, all the dirt and grime underneath won’t touch your feet. I still can’t believe my sister commuted to Jamaica to work all these years. There is a story about some incident every day.

The dirt and grime I'm ok with. It's the crime that concerns me when I travel there

[CenSin]

The dirt and grime I'm ok with. It's the crime that concerns me when I travel there

I guess you don’t get cat-called. Technically it’s not a crime, but it falls under dirt and grime.

[QM1to6Ave]

I guess you don’t get cat-called. Technically it’s not a crime, but it falls under dirt and grime.

 

Ahh, now I see what you were referring to. You are correct, as a male I am lucky to never have experienced the cat-calling. But I've certainly heard stories from my female friends and co-workers. Disgusting. 

[bobtehpanda]

I hope they heavily advertise the Jamaica to Atlantic shuttle once it opens, and offer some fare discounts. Even without discounts, I'll keep using that connection. It is such a convenient way to get to Brooklyn.

 

I wish they could improve the whole damn neighborhood around Jamaica terminal. It is still so sketchy.

 

 

Well, as long as you stay upstairs, all the dirt and grime underneath won’t touch your feet. I still can’t believe my sister commuted to Jamaica to work all these years. There is a story about some incident every day.

 

There's a Starbucks that just opened by the courthouse, and the police have (mostly) cleared out the junkies who used to loiter immediately outside the station (oddly, those were usually the only places where they loitered.)

 

All aboard the gentrification train!

[QM1to6Ave]

There's a Starbucks that just opened by the courthouse, and the police have (mostly) cleared out the junkies who used to loiter immediately outside the station (oddly, those were usually the only places where they loitered.)

 

All aboard the gentrification train!

 

I'll gladly get on that train! Hope it's running on time...

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

 

 

This is a great post. https://gallery.mailchimp.com/69d8acc358c2fb2608af2fd87/files/2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes.pdf?utm_source=LIRRToday-%23Distribution&utm_campaign=ff5910ca63-2016_09Sep_07_LIRR_Today_News_and_Notes9_7_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_357a112c00-ff5910ca63-156235425

It is.

 

???? Eric Shields | #MassTransitHonchkrow ????

THE Hudson Valley's essential Fare-blazer ????

[Jcb]

I'll gladly get on that train! Hope it's running on time...

It's on platform F.

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

While the design for Hicksville LIRR is dated, it made for spectacular photography during my "NICE Long Island Eve"...

 

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AlW-ZYlueHvEg6E-Pmfkr5HHI9GdUg

I can't seem to attach the photo but you can view it by clicking the link above.

While the design for Hicksville LIRR is dated, it made for spectacular photography during my "NICE Long Island Eve"...

 

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AlW-ZYlueHvEg6E-Pmfkr5HHI9GdUg

I can't seem to attach the photo but you can view it by clicking the link above.

If I may ask, it seems to share the same design scheme of the Greenpoint Library. Same architect?

[trainfan22]

Rebuild Jamaica station, I thought it got an overhaul when the Airtrain opened? I remember Jamaica station prior to Airtrain and it did not look as nice as it does today.

[Joel Up Front]

Old Jamaica station and Hicksville today look very similar. 

 

Hicksville is absolutely filthy.  The underpasses smell like piss, the waiting rooms look like they haven't been cleaned in decades, and every metal surface that doesn't get used by trains is 70% rust.