LIRR President Williams, Senator Martins Discuss Station Plans
Friday, 10 August 2012 00:00
Terminal to undergo renovation project through 2017
Senator Jack M. Martins and Long Island Rail Road President Helena E. Williams met at the Hicksville LIRR station on Tuesday, July 31 and reviewed plans for the improvement of the station that the railroad believes will significantly improve service and customer satisfaction for Long Island commuters.
Martins and Williams both indicated how important the Hicksville LIRR station is to commuters as the busiest station in Nassau County where both the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch and the Ronkonkoma Branch converge into what the MTA calls the Main Line.
“I’m glad the LIRR is directing money into improving service for our commuters here in Nassau County. Since Hicksville is a major transportation hub, it stands to reason that an effort be made to improve not only the station itself but also enhance service. I want to thank LIRR President Helena Williams for her efforts in working to improve service and convenience for many who rely on the railroad,” said Senator Martins.
The LIRR has set aside slightly upwards of $106 million, a significant commitment to Hicksville, in capital funds to improve the aesthetic look of the station as well as service and reliability for customers.
“I would like to thank Senator Martins for his support of this project that will transform the LIRR’s Hicksville Station into a renewed and modernized facility,” said Williams, adding, “The improvements planned for Hicksville, totaling more than $106 million, will make for a brighter commute for our customers and we welcome community input as we go forward. The signal and siding improvements at Hicksville will benefit thousands of customers who use this critical transit hub and those that pass through this important junction each day.”
The current elevated station, which was built in 1962, is showing its age and is plagued by poor drainage and cracked concrete as well elevators and escalators that are reaching their life expectancy. Though the street level ticket office was expanded and modernized about a decade ago, the rest of the station complex needs attention.
The LIRR has set aside $55.1 million for the Hicksville Station facelift, which will include new station platforms, platform waiting rooms, canopies, stairways, platform lighting, elevators, escalators and a state-of-the-art audio and digital communications systems.
Another improvement on tap for Hicksville is a $37.7 million project that calls for the installation of more than 3,000 feet of new track, power and signal work. This effort will connect Track 1 at Hicksville to an existing track siding situated about one-half mile west of the station platform. The connection will enable the LIRR to add three trains to the a.m. and p.m. peak service between Hicksville and Manhattan when Grand Central Terminal opens to the LIRR with the completion of the East Side Access project at the end of the decade. It will also improve the railroad’s ability to reroute trains in the event of maintenance, construction or service disruptions.
Finally, the LIRR will spend an additional $13.8 million to modernize the signal system at Divide Tower, located just east of Hicksville Station. Divide controls all train movement on the Huntington/Port Jefferson and the Ronkonkoma Branches east of Hicksville.
Construction is expected to take place between 2014 and 2016 with signal work being estimated for completion the following year.
News
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
Hicksville native Jae Lee recently rose to the top of his senior class at New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), winning the Critic Award for sportswear. But fashion wasn’t the path that Lee originally chose.
In high school, Lee excelled in art classes and thought that he wanted to go to college and major in fine arts. However, he said, it was while watching an episode of “Project Runway” that he had a revelation. “All of a sudden I was thinking that it was something I could/should do and that’s what kind of led to it,” he said. He made up his mind that he was going to apply to fashion school and enlisted the help of one of his art teachers in school to help him. “We really scrambled and put together this presentation in about two weeks, where other people, I’m sure, worked on theirs for months,” he said. Lee said that when he went to present his portfolio, he didn’t think the meeting went well at all. “Everyone was really well prepared,” he said. But, he admitted, it must have gone better than he thought, because he was accepted to FIT.
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
In the face of cancelled air shows and the downgrading of NYC’s Fleet Week, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announced on May 9, that American soldiers will be forever honored on Long Island through the creation of the Museum of American Armor to be built at Old Bethpage Village Restoration thanks, in part, to a million dollar gift from Lawrence Kadish.
“We are watching powerful tributes to our American military reduced or eliminated across the nation and its just plain wrong,” stated County Executive Mangano. “Fortunately, the Memorial Day weekend air show at Jones Beach will be held regardless of the loss of the Thunderbirds, but Fleet Week in New York City will be greatly diminished and across the country air shows are being cancelled weekly. Nassau County is moving in another direction. An armor museum that honors every American soldier will be created on county property this year which will not only pay tribute to those who have defended our nation but will also strengthen the county’s tourism and destination industry and provide a new source of revenue.”
Sports
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
Hicksville residents honored by tennis association
The U.S. Tennis Association Long Island Region has recognized several Hicksville residents for their tennis playing or volunteering achievements. The group was honored at the USTA Long Island Region’s 23rd Annual Awards Dinner, which recognizes superior efforts both on and off the tennis court.
Terry Fontana received the Vitas Gerulaitis for the Love of Tennis award. She has been a longtime fixture in the Hicksville tennis community and is the driving force behind the Hicksville Community Tennis Association (CTA), which, since 1995, has been promoting the development of tennis as a means of healthy recreation and physical fitness and to create a community resource for physical activity throughout the area.
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
It was a cold season for softball this year, colder than usual. Anyone who knows the sport recognizes that the weather can be changeable, but this softball season was fraught with snow, pouring rain, cancelled games, frigid temperatures, and blowing winds that would cause any team to crave the warmth of indoors.
That wasn’t the case with the Hicksville High School Lady Comets Varsity Softball team. They played through it all like champions, and endured the rough weather like superstars.
Calendar
Bonsai Day
Saturday, May 25
Parade Announcement
Monday, May 27
Fire Department History
Wednesday, May 29
Columns
Moving Pictures
Written by Mike Barry, MFBarry@optonline.net
Private Power Isn’t Our Only Option
Written by Michael A. Miller, Millercolumn@optimum.net
Building Better Legislators
Written by Michael A. Miller, Millercolumn@optimum.net
