Massapequa residents who ride the rails will find that waiting for the train is a safer experience, thanks to recent repairs made by the MTA to the upper level of the station.

At his campaign launch at the Massapequa Railroad Station in July, Legislator Peter Schmitt first noticed that conditions at the station were less than ideal. Although the first level waiting room and ticket station had recently been refurbished, on the second level, where people actually wait for the train, concrete platforms were cracked, lights were broken, stairs were worn and slippery. Schmitt contacted Long Island Rail Road President Ken Bauer, who responded immediately.

"I met Ken Bauer out there personally and showed him where improvements needed to be made," Schmitt said. "They got a crew out there very quickly, redid the stairs, fixed up the lights, and removed some temporary work that had been inadvertently left behind which created a trail up to the third rail on the embankment." Engineering crews have also been assigned to ensure the structural integrity of the platform.

Although Schmitt said he is grateful for the quick response to these safety concerns by the MTA, he believes that there is still work that needs to be done. "In my opinion, there are major improvements that still need to be made," Schmitt said. "The concrete platforms that people are waiting on are getting eaten away from underneath, they are not as thick as they once were. Although they have been tested for structural safety, they are still a major concern and should be replaced."

Schmitt continued, "There is just general wear and tear on the second level. Everything is old, the steel is rusty, it needs a major overhaul, but that would be a multimillion-dollar project that would have to be done as part of a capital improvement program. It would probably take two or three years from the time they started it."

Schmitt said he is still in touch with Bauer regarding further improvements to the Massapequa railroad station.