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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | AUG. 13 - AUG. 19, 2021 13
OP-ED
BY PHILLIP ENG
Safe, reliable, robust and accessible to all — those
are four main goals we strive for each day as we carry
hundreds of thousands of people across New York
City and Long Island.
Coming on the heels of the 31st anniversary of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, we’re celebrating
the third year of our successful LIRR Care customer
service program, which to date has assisted
more than 6,500 riders. Under this initiative, customers
at three of our busiest hubs (Penn Station,
Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica Station) can get
assistance to board their trains in real time from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Those in need simply head to the Customer Service
Office at Penn, or the Ticket Office at Jamaica
or Atlantic Terminal at least 15 minutes before a
train’s departure time, and an ambassador provides
individualized assistance with the journey.
Anyone needing help at other stations can give
us a call anytime, 24 hours a day, at 718-574-7227 at
least two hours before a train’s scheduled departure
time with departure details. A dispatcher will alert
the train crew, so they can place a bridge plate between
the train and the platform to help with wheelchair
boarding or other mobility needs.
We’re working hard to make our railroad as inclusive
as possible. Three brand-new elevators recently
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
City launches ‘Bicycle Safe Passage’ initiative, restarts
helmet giveaways to protect riders
SUMMARY: As bicycle ridership skyrockets across the five boroughs,
officials from the Department of Transportation and the
NYPD announced the continuation of the city’s “Bicycle Safe Passage”
enforcement initiative at Queens Boulevard.
opened at Floral Park Station as part of the
LIRR Expansion Project, bringing the total number
of fully accessible LIRR stations to 108, or 87 percent
of our system.
While we’re proud of this progress, we’re not
stopping there. There are another 16 stations (of the
LIRR’s total 124) that need to be upgraded and outfitted
with accessibility components, and I’m committed
to closing these gaps and fulfilling my promise
to make each and every station accessible to all.
In the meantime, it’s easier than ever to find an
accessible station near you. The LIRR TrainTime
app has a host of accessibility features and information
available to make trips as easy as possible. Customers
can access elevator and escalator locations
and their status in real time throughout the entire
system.
And for our visually impaired customers, we’ve
enabled a screen reading feature, as well as large
font support.
The LIRR welcomes all aboard our trains, and
I’m grateful to each and every one of you who trusts
us to get where you need to go. Long Island needs a
strong railroad to carry us through recovery from
the pandemic, and it’s only right that everyone
should be able to take part in that revival.
Phillip Eng is president of the MTA Long Island
Rail Road.
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