FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 1, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
oped
This gem from 1938 shows Eliot Avenue at 85th Street in Middle Village, looking east toward Woodhaven Boulevard. You’ll notice in
the foreground the trestle carrying the Long Island Rail Road. At right is the skeleton of Resurrection Ascension Church, and if you look
carefully in the background, you’ll spot the triangular Trylon and circular Perisphere — the landmarks of the 1939-40 World’s Fair.
Send us your historic photos of Queens by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed pictures to A Look Back,
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you.
letters & comments
What’s the hold-up over
Elmhurst LIRR station?
BY LARRY PENNER
In January 1985, the Elmhurst station on the Long
Island Rail Road Port Washington Branch closed.
Ridership had dwindled to less than 100 per day.
It was decided at the time, probably based on a
cost-benefi t analysis, that investing millions of dollars
to upgrade the station made no economic sense.
Th e Metropolitan Transportation Authority
included $40 million within the LIRR’s $380 million
2015 - 2019 Capital Stations Program to support
reopening the Elmhurst LIRR Station. Th e original
Elmhurst LIRR Station was built on street level
going across Broadway past Whitney Avenue. Th e
station had a long platform and pedestrian underpass
near the corner of Ketcham Place and 43rd
Avenue to 88th Street. Th e underpass is still used
today.
Th ere was also an entrance to the Port Washingtonbound
platform near the corner of Cornish Avenue
and Broadway along with a tunnel leading to the
Elmhurst Avenue subway station on the IND
Queens Boulevard Line. Th is subway station is currently
served by both the IND M & R lines.
Reopening the old Elmhurst Station involved fi rst
spending $4 million starting in 2016 for planning,
environmental review, preliminary and fi nal design
activities. Th is would have been followed by initiation
of construction in 2018 for $36 million. Th e
new station was anticipated to be opened by the end
of 2019.
Th e scope of work needed to reopen the Elmhurst
LIRR station includes new 12-car platforms, staircases,
railings, passenger shelters, ticket vending
machines, lighting, communication, signal and
security equipment, general site improvements and
passenger elevators to be fully compliant with the
Americans Disability Act.
Since the construction contract has yet to be
awarded, we don’t know if the engineers’ cost estimate
of needing $36 million will be suffi cient to
cover all of the above including passenger elevators.
Reopening the old Elmhurst LIRR Station would
provide a new alternative for Port Washington LIRR
customers should disruptions in service occur to
either Woodside, Penn Station or the future Grand
Central Terminal. Riders exiting the Elmhurst LIRR
Station could transfer to either the M or R lines.
Th ere would be future a second transfer opportunity
to either the E, F or 7 subway lines one stop away at
Jackson Heights - Roosevelt Avenue station.
In 2017, the MTA added $3 billion to the $29 billion
2015 - 2019 Five Year Capital Program Plan,
bringing it up to $32 billion. Buried in this plan
amendment was reprogramming $37 million originally
allocated to support construction of the new
Elmhurst LIRR Station to pay for other project(s).
Only $3 million remains for preliminary design and
environmental review.
Restoration of $37 million to support fi nal design
and engineering along with construction will now
have to wait until the next MTA 2020 - 2024 Five
Year Capital Plan is adopted. Completion of fi nal
design and engineering may not occur until 2021.
As a result, the original project completion date for
reopening the Elmhurst LIRR Station in 2019 will
probably occur fi ve years later in 2024.
Th is is disappointing but not surprising given
recent manipulations and shortfalls in the MTA
overall capital program budget.
Larry Penner is a transportation historian and
advocate who previously worked 31 years for the
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit
Administration Region 2 NY Offi ce.
A LOOK BACK
LET’S KEEP THE KIDS SAFE AT SCHOOL
At a rally on Feb. 17 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, thousands
called for change in their protest in the wake of a
massacre of 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas H.S. in Parkland, Florida. Emma Gonzalez, a student
at the school, gave a speech that blamed President
Trump, Congress and the NRA that mainly gave lip service
to their grief.
Th e youth of our nation are standing up against gun violence
and are saying if the government is not going to act,
they will. Th ey intend to take their protest to the media
and will shame those in Congress through Facebook and
other media outlets. Th ey will also hold rallies across the
country including a big one in Washington in the coming
months.
Our children are crying out for action. Th ey just want to
be safe when they go to school. Th ey will not be silenced
and will be heard.
All the rhetoric will not bring about change, but I believe
the voices of our children will bring about changes in
waves of tears for justice.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village
USE TECH TO TRACK GUN
& AMMO PURCHASES
Rising reports about the Parkland, Florida, shooter and
his purchase of up to 10 long guns within a single year are
alarming. A hole to be plugged in the sieve know as gun
control is just this issue: information synergy.
Exchanging vital data about gun owners, “red flags,”
would be a pivotal step in addressing this phenomena.
If I send a text about “coffee,” within an hour I will
see advertisements from five coffee companies on the
web. This type of information technology that could
thwart would be mass shooters. If you purchase thousands
of rounds of ammunition, a system is alerted. If
you order 15 large capacity magazines online, a system
is alerted.
Th e technology is there and the algorithms can be written,
but the legislation needs to be passed.
Ownership of a fi rearm can no longer be veiled behind
constitutional rights and privacy. Th ere must be information
sharing and prevention.
Ricky Malone, Ridgewood
READER: POL IN ‘FANTASYLAND’
ON NONPROFIT PET STORES
Apparently some elected offi cials, including my state
senator, Michael Gianaris, are living in a fantasyland. Th e
senator is sponsoring a bill which, among other things,
would prohibit pet stores from making a profi t on selling
cats and dogs.
First of all, Michael, the main purpose of a business is
to make a profi t. If a business couldn’t, why would it do
something? Secondly, once a pet store obtains a dog or cat,
it must spend money on food, expend time taking care of
it, use of space, etc.
To top it off , the senator states that, “Our four-legged
companions should be treated with respect, not like commodities.”
Th is comes from a man who refuses to treat two
legged animals (us humans) with respect and advocates to
expand abortion in our state.
Th omas Murawski, Glendale
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