Elmont–UBS Arena station
Elmont | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Elmont station in November 2021 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Superior Road Elmont and Bellerose Terrace, New York | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°43′12″N 73°43′34″W / 40.72000747975425°N 73.72618246026433°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Long Island Rail Road | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Main Line | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||
| Connections | New York City Bus: Q2, Q36 MTA Bus: Q110 Nassau Inter-County Express: n1, n6, n24 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Fare zone | 3/4 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | November 20, 2021 (eastbound service only) Late 2022 (westbound service) [1] | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Elmont, also referred to as Elmont-UBS Arena, is a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station on the border of Elmont and Bellerose Terrace in Nassau County, New York, just east of the borough of Queens in New York City. It serves the LIRR Main Line and is being developed as part of the redevelopment of Belmont Park, which includes the new UBS Arena for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. The station opened for eastbound service in November 2021, with the westbound platform scheduled to be completed in late 2022.
History
.jpg)
Plans for the station were first announced in July 2019 by then-New York governor Andrew Cuomo. New York Arena Partners, the main party behind the Belmont Park redevelopment, will pay $97 million of the estimated $105 million cost, with the balance being paid by the state.[2][3] The eastbound platform opened on November 20, 2021. The westbound platform is set to open in late 2022.[4] When completed, it will be the first completely new LIRR station since 1976, when the now-dismantled Southampton Campus station opened.[3] It currently is served by eastbound Hempstead Branch trains at all times.[4]
The project is seen as vital to the Belmont Park redevelopment.[5] Though the Elmont station will serve a portion of Elmont that does not currently have full-time train service, opponents of UBS Arena have claimed that the station plans conceal the real motivation behind building the arena.[6]
The LIRR anticipates that the new Elmont station would not be expected to generate new commuter ridership but would instead result in a shift of existing riders living in Bellerose Terrace and Elmont that currently use other stations. With the operation of the Elmont station, existing levels of commuter service would be maintained to other LIRR stations (e.g., Queens Village, Bellerose, Floral Park) and the addition of the Elmont station would not be anticipated to result in an impact to commuter service.[7]
On November 20, 2021, the eastbound platform opened.[8][9] Because the westbound platform is still incomplete, customers would have to use free shuttle buses or walk to UBS Arena or Belmont Park station until the westbound platform is completed in 2022.[10][11][1]
Station layout
This station will have two 12-car-long side platforms, both of which will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Unlike the Belmont Park station directly to the south, it will be able to serve Main Line trains from both the west and east. The station will also include platform canopies, LED signs, benches, USB charging ports, bike racks, and art. Parking will be available at an existing 2,860-space parking lot (the USB arena's "emerald parking" lot), with 150 free spaces specifically for commuters. Outside the station, an electric shuttle bus service will take passengers to the Belmont Park development.[3]
The station is located directly east of (and partially over) the overpass across the Cross Island Parkway.[4] The location of the station will give platform access on the Bellerose Terrace side via an overpass.
The main entrance and dedicated parking for commuters is on the existing Belmont Park property in the northwestern corner of Elmont. Direct road access to the commuter lot will be via the Cross Island Parkway entrance and exit to and from the Belmont Park property. There also appears to be parking being built on the more accessible north side of the station, in Bellerose Terrace.
| Track 3 | ← Hempstead Branch westbound services do not stop here | |
| Track 1 | ← Main Line services do not stop here → | |
| Track 2 | ← Main Line services do not stop here → | |
| Track 4 | Hempstead Branch toward Hempstead (Bellerose) → | |
| Platform B, side platform | ||
| G | Ground level | Exit/entrance and buses |
References
- ^ a b "StackPath".
- ^ "New Full-Time LIRR Station Planned Near Belmont Park – CBS New York". CBS New York. July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Islanders arena project at Belmont Park now includes new LIRR station". Newsday. July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c "LIRR Elmont station projected to be ready in 2022". Newsday. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ "State announces plans for full-time Elmont LIRR station". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ Hogan, Bernadette; Calder, Rich (July 8, 2019). "Cuomo promises new railroad station at Belmont Park". New York Post. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Empire State Development Corporation Final Environmental Impact Study" (PDF).
- ^ "1st new LIRR station in 50 years opening just in time for Islanders homecoming at UBS Arena". ABC7 New York. November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Parry, Bill (November 18, 2021). "New LIRR station opens near Belmont Park in time for Islanders' first home game at UBS Arena – QNS.com". QNS.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Elmont LIRR station opening for partial service next month". www.liherald.com. October 8, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "LIRR Elmont station projected to be ready in 2022". Newsday. November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.