MTA makes LIRR stations more accessible; residents still have complaints
One resident says at the end of the station ramps in East Rockaway there are large ruts and steep angles.
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The MTA released an update on how it's making stations more accessible, but Long Islanders say there isn’t enough being done to make things safer for people with disabilities.
Michael Convertino says getting from one side of the train tracks to the other in East Rockaway is no easy task. At the end of the station ramp, it may not look like it, but there are large ruts and steep angles.
Convertino has been in a wheelchair for the past three years after a car crash changed his life.
Even when a station is technically accessible, he says crossing the rails, sidewalk conditions and taking the long way around create concerns for those trying to navigate public transportation.
"It's like being on a rollercoaster,” he said. “It's very difficult."
The MTA says this year, they've upgraded the Babylon and Locust Manor stations with elevators, ramps and handrails. They've also replaced 15 other elevators to increase reliability. These projects were part of the MTA’s goal to make 98% of Long Island Railroad stations accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act by the end of 2029.
But Convertino says still work to be done.
At the Cold Spring Harbor Station, for example, stairs are the only way to travel between platforms. And it's almost a mile to get to the other side on the roads.
"I'm not just advocating for me,” Convertino said. “I'm advocating for everybody in a wheelchair and anybody that's trying to get around."
News 12 reached out to the MTA about the conditions at the East Rockaway station and is waiting to hear back.
