The state Public Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday it will inspect every Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North train station for gaps that are too wide.
The decision comes in response to a fatal accident in which a teen from Minnesota was killed at the Woodside station in Queens. Natalie Smead, 18, was struck by a train after slipping through an 11-inch gap between the train and the station platform on August 5. LIRR officials are installing video cameras at the Syosset station, which sports a 15-inch gap, so conductors can see if anyone falls onto the tracks.
State officials say they expect the review of the 246 platforms to take about six months.
Related Information: LIRR takes steps to prevent station gap tragedies