Elmhurst Station Past Present and Future (Reopening)

Seeing as how Elmhurst would have to be in zone 1, I just can't see people paying $7 to go from Elmhurst to Flushing, no matter how quick or convenient the ride may be compared to the subway.

On the weekends however, I can imagine ridership would be heavy enough to justify seat checking eastbound trains and seat checking westbounds until Elmhurst.

30 million would be better spent on more diesel equipment. When Elmhurst closed there were only 5 people or so a day using it. The number 7 train is right down the street, and there is another line right at the station. The area has not added any residents since it was closed, it was already saturated at the time it closed. It is a lower middle class area, people living there will not spend the extra money to ride the LIRR when the Subway is cheaper. In addition there is no parking in the area, none. It would only be used by people living close to the station.

Local politicians looking for some photo ops and publicity.

Elmhurst Station reopening funded: Times Ledger

Brief, fair-use quote:

Elmhurst station hits the comeback trail

In January 1985, the Elmhurst station on the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch closed. Ridership had dwindled to less than 100 per day. It was decided at the time, probably based upon a cost-benefit analysis, that investing millions of dollars to upgrade the station made no economic sense. Research indicated that there would be a poor return in potential ridership that would utilize this station.

Fast forward 30 years later. Give Congress members Joseph Crowley and Grace Meng along with New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm credit for successfully lobbying the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to include $40 million within the Long Island Rail Road’s $380-million 2015-2019 Capital Stations Program to support reopening the Elmhurst LIRR Station. The total overall LIRR proposed 2015-2019 Capital Program request is $3.1 billion.
<SNIP>
The MTA/LIRR proposal calls for spending $4 million in 2016 (probably for planning, environmental review, preliminary and final design activities) and $36 million in 2018 (to pay for actual construction) for a total of $40 million.

The scope of work needed to reopen the Elmhurst LIRR station would include 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 American Disability Act. There would be no staffed ticket office.<SNIP>

It could come in handy for those times the area subways are being worked on or just plain break (which is every week these days).

I know a guy that gets on at forest hills despite the subway being closer. He's a regular working class guy...

Look what I found off of the MTA LIRR's Facebook Page:

http://web.mta.info/capital/pdf/MTA_15- ... df#page=89" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New LIRR Stations - Elmhurst and Republic - $36 million
These projects will advance two new LIRR stations – Elmhurst, on the Port Washington Branch in Queens, and Republic, on the Main Line in Suffolk County. A new Elmhurst station will provide commuter railroad service to this vibrant community.

Proposed station elements for both locations include two new 12-car platforms, along with staircases, platform railings, platform shelters, ticket vending machines, as well as lighting, communication and security systems, and site improvements. Both stations will be fully ADA compliant, with elevator service at Elmhurst Station and ADA ramps at Republic. This proposed program includes the environmental review, design and construction of Elmhurst along with environmental review and design of Republic, supporting station construction in a future capital program.

Republic discussion: Republic (Airport) Station

Older News: https://www.qchron.com/editions/western ... 58b4b.html

Officials garnered enough traction to get the MTA to begin funding the station but the effort may have been put off just as quickly as it began.

“It makes no sense to cancel a project like this, especially when other stations like Belmont continue to receive funding,” said transit historian and advocate Larry Penner, who recently wrote an op-ed article for The Island Now in Nassau County, bringing to light the disappearance of the station.

The original station, located on Broadway one block south of the Elmhurst Avenue M/R station, was closed in 1985 due to low ridership.

The surrounding area has since became much more active, with buses and trains constantly being crowded before they even reach the area.

Newer News: https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/la ... 77e9ccbe0b

Rep. Grace Meng, who represents the neighborhood, Borough President Donovan Richards, New York State Senator Joe Addabbo, and others signed a letter this month to urge the MTA’s interim president Catherine Rinaldi, to reopen the station after it was shut down in 1960.

“The Elmhurst stop on the LIRR has been closed for too long, and there is a reason the effort to get it reopened is reinvigorated so often,” said Congresswoman Meng. “It would provide those in Elmhurst and nearby neighborhoods with a closer, faster, and a more direct commute to help them go about their daily lives.

The facility first began providing railroad service in 1927, and was shut down and demolished in 1985 due to low ridership.

Lawmakers state in the letter that the population in Elmhurst has grown significantly since the station closed, and that reopening it would provide a faster commute to Manhattan for local residents, while also lessening the burden put on the subway and buses.

Note: the elevated station in Elmhurst was built in 1927, but a stop had been present since the North Side line
in the 1850s.

So any updated news on this project?

ELmhurst: FLUSHING R.R. OPENED: 1855, AS "NEWTOWN." RAZED: (NEWTOWN) 1888.
2ND DEPOT OPENED: DEC/1888, NAME CHANGED TO ELMHURST: JUNE, 1897. HIGH PLATFORMS
CONSTRUCTED: 1912, RAZED: 1927
3RD, ELEVATED DEPOT IN SVC: 1927 AGENCY CLOSED BY 01/01/55. OUT OF SVC: 1/22/85 PER GN3-43 AND RAZED per Dave Keller

I think the funds were stolen during the pandemic to pay for the trains that were ran.
Probably being forwarded to a future MTA budget.
There are still several other higher prioritized projects that need be funded.

12/31/84 was last passenger service at Elmhurst, platforms quickly removed in January 1985.

Refer to January 1985 ERA Bulletin for details.