Bethpage Stewart Ave crossing work

[alcoAL]

Some work being done at the Stewart Ave crossing in Bethpage.

5/31/14: an island on each side of the tracks was added. The road on both sides has since been repaved.



Today they were working on adding a gate to the island. The normal gate at the right of the crossing was removed, looks like that was to allow them to work in that area. The MTA Police were stopping the traffic when a train came through.





Interesting in how the LIRR reinvents things from the past that worked. Many crossings had a gate across each lane on both sides of the track(s). Now they come up with this.

[MattAmity90]

It looks like they are converting Stewart Avenue from a Herricks Road-type grade crossing into a crossing that looks exactly like Carlton Avenue and Lowell Avenue in Central Islip.

Didn't they say they were going to convert Stewart Avenue into a fully 4-quadrant gated crossing in the first place?

[Head-end View]

I was there today. The north-side island now has post mounted signal lights and a gate. So southbound you have two gates, one on the right side and one on the left-side on the island. I can see some purpose to the extra set of flashers, but why they consider two short gates better than one long gate, I don't know. I assume the same thing will be done on the south-side.

It'll be amusing to see how long it takes 'til a vehicle knocks down one of the island-mounted post assemblies. Just a matter of time. Not if, but when.

[MattAmity90]

You've got a good point with that. Out here in Pennsylvania I can't tell you how many times one distinct ISLAND DIVIDER SIGN has been knocked over. They should put "jersey barriers" in the center of the road leading up to the new signals.

Honestly, getting rid of the two long gates has got to be one of the stupidest ideas ever. All they should have been doing all along is put jersey barriers to separate the the North and South-Bound lanes, and add two extra long gates on the opposing sides of the road to make it a fully 4-quadrant gated crossing. I guess I'm right, it's going to look like Carlton Avenue and Lowell Avenue in Central Islip.

[LB]

There may be a specific wind limit based on gate length, hence the installation of two shorter gates. The longer the gate, the more susceptable it is to flex and sway in wind. The old style "wish bone" gates made of wood or fiberglass probably held up better in high winds than the current single span fiberglass configuration. Stewart Ave used to have a pretty long "wishbone" style gate until the mid-1980's. I don't know if a re-enforcing spar is used beneath the single span fiberglass gates, that would certainly increase rigidity. There are wind mitigation design features at some crossing locations such as a horizontally mounted "V" bracket on the signal post to prevent wind sway when the gate is up, centering springs mounted at the base of the gate and a folding pin that drops down from the mid-point of the gate when it is in the lowered position. I'm really not sure how effective the pin is, because in some locations it doesn't quite reach the ground. The very long gates of the past required large counter-weights, and some even folded at the top to prevent contacting overhead power-lines (Oakwood Ave (Huntington), Herricks Rd (Mineola) and Glen ST (Cedar Swamp Rd)). A few years back, the wind caught the gate at the Broadway, Bethpage crossing and blew the gate into the side of the train, causing damage to both the train and the gate.

[bellstbarn]

The Stewart Avenue crossing appears much the same as when the center islands were added in 2015 or earlier. Before 5 p.m. the other day, I observed the crowds getting off eastbound trains, probably the last in the afternoon with off-peak fares. Parking north and south of the tracks is about equal in capacity. Unlike what I observed some years ago (before the islands), nobody walked in front of the train they just arrived on. However, a few stood between a gate and the nearest track. As has been the case for several years, a flashing sign and loudspeaker warn of an approaching second train.

Bethpage LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Bethpage LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Bethpage LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Bethpage LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

Bethpage LIRR by sphoto33, on Flickr

The placement of ticket machines was smart: two on platform A and one near platform B. Nobody has to cross Stewart Avenue to buy a ticket in the old waiting room.

[Head-end View]

Excellent quality photos.