JANUARY 2022 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 7
WELCOMING UBS ARENA
Belmont LIRR station offers new transit option to UBS Arena
BY BILL PARRY
Local leaders applauded Gov. Kathy
Hochul’s announcement Tuesday,
Nov. 16, that the new Long Island
Rail Road station near Belmont Park
would be open on Nov. 18 — just in time
for the New York Islanders’ first home
game at UBS Arena.
The first new LIRR station in a half
century sits between Bellerose and
Queens Village at the Queens and
Nassau border.
State Sen. Leroy Comrie, chair of
the Corporations, Authorities and
Commissions Committee, said he’s continuously
challenged the MTA and its
affiliates to reimagine transportation
across the state.
“I am proud to see the MTA/LIRR is
receptive to that vision while remaining
committed to direct community
input throughout the entirety of the
process,” Comrie said. “Protecting our
environment, the integrity and quality
of life of local neighborhoods; relieving
congestion; providing full ADA accessibility;
and encouraging people to use
mass transit are all benchmarks of the
new Elmont Station that will allow us to
hit squarely on the bull’s eye.”
The station currently offers eastbound
service to the new home of the
New York Islanders, and service will
increase next summer when the westbound
platform opens.
At that time, the station will begin
full-time, year-round service to the local
community and will begin to provide
westbound service to and from events at
UBS Arena and Belmont Park.
“This is a great example of when
government and private partnerships
work,” Assemblyman Clyde Vanel said.
“We are excited about all the economic
opportunities we are having in Nassau
County and in Queens. It’s great to have
such partners going forward. I’m a season
ticket holder, so I’m excited.”
The LIRR station will help reduce
travel times and is expected to increase
the number of event attendees who use
public transportation, helping to alleviate
traffic congestion in the surrounding
communities.
“Modern, reliable transportation
is the linchpin of New York’s future
economic growth,” Empire State
Development Acting Commissioner
Hope Knight said. “From traveling to
and from work to exploring the region
Lieutenant Gov. Brian Benjamin and Acting MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber host a ceremonial first train ride
and ribbon-cutting at the LIRR Elmont station, the first new Long Island Rail Road station in nearly 50 years.
to attending an event at UBS Arena at
Belmont Park, the new Elmont LIRR
station will go a long way towards
ensuring New Yorkers’ commutes are
safe and swift.”
Knight was the president and CEO
of the Greater Jamaica Development
Corporation for nearly a decade until
last month when the governor appointed
her as the commissioner of the
Department of Economic Development
and as the president and CEO of Empire
State Development.
“Nothing says New York is back like
Photos by Marc A. Hermann/MTA
building bigger and better transportation
infrastructure,” Hochul said.
MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno
Lieber said the new station will provide
customers with the fastest, safest and
greenest way to get to the state-of-theart
UBS Arena.
“This station delivers amenities and
conveniences that gives customers the
ability to enjoy New York Islanders
games, concerts and all of the fantastic
events that will happen here, further
incentivizing them to return to mass
transit,” Lieber said.
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