Meng, Krishnan join transit advocates to call for reopening of Elmhurst LIRR station

The MTA closed down and demolished the elevated station in 1985 due to a decline in ridership, but Meng and other advocates said Thursday that it is “time for this to change.”

“Yes, there may have been low ridership when the station closed in the mid-80s,” Meng said. “But Elmhurst’s population has skyrocketed since… and that has created a need for the facility to be restored.”

The MTA conducted a survey in June 2013 to explore the feasibility of reopening the station, finding that the station would generate an average of 3,800 trips a day on average. Meng said this figure was more than enough to justify reopening the station and estimated that a new survey would reveal an even higher number.

The MTA later included plans to reopen the station in its 2015-2019 capital plan, allocating $40 million toward the project. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the agency to shift its priorities, Meng said.

Meng, who has been consistently calling on the MTA to reopen the station over the last decade, acknowledged that the agency has “a lot on its plate” but called on the MTA to “not forget” the people of Elmhurst.

“This is a bustling, vibrant and thriving community that requires and deserves additional modes of transportation to meet the growing needs of our area,” Meng said. “Reopening the station could ensure a faster commute to Manhattan and rail access to Long Island and other parts of Queens. In addition, it would provide a tremendous boost for the area’s small businesses.”

Advocates said the M and R subway trains, which service the neighborhood, are often overcrowded by the time they reach the nearby Elmhurst Avenue stop, sometimes forcing residents to miss the train.

The MTA, meanwhile, studied the reconstruction of the Elmhurst LIRR station in 2023 as part of a comparative evaluation of potential expansion projects. The study found that there were “marginal benefits” in reopening the station but said the area was “already well served by transit.” The MTA also stated that the project would save travel time for new riders traveling from Elmhurst but increase travel time for existing LIRR commuters, “resulting in no net time savings.”

“Despite its low-cost relative to other projects, reopening the Elmhurst station on LIRR scores poorly because of low ridership and no net travel time savings due to added travel time for existing customers going through the station,” the MTA said in 2023. “This project would not increase capacity, nor would it improve regional access, since the area is already well served by transit.”

Still, advocates said Thursday that the reopening of the LIRR station would offset overcrowding issues on the nearby subway lines while also providing residents with direct access to both Manhattan and Long Island.

Krishnan said the area deserves more transit options to keep up with rapid population growth, stating that the restoration of the station would bring “much-needed relief” to local small businesses.

“We are here to make it clear that this community must no longer stand still in time, because it is fast-paced, it is bustling and it is moving every single day,” Krishnan said. “Elmhurst is an essential community of New York City, and it is time that our transportation, our government services, reflect how essential we are to this city.”

Krishnan added that the restoration of the Elmhurst station should not be viewed as a privilege but as a right for the local community.

“These are rights that we deserve, and they’re long overdue,” Krishnan said.

Matt McElroy, chair of Queens Community Board 4’s Transportation Committee, said four LIRR trains pass through the site of the former station every hour, adding that the decision to remove the station was “short-sighted.”

“We have a train that comes through our neighborhood four times an hour, and no people can get on it,” McElroy said.

Tom Grech, CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said infrastructure for the station already exists, given that the tracks remain in place and in use.

“We’re not asking to do anything other than rebuild the station that was torn down,” Grech said.

Mae Francke, a Queens organizer with Transportation Alternatives, said residents in CB4 face long commutes and long wait times to travel to Manhattan, with over 60% of residents commuting via public transport. The average commute time in the district is 43 minutes, according to Data USA, significantly above the nationwide average of 26 minutes.

Frencke said long commutes can have a negative impact on stress and quality of life, as well as reducing access to jobs and economic mobility.

“Opening an LIRR station would be a much-welcome relief on an already overwhelmed transit system,” Frencke said.