NY Commuter Rail Parking Guidelines and Issues

NY State Dept. of Transportation and Long Island Railroad guidelines dictate a need for more commuter rail station parking if usage of existing spaces is greater than 80%. Daily usage of the 34,748 parking spaces at the 58 LIRR stations in Nassau County is 83%, while the rate at Suffolk

County's 24,446 spaces (40 stations) stands at 80%. LIRR representatives said that many municipalities were not amenable to providing more space for park-n-ride facilities. This may not be a bad thing. As the Tri-State Transportation Campaign's Citizens Plan points out, park-and-ride lots can be

fraught with negative air pollution and transportation impacts. The Long Island guidelines should probably be revisited and made able to encourage station access modes other than park-and-ride. Long Island Business News

Metro-North Railroad officials seeking to add parking along the Harlem Line are constrained by NYC watershed regulations, although 150 spaces are to be added at the Goldens Bridge station, which is not on watershed land. Officials are considering start-up of van service at some Harlem

Line stops. Along the Hudson Line, ground was broken in mid-November for a new station in Cortlandt. It will replace smaller stations at Crugers and Montrose. The Cortlandt station will have 400 parking spaces, which will charge for weekday use. Presently, parking at the smaller Crugers and

Montrose lots is free. Gannett