Renovated Station Features Accessibility Upgrades and Better Wayfinding
Project Completed On Time and On Budget
View Video of the News Conference
View Photos from Today’s News Conference and Renovated Station
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) today announced substantial completion of the renovation project at the Laurelton station on the Far Rockaway Branch. This renovation modernizes the station, brings it into a state of good repair and improves accessibility. The project was completed on time and on budget.
This design-build project is part of the MTA’s overall goal of making all Long Island Rail Road stations ADA accessible and is part of a bundle of projects that will add seven stations to the list of accessible LIRR stations and will replace elevators/escalators at two stations that are currently accessible.
“Add Laurelton to the growing list of on-time and on-budget MTA projects,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “We brought this 119-year-old station into the 21st century with new accessibility and modern amenities for its 70,000 monthly riders – a huge success we’re ready to replicate across the railroad – and the entire MTA system!”
“We were able to complete these accessibility and station upgrades while maintaining reliable service—something we always strive for on projects like this,” said LIRR President Rob Free. “The customer experience will be significantly enhanced from a modernized station that is safer, more accessible, and better equipped to serve the community for years to come.”
“The new MTA is delivering accessibility better, faster, and cheaper throughout our entire network,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “Laurelton is just the latest neighborhood to see accessibility and state of good repair upgrades completed on time and on budget.”
“Riding the railroad is the fastest way into Manhattan for our customers in Southeast Queens. This accessibility project ensures all our customers can now benefit from that fast, reliable, and now accessible service from Laurelton," said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “With this project, we are telling all New Yorkers that they belong here, that we understand their needs, and will happily get them where they want to go.”
Station improvements include:
- Installation of a new elevator, elevator machine room, electrical room and service upgrades, communication room, communication and safety/security systems, and elevator vestibules as required for weather protection, and other ADA and Code improvements
- ADA improvements to the parking lot and path of travel
- Construction of a new tunnel to provide access to the elevator from the street
- New sidewalks connecting paths of travel to the elevator
- Weatherproof Help Point emergency and information kiosks with equipment enclosures
- New CCTV cameras
- New station signage
- Utility relocations, including electric, signal, communications, gas, water, sewer, and storm sewer systems
- Construction of sidewalks, curb ramps, and retaining walls
The project includes $15.7 million in federal funding. Citnalta/Scalamandre, J.V. with Parsons Transportation Group is the designer with major sub-contractors including Bana Electric, Mid-American, Premier, Superior, and Welkin.
On weekdays, 42 westbound and 39 eastbound trains stop at Laurelton. On weekends the station sees 42 westbound trains and 44 heading east. In 2025, monthly ridership averaged nearly 70,000.
Laurelton customers can make connections to MTA buses including the the Q77 with service to the Jamaica Bus Terminal, and the Q85 and Q89 with service to the Green Acres Mall.
"The completion of accessibility improvements at Laurelton Station is a major quality-of-life win for Southeast Queens," said State Senator Leroy Comrie. "Accessibility is about dignity and independence so seniors, riders with disabilities and families can use our transit system safely and confidently. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, which has oversight of public authorities like the MTA, I will keep pushing for investments that deliver real, day-to-day improvements for riders."
“The upgrades to the Laurelton LIRR Station will make a meaningful difference for the everyday commuters who rely on the LIRR for quick access to the city. Southeast Queens continues to face significant transportation challenges, so this investment is especially welcome. The new elevators, accessible pathways, improved signage, and enhanced security will benefit everyone who uses the station, including seniors and residents with disabilities,” said Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman. “I strongly support initiatives that improve quality of life, including how we travel to work. Accessible, reliable public transit connects our community to jobs, schools, and essential services, and I am pleased to see this important investment in Laurelton.”
“The completion of the Laurelton Accessibility Improvement Project represents meaningful progress toward a transit system that works for everyone,” said Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “These upgrades go beyond infrastructure — they offer tangible improvements for seniors, riders with disabilities, and residents navigating the system with mobility challenges. Accessibility is not a convenience; it is a necessity, and today’s celebration reflects our shared commitment to ensure that accessibility remains a continued priority across New York City’s transit system.”
"For many people who call Southeast Queens home, the Long Island Rail Road is the closest and most effective means of public transportation. But for our neighbors with mobility issues, the struggle of living in a transit desert is magnified exponentially," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "That makes accessibility improvements like those made at the Laurelton LIRR station so critical as we ensure every resident, regardless of ability, has equitable access to mass transit courtesy of a modernized station in their own community. Thank you to the MTA for making such a vital investment, which we will continue to replicate boroughwide."