Elmhurst, Queens residents push MTA to reopen former LIRR station, say "we're feeling a little overlooked"

Residents and elected officials are urging the MTA to reopen the Long Island Rail Road's former Elmhurst station, arguing that the neighborhood has outgrown its current transit options.

Once a stop on the Port Washington Branch, Elmhurst's station was shuttered in 1985, with officials citing low ridership. Today, nearly 160,000 people live in the diverse, working-class district, according to city data. 

"Elmhurst ... has changed dramatically"

Supporters say Elmhurst deserves direct access to the LIRR once again.

"Elmhurst, since the '80s, has changed dramatically," lifelong resident Lester Lin said.

Lin owns local cafe Elm Roastery and spearheaded a mural painting project on the walls beneath the LIRR overpass. He describes Elmhurst as a thriving destination for diverse food and culture.

"You have all these amazing restaurants that are still very affordable," he said.

But Lin argues that access to the neighborhood remains too limited. He says residents are forced to rely on crowded subway lines to reach the nearest LIRR stations in Woodside and Forest Hills.

"This station needs to be reopened," he said. "It will be much easier for the businesses here to make money. We can travel to different places much quicker."

"We've got the World Cup this year," Elmhurst resident Morgan Taylor said. "If we had had this in place, how amazing would that be?"

For Taylor, it can be demoralizing to watch the train pass overhead without stopping.

"We're feeling a little overlooked, like we were one of those fly-over states," he said.

"This project provides marginal benefits"

Not everyone agrees. Some opponents worry a station could accelerate gentrification, driving up property values and rents and making it harder for longtime residents and small businesses to remain in the neighborhood. Others argue the station is unnecessary in an area already served by multiple subway and bus lines.

In a 20-year needs assessment, the MTA evaluated the Elmhurst proposal and estimated construction would cost a comparatively modest $210 million. However, the agency concluded reopening the station would not provide enough benefit to justify the impact on existing riders, writing:

"This project provides marginal benefits in an area already well served by transit. It would save travel time for new riders but create additional travel time for existing LIRR customers, 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. This project would not increase capacity, nor would it improve regional access, since the area is already well served by transit. The station does well in serving a high percentage of riders from equity areas and in leveraging an MTA asset since the new station would be built in the same location as the old station."

That conclusion has drawn criticism from elected officials, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, who has long advocated for restoring service.

"I push back and say, yes, there would definitely be a benefit," she said. "The MTA and the LIRR has to remember that it serves Queens residents in addition to Nassau County residents."

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