Where the LIRR needs a garage
A commuter leaves his car on the street in Port Washington (June 2, 2011). Credit: Newsday/Ed Betz
The eternal struggle over parking spots near Port Washington's popular Long Island Rail Road station has taken a new turn: a kind of alternate-side-of-the-street parking. But the real answer is a parking garage.
The Port Washington line offers a quick, one-seat, no-Jamaica ride to and from Manhattan. So lots of commuters, from within the community and beyond, circle the streets, seeking spots. In response, the Town of North Hempstead bans parking on some streets for a couple of hours a day, which makes them useless to commuters.
Lately, commuter parking is crowding four streets in one section so much that the town has decided on a suburban version of alternate-side parking. It will ban parking on those streets for 90 minutes a day on one side and 90 on the other. Result: no commuters.
The idea of a garage came up, but opposition arose, and it died. The town is adding parking lots that will yield almost as many spaces. But demand on this line will keep growing -- as it will in a few years on the whole LIRR. So a garage will still be needed.
It should serve Port Washington residents who have permits but can't always get a spot near the station -- and other commuters, too, bringing in more revenue. Example: The LIRR-owned Mineola garage is open to everyone. In off-peak hours it helps nearby shops and restaurants.
The LIRR is for all of us, not just those who live near a station and reap increased property values. Excluding "outsiders" is unproductive for the region -- and a losing battle. As to the garage, the reality is: Even if you don't build it, they will come.
