Island Park (LIRR station)

Island Park
Island Park Station house
Location	Long Beach Road & Austin Boulevard Island Park, New York
Coordinates	40°36′02″N 73°39′19″W / 40.600433°N 73.655388°W / 40.600433; -73.655388Coordinates: 40°36′02″N 73°39′19″W / 40.600433°N 73.655388°W / 40.600433; -73.655388
Owned by	MTA
Line(s)	Long Beach Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Nassau Inter-County Express: n15 McRides Taxi
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	7
History
Opened	1898
Rebuilt	1923
Electrified	September 1910 750 V (DC) third rail
Previous names	The Dykes (1898 – 1924)
Traffic
Passengers (2006)	2,220[1]
Services
Preceding station   LIRR   Following station Oceanside toward New York terminals Long Beach Branch Long Beach Terminus Current and former locations Oceanside station Long Beach Branch Wreck Lead station

Island Park is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Long Beach Branch serving the residents of Island Park, Barnum Island, and Harbor Isle. It is the penultimate station on the branch. The station can platform a 12-car train and is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps from street level. Parking facilities are also available. Southwest of the station the train crosses over Reynolds Channel.

The station is located at the southern intersection of Long Beach Road and Austin Boulevard (Nassau County Routes 1A and 1, respectively), and is 23.7 miles (38.1 km) from Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. The average commute time between Island Park and Penn Station is 45–50 minutes. The average commute time between Island Park and Jamaica is 25–30 minutes.

History

View of both platforms at the Long Beach Road crossing

Island Park Station was built as a signal stop by the New York and Long Beach Railroad in April 1898 as The Dykes and served as a flag stop during much of the early 20th Century. In 1922, developer Edgewater Smith changed the name of the island from Jekyl Island to Island Park, however the name of the station wasn't changed until 1924, the previous name that replaced the former Jekyl Island Station (see below) to the north.^[2] The existing station building was built in May 1923.

Jekyl Island station

Jekyll Island Station was originally built in 1901 as Barnum Island Station on the south side of the northern Long Beach Road grade crossing^[3] The station was renamed as Jekyl Island Station in 1903, and then renamed "Island Park" station in October 1921. Due to an increase in development on the south side of the island,^[4] the station was closed in July 1922^[5] and the name was moved to the site of the old flag stop formerly known as "The Dykes." The site of the former Jekyl Island Station is now occupied by a residential cul-de-sac named D'Amato Drive, which is only accessible from Parente Lane North.^[6]

Platform and track configuration

This station has two slightly offset high-level side platforms, each 10 cars long. The east platform, adjacent to Track 1, is generally used by westbound or New York City-bound trains. The west platform, adjacent to Track 2, is generally used by eastbound or Long Beach-bound trains. The Long Beach Branch has two tracks at this location.

References

External links

• Official LIRR station information page for Island Park
• Station timetable for Island Park
• Photo from February 1999 (Unofficial LIRR History web site)
• Island Park Station (The SubwayNut)
• Station from Long Beach Road from Google Maps Street View