$250K Accessibility Upgrade Coming To Bellerose LIRR Station

BELLEROSE, NY — U.S. Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-4) announced that the Bellerose Long Island Railroad station would be receiving $250,000 in upgrades Tuesday in efforts to bring the station into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), marking the latest in a series of improvements made across the railroad this summer.

In an announcement Tuesday, Gillen said the federal funds had been secured through the 2026 appropriations process, and would finance the installation of a new elevator, ramps and stairs.

Joining the congresswoman for the announcement was disability inclusion advocate Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz, a resident of the fourth district. For Holubnyczyj-Ortiz, the upgrades went beyond a question of policy.

“As a disabled resident of New York's fourth congressional district, I know that accessibility is not an abstract policy discussion,” Holubnyczyj-Ortiz said. “It determines whether individuals with disabilities can get to work, access healthcare, participate in our communities, and live with the same independence and dignity as everyone else. That is why Congresswoman Laura Gillen's work to secure federal funding for accessibility improvements at the Bellerose LIRR station matters so deeply. The true measure of inclusion is not what we say. It is what we build—and whether the people we elect are willing to make it happen. I am grateful to Congresswoman Laura Gillen for doing exactly that.”

For her part, Gillen said she was “proud” of the funding and what it would mean for the hundred-year-old LIRR station.

“I’m proud to have secured this $250,000 in federal funding to help make the Bellerose Long Island Rail Road station fully ADA-accessible, including with a new elevator, ramps and stairs,” Gillen said. “This investment will create an inclusive and accessible station for Long Islanders with disabilities, seniors, parents with young children and anyone who relies on the LIRR. I will continue fighting to bring more of our tax dollars home to Long Island and deliver the improvements our communities deserve.”