LIRR Westbury North

The LIRR Expansion project in Nassau County, from Floral Park to Hicksville, is an important part of the Long Island Rail System. The Third Rail project improves railroad services by increasing flexibility, reliability and capacity on five LIRR branches that carry about 40% of the rail line’s 300,000 weekday passengers. Walker Consultants is the Prime Designer and Engineer of Record for three garages associated with the expansion, including the Westbury North garage, which utilizes the design-build delivery system.

The Westbury North garage contains 683 spaces across four levels and features a four-bay circulation pattern with spread footings and pre-topped double tees. It has two elevator towers with glass-backed curtain walls and LED lighting to provide passive security. Precast concrete panels with embedded thin brick were used for the building façade, blending the structure aesthetically with surrounding buildings.

Walker developed a framing plan and erection concept that was compatible with the adjacent buildings and railroad. Once construction began, rock was discovered to be fixed in one of the foundation walls. Space constraints prevented the rock from being chipped out. Thus, we promptly redesigned the foundations on very short notice. Instead of battling existing environmental conditions, our solution maintained the project schedule and resulted in cost savings for the MTA.

Additionally, we provided technology consulting to assist in the selection of the most appropriate ticketed pay-on-foot system and designed its placement in the garage. We also designed signage to enhance wayfinding, an ADA-compliant sidewalk/ramp that leads into the garage, and the placement of the CCTV security camera locations within the garage.