LIRR Escalators Repaired, Upgraded In Year Since Woman's Death
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - It was one year ago when 88-year-old Irene Bernatzky was killed after her clothing became stuck and she fell on the escalator at the Long Island Rail Road station in Lindenhurst.
The LIRR's Joe Calderone says that since then 11 older escalators have been repaired and upgraded.
Now the escalators have sensors that stop them from moving if something is caught.
LIRR Escalators Repaired, Upgraded In Year Since Woman's Death
"In addition to that, we created and elevator escalator unit inside the Long Island Rail Road and we now have four dedicated employees and so we're able to respond a lot faster than we were in the past," Calderone told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall.
The project cost $5 million and most of the escalators that were improved were located on the Babylon Branch.
Calderone added that the improvements should also make the escalators more reliable and less prone to break down.
