Brooklyn Boro

LIRR’s Atlantic Terminal activates new Wi-Fi for 21K daily commuters

Vital transit hub links LIRR with nine city subway lines

July 13, 2021 Raanan Geberer
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The Long Island Rail Road has activated WiFi in Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal at Atlantic and Flatbush avenues — one of the most important stations in the LIRR system.

The terminal station, before the pandemic, handled approximately 21,000 passengers per weekday. It connects to destinations such as Far Rockaway, Long Beach, West Hempstead and Montauk, either directly or by changing at Jamaica.

In addition, according to an MTA spokesperson, Atlantic Terminal, which received a new, modern entranceway in 2010, is the fourth busiest station in the 125-stop LIRR system, right behind Penn Station, Jamaica and Hicksville.

Furthermore, at Atlantic Terminal, commuters can connect to nine subway lines — the 2, 3, 4, 5 and the B, D, Q, R and N. Add to this the terminal’s proximity to Barclays Center as well as the Atlantic Center and Atlantic Terminal shopping malls, and Atlantic Terminal’s importance should be plain to see.

The entrance to the Long Island Rail Road’s Atlantic Terminal station in Downtown Brooklyn-Fort Greene, one of the most heavily-used stations in the entire LIRR system. Wikimedia photo by Ajay Suresh

In addition to the station per se, the MTA, the parent body of the LIRR, has activated cell connectivity for Verizon subscribers in the LIRR tunnel between Atlantic Terminal and Bedford Avenue, also in Brooklyn.

“The installation of high functioning WiFi at one of our busiest terminals is yet another example of the LIRR continuously seeking to improve service for our customers,” said LIRR President Phil Eng.

“As customers continue to return to the system in the aftermath of the pandemic, they’ll be greeted with modernized infrastructure and tools, including our world class app and enhanced connectivity. In the months ahead we’ll continue to innovate and expand our WiFi capabilities, eliminating remaining dead spots throughout the system,” he said.

This cell connectivity and WiFi are being built out by Boingo Wireless, which found ways to work safely with the LIRR throughout the pandemic.

The MTA has made significant strides at improving connectivity in recent years. Late last year, it worked to bring full connectivity for customers of both Verizon and AT&T to the L Train tunnel connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan.

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