Long Island Rail Road Strike and Alternative Travel Plans

Long Island Rail Road services have been halted since Saturday due to a strike by workers. New York transit officials have organized alternative travel options for those unable to work remotely. However, they caution that these alternatives won’t meet the needs of all daily commuters.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (M.T.A.) is offering free shuttle bus services starting Monday morning. These buses will depart from six locations on Long Island and travel to two subway stations in Queens. The same service will be available in reverse during the evening rush hours.

Shuttle buses are available from the Bay Shore, Hicksville, and Mineola L.I.R.R. stations, as well as Hempstead Lake State Park near Lakeview station. They will take passengers to the A train at Howard Beach-JFK Airport. Meanwhile, buses from Huntington and Ronkonkoma will head to the F train at Jamaica-179 Street.

These buses to Queens are scheduled to run every 10 minutes, operating from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. In the afternoon, shuttles will return to Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. However, only a limited number of buses will run in the non-peak direction, namely away from the city in the morning and toward the city in the evening, at certain locations in Suffolk County.

Commuters in Nassau County can utilize the standard Nassau County bus service, referred to as NICE, to reach the No. 7 train in Flushing or head to the Jamaica Bus Terminal for the F train. It’s uncertain whether NICE bus drivers, who can’t strike but can refuse overtime, will fully engage with these plans. John Samuelsen, head of the Transport Workers Union representing bus drivers, has urged them not to alter routes for alternate services.

“Don’t let the bosses bully you into undermining your friends and neighbors working on the railroad,”

From Monday, commuters can park at Citi Field in Queens for $6 and board the No. 7 train at Mets-Willets Point. Despite these measures, gaps remain across the railroad’s 126 stations. The shuttle buses have a capacity for only 13,000 passengers per direction, while the railroad serves over 270,000 daily. Thus, the M.T.A. recommends reserving this service for those with no other travel options.

Unavailability of the rail service could increase congestion on the Long Island Expressway, Northern State, and Southern State Parkways. Officials expect some commuters will drive or be dropped off at subway stations in Queens and Brooklyn, but note no extra parking will be available. The M.T.A. has announced refunds for monthly pass holders for business days lost due to the lack of train service.

Stefanos Chen reports for The Times on New York City’s transit system.