Hamptons: What are the contingency plans in case of a LIRR strike?
Living in the East End of Long Island is wonderful minus the transportation. Traveling to the Hamptons is often times a nightmare and expensive. So what are the MTA contingency plans for traveling from the Hamptons to NYC in case of a Strike…NOTHING!
The Hampton Jitney will be adding more buses. The company indicated that they could add 15 to 20 buses to its fleet, which runs between Manhattan and the East End of Long Island, if it became necessary.
I reached out to the Hampton Luxury Liner to inquire if they had one and I did not get a response yet. I have delayed putting this article up because I keep hoping that the MTA and Union Leaders will settle this, both sides are talking today 7/16 as a request from the Governor. Geoffrey Lynch/Hampton Jitney, the company’s chief executive, stated to the NY Times he was skeptical about the prospect of a strike. “It’s too great an opportunity for the governor of New York not to come in at the 11th hour and broker a deal,” he said. “He would look like a hero out here on the island.” Lets just hope this does happen Geoff. This could be disastrous for Long Island residents if this pending Strike happens. We need both sides to get serious and compromise. News Flash MTA, how about a contingency plan for commuters out East.

The LIRR provides 300,000 trips every weekday – a service that cannot be replicated. Everyone should expect roadways to be extremely congested and usual commute times to be significantly longer. Therefore, the MTA strongly urge you to consider the following options, although some of these options are not viable for many.

Telecommute (Work from home).
Stay with friends and family in or near the City.
Discuss using vacation or flex time options with your employer.
Carpool with other commuters.
Use existing bus services in the Hamptons: Hampton Jitney, Hampton Luxury Liner, 7bus pick-up in Ronkonkoma.

The 7Bus that is owned by Hampton Luxury Liner sent out this contingency plan in case of a LIRR Strike:
7Bus Special LIRR Strike Discount Fare -$10..The only problem with this contingency plan is you have to drive 50 miles to Ronkonkoma and the buses will not be going in NYC, they will be stopping at Rego park for commuters to take the subway into the city.

7Bus thanks you for the overwhelming response we received to our recent customer email asking for your preferences on temporary service changes should there be a LIRR strike. As you know, a LIRR strike will result in record levels of traffic congestion on the Long Island Expressway and all other roads throughout the region.To avoid the gridlock conditions and resulting hours of travel delay that the NYS DOT and NYC DOT are expecting at the Midtown Tunnel in both directions, 7Bus will heed your suggestions and avoid that location as follows:

1. NYC Destination – All westbound 7Bus trips will terminate at the Rego Park subway stop (not Woodhaven Blvd.). All eastbound 7Bus trips will originate at Rego Park. Rego Park connects to the M, R and E (E late night only) trains. We believe our customers will be better served with a faster trip to their work locations in Manhattan by taking a subway in Queens.

2. Fares and Reservations – Until LIRR service resumes, 7Bus will accept as fare payment either existing 7Bus Commuter Passes with a reservation or a special discount one-way fare of $10 which can be purchased on the website. We cannot guarantee seats for walk-ons. Reservations are highly recommended. Walk-ons will pay $10 (cash only). All regular fares above $10 will be suspended for the duration of the strike. All sales are final. You will be able to make reservations for travel that starts on Monday, July 21st. The website will accept these reservations starting on Wednesday, July 16th.

3. Schedule Adjustments – There will be an added 7Bus from Ronkonkoma at 4:30 am and 5:00AM from Melville. We are preparing a new eastbound schedule that will be available by July 16th. Most eastbound and westbound trips will include Stony Brook, Ronkonkoma, Melville and Rego Park. All buses will stop at all locations. Complete schedule and pick-up and drop-off locations can be found at www.7Bus.com.

4. Text Messaging Alerts – 7Bus maintains a text messaging system to alert customers about delays due to traffic, schedule changes, etc. New customers should set up a profile at our website www.7Bus.com . Please include your cell phone number to get these important alerts. Existing customers should double check their profile to be sure we have the correct cell phone numbers otherwise you will not be able to receive the alerts.

So my friends, if you travel into the city everyday for work, consider carpooling with a couple of train buddies and driving down to Ronkonkoma to pick up the 7bus or take the Hampton Jitney. Based on the talks today will let you know if you need to make those reservations early. Plan early, be patient and lets hope it does not come to these contingency plans. For more information:
Get updates on the situation on a special page on the MTA website http://www.thelirrtoday.com/2014/07/lirr-strike-contingency-plan.html