MTA Announces Preparations for Possible Strike Targeting Long Island Commuters

MTA Recommends Working from Home

NICE Bus Connects to NYC Subway in Queens

Limited Weekday Shuttle Bus Service Will Be Available

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced a range of limited service options for the nearly 300,000 riders who would be impacted by a potential Long Island Rail Road strike.

In the event of a strike, the MTA strongly encourages Long Islanders to work from home or stay with friends or family living in or near New York City to take advantage of subway and bus service. The LIRR provides hundreds of thousands of trips every weekday that can't be replicated by another operator, so roads are expected to be extremely congested and commute times significantly longer.

"These employees are among the best paid in the industry and we want to work with them to keep trains moving," said LIRR President Rob Free. "Nobody wants to see a strike when we're coming off the railroad's best year ever in terms of performance and post-pandemic ridership. Long Islanders deserve better."

"It's impossible to replace full service, but we're doing the best we can to preserve access to transit for LIRR customers," said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. "Should there be a strike, we encourage riders to work from home if it's at all possible."

Alternate Travel Information

The MTA will provide limited shuttle bus service on weekdays for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute. Buses will run every 10 minutes during peak hours, Manhattan-bound from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from three LIRR stations to subway transfer points in Queens.

• Bellmore Station (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport (A)
• Hicksville Station (LIRR) to Mets-Willets Pt (7)
• Ronkonkoma Station (LIRR) to Mets-Willets Pt (7)

Limited shuttle bus service will be available from points east to subway connections in Queens. The MTA encourages riders in Nassau County to consider using NICE buses to connect with the New York City Subway at Flushing-Main St (7), or travel to the Jamaica Bus Terminal in Queens, which is a four-minute walk from the 169th Street (F) subway station.

Customer Ambassadors will be deployed at key LIRR stations and subway transfer points to direct riders to alternate travel paths.

Accessible travel options will be available at Bellmore, Hicksville and Ronkonkoma stations. Customer Ambassadors at those stations will be available for assistance.

Passenger drop-off locations

For those Long Islanders choosing to be dropped off at MTA subways, we recommend using the following subway stations. These stations are close to major roadways that lead to and from Long Island. These stations do not have parking lots and would be for drop-offs only.

• Far Rockaway-Mott Av (A)
• Kew Gardens Union Tpke (E)(F)
• Mets-Willets Pt (7)
• Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd (A)
• Parsons Blvd (F)
• Sheepshead Bay (B)/(Q)
• Woodhaven Blvd (J)

Pending approval of the MTA Board, the Long Island Rail Road intends to issue prorated refunds to September monthly ticket holders for any business day that service is suspended due to the strike.

Ways to Stay Informed

The MTA will post information to its website at https://http://mta.info/lirrstrike

The MTA encourages customers to sign up for service alerts to make as informed travel choices as possible: https://www.mta.info/guides/service-alerts

Safety Reminders in the Event of a Strike

• Third rail power will remain live at all times; do not go on LIRR tracks or right of ways at any time.
• Non-passenger patrol trains will operate throughout the system.
• Motorists and pedestrians must continue to stop at grade crossings when gates are lowered and obey crossing warnings. Crossing gates will remain active and will descend when trains approach.
• Trains can come from any direction at any time.
• All LIRR ticket offices and waiting rooms will be closed.
• LIRR facilities will be under surveillance on a 24-hour basis. Please report and suspicious activity to MTA police at 212-878-1001.

Service Information Available

mta.info - The definitive source for real-time arrival information and service change information for each line or route in the MTA system. Customers can find current statuses on mta.info and upcoming planned service changes using the lookup tool at mta.info/alerts.

MTA app - Customers who use the comprehensive MTA app will see real-time train and bus arrival times and other travel information for all MTA services all in one place. The app is available in the Apple Store and in Google Play.

Email & Text Alerts - Customers can sign up for email and SMS alerts tailored to their specific commutes and travel times. They can also sign up for MTA newsletters such as The Weekender, a weekly newsletter that covers major weekend planned service changes. Customers can sign up here.

511- For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the MTA at 511