State of the MTA
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Executive Director and CEO Elliot G. Sander, joined by LIRR President Helena E. Williams, senior staff and union representatives, delivered the first State of the MTA address in the historic Great Hall at Cooper Union earlier this month. Stressing the importance of public transportation to the metropolitan area's continued prosperity, Mr. Sander made a compelling case for vigorous, long-term, regional plans to expand our public transportation network, saying: "The region's beauty and economic vitality are inextricably linked to the fortunes of the MTA."He went on to explain that we must "set our sights higher ... pressing forward to give our region the network of mobility it needs in order to be competitive with its global peers." Mr. Sander outlined his ambitious vision for the next 40 years as well as his efforts to garner support for the proposed 2008 - 2013 Capital Program, which will fund infrastructure maintenance and the expansion of our system. For the LIRR this would include essential projects like East Side Access, Jamaica Station Reconfiguration and the Brooklyn Viaduct Repairs. The Executive Director/CEO's full presentation is available in the 'News' section on the LIRR website.

Extra Service for Good Friday
The LIRR will be offering extra service for Good Friday (March 21). We will be providing the usual eight (8) early trains, including three Babylon Branch, three Port Jefferson Branch, one Port Washington Branch and one Far Rockaway Branch. Specific details are available on the Railroad's website homepage.

Port Washington Branch Track Work
On the weekends of March 29/30, April 5/6 and May 17/18, Port Washington Branch service will be suspended between Shea Stadium and Penn Station due to track work related to the East Side Access Project. Eastbound customers will get a free transfer to the 7 at Woodside and transfer back to the LIRR at Shea Stadium. Westbound customers will have a free transfer to the 7 at Shea for service to Woodside and Manhattan. For full details, please visit the LIRR website.

Seaford Station Reconstruction
The reconstruction of our station at Seaford has begun, and upon its completion the station will include a 12-car platform, a heated waiting room, a new elevator and escalator, enhanced lighting and more. The $14 million project will require that the station's escalator be taken out of service on April 1; it should be placed back in service during the winter of 2008. Seaford customers who require the assistance of an escalator can opt for either Massapequa Station (escalator and elevator) or Wantagh (escalator). We apologize for this inconvenience.

Be TrainSmart
Phase 4 of our Be TrainSmart campaign has begun, and in this segment we are urging customers to plan ahead for entering and exiting the train. (See the campaign on our homepage in the 'News' section.)

Take The Train To The Game
April 8 ... mark the day on your calendar ... it's Opening Day at Shea. Mets fans are eagerly anticipating the start to a new season ... even though we will be facing a familiar challenge. It's not the concern over all the injuries piling up in Spring Training ... and it's not the Braves or the Phillies. Nope, once again it's the challenge of how best to get to the game. The ongoing construction of the new stadium eliminated thousands of parking spaces last year and they're still unavailable ... so trains, subways and buses will be the best way to get there again this year. The Railroad and the Mets are giving you an added reason to take the train to the game ... discounted tickets to selected games ... starting with the Phillies on April 10 and Milwaukee on April 11 ... followed by the Braves on April 25 and 26. Long Island Rail Road customers can enjoy a $10 discount off Mezzanine Reserved and Upper Box tickets or $5 off Upper Reserved Seats. Just mention the code "LIRR" when buying your tickets in order to take advantage of the discount.

New York International Auto Show
Starting on Saturday, March 22 and running through Sunday, March 30 ... the 2008 Auto Show at the Javits Center is the place to go if you want to see some of the coolest vehicles in the world! More sneak peeks, more brand new '08 and '09 production models, and more concept vehicles than ever before ... don't miss it! And if you use the LIRR Discount Package you can save up to 30% on a combination of round-trip rail fare and admission to the show. Details available on our website.

iPod Courtesy
iPoddin and noddin ...
They can get along.
She drifts away -
He grooves to his song.
But the notes are discordant
When the volume's too high ...
No zzzz-s for the weary
If he jacks up his i.
Geeked by your tunes?
We feel you dear friend -
But keep it in your ears ...
Start a courtesy trend.

This message has been brought to you by:
"MusicIsNoiseIfItAin'tMine.com"

On-Time Monthly Performance
February's On Time Performance (OTP) of 95.2% was the third-best on record for that month ... and the best since 2002.

BRANCH	AM Peak	PM Peak	Off- Peak	Total February 2008	Total February 2007
Babylon	94.9	91.2	96.5	95.4	93.6
Far Rockaway	95.0	92.2	98.6	97.4	96.6
Hicksville/Huntington	92.7	85.4	96.2	94.3	94.7
Hempstead	96.4	92.8	97.9	97.1	95.5
Long Beach	95.0	91.4	97.3	96.1	95.5
Montauk	93.1	92.9	94.6	94.2	92.5
Oyster Bay	91.4	88.3	94.8	93.4	90.7
Port Jefferson	88.1	89.3	92.5	91.4	91.7
Port Washington	94.7	91.6	97.7	96.4	98.1
Greenport/Ronkonkoma	90.6	91.7	94.3	93.2	92.9
West Hempstead	96.0	94.2	97.2	96.6	96.6
TOTAL	93.6	90.9	96.4	95.2	94.7

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