LIRR Adds Extra Service for the Holidays
It’s the time of year for holiday cheer and additional train service to get back and forth to grandma’s house or to year-end celebrations. For those seeking a headstart on the Christmas weekend, the LIRR will operate 14 additional eastbound trains from Penn Station during on the afternoon of Friday, December 23. On Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) and Sunday, December 25 (Christmas Day), the LIRR will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule. Another 14 extra eastbound trains will depart Penn Station on Friday afternoon, December 30.
Weekend/holiday service will be in effect on Saturday, December 31, supplemented by ten additional early evening westbound trains to Penn Station for those heading to New Year’s Eve festivities. There will also be 14 additional early morning trains going back to Long Island after the midnight ball falls on Sunday, January 1 (New Year's Day). On both post-holiday Mondays, December 26 and January 2, the LIRR will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
Oh What Fun It Is To Ride
The City is fun during the holidays. Driving there isn't. Take the LIRR instead. Check out the "Holiday in the City" brochure. It has a map of NYC attractions and the best way to get there. Plan your trip to make the most of your time and be sure to check the LIRR website for the latest information on how the LIRR and our sister transit agencies are doing. A happy and safe holiday season to all!
Safeguard Your Stuff
While enjoying the hubbub of the holiday season, don’t forget to keep an eye on your belongings. Electronic devices including cell phones, PDAs, tablets and laptop computers have become popular targets for thieves. Here are some tips from MTA Police:
- Never leave property unattended.
- Record model and serial numbers of laptops, PDAs, and cell phones, so if they are stolen, they'll be easier to trace.
- Don’t put your home address on luggage tags on the outside of your briefcase.
- If you are the victim of a theft, announce it immediately so those around you know that there is a thief in the area.
- If you think your property has been stolen, notify MTA Police at 1-888-MTA-911PD (1-888-682-9117) as soon as possible.
Alternative Subway & Bus Information for Long Island Rail Road Customers
A new information brochure is now available at terminals that provides extensive details on eastbound transportation (bus and subway) alternatives available to railroad customers when severe weather or other events require a full or partial suspension of LIRR train service. The brochure lists alternative bus and subway routes available by LIRR branch and where these alternatives are located from Penn Station, Jamaica, or Atlantic Terminal. Be sure to pick up a copy and keep it handy for the winter months ahead.
Quiet Car Pilot Launched
If you are riding the Far Rockaway Branch to/from Brooklyn during the rush hours, there's one car that’s so quiet you can hear that proverbial pin drop. Thanks to a pilot program begun by the LIRR, select peak trains on the Far Rockaway Branch now have a Quiet Car.
Four morning and six evening rush hour trains operating between Far Rockaway and Atlantic Terminal are included in the pilot. On quiet cars we’re requesting that customers keep their conversations to a whisper, turn down the volume on hand- held electronics, lower their headphone volume and put cell phones on vibrate. The program is voluntary in nature, with customers monitoring themselves. Crew members in the designated cars hand out special "Shh" cards to those who are non-compliant. During this test phase, the LIRR will monitor and evaluate customer reactions to the Quiet Car. The findings will help determine whether the plan can be expanded to other branches in its current form or whether modifications will be required. More details about the pilot program can be viewed at here.
"Train Time" For Port Washington Branch Customers
Up-to-the minute real time LIRR train travel information is now available to Port Washington Branch customers as part of a beta test. "Train Time" enables LIRR customers to receive time train status and schedule information through the use of their work or home computer and on their smartphone.
Interested Port Washington Branch customers can access this app by clicking here. Remember to bookmark the Long Island Rail Road Train Time page, making it even easier to access.
"Ten Commandments Scroll Exhibit" in NYC For Limited Time LIRR Discount Package Saves $$
LIRR customers can see the best preserved parchment scroll of The Ten Commandments along with the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit at the Discovery Times Square at a special discount. Although the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit continues through April 15, 2012, the unique Ten Commandments Scroll will be on display only from December 16 through January 2, 2012. The Discovery Times Square LIRR discount package includes up to 40% savings on admission to the exhibit as well as a free LIRR off-peak round trip rail ticket. Discovery Times Square is located at 226 West 44th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues
Subway: Take the 1, 2, 3, A, C or E uptown to 42nd Street, then walk north to 44th between 7th & 8th.
Attention: Transit Benefit Change
The Federal law that currently allows a pretax transit benefit of $230 per month expires on December 31. Federal Government action is required to extend this benefit. However, at this point in time it appears that the deadline for January has passed and the maximum pretax transit benefit amount for the month of January 2012 will be $125. All transit benefit users (including Mail&Ride customers) are advised to add additional funds to their secondary payments to make up the difference.
MTA helps the homeless and you can too
Let’s work together to connect the homeless to the help they need. Call Bowery Residents' Committee's (BRC) Homeless Helpline at 212-533-5151. They will contact an MTA Connections Outreach Team. You can donate to a homeless charitable organization/services provider. Visit www.networkforgood.org for a full list of charities.
November OTP
November overall on-time-performance was 94.90%.
| BRANCH | AM Peak |
PM Peak |
Off- Peak |
Total November 2011 |
Total November 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon | 95.2% | 94.7% | 95.7% | 95.5% | 93.4% |
| Far Rockaway | 96.5% | 97.9% | 98.2% | 98.0% | 98.3% |
| Hicksville/Huntington | 92.1% | 85.4% | 93.4% | 92.1% | 94.3% |
| Hempstead | 95.2% | 100.0% | 97.7% | 97.6% | 96.6% |
| Long Beach | 95.7% | 96.7% | 98.0% | 97.5% | 98.0% |
| Montauk | 89.9% | 93.7% | 95.1% | 94.2% | 88.5% |
| Oyster Bay | 94.6% | 96.0% | 95.3% | 95.3% | 93.8% |
| Port Jefferson | 89.9% | 80.3% | 91.0% | 89.3% | 90.4% |
| Port Washington | 95.5% | 94.5% | 96.1% | 95.7% | 94.2% |
| Ronkonkoma/Greenport | 89.9% | 91.5% | 91.8% | 91.4% | 92.3% |
| West Hempstead | 97.1% | 96.0% | 98.0% | 97.5% | 97.9% |
| TOTAL | 93.8% | 93.3% | 95.4% | 94.9% | 94.3% |
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