Appearing confident ahead of the Long Island Rail Road’s “Summer of Hell,” MTA Chairman Joe Lhota has advised riders against traveling into the city by car.
“I would encourage as many people as possible to take the train,” Lhota said during a telephone news conference on Thursday. “If you take the train now, you should take the train next week as well. We have in fact provided enough seats for a normal day.”
In just a few days, beginning on Monday, July 10, the MTA will cancel or reroute more than two dozen rush-hour LIRR trains at Penn Station to accommodate Amtrak’s long-delayed, summer track repairs at the complex. Both Amtrak and NJ Transit are also prepping for similar service interruptions.
Some trains will be rerouted to other transit hubs within the city, like Jamaica Station, Hunterspoint Avenue and Atlantic Terminal, with reduced monthly fares offered. The agency will also be adding two additional cars to all LIRR trains, according to Lhota, giving the MTA enough options and redundancies to serve all of the 300,000 daily weekday riders.
“We’ve developed an array of options available for all of the Long Island Rail Road passengers,” said Lhota. “We like to think of it as an abundance of choice for all of our riders.”
The MTA announced its multifaceted plan just three weeks ago, detailing the deployment of 200 charter buses, a network of eight park-and-rides and various “operation centers” to monitor commutes. Despite a quick turnaround, Lhota said the agency is nearly ready to take on Monday’s commute. (The MTA is still sparring with Amtrak over who will pay for the added travel options.) Riders can plan their trips on a new MTA website that’s live now.
“We have all of the assets that we need to be able to have in place for Monday morning,” Lhota said. “So we’re going through the logistics necessary to make sure that, come Monday morning, we know who to talk to, who to call if we have any situations.”
Still, Lhota said the agency will be learning as it goes, making tweaks to service as needed throughout Amtrak’s construction period, scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1. It’s coordinating with local law enforcement agencies to make sure buses have a “clear shot into Manhattan,” according to Ronnie Hakim, the MTA’s acting executive director.
“Were going to remain flexible,” Lhota said.
