Dear Mr. Nowakowski,
Following my Community Meeting last Thursday at the Wantagh High School, I was hopeful that the point had been made to the LIRR representatives in attendance that the railroad simply had to do a better job in treating its riders like customers rather than hostages.
While I am pleased that after Thursday’s meeting, the railroad has finally released some definitive details concerning its schedule modifications and alternative plans to accommodate Amtrak’s emergency track work scheduled to begin on Monday, July 10th at Penn Station, I am shocked to learn that unlike New Jersey Transit, the MTA-LIRR has failed to address its pricing.
On the heels of yet another fare increase effective April 1, 2017, LIRR service has been nothing short of a nightmare for commuters. While it is true that a substantial part of your service issues may be caused by Amtrak, how you respond to those issues is entirely within your control. I spent the last two weeks at your stations speaking to your customers in my District which are serviced by the Babylon line. They’ve expressed the real impact which unreliable service has had on their lives in the form of late arrivals for work; missed medical appointments and the anxiety of not knowing how, when or if you will be able to get home even if you are fortunate enough to squeeze your way on to an overcrowded train and make it into Manhattan…..and this is BEFORE the service interruptions scheduled to take place this summer.
Your customers are paying an exorbitant price for a service which you have no hope of providing on any semblance of a regular basis for the foreseeable future. The MTA-LIRR’s failure to address this stark reality demonstrates that it is tone-deaf to the needs of its customers. I strongly urge both you and the MTA Board to revisit this decision.
Very truly yours,
Steven D. Rhoads
County Legislator – 19th District