LUPINACCI REACTS TO MTA BUS CONTINGENCY PLAN

Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (at podium) along with Senator Marcellino, Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, Suffolk County Legislator William "Doc" Spencer, Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern, and Assemblyman Andrew Raia (far right), hold a LIRR union strike press conference.

“The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is a critical transportation system for Long Islanders and we must do everything we can to prevent a major interruption in people’s travels. Thousands of people rely on the railroad to commute to and from New York City for work and other purposes; this strike would be a detriment to many families. I hope the MTA and LIRR unions put the interests of New Yorkers first and come to an agreement quickly so we can avoid extreme inconveniences to our residents.

The MTA’s contingency plan for the strike will not be sufficient for Long Islanders and their commute, as the plan does not allocate enough bus services for residents in Suffolk County. The bus stations will start their lines at Ronkonkoma and Deer Park, going directly into Nassau County and onward. This does not go far enough north for Long Island commuters. Huntington Station commuters will not have any adequate public transportation services to New York City. Nearly 13,000 commuters with railroad parking passes will be left without a way to get to work. If this strike does progress, we need to provide appropriate transportation services to the people of Huntington.” 

###