Sunrise Coach Lines -&- Hampton Jitney have so much in-common.

By Danny McCarthy
Long Island Traveler Watchman reporter Meghan Rabbit composed her Traveler 2000 column regarding North Fork Family Businesses that was printed in a Traveler 2000 issue, and within that column is discussion of The Browns: “When Robert Brown started Sunrise Coach Lines with one bus and one car, he said he and his wife did the driving from Orient to Greenport, Greenport to East Quogue, and later to East Hampton. Their son, Robert, also took over the family operation which now employs 70 and is comprised of a charter coach service, daily express service to New York City and Queens … and service to local schools.”
“A Close Relative to Being the Father of Transportation” {!!!}
According to the March 6, 1986 Suffolk Times article titled Bus Co. Founder Keeps Rolling, we as readers get reminded that “Robert Brown, Sr., the founder of Sunrise Coach lines {stet – should have been typeset as Lines} in Greenport, {was working} on the ’56 GM coach he {was} turning into a rolling residence.
This was his dream for over a decade – working on his motor home.
In that March 5, 1986 article, we get a glimpse of the history of the involvement of Robert Brown Sr and the Sunrise Coach business: “Mr. Brown has seen his Sunrise Coach Lines grow from a one-vehicle operation in the 1930s to a fleet of about 50 buses, carrying children to school all over the North Fork and passengers from here to Riverhead, the South Fork and Manhattan.”
Well … Isn’t That Ferry Nice {?} {!} – For Shore!
The March 5, 1986 article continues: “It’s been a long drive from his original business, a garage on Third Street in Greenport, where the Second Home Store in now located. His first foyer into the bus business came after the Connecticut-Long Island Ferry decided to forego its stop in Greenport for a landing in Orient. …”
“… “In 1933, he put his own bus, a Studebaker with longitudinal seats. (‘Everybody would slide together when you came to a stop,’ he said), on the Greenport-Orient route.”
He expanded from Greenport to Quogue, and then his route went “as far as East Hampton.”
Minding His Own Business …
In the early 1970s, Robert Brown Sr “turned over control of the company to his son and daughter, Robert Jr. and Christa Brown.” Robert Brown Sr said: “I’m proud of what they’ve done. They’ve really made this business take off.”

Doing My Research
When doing online research on the Suffolk Historic Newspapers website, I entered keywords Sunrise Coach and I came across 225 matches where the majority of entries were showing full-page Long Island Traveler-Mattituck newspaper ads where Sunrise Coach Lines was found listed among the others with Merry Christmas/Happy New Year greetings.

They Got Around with Happy Motoring!
The November 15, 1945 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman stated that Boy Scouts and Scouters were transported: “All Scouters, parents and friends of Scouting are urged to attend {a} Rally. It is hoped to make it an outstanding occasion in the annals of Scouting in Southold Town. Arrangements have been made with the Sunrise Coach Line for a bus to transport all Scouts and adults from Greenport and Orient.”
Was It a Secret Storm? – Whether or Not
The December 20, 1945 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman stated that Sunrise Coach Line maintained their schedule throughout the storm: “In one of the worst storms seen in these parts during the past decade, traffic was virtually at a standstill all day Wednesday and a good part of Thursday. Main arteries were open for traffic after the huge snow plows of the Southold Town Highway Department had been hard at work throughout the night. Little used road, as well as most of the side roads, were still under an eight-inch blanket of snow as this (Thursday) morning. Huge drifts made driving an impossibility except on the main thoroughfares.
Train schedules were disrupted and this morning order had not been restored. The Sunrise Coach Line, on the other hand, maintained their schedule throughout the storm.”
Three’s A Crowd!
The Patchogue Advance dated February 5, 1948 included the fact that: “… two other bus lines, Quinn’s bus company and Fusco’s Bus company, sought permission to operate from Patchogue to Port Jefferson. A third company, the Sunrise Coach company of Greenport, already has the Brookhaven Town board’s permission to service the Patchogue-Center Moriches-Riverhead route.”
The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated January 6, 1955 has its headline on the right-hand column reading Handicapped Children To Get Transportation To Specialized Schools.
In that column, we had this shared: “Contracts were awarded …: Sunrise Coach Line, Inc., Greenport, for transporting children from Greenport and Sag Harbor in the east via Riverhead to state operated schools in New York City, two round trips per week, $2,900 …”
This Sounds Like a Fair Fare!
The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated September 3, 1959 had an advertisement that went like this: “Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc. will start on September 10, 1958 {which I think was a typo, since the date of that The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman was September 3, 1959}, operating a Special Bus to the Parochial Schools, St. Johns and Mercy High In Riverhead. Special Bus will leave the bus stop in Greenport at 7:45 A.M., along Route25 through Southold at 7:55, Peconic at 8:00, Cutchogue at 8:10 and Mattituck at 8:20.
Weekly fares will be for pupils 12 years or older: Greenport $3.75; Southold $3.25; Peconic $3.00; Cutchogue $2.50 and Mattituck $2.00. Under 12 years: Greenport $1.90; Southold $1.65; Peconic $1.50; Cutchogue $1.25; Mattituck $1.00. Bus will operate on all days that school is in session. For further information call our office, Greenport 7-0030.”
The East Hampton Summer Sun dated May 9, 1974 mentioned a “Commuter Services Inc {that provided} daily and weekly transportation to and from New York City. Several Greyhound-type buses have been leased from Sunrise Coach Lines of Greenport.”
And Too …
That May 9, 1974 newspaper also had this: “Six days a week, excluding Sunday, Sunrise Coach Lines brings travelers to communities from Greenport to East Hampton Village. Robert Brown, owner, operator and occasional driver, complains ‘what with two cars in each home, there exists little public interest in such a bus service.’ His two buses cover 520 miles a day, stopping in East Hampton, Southampton, Hampton Bays, Riverhead, Mattituck, Southold and Greenport. Remarkably coach fares have not increased in its 11-year history. …”
The East Hampton Summer Sun dated May 9, 1974 continued: “... Although fuel shortages still plague us, Mr. Brown complains of poor public response. Additional coach service which brought many county workers from Riverhead to Hauppauge (boasting 12 trips a day) {stet}, has ended due to little response.”
“On the Road Again” – “Strike While the Iron is Hot!”
The August 4, 1960 The East Hampton Star talked about a LIRR strike: “As the Long Island Rail Road strike went into its third week, it became necessary for Eastern Long Island to have means of transportation for vacationists to and from New York.
The Sunrise Coach Lines of Greenport formed a Long Island Transit System, Inc., serving South Huntington, Smithtown, Greenport, Riverhead, and East Hampton, daily. It is not known if the service will continue now that the strike is ended.”
He Purchased an Interest and Also Takes an Interest
The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated May 6, 1965 spotlighted: “Robert W. Brown has purchased an interest in the Sage Travel Bureau of Greenport and will take an active part in the operation of the business. The travel bureau was established a number of years past by the late Sheldon Sage.
Mr. Brown is well known as the owner and operator of Sunrise Coach Lines for the last 25 years. Associated with him as a principal will be Donald K. Corwin, of Greenport. …
… Robert W. Brown, the son of Robert R. Brown{,} will be the operating manager of Sunrise Coach Lines, a job he has been handling for the past two years.”
"The Sunrise Coach Line is the only public transportation connecting the north and south forks."
The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated June 7, 1973 talked about a gasoline shortage: “The prospective gas shortage may not appear to urban dwellers but out here in the boondocks{,} the idea of operating on rationed gas is causing some consternation.
‘Crossing our fingers’ was the response from a spokesman from the Sunrise Coach Line when asked what they were doing in anticipation of a cutback. He explained that the Coach Line bought directly from Gulf and handled their own pumps and thus far nothing has been said. Right now the Line is more concerned about the diminishing number of riders using the service and there were hints of change if the trend persisted. The Sunrise Coach Line is the only public transportation connecting the north and south forks.”
This situation brought out the fact that “It highlights once more the need for mass public transportation in the county” to be made more readily available.
Now … Let’s Change Our Focus
Reporter Stephen J. Kotz had his Hampton Jitney Ready to Celebrate 40 Years article in the March 6, 2014 Sag Harbor Express.
Now my interpretation from the Stephen J. Kotz article is that there was “a former Madison Avenue advertising executive” who had the last name of Davidson. This Jim Davidson “bought two vans with bike racks and envisioned and intra-town service for people who didn’t want to drive from East Hampton to Montauk or Southampton to Sag Harbor during the {1973-74} oil crisis.”
That discussion about Mr. Davidson was told to Mr. Kotz by then Hampton Jitney vice-president Andrew Lynch. It seems within that article by Mr. Kotz, “Andrew Lynch said that over the years, several competitors have challenged the company {Hampton Jitney} on its turf, but none have been able to make a serious dent in its business.”
Andrew Lynch continued: “Our biggest competition has always been cars. A key to our success is frequency, running a frequent schedule even when it doesn’t pay to do so.”
“In 2006, the company {Hampton Jitney} purchased the Sunrise Coach and began providing service from the north Fork to the city. It also offers a popular airport connection service to MacArthur (Islip), Kennedy and LaGuardia.”
“We do school trips, corporate events, weddings, ski trips and Broadway show day trips.”
“The Jitney even provides excursions to Mets and Yankees games. … We had tickets for the last home game this year, which will be Derek Jeter’s last game, and they sold out in two days.”
Here’s a More Fine-Tuned Clarification
In the Business Toda feature in the February 16, 2016 Sag Harbor Express, reporter Phil Keith states Hampton Jitney and Sunrise Coach Become One.
Phil Keith begins his version: “One company started on the North Fork in 1937, the other on the South Fork in 1974. Both started as {family-owned} businesses and continued in that mode. Now, they are about to become one operation. Hampton Jitney of Southampton announced last week that they have reached agreement with Sunrise Coach Lines of Greenport to purchase all of Sunrise’s assets, including the company’s fleet of {fifteen} 55-passenger Prevost motor coaches, the large buses that are very similar to the coaches that the Jitney already owns and operates. …”
“… The Jitney and Sunrise have been in competition for many years but never really head-to-head. … “
“ …. Sunrise Coach Lines became available when Christa Brown, the current President, decided it was time to sell. Her husband, Robert, the second-generation owner/operator, died last year. Ms. Brown said that ‘The sale is bittersweet for us, but we know we are selling our fleet to a company that holds similar values to ours (and) is a family business that cares about the community it serves.’ Brent Lynch, Chairman of Hampton Jitney{,} echoed Ms. Brown’s remarks commenting, ‘No one had more integrity than Bob Brown. He cultivated a rich history of service to the North Fork and we are honored to continue his and Christa’s legacy.’”
Now’s the Time to Know – It’ll Truly Pay to Be Connected!
In order to schedule a ticket reservation nowadays with Hampton Jitney, one has to be a member of Hampton Jitney! The Hampton Jitney telephone number is: {631) 283-4600 – Here’s something that is definitely not that far from a missing link as it carries the website link for Hampton Jitney:
https://reservations.hamptonji...