U.S. Open Traffic Elicits Mixed Reviews As Tournament Heats Up

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Thursday marked the first round of the 2018 U.S. Open Golf Championship and while many fans were abuzz with Tiger Woods' sightings and other exciting moments, the number one topic across the board still seemed to be . . . traffic.

Traffic woes have plagued residents in Southampton this week, as men and women just trying to get to work have seen 15-minute drives extend for agonizing hours.

Local elected officials, however, have been working tirelessly to mitigate impacts. On Thursday, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said improvements in traffic patterns had been implemented that were "absolutely significant." Conditions had improved so much that he'd heard someone say that "travel times are quite normal, better than a typical day," Schneiderman said.

Shuttle buses from Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton to Southampton were averaging about 40 minutes to an hour, Schneiderman said; many traveled to the area on the extra trains added by the Long Island Rail Road. "We received 1,500 people per train," he said. "Everything ran very smoothly."

In addition, Schneiderman said, Montauk Highway "was fine" Thursday, largely due to blinking lights at spots including Canoe Place Road, Saint Andrews Road, County Road 39, Tuckahoe Road, and in Water Mill, he said. "We've been doing all kinds of things to keep the traffic flowing," Schneiderman said.

Changes were made to westbound traffic patterns Wednesday afternoon that also helped, the supervisor said. "We are encouraging people to take the main roads and arteries," he said. Motorists trying to avoid County Road 39 and Montauk Highway, choosing instead to try and find back roads, are causing backlogs. "We also urge people to use public transportation when appropriate," Schneiderman said.

Despite improvements, some are still reporting delays. The Southampton School District had a message on social media for parents: "Due to the increased traffic volume within the district in relation to the U.S. Open, the buses bringing students home may arrive up to an hour behind their usual times. Please know that the bus garage is working to identify alternative routes whenever possible to decrease the time your children spend on the bus after school."

Thursday morning, one worker said it took more than two hours to get from points west into the heart of the village.

"Traffic going into Southampton is brutal," another motorist reported on Facebook.

Suffolk County, Southampton Town, and Southampton Village officials issued a joint statement on Wednesday, announcing transportation efforts being made by joint police operations to help mitigate travel difficulties "for the tens of thousands of attendees making their way to this iconic event each day."

Those who must travel during the morning rush hours, officials said, are asked leave extra time and be advised of the following:

After studying traffic patterns both normal and associated with the U.S. Open, traffic signal lights at several intersections along Montauk Highway and on County Road 39 are set to flash to avoid unnecessary stops during peak hours, and traffic posts continue to be monitored to react to changing patterns in real time, officials said.

"Officers are directing traffic at main intersections during various heavy traffic times. Police operations have also worked with the USGA to modify some of the original shuttle bus movements," a release said. "Traffic lanes on County Road 31 in the area of Gabreski Airport have been better defined, providing improvements in traffic flow."

Traffic delays should be anticipated, especially on routes impacted by U.S. Open traffic, including New York State Route 27, County Road 39, Montauk Highway and New York State Route 24.

The Long Island Rail Road is adding additional trains over weekend to accommodate U.S. Open fans. To view schedules and routes, click here.

"Keep in mind that this area is burdened with very heavy morning, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., and evening, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., vehicular volume this time of year, and although significant steps have been taken to keep traffic moving, the volume of attendees and resultant traffic expected will likely create delays throughout the morning. If possible, please be flexible with your travel times, and if you must travel during these hours, prepare accordingly," officials said.

For a list of all travel info and road closures, click here.

The 2018 U.S. Open Golf Championship kicked off in Southampton Monday, bringing thousands of sports enthusiasts to the East End — and sparking an escalating chorus of traffic woes voiced by residents just trying to get to work.

With a commute of only a few miles taking hours, residents have turned to social media to vent their frustration.

"I'll be glad when the U.S. Open is over," Kristina Gale said "I saw a video this week of a guy in Germany that floats down the river to work. I was wishing I could do that!"

Gale said she had to go from Lynn Avenue in Hampton Bays to Sag Harbor, and the trip took an hour and a half. Others have said trips that normally take minutes are lasting up to three hours. Some said the idea of leaving points east to head to Riverhead was pretty much unthinkable for the week.

According to Southampton Town Police Lt. Susan Ralph, traffic was heavier on Montauk Highway due to people avoiding Sunrise Highway.

Southampton Town Police asked all taxi services to utilize the drop off designated area on Montauk Highway to drop off passengers.

This is the fifth time the championship is being hosted at the historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Glub in Southampton.

The golf championship, which brought more than 550 jobs to the area, is anticipated to generate between $120 million to $130 million in economic impact for the region, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. The analysis, he said, is based on expected weekly attendance of more than 200,000 people, including players, fans, volunteers, vendors and media.

Excitement mounting in Southampton

Despite the traffic angst, the excitement of the U.S. Open mounted Thursday. Hampton Coffee posted on social media about Tiger Woods drinking out of a Hampton Coffee Company cup. "Is there anything more relatable than just needing a coffee break!? Be like Tiger Woods and get your fix at Hampton Coffee Company!" the business wrote.

The tournament drew famous names to Southampton, with the FOX Business Network presenting special live programming from the 2018 U.S. Open golf tournament at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. FBN’s Maria Bartiromo anchored Mornings with Maria from the tournament on Thursday and will do so again on Friday. FBN’s reporting from the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will continue during After the Bell, where host Melissa Francis will provide live updates.

Patch courtesy photos.