LIRR, Local Officials To Discuss Permanent South Fork Shuttle Service

Officials are working on a plan to re-launch a shuttle service between South Fork train stations and workplaces, which commuters had the chance to try out from fall 2007 to spring 2008—and make it a permanent public transportation option.

State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. met with Long Island Rail Road President Patrick Nowakowski on May 19 to come up with a strategy, and he said the talks were productive.

“The LIRR is willing to consider returning the service and making it permanent—if we can demonstrate local support,” Mr. Thiele said afterward.

However, he said, the train service is only part of the equation: There also needs to be a plan to provide transportation from railroad stations to destinations like downtown areas, schools and hospitals, he said. In addition, there would have to be a marketing plan to encourage residents to use the trains, funds to support the program, and cooperation from local business and government.

“We will need these things to convince the LIRR to move forward,” Mr. Thiele said.

A South Fork shuttle service operated on a pilot basis nearly a decade ago, while an eastbound lane was being added to County Road 39, so that commuters could avoid lengthy construction delays. The service during that time, known as the South Fork Commuter-Connection, added three eastbound and three westbound LIRR trains between Speonk and Montauk, as well as connecting buses provided by Southampton and East Hampton towns.

While construction on County Road 39 was ongoing, ridership hit about 8,000 a month, or about 200 riders each day, but it fell off to about 3,200 following the completion of the additional traffic lane on the highway, according to the East End Transportation Study, a report commissioned by the five East End towns in September 2009. The service was most popular among white-collar workers, teachers and retail business employees, according to a survey.

The additional trains and shuttles were halted in May 2008, more than a month after the new lane was completed, although Mr. Thiele and others had pushed, unsuccessfully, for the service to return in the fall of 2008.

A new development this time around is that services like Uber could possibly become part of the shuttle system, Mr. Thiele said. The question, however, is whether local governments would be willing to work with Uber, which does not operate within East Hampton Town.

For his part, East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell reacted positively to news of Mr. Thiele’s meeting with LIRR leadership. “This is a major breakthrough in getting the Long Island Rail Road to agree to talk about this,” he said. “For many years, this has been a major issue for us … trying to push forward mass transit on the South Fork.”

In July, when the strategy meeting is set to be held, Mr. Thiele said wants to learn whether the towns and villages want to pursue the return of a shuttle service, if they are willing to provide resources necessary to do so, and if a timetable can be established.

Staff writer Michael Wright contributed to this story.