The LIRR strike could force Long Islanders to work from home

""I want to be clear that these buses will not be able to replace full Long Island Rail Road service," Hochul said. "That's why the MTA has encouraged employers and employees on Long Island to plan for work-from-home early next week if a strike occurs.""

"The Long Island Rail Road may be headed toward its most chaotic weekend since the dial-up internet era and Governor Kathy Hochul is now openly telling commuters to prepare accordingly: if the trains stop running, you might just need to stay home. The strike, which could begin as soon as Saturday, involves five unions representing a majority of the railroad's workforce and threatens to completely shut down service on the nation's busiest commuter rail system."

"If workers walk off the job, the agency says it will deploy as many as 275 shuttle buses to move commuters between key LIRR stations and subway hubs in Queens. Buses would run from stations including Hicksville, Mineola and Bay Shore to the Howard Beach-JFK station on the A train, while riders from Huntington and Ronkonkoma would be directed toward the F train at Jamaica-179th Street."

"But even MTA officials acknowledge that the plan is more like a lifeboat than a replacement fleet. The LIRR typically carries roughly 270,000 to 300,000 riders every weekday. Hochul noted that the buses are really intended for essential workers and warned that a prolonged strike could produce severe traffic gridlock across Long Island by Monday morning."

A potential LIRR strike could begin as soon as Saturday and threaten a complete shutdown of service on the busiest commuter rail system. Governor Kathy Hochul warned that backup transportation plans cannot absorb the hundreds of thousands of daily riders who depend on the LIRR. The MTA prepared an emergency plan using up to 275 shuttle buses to move commuters between major LIRR stations and subway hubs in Queens. Routes would connect stations such as Hicksville, Mineola, and Bay Shore to Howard Beach-JFK for the A train, and Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica-179th Street for the F train. Hochul said buses cannot replace full LIRR service and urged early work-from-home planning to avoid severe traffic gridlock if the strike lasts into Monday.

Read at Time Out New York