But the truth is $8 billion is an awful lot of money.  Would the money be
better spent figuring out how to untangle the mess in Jamaica and taking 10-15
minutes off of many people's rides?  Adding a third track on the main line? 
Double tracking to KO?  Electrifying and/or double tracking the OB line?  I
could go on.  With the money left over they could have figured out how to run a
shuttle from Penn to GCT; I thnk there is room on the 1 line after they
eliminated the 9.  Go up the red line and connect with the shuttle or the 7
line.



----- Original Message ----
From: Michael B. Justice <mbj@...>
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, November 18, 2009 1:22:17 PM
Subject: Re: [LIRRCommuters] Re: ESA - nothing for CT?

GCT track slots are owned and operated by MNR.

NYP is owned by PSTC which is an Amtrak property. Slots are divided into
assignments to Amtrak, NJT, and LIRR.
-----Original Message-----
From: "lingcat_2000" <phurrballe@...>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:16:10
To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: ESA - nothing for CT?

Sorry if this is a silly question but I am curious -  who "owns" the track
space in Grand Central (similar to Penn track space "owned" by AmTrak)?

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "william_f_joseph" <william_f_joseph@...>
wrote:
>
> This opinion piece is clearly one-sided. I guess all opinion pieces are.
>
> On the surface, the author is attempting to point out that this money should
be spent to help Connecticut commuters, and that ESA is clearly a boondoggle.
>
> I firmly disagree.
>
> First, this author mentions that the only reason for the East Side Access
project is to give Long Island riders better access to midtown. While
technically true, ESA is much more than that. It also means getting people off
the subways, as hopefully this will allow more commuters to arrive closer to
their destinations. That would means that the subways could handle more people,
including more people from Connecticut.
>
> It will give people form Long Island some redundancy, as currently a stalled
train on one of the four tracks into Penn can mean huge delays for the largest
commuter railroad in US (LIRR), the fourth largest commuter railroad in the US
(NJT), and the national passenger railroad (Amtrak).
>
> The author also fails to mention the NJT initiative to add more space to Penn,
which in addition to the ESA may indeed allow MN trains to arrive at Penn one
day. Nor was there any mention of the Second Avenue subway, which would also
help relieve congestion.
>
> His statement about Connecticut commuters paying the bills is somewhat
interesting as well. How many Connecticut counties are paying the MTA payroll
tax? Funny 26% of Metro-North customers are from Connecticut, yet I do not
remember Connecticut paying a penny towards the MTA bailout.
>
> The region does need a major transportation plan. Unfortunately, special
interests and not real need tend to steer the projects around here.
>
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, LIRR Commuters Community <yomf@> wrote:
> >
> > Cameron: The MTA’s big dig won't help Connecticut
> >
> > Written by Jim Cameron
> > Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:15
> >
> > We all know what happened when Boston decided to bury its downtown elevated
interstate highway, known as the central artery. What was intended to be a
seven-year, $2.5 billion project became a 10-year, $14.6 billion engineering
nightmare.
> >
> > Well, heads up fellow commuters and taxpayers! New York’s
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, (parent of Metro-North Railroad)
has similar designs on our beloved Grand Central. Nicknamed the “East Side
Access� project, the goal is to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand
Central.
> >
> > The plan would use the lower level of the already built 63rd Street subway
tunnel, allowing some Long Island trains from Queens to enter Manhattan and then
follow a new, very deep tunnel under existing Metro-North tracks beneath Park
Avenue. Trains would terminate 14 stories under Grand Central on eight tracks
with up to 24 trains arriving per hour. Exiting passengers â€" an estimated
162,000 per day (compared with the 115,000 who arrive and depart from
Connecticut) â€" would be whisked upward on high speed escalators, to the
west side of Grand Central, into an underground concourse complex stretching
from 43rd to 48th streets.
> >
> > The estimated cost for the project â€" $8 billion â€" is about the
same as rebuilding the entire World Trade Center complex. Actual cost, factoring
in inevitable delays (they’re already a year behind schedule), cost
over-runs and typical under-estimation by politically sensitive designers â€"
who knows, maybe double that? And for what gain?
> >
> > The only reason for the East Side Access project is to give Long Island
riders better access to midtown. Is the subway ride connection from Penn Station
to Grand Central really all that bad? Imagine what we could do with $8 billion
to improve commuter rail service in the tri-state region.
> >
> > What would an almost doubling of passengers in Grand Central (by adding Long
Island riders to existing Metro-North riders) mean for Connecticut commuters?
Well, if you think the station’s crowded now, you ain’t seen
nuthin’ yet. And just imagine the already jam-packed Lexington Avenue
subway station with even more riders!
> >
> > The currently under-utilized Grand Central would quickly be maxed out for
trains and platforms, making much-needed expansion of service to Connecticut a
real problem.
> >
> > True, diverting some Long Island trains into Grand Central might free-up
“slots� in Penn Station for Metro-North trains (which would travel
there by way of the Hell Gate Bridge), but don’t count on it, what with
New Jersey Transit, Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road also vying for more trains
in Penn Station.
> >
> > If all of this concerns you, don’t get your knickers in a knot.
There’s nothing you can do to stop it. The money’s already been
appropriated and the project should be finished in 2015.
> >
> > What role did Connecticut play in this boondoggle? Zero. Nada. Zilch. New
York’s MTA didn’t ask our opinion or seek our approval. Though the
Connecticut Department of Transportation is Metro-North’s biggest
customer, our state still has no seat, no vote and no say on the MTA or
Metro-North boards. Gov. Rell said she’d change that, but never did.
> >
> > Connecticut commuters pay the bills and New York’s MTA calls the
tune, building a really “big dig� that benefits Long Island but
penalizes us. What’s wrong with this picture?
> >
> > For more info on the East Side Access project, see
mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas/index.html
> >
> > From:
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/darientimes/opinion/41985-cameron-the-mtas-\
big-dig-wont-help-connecticut.html
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

GCT track slots are owned and operated by MNR.

NYP is owned by PSTC which is an Amtrak property. Slots are divided into
assignments to Amtrak, NJT, and LIRR.
-----Original Message-----
From: "lingcat_2000" <phurrballe@...>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:16:10
To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: ESA - nothing for CT?

Sorry if this is a silly question but I am curious -  who "owns" the track space
in Grand Central (similar to Penn track space "owned" by AmTrak)?

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "william_f_joseph" <william_f_joseph@...>
wrote:
>
> This opinion piece is clearly one-sided. I guess all opinion pieces are.
>
> On the surface, the author is attempting to point out that this money should
be spent to help Connecticut commuters, and that ESA is clearly a boondoggle.
>
> I firmly disagree.
>
> First, this author mentions that the only reason for the East Side Access
project is to give Long Island riders better access to midtown. While
technically true, ESA is much more than that. It also means getting people off
the subways, as hopefully this will allow more commuters to arrive closer to
their destinations. That would means that the subways could handle more people,
including more people from Connecticut.
>
> It will give people form Long Island some redundancy, as currently a stalled
train on one of the four tracks into Penn can mean huge delays for the largest
commuter railroad in US (LIRR), the fourth largest commuter railroad in the US
(NJT), and the national passenger railroad (Amtrak).
>
> The author also fails to mention the NJT initiative to add more space to Penn,
which in addition to the ESA may indeed allow MN trains to arrive at Penn one
day. Nor was there any mention of the Second Avenue subway, which would also
help relieve congestion.
>
> His statement about Connecticut commuters paying the bills is somewhat
interesting as well. How many Connecticut counties are paying the MTA payroll
tax? Funny 26% of Metro-North customers are from Connecticut, yet I do not
remember Connecticut paying a penny towards the MTA bailout.
>
> The region does need a major transportation plan. Unfortunately, special
interests and not real need tend to steer the projects around here.
>
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, LIRR Commuters Community <yomf@> wrote:
> >
> > Cameron: The MTA’s big dig won't help Connecticut
> >
> > Written by Jim Cameron
> > Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:15
> >
> > We all know what happened when Boston decided to bury its downtown elevated
interstate highway, known as the central artery. What was intended to be a
seven-year, $2.5 billion project became a 10-year, $14.6 billion engineering
nightmare.
> >
> > Well, heads up fellow commuters and taxpayers! New York’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, or MTA, (parent of Metro-North Railroad) has similar
designs on our beloved Grand Central. Nicknamed the “East Side Access”
project, the goal is to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central.
> >
> > The plan would use the lower level of the already built 63rd Street subway
tunnel, allowing some Long Island trains from Queens to enter Manhattan and then
follow a new, very deep tunnel under existing Metro-North tracks beneath Park
Avenue. Trains would terminate 14 stories under Grand Central on eight tracks
with up to 24 trains arriving per hour. Exiting passengers �" an estimated
162,000 per day (compared with the 115,000 who arrive and depart from
Connecticut) �" would be whisked upward on high speed escalators, to the west
side of Grand Central, into an underground concourse complex stretching from
43rd to 48th streets.
> >
> > The estimated cost for the project �" $8 billion �" is about the same as
rebuilding the entire World Trade Center complex. Actual cost, factoring in
inevitable delays (they’re already a year behind schedule), cost over-runs and
typical under-estimation by politically sensitive designers �" who knows, maybe
double that? And for what gain?
> >
> > The only reason for the East Side Access project is to give Long Island
riders better access to midtown. Is the subway ride connection from Penn Station
to Grand Central really all that bad? Imagine what we could do with $8 billion
to improve commuter rail service in the tri-state region.
> >
> > What would an almost doubling of passengers in Grand Central (by adding Long
Island riders to existing Metro-North riders) mean for Connecticut commuters?
Well, if you think the station’s crowded now, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
And just imagine the already jam-packed Lexington Avenue subway station with
even more riders!
> >
> > The currently under-utilized Grand Central would quickly be maxed out for
trains and platforms, making much-needed expansion of service to Connecticut a
real problem.
> >
> > True, diverting some Long Island trains into Grand Central might free-up
“slots” in Penn Station for Metro-North trains (which would travel there by
way of the Hell Gate Bridge), but don’t count on it, what with New Jersey
Transit, Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road also vying for more trains in Penn
Station.
> >
> > If all of this concerns you, don’t get your knickers in a knot. There’s
nothing you can do to stop it. The money’s already been appropriated and the
project should be finished in 2015.
> >
> > What role did Connecticut play in this boondoggle? Zero. Nada. Zilch. New
York’s MTA didn’t ask our opinion or seek our approval. Though the
Connecticut Department of Transportation is Metro-North’s biggest customer,
our state still has no seat, no vote and no say on the MTA or Metro-North
boards. Gov. Rell said she’d change that, but never did.
> >
> > Connecticut commuters pay the bills and New York’s MTA calls the tune,
building a really “big dig” that benefits Long Island but penalizes us.
What’s wrong with this picture?
> >
> > For more info on the East Side Access project, see
mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas/index.html
> >
> > From:
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/darientimes/opinion/41985-cameron-the-mtas-\
big-dig-wont-help-connecticut.html
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sorry if this is a silly question but I am curious -  who "owns" the track space
in Grand Central (similar to Penn track space "owned" by AmTrak)?

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "william_f_joseph" <william_f_joseph@...>
wrote:
>
> This opinion piece is clearly one-sided. I guess all opinion pieces are.
>
> On the surface, the author is attempting to point out that this money should
be spent to help Connecticut commuters, and that ESA is clearly a boondoggle.
>
> I firmly disagree.
>
> First, this author mentions that the only reason for the East Side Access
project is to give Long Island riders better access to midtown. While
technically true, ESA is much more than that. It also means getting people off
the subways, as hopefully this will allow more commuters to arrive closer to
their destinations. That would means that the subways could handle more people,
including more people from Connecticut.
>
> It will give people form Long Island some redundancy, as currently a stalled
train on one of the four tracks into Penn can mean huge delays for the largest
commuter railroad in US (LIRR), the fourth largest commuter railroad in the US
(NJT), and the national passenger railroad (Amtrak).
>
> The author also fails to mention the NJT initiative to add more space to Penn,
which in addition to the ESA may indeed allow MN trains to arrive at Penn one
day. Nor was there any mention of the Second Avenue subway, which would also
help relieve congestion.
>
> His statement about Connecticut commuters paying the bills is somewhat
interesting as well. How many Connecticut counties are paying the MTA payroll
tax? Funny 26% of Metro-North customers are from Connecticut, yet I do not
remember Connecticut paying a penny towards the MTA bailout.
>
> The region does need a major transportation plan. Unfortunately, special
interests and not real need tend to steer the projects around here.
>
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, LIRR Commuters Community <yomf@> wrote:
> >
> > Cameron: The MTA’s big dig won't help Connecticut
> >
> > Written by Jim Cameron
> > Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:15
> >
> > We all know what happened when Boston decided to bury its downtown elevated
interstate highway, known as the central artery. What was intended to be a
seven-year, $2.5 billion project became a 10-year, $14.6 billion engineering
nightmare.
> >
> > Well, heads up fellow commuters and taxpayers! New York’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, or MTA, (parent of Metro-North Railroad) has similar
designs on our beloved Grand Central. Nicknamed the “East Side Access”
project, the goal is to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central.
> >
> > The plan would use the lower level of the already built 63rd Street subway
tunnel, allowing some Long Island trains from Queens to enter Manhattan and then
follow a new, very deep tunnel under existing Metro-North tracks beneath Park
Avenue. Trains would terminate 14 stories under Grand Central on eight tracks
with up to 24 trains arriving per hour. Exiting passengers �" an estimated
162,000 per day (compared with the 115,000 who arrive and depart from
Connecticut) �" would be whisked upward on high speed escalators, to the west
side of Grand Central, into an underground concourse complex stretching from
43rd to 48th streets.
> >
> > The estimated cost for the project �" $8 billion �" is about the same as
rebuilding the entire World Trade Center complex. Actual cost, factoring in
inevitable delays (they’re already a year behind schedule), cost over-runs and
typical under-estimation by politically sensitive designers �" who knows, maybe
double that? And for what gain?
> >
> > The only reason for the East Side Access project is to give Long Island
riders better access to midtown. Is the subway ride connection from Penn Station
to Grand Central really all that bad? Imagine what we could do with $8 billion
to improve commuter rail service in the tri-state region.
> >
> > What would an almost doubling of passengers in Grand Central (by adding Long
Island riders to existing Metro-North riders) mean for Connecticut commuters?
Well, if you think the station’s crowded now, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
And just imagine the already jam-packed Lexington Avenue subway station with
even more riders!
> >
> > The currently under-utilized Grand Central would quickly be maxed out for
trains and platforms, making much-needed expansion of service to Connecticut a
real problem.
> >
> > True, diverting some Long Island trains into Grand Central might free-up
“slots” in Penn Station for Metro-North trains (which would travel there by
way of the Hell Gate Bridge), but don’t count on it, what with New Jersey
Transit, Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road also vying for more trains in Penn
Station.
> >
> > If all of this concerns you, don’t get your knickers in a knot. There’s
nothing you can do to stop it. The money’s already been appropriated and the
project should be finished in 2015.
> >
> > What role did Connecticut play in this boondoggle? Zero. Nada. Zilch. New
York’s MTA didn’t ask our opinion or seek our approval. Though the
Connecticut Department of Transportation is Metro-North’s biggest customer,
our state still has no seat, no vote and no say on the MTA or Metro-North
boards. Gov. Rell said she’d change that, but never did.
> >
> > Connecticut commuters pay the bills and New York’s MTA calls the tune,
building a really “big dig” that benefits Long Island but penalizes us.
What’s wrong with this picture?
> >
> > For more info on the East Side Access project, see
mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas/index.html
> >
> > From:
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/darientimes/opinion/41985-cameron-the-mtas-\
big-dig-wont-help-connecticut.html
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

This opinion piece is clearly one-sided. I guess all opinion pieces are.

On the surface, the author is attempting to point out that this money should be
spent to help Connecticut commuters, and that ESA is clearly a boondoggle.

I firmly disagree.

First, this author mentions that the only reason for the East Side Access
project is to give Long Island riders better access to midtown. While
technically true, ESA is much more than that. It also means getting people off
the subways, as hopefully this will allow more commuters to arrive closer to
their destinations. That would means that the subways could handle more people,
including more people from Connecticut.

It will give people form Long Island some redundancy, as currently a stalled
train on one of the four tracks into Penn can mean huge delays for the largest
commuter railroad in US (LIRR), the fourth largest commuter railroad in the US
(NJT), and the national passenger railroad (Amtrak).

The author also fails to mention the NJT initiative to add more space to Penn,
which in addition to the ESA may indeed allow MN trains to arrive at Penn one
day. Nor was there any mention of the Second Avenue subway, which would also
help relieve congestion.

His statement about Connecticut commuters paying the bills is somewhat
interesting as well. How many Connecticut counties are paying the MTA payroll
tax? Funny 26% of Metro-North customers are from Connecticut, yet I do not
remember Connecticut paying a penny towards the MTA bailout.

The region does need a major transportation plan. Unfortunately, special
interests and not real need tend to steer the projects around here.


--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, LIRR Commuters Community <yomf@...> wrote:
>
> Cameron: The MTA’s big dig won't help Connecticut
>
> Written by Jim Cameron
> Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:15
>
> We all know what happened when Boston decided to bury its downtown elevated
interstate highway, known as the central artery. What was intended to be a
seven-year, $2.5 billion project became a 10-year, $14.6 billion engineering
nightmare.
>
> Well, heads up fellow commuters and taxpayers! New York’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, or MTA, (parent of Metro-North Railroad) has similar
designs on our beloved Grand Central. Nicknamed the “East Side Access”
project, the goal is to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central.
>
> The plan would use the lower level of the already built 63rd Street subway
tunnel, allowing some Long Island trains from Queens to enter Manhattan and then
follow a new, very deep tunnel under existing Metro-North tracks beneath Park
Avenue. Trains would terminate 14 stories under Grand Central on eight tracks
with up to 24 trains arriving per hour. Exiting passengers �" an estimated
162,000 per day (compared with the 115,000 who arrive and depart from
Connecticut) �" would be whisked upward on high speed escalators, to the west
side of Grand Central, into an underground concourse complex stretching from
43rd to 48th streets.
>
> The estimated cost for the project �" $8 billion �" is about the same as
rebuilding the entire World Trade Center complex. Actual cost, factoring in
inevitable delays (they’re already a year behind schedule), cost over-runs and
typical under-estimation by politically sensitive designers �" who knows, maybe
double that? And for what gain?
>
> The only reason for the East Side Access project is to give Long Island riders
better access to midtown. Is the subway ride connection from Penn Station to
Grand Central really all that bad? Imagine what we could do with $8 billion to
improve commuter rail service in the tri-state region.
>
> What would an almost doubling of passengers in Grand Central (by adding Long
Island riders to existing Metro-North riders) mean for Connecticut commuters?
Well, if you think the station’s crowded now, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
And just imagine the already jam-packed Lexington Avenue subway station with
even more riders!
>
> The currently under-utilized Grand Central would quickly be maxed out for
trains and platforms, making much-needed expansion of service to Connecticut a
real problem.
>
> True, diverting some Long Island trains into Grand Central might free-up
“slots” in Penn Station for Metro-North trains (which would travel there by
way of the Hell Gate Bridge), but don’t count on it, what with New Jersey
Transit, Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road also vying for more trains in Penn
Station.
>
> If all of this concerns you, don’t get your knickers in a knot. There’s
nothing you can do to stop it. The money’s already been appropriated and the
project should be finished in 2015.
>
> What role did Connecticut play in this boondoggle? Zero. Nada. Zilch. New
York’s MTA didn’t ask our opinion or seek our approval. Though the
Connecticut Department of Transportation is Metro-North’s biggest customer,
our state still has no seat, no vote and no say on the MTA or Metro-North
boards. Gov. Rell said she’d change that, but never did.
>
> Connecticut commuters pay the bills and New York’s MTA calls the tune,
building a really “big dig” that benefits Long Island but penalizes us.
What’s wrong with this picture?
>
> For more info on the East Side Access project, see
mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas/index.html
>
> From:
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/darientimes/opinion/41985-cameron-the-mtas-\
big-dig-wont-help-connecticut.html
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Riverhead gets almost $5 million to rehab rail spur
Pols: Project will get trucks off Long Island highways

A $4.8 million federal grant will let Riverhead Town live out its longtime dream
of having freight trains running to and from the Enterprise Park at Calverton.

The entire cost of rehabbing the Calverton rail spur, which leads into the park,
will be funded with federal stimulus money, lawmakers announced Tuesday.

“Not only will these funds create needed construction jobs in Riverhead and
ease traffic congestion along highways, but it will lower the cost of
transporting goods on Long Island,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

“This project is a win-win-win for Long Island,” said Congressman Tim Bishop
(D-Southampton), who, along with Mr. Schumer, helped secure the funds.
“Transporting goods by freight to and from Calverton will lower the costs of
goods, create jobs and remove trucks from our crowded roadways.”

The spur, which hasn't been in use for a quarter-century, runs along Connecticut
Avenue before linking up with the Long Island Rail Road's main line.

It was used by the Grumman corporation to transport materials when the company
built Navy fighter jets at the site, which is now referred to as EPCAL. Grumman
abandoned operations in 1994, with the Navy turning the land over to the town
for economic development.

Above all, local officials are hoping the option to ship materials by rail will
increase the attractiveness of Calverton to potential developers and business
owners.

“This award is monumental in terms of infrastructure to support long-term
economic development for EPCAL and the East End region,” said John Dunleavy, a
Riverhead Town Board member.

The town, which was recently awarded a $650,000 grant from the state for the
spur project, has begun preliminary planning and engineering work. It also
expects to start negotiating with the Long Island Rail Road and the New York and
Atlantic Railway, a freight company, according to Christine Kempner of the town
Community Development Agency.

Supervisor-elect Sean Walter has backed off his campaign threats to not accept
federal stimulus money for the town, in which he called the funds “China's
money.” Even if Mr. Walter stuck to such a policy, it's expected that he would
not get enough support on the Town Board.

Lawmakers noted that less than 2 percent of goods are brought to Long Island by
train, the lowest percentage of any metropolitan area served by rail.

One example of a benefit of a rail spur, according to the press release issued
by Mr. Schumer and Mr. Bishop, would be the price of stone, which is higher on
Long Island than anywhere in the state.

“Building and road construction on Long Island uses millions of tons of
stone,” the release reads. “This spur would help reduce the price of stone
and has been requested by regional quarries for years.”

From: http://www2.timesreview.com/NR/stories/N111909_rail_spur_MW_teaser

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

something else I have noticed in recent days- approaching jamaica westbound
during rush hour, Ive been noticing that trains im one are stopping east of
jamaica and "waiting" anywhere from 5-10 minutes before proceeding into the
station.

i was told its "congestion". theres 8 tracks at jamaica and its still congested.
why? why isnt one track set aside for westbound trains heading to penn?

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@...> wrote:
>
> Is there something seriously wrong with the signals in the past couple of
weeks?  Are the "kinks" still being worked out with the new system in Valley
Stream?
> I am noticing a lot of issues with "signal problems" lately in emails.  Lots
of "signal problems" far away from Valley too, like on the Port Washington
branch.
>
> Are contract negotiations going well or is something going on?
>
> If my train is going slow and probably going to be late, can I claim "signal
problems" when the funny hat person asks me for my ticket?
>

Cameron: The MTA’s big dig won't help Connecticut

Written by Jim Cameron
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:15

We all know what happened when Boston decided to bury its downtown elevated
interstate highway, known as the central artery. What was intended to be a
seven-year, $2.5 billion project became a 10-year, $14.6 billion engineering
nightmare.

Well, heads up fellow commuters and taxpayers! New York’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, or MTA, (parent of Metro-North Railroad) has similar
designs on our beloved Grand Central. Nicknamed the “East Side Access”
project, the goal is to bring the Long Island Railroad into Grand Central.

The plan would use the lower level of the already built 63rd Street subway
tunnel, allowing some Long Island trains from Queens to enter Manhattan and then
follow a new, very deep tunnel under existing Metro-North tracks beneath Park
Avenue. Trains would terminate 14 stories under Grand Central on eight tracks
with up to 24 trains arriving per hour. Exiting passengers — an estimated
162,000 per day (compared with the 115,000 who arrive and depart from
Connecticut) — would be whisked upward on high speed escalators, to the west
side of Grand Central, into an underground concourse complex stretching from
43rd to 48th streets.

The estimated cost for the project — $8 billion — is about the same as
rebuilding the entire World Trade Center complex. Actual cost, factoring in
inevitable delays (they’re already a year behind schedule), cost over-runs and
typical under-estimation by politically sensitive designers — who knows, maybe
double that? And for what gain?

The only reason for the East Side Access project is to give Long Island riders
better access to midtown. Is the subway ride connection from Penn Station to
Grand Central really all that bad? Imagine what we could do with $8 billion to
improve commuter rail service in the tri-state region.

What would an almost doubling of passengers in Grand Central (by adding Long
Island riders to existing Metro-North riders) mean for Connecticut commuters?
Well, if you think the station’s crowded now, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
And just imagine the already jam-packed Lexington Avenue subway station with
even more riders!

The currently under-utilized Grand Central would quickly be maxed out for trains
and platforms, making much-needed expansion of service to Connecticut a real
problem.

True, diverting some Long Island trains into Grand Central might free-up
“slots” in Penn Station for Metro-North trains (which would travel there by
way of the Hell Gate Bridge), but don’t count on it, what with New Jersey
Transit, Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road also vying for more trains in Penn
Station.

If all of this concerns you, don’t get your knickers in a knot. There’s
nothing you can do to stop it. The money’s already been appropriated and the
project should be finished in 2015.

What role did Connecticut play in this boondoggle? Zero. Nada. Zilch. New
York’s MTA didn’t ask our opinion or seek our approval. Though the
Connecticut Department of Transportation is Metro-North’s biggest customer,
our state still has no seat, no vote and no say on the MTA or Metro-North
boards. Gov. Rell said she’d change that, but never did.

Connecticut commuters pay the bills and New York’s MTA calls the tune,
building a really “big dig” that benefits Long Island but penalizes us.
What’s wrong with this picture?

For more info on the East Side Access project, see
mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas/index.html

From:
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/darientimes/opinion/41985-cameron-the-mtas-\
big-dig-wont-help-connecticut.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I cannot answer your question specifically, Phil, as even after they did the
upgrades to the signals (or switches, not sure what was done when), I did not
notice any improvement whatsoever through Valley or anywhere else for that
matter. But I must admit that my commuting experiences have been quite possibly
almost problem free for a good long while now. I have been religiously taking a
God-awful-early Speonk train which happens to be the most reliable train I have
been on (yes it is a DM, straight into Penn too - fancy that!) but also, it
being so early seemingly avoids the issues that usually crop later in the AM
rush. In the evenings I take all different trains, some a little early and as of
late, some at that "witching hour" between 5:30 and 7:30 PM. I must be just
lucking out because I cannot remember last time I was delayed more than a few
minutes coming home. I know I have been but nothing tragic that sticks out in my
mind for a while now.
But to your question, my trains never stopped crawling (and even stopping
sometimes) through the Valley area so I see no difference there lately. It has
always been slow through that area.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@...> wrote:
>
> Is there something seriously wrong with the signals in the past couple of
weeks?  Are the "kinks" still being worked out with the new system in Valley
Stream?
> I am noticing a lot of issues with "signal problems" lately in emails.  Lots
of "signal problems" far away from Valley too, like on the Port Washington
branch.
>
> Are contract negotiations going well or is something going on?
>
> If my train is going slow and probably going to be late, can I claim "signal
problems" when the funny hat person asks me for my ticket?
>

Is there something seriously wrong with the signals in the past couple of weeks?
Are the "kinks" still being worked out with the new system in Valley Stream?
I am noticing a lot of issues with "signal problems" lately in emails.  Lots of
"signal problems" far away from Valley too, like on the Port Washington branch.

Are contract negotiations going well or is something going on?

If my train is going slow and probably going to be late, can I claim "signal
problems" when the funny hat person asks me for my ticket?

Stricter Transit Standards to Be Sought
By RACHEL L. SWARNS
Published: November 15, 2009

WASHINGTON — Citing an increase in the number of subway and light-rail crashes
and resulting passenger injuries, the Obama administration will push for
legislation that would allow the federal government to set and enforce safety
standards on the nation's transit systems, officials said on Sunday.

The federal Department of Transportation currently enforces safety regulations
for airlines and Amtrak, but it lacks the authority to do so for subways and
light-rail systems, even though the department helps finance those operations.

Oversight for those transit systems has been handled instead by state-regional
bodies that often function without adequate staffing or financing, officials and
safety experts said. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood plans to present the
plan to Congress next month, a department official said.

"Safety is our No. 1 priority when it comes to planes, trains and automobiles,"
Mr. LaHood said in a statement on Sunday. "It only makes sense that we should be
looking out for passengers who ride subways, too."

Transportation officials said they were concerned about the growing number of
crashes and derailments, including a deadly wreck in June that killed nine
people who were riding the regional transit system that serves Washington and
its suburbs.

From 2003 to 2008, the national rate of passenger injuries on subways and
light-rail crashes increased to 1.362 injuries per 100 million miles from 0.483,
a 182 percent increase, transportation officials said. The Obama
administration's plans were first reported Sunday in The Washington Post.

Robert T. Francis, a former vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety
Board, praised the proposal. The board investigates transit crashes and issues
safety recommendations. But under current law, the federal government cannot
require subway systems to follow them.

"They're helping to finance all of these systems; they should take some type of
role to make sure that passengers are being carried safely," Mr. Francis said of
the federal transportation department. "It's inexcusable, I think, not to have
some kind of reasonable safety oversight of big transportation systems like
this."

Currently, 27 state safety agencies hold the responsibility for keeping transit
systems safe, but the quality of those agencies varies widely, transportation
officials said.

Some rely on the very transit systems they are supposed to oversee for financing
and lack the authority to enforce their rules. As for staffing, the state safety
agencies average less than one full-time staff person per agency, the officials
said.

Under the administration's plan, states would be allowed to maintain oversight
of their transit systems as long as they could demonstrate that they have enough
fully-trained staff members to enforce federal safety rules, the authority to
compel compliance from the transit system and enough financial independence from
the systems they are regulating, officials said.

The federal government would also cover the costs of salaries and benefits for
state employees overseeing standards. In states that are unable to provide
adequate oversight, the federal government would assume that role.

A spokesman for Representative James L. Oberstar, the Minnesota Democrat who is
the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said it was too early to
assess the plan. "Until we get more details from the administration, we're
really not in a position to comment," the spokesman, Jim Berard, said.

Representative John L. Mica of Florida, the senior Republican on the committee,
said he would prefer to see tougher state regulations and more federal financing
to help states enforce them. He noted that transit systems vary enormously in
size and operations and he questioned whether a single federal agency could or
should supervise all of them.

"I'm certain there's room for improvement, but I would be very hesitant about
the federal government or F.T.A. becoming the transit enforcement agency," said
Mr. Mica, referring to the Federal Transit Administration, which currently
provides financing to transit systems.

But Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, said the plan would
help ensure that periodic state and city budget cuts did not threaten safety.

"There's always pressure to cut wherever you can," said Mr. Nadler, who also
sits on the House Transportation Committee. "It's good to have an outside agency
or monitor to make sure you don't cut safety."

Officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs New York
City's subway system, said they had not yet reviewed the details of the proposal
and could not comment on how it might impact the system.

It was also unclear on Sunday how any new federal rules would be reconciled with
those at New York's Public Transportation Safety Board, the state-level agency
that already oversees the city's subways. (The nation's commuter railroads,
including Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road, already fall under federal
safety guidelines.)

Elisa Nichols, a transit safety consultant who worked as a security auditor for
the American Public Transportation Association, an industry group, said it would
be difficult to find and hire large numbers of experts who are both familiar
with federal law and the intricacies of individual transit systems.

"This is a great idea," she said, "but implementation is going to be extremely
difficult."

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/us/16transit.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A direct train from Mets-Willets Point to Jamaica or even east of jamaica (maybe
even to Speonk or Port Jeff) would be a great idea.
unfortunately the crossovers just east of woodside on the port wash branch do
not extend to the 'mainline' tracks that would take you to jamaica and points
east.
to go east of Jamaica from Mets-Willets Pt you would need to take the train a
few miles west of woodside and crossover in Harold Interlocking.  still though,
that doesn't mean it couldn't be done.  if the LIRR could find the money to
Re-habilitate the other tracks and platforms at Mets-Willets pt maybe they could
store a dual mode train there until the game gets out, let it fill up and then
send it out.
Better yet, hopefully they will add a crossover from the port wash tracks to the
Mainline tracks east of woodside.
--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "william_f_joseph" <william_f_joseph@...>
wrote:
>
> Ok, here I go with this "out of the box thinking", but hear me out.
>
> First, as John and others have pointed out, opening up one of the other
platforms could allow the "Shea/Woodside" shuttle to dwell at Shea, without
impacting local service. It would also allow for checking of tickets outside of
the train, basically by controlling access to the platform.
>
> Second, I believe that Swap once mentioned that part of the reason for a
brakeman was that it allowed trains at Penn to turn very quickly. I would
imagine the same could be said for keeping two engineers on a train that may be
going in both directions, such as a shuttle.
>
> Keeping with that idea, with the new cross-overs east of Woodside, I would
think you could possibly bring a train from Shea to directly Jamaica. Not sure
if all the switches are there to allow it, but it maybe possible. If not, it may
at least be able to platform the WB Shea train at the EB PW platform at
Woodside. You could have a train waiting on the WB platform for the mainline, so
all people would have to do is cross the platform, then have both trains proceed
east (one train returning to Shea empty, one train heading to Jamaica full).
>
> I know, I know, wishful thinking.
>
> Here is a question, how does Metro-North's train to the Meadowlands' work?
Does a MN train actually enter Penn? Does the same train continue to Secaucus?
>
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, swamp976 <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > There are always 2 extra crews for Mets games.  They both bring people to
and from the games.  Getting to the games is fine.  You probably don't even
notice.
> >
> > The problem is the use of these crews when the throng comes out of the game
(usually after the 6th,  down 9-1,  Im a Mets fan,  I can say that).
> >
> > For some,  inexplicable reason,  they will hold a scheduled train at Shea, 
load it up,  and then send the (empty) extra in behind it.  I've worked Shea
dozens of times and this seems to be the rule.
> >
> > I think rehabbing the other platforms to accept passengers would be a huge
step in the right direction.  You can load up 4 trains (which would probably be
the vast majority of the fans leaving minus stragglers)  and send them east and
west.
> >
> > The connection at Woodside is an issue also.  They need someone with radio
contact (and half a brain)  holding trains there until a Shea train pulls in.
> >
> > A scoot is definitely viable between Shea and Woodside during off peak
weekday hours and weekends.  Not so much during rush hour.
> >
> > But hear I go,  talking sense again.
> >
> > SWAMP
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> > >
> > > MJ,
> > >
> > > geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between
woodside and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield  :)
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location
of Shea relative to the Main Line.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the
PW line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get
there early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you
plan on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > MJ
> > > >
> > > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
> > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > john,
> > > > during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
> > > >
> > > > from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get
to/from citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER
seen additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at
Shea, and those nights were a zoo too..
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I
perceive as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that
runs game day only.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better
with little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought
being put into improving the service they provide.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop.
Though only one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen
ALL of these platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an
arrival platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have
only ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on
game days, yet they claim otherwise…
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>  [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after
the game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west
side yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to
pick up the fans leaving the game.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get
to Shea….
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and
I am being quite kind.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to
transfer at Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a
regularly scheduled train to head east.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to
Shea, and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at
Shea, usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the
upstairs area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to
the platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve
service, with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and
intelligence, both of which they lack.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is
sardine can time!!!
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

A connector, while more expensive, would allow Shea shuttles to go to Jamaica,
which is the only non-Penn destination that makes sense.



The only other solution that could help would be to rehab the tracks and
platforms that aren’t in use and run more trains to Penn, so you don’t plug
the line with loading and unloading issues at the Shea stop.



From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 11:00 AM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike





With the new crossovers on the port wash branch just east of woodside station
you could run a west-bound train out of shea on port wash #1 track and then
platform it onto port wash #2 track at woodside. there are some logistical
concerns, like you would have to display a stop signal in harold on port wash #2
track to prevent a train from approaching in the same direction as the westbound
train arriving in woodside on #2 track. if you run the shuttle frequently this
might mess up the regular port wash trains, making them late.
also, everyone going to penn from shea would have to transfer at woodside and
walk up and over to track #1 or #3. i'm sure you would get a sizeable amount of
angry letters about how stupid and moronic the LIRR is to NOT run the train all
the way through to penn station instead of dumping everyone off and going back
to shea.
i think its a lose-lose situation no matter what.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ,
"Michael B. Justice" <mbj@...> wrote:
>
> I’d have to look at the PC and see exactly where you’d turn a
train around at Woodside, but my concern with the scoots is that you
couldn’t necessarily time them for meets with Eastbound trains, so you
would effectively transfer the problem from Shea to Woodside, which
doesn’t do much to get people home.
>
>
>
> MJ
>
>
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On Behalf Of John R Wersan Jr
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:36 PM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
>
>
>
>
> That’s what I say, there is NO EXCUSE, except cost, why a Scoot
can’t be run, you only need ONE train, of maybe six cars!!
>
> I too REFUSE to call it ANYTHING except SHEA!!!!
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:26 PM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
> MJ,
>
> geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield :)
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> >
> > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
> >
> >
> >
> > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a
connection that may not receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game
times. Someone else mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at
the Shea stop and that wouldn’t be a bad idea either for
service that would originate or terminate at Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game. But unless you plan on
leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are clogged
leading away from Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

With the new crossovers on the port wash branch just east of woodside station
you could run a west-bound train out of shea on port wash #1 track and then
platform it onto port wash #2 track at woodside.  there are some logistical
concerns, like you would have to display a stop signal in harold on port wash #2
track to prevent a train from approaching in the same direction as the westbound
train arriving in woodside on #2 track. if you run the shuttle frequently this
might mess up the regular port wash trains, making them late.
   also, everyone going to penn from shea would have to transfer at woodside and
walk up and over to track #1 or #3. i'm sure you would get a sizeable amount of
angry letters about how stupid and moronic the LIRR is to NOT run the train all
the way through to penn station instead of dumping everyone off and going back
to shea.
i think its a lose-lose situation no matter what.



--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@...> wrote:
>
> I’d have to look at the PC and see exactly where you’d turn a train around
at Woodside, but my concern with the scoots is that you couldn’t necessarily
time them for meets with Eastbound trains, so you would effectively transfer the
problem from Shea to Woodside, which doesn’t do much to get people home.
>
>
>
> MJ
>
>
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of John R Wersan Jr
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:36 PM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
>
>
>
>
> That’s what I say, there is NO EXCUSE, except cost, why a Scoot can’t be
run, you only need ONE train, of maybe six cars!!
>
> I too REFUSE to call it ANYTHING except SHEA!!!!
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:26 PM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
> MJ,
>
> geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield :)
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> >
> > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
> >
> >
> >
> > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that
may not receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times. Someone
else mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and
that wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or
terminate at Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game. But unless you plan on
leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are clogged
leading away from Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

blah, those buses that went straight to LI took FOREVER to get there since they
spend so much time on local roads.  also, the bus would have dropped me off a
long way from home, at least with the LIRR i could get to within a mile of my
home, and it was usually much faster than taking the bus direct to LI.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@...> wrote:
>
> casey,
>
> trailways made stops in hempstead and massapequa.wasnt that a better
arrangement to leaving the bus at pa,hopping one stop to penn,and then an hour+
on the lirr?
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I went to SUNY New Paltz also, i loved it up there.  i liked it so much that
i even stayed an extra year (5-years). lol.
> > i did the Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie to GCT once, i didn't like it.
the Trailways bus from New Paltz to Port Authority was so much faster and much
more comfortable than the train, plus i could just walk to the bus station from
my dorm.  then when i got to the city it was an easy transfer to the A,C,E one
stop to penn (GCT to penn is more complicated).  once i got to penn i would be
on the LIRR for over an hour so any time i could save in the first half of the
trip was appreciated.
> > it was more expensive taking the bus, but well worth it.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> > >
> > > casey,
> > > when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.
> > >
> > > there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go
to college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR
to penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the
Adirondack Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would
buy my Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only
$1.50 per ride).
> > > > I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40
only.
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your
LIRR ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use
card from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > oops,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too
difficult a task for them to do. feh.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're
meandering into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50
metrocard from a LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited
ride card)?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > MJ
> > > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or
anyone else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's
hard to concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum
<ian_greenbaum@> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >________________________________
> > > > > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >  
> > > > > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold
the parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the
downtown area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of
parade-goers might have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to
purchase them probably still would have occurred.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown
for a Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was
different this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@
...> wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It
is a beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the
office. It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to
throw their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either
be arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters
Community <yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for
multitude of Yankee fans
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority used the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman
a case study in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by
subway and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn
Station, where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the
subway - and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant
provision was made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the
Eighth Ave. IND.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the
throngs navigate.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to
enhance the riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for
coordination on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the
Transit Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to
aid travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

MN trains are NJT trainsets that are staffed with MN crews from New Haven to
Penn and then NJT crews from NYP to the Stadium.


-----Original Message-----
From: "william_f_joseph" <william_f_joseph@...>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:34:20
To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike

Ok, here I go with this "out of the box thinking", but hear me out.

First, as John and others have pointed out, opening up one of the other
platforms could allow the "Shea/Woodside" shuttle to dwell at Shea, without
impacting local service. It would also allow for checking of tickets outside of
the train, basically by controlling access to the platform.

Second, I believe that Swap once mentioned that part of the reason for a
brakeman was that it allowed trains at Penn to turn very quickly. I would
imagine the same could be said for keeping two engineers on a train that may be
going in both directions, such as a shuttle.

Keeping with that idea, with the new cross-overs east of Woodside, I would think
you could possibly bring a train from Shea to directly Jamaica. Not sure if all
the switches are there to allow it, but it maybe possible. If not, it may at
least be able to platform the WB Shea train at the EB PW platform at Woodside.
You could have a train waiting on the WB platform for the mainline, so all
people would have to do is cross the platform, then have both trains proceed
east (one train returning to Shea empty, one train heading to Jamaica full).

I know, I know, wishful thinking.

Here is a question, how does Metro-North's train to the Meadowlands' work? Does
a MN train actually enter Penn? Does the same train continue to Secaucus?


--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, swamp976 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> There are always 2 extra crews for Mets games.  They both bring people to and
from the games.  Getting to the games is fine.  You probably don't even notice.
>
> The problem is the use of these crews when the throng comes out of the game
(usually after the 6th,  down 9-1,  Im a Mets fan,  I can say that).
>
> For some,  inexplicable reason,  they will hold a scheduled train at Shea, 
load it up,  and then send the (empty) extra in behind it.  I've worked Shea
dozens of times and this seems to be the rule.
>
> I think rehabbing the other platforms to accept passengers would be a huge
step in the right direction.  You can load up 4 trains (which would probably be
the vast majority of the fans leaving minus stragglers)  and send them east and
west.
>
> The connection at Woodside is an issue also.  They need someone with radio
contact (and half a brain)  holding trains there until a Shea train pulls in.
>
> A scoot is definitely viable between Shea and Woodside during off peak weekday
hours and weekends.  Not so much during rush hour.
>
> But hear I go,  talking sense again.
>
> SWAMP
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> >
> > MJ,
> >
> > geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between
woodside and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield  :)
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > >
> > > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location
of Shea relative to the Main Line.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the
PW line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get
there early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you
plan on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > MJ
> > >
> > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> > > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
> > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > john,
> > > during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
> > >
> > > from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get
to/from citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I
perceive as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that
runs game day only.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with
little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being
put into improving the service they provide.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though
only one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of
these platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on
game days, yet they claim otherwise…
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>  [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after
the game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west
side yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to
pick up the fans leaving the game.
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > > > >
> > > > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get
to Shea….
> > > > >
> > > > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I
am being quite kind.
> > > > >
> > > > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer
at Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly
scheduled train to head east.
> > > > >
> > > > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to
Shea, and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > > > >
> > > > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> > > > >
> > > > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve
service, with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and
intelligence, both of which they lack.
> > > > >
> > > > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is
sardine can time!!!
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ok, here I go with this "out of the box thinking", but hear me out.

First, as John and others have pointed out, opening up one of the other
platforms could allow the "Shea/Woodside" shuttle to dwell at Shea, without
impacting local service. It would also allow for checking of tickets outside of
the train, basically by controlling access to the platform.

Second, I believe that Swap once mentioned that part of the reason for a
brakeman was that it allowed trains at Penn to turn very quickly. I would
imagine the same could be said for keeping two engineers on a train that may be
going in both directions, such as a shuttle.

Keeping with that idea, with the new cross-overs east of Woodside, I would think
you could possibly bring a train from Shea to directly Jamaica. Not sure if all
the switches are there to allow it, but it maybe possible. If not, it may at
least be able to platform the WB Shea train at the EB PW platform at Woodside.
You could have a train waiting on the WB platform for the mainline, so all
people would have to do is cross the platform, then have both trains proceed
east (one train returning to Shea empty, one train heading to Jamaica full).

I know, I know, wishful thinking.

Here is a question, how does Metro-North's train to the Meadowlands' work? Does
a MN train actually enter Penn? Does the same train continue to Secaucus?


--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, swamp976 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> There are always 2 extra crews for Mets games.  They both bring people to and
from the games.  Getting to the games is fine.  You probably don't even notice.
>
> The problem is the use of these crews when the throng comes out of the game
(usually after the 6th,  down 9-1,  Im a Mets fan,  I can say that).
>
> For some,  inexplicable reason,  they will hold a scheduled train at Shea, 
load it up,  and then send the (empty) extra in behind it.  I've worked Shea
dozens of times and this seems to be the rule.
>
> I think rehabbing the other platforms to accept passengers would be a huge
step in the right direction.  You can load up 4 trains (which would probably be
the vast majority of the fans leaving minus stragglers)  and send them east and
west.
>
> The connection at Woodside is an issue also.  They need someone with radio
contact (and half a brain)  holding trains there until a Shea train pulls in.
>
> A scoot is definitely viable between Shea and Woodside during off peak weekday
hours and weekends.  Not so much during rush hour.
>
> But hear I go,  talking sense again.
>
> SWAMP
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> >
> > MJ,
> >
> > geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between
woodside and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield  :)
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > >
> > > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location
of Shea relative to the Main Line.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the
PW line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get
there early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you
plan on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > MJ
> > >
> > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> > > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
> > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > john,
> > > during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
> > >
> > > from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get
to/from citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I
perceive as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that
runs game day only.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with
little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being
put into improving the service they provide.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though
only one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of
these platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on
game days, yet they claim otherwise…
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>  [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after
the game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west
side yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to
pick up the fans leaving the game.
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > > > >
> > > > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get
to Shea….
> > > > >
> > > > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I
am being quite kind.
> > > > >
> > > > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer
at Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly
scheduled train to head east.
> > > > >
> > > > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to
Shea, and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > > > >
> > > > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> > > > >
> > > > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve
service, with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and
intelligence, both of which they lack.
> > > > >
> > > > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is
sardine can time!!!
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>

Its interesting that you asked that, yes, there is a new program that runs a
shuttle service between new paltz and the poughkeepsie train station.  its seems
to be operated in conjunction with metro-north.
here is the link from the MTA web page:

http://www.lirr.org/mnr/html/UlsterLoop.pdf

this would have been nice to use when i was there.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@...> wrote:
>
> casey,
>
> I was on the "four and a half year" plan. lol. but i had great times
there.anyway back at the ranch:
>
> I agree. trailways stopped right on main street and it was an easy walk to the
dorms as long as you didnt have a lot of stuff.
>
> yes MN was cheaper but you had to get that bus to poughkeepsie-which ran only
3 times a day. so in the end trailways was the better deal,even at a more
expensive fare.i would either take the E or 2 buses to get home.
>
> I wonder if the students today have any more options getting to/from nyc/li
than we did.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I went to SUNY New Paltz also, i loved it up there.  i liked it so much that
i even stayed an extra year (5-years). lol.
> > i did the Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie to GCT once, i didn't like it.
the Trailways bus from New Paltz to Port Authority was so much faster and much
more comfortable than the train, plus i could just walk to the bus station from
my dorm.  then when i got to the city it was an easy transfer to the A,C,E one
stop to penn (GCT to penn is more complicated).  once i got to penn i would be
on the LIRR for over an hour so any time i could save in the first half of the
trip was appreciated.
> > it was more expensive taking the bus, but well worth it.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> > >
> > > casey,
> > > when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.
> > >
> > > there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go
to college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR
to penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the
Adirondack Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would
buy my Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only
$1.50 per ride).
> > > > I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40
only.
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your
LIRR ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use
card from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > oops,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too
difficult a task for them to do. feh.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're
meandering into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50
metrocard from a LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited
ride card)?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > MJ
> > > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or
anyone else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's
hard to concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum
<ian_greenbaum@> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >________________________________
> > > > > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >  
> > > > > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold
the parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the
downtown area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of
parade-goers might have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to
purchase them probably still would have occurred.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown
for a Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was
different this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@
...> wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It
is a beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the
office. It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to
throw their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either
be arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters
Community <yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for
multitude of Yankee fans
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority used the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman
a case study in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by
subway and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn
Station, where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the
subway - and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant
provision was made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the
Eighth Ave. IND.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the
throngs navigate.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to
enhance the riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for
coordination on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the
Transit Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to
aid travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

casey,

trailways made stops in hempstead and massapequa.wasnt that a better arrangement
to leaving the bus at pa,hopping one stop to penn,and then an hour+ on the lirr?

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
>
> I went to SUNY New Paltz also, i loved it up there.  i liked it so much that i
even stayed an extra year (5-years). lol.
> i did the Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie to GCT once, i didn't like it.
the Trailways bus from New Paltz to Port Authority was so much faster and much
more comfortable than the train, plus i could just walk to the bus station from
my dorm.  then when i got to the city it was an easy transfer to the A,C,E one
stop to penn (GCT to penn is more complicated).  once i got to penn i would be
on the LIRR for over an hour so any time i could save in the first half of the
trip was appreciated.
> it was more expensive taking the bus, but well worth it.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> >
> > casey,
> > when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.
> >
> > there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go to
college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR to
penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the Adirondack
Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would buy my
Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only $1.50 per
ride).
> > > I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40
only.
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your LIRR
ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use card
from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > > oops,
> > > > >
> > > > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > > > >
> > > > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > > > >
> > > > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too
difficult a task for them to do. feh.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're
meandering into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50
metrocard from a LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited
ride card)?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > MJ
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or anyone
else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's hard to
concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum <ian_greenbaum@>
wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >________________________________
> > > > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >  
> > > > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold
the parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the
downtown area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of
parade-goers might have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to
purchase them probably still would have occurred.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown for
a Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was different
this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@
...> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It is
a beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the office.
It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to throw
their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either
be arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters Community
<yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for
multitude of Yankee fans
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
used the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman a case
study in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by
subway and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn
Station, where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the
subway - and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant
provision was made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the
Eighth Ave. IND.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the
throngs navigate.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to enhance
the riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for
coordination on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the
Transit Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to
aid travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

There are always 2 extra crews for Mets games.  They both bring people to and
from the games.  Getting to the games is fine.  You probably don't even notice.

The problem is the use of these crews when the throng comes out of the game
(usually after the 6th,  down 9-1,  Im a Mets fan,  I can say that).

For some,  inexplicable reason,  they will hold a scheduled train at Shea,  load
it up,  and then send the (empty) extra in behind it.  I've worked Shea dozens
of times and this seems to be the rule.

I think rehabbing the other platforms to accept passengers would be a huge step
in the right direction.  You can load up 4 trains (which would probably be the
vast majority of the fans leaving minus stragglers)  and send them east and
west.

The connection at Woodside is an issue also.  They need someone with radio
contact (and half a brain)  holding trains there until a Shea train pulls in.

A scoot is definitely viable between Shea and Woodside during off peak weekday
hours and weekends.  Not so much during rush hour.

But hear I go,  talking sense again.

SWAMP

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@...> wrote:
>
> MJ,
>
> geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield  :)
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> >
> > From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
> >
> >
> >
> > A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you plan
on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.
> >
> >
> >
> > I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
> >
> >
> >
> > MJ
> >
> > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of mrbeach602
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
> > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > john,
> > during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
> >
> > from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get
to/from citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I
perceive as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that
runs game day only.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with
little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being
put into improving the service they provide.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though
only one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of
these platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game
days, yet they claim otherwise…
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>  [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the
game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side
yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick
up the fans leaving the game.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > > >
> > > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to
Shea….
> > > >
> > > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I
am being quite kind.
> > > >
> > > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
> > > >
> > > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to
Shea, and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > > >
> > > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> > > >
> > > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service,
with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence,
both of which they lack.
> > > >
> > > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is
sardine can time!!!
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

I’d have to look at the PC and see exactly where you’d turn a train around
at Woodside, but my concern with the scoots is that you couldn’t necessarily
time them for meets with Eastbound trains, so you would effectively transfer the
problem from Shea to Woodside, which doesn’t do much to get people home.



MJ



From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of John R Wersan Jr
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:36 PM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike





That’s what I say, there is NO EXCUSE, except cost, why a Scoot can’t be
run, you only need ONE train, of maybe six cars!!

I too REFUSE to call it ANYTHING except SHEA!!!!

From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On Behalf Of mrbeach602
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:26 PM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike

MJ,

geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield :)

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@...> wrote:
>
> From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
>
>
>
> A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that
may not receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times. Someone
else mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and
that wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or
terminate at Shea.
>
>
>
> Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game. But unless you plan on
leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are clogged
leading away from Shea.
>
>
>
> I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

That’s what I say, there is NO EXCUSE, except cost, why a Scoot can’t be
run, you only need ONE train, of maybe six cars!!



I too REFUSE to call it ANYTHING except SHEA!!!!



From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of mrbeach602
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:26 PM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike





MJ,

geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield :)

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ,
"Michael B. Justice" <mbj@...> wrote:
>
> From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
>
>
>
> A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that
may not receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times. Someone
else mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and
that wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or
terminate at Shea.
>
>
>
> Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game. But unless you plan on
leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are clogged
leading away from Shea.
>
>
>
> I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
>
>
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant

>hassle to get to/from citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.



When I lived In Flushing, I attended MANY games, and now that I live on LI,
I have traveled to Shea both ways, driving and by train/subway.

Don't get me wrong, going by LIRR is still easier than driving, but the LIRR
makes it sound so WONDERFUL, and it is NOT.

The trip could be MUCH nicer and easier to do, but the LIRR appears to only
make a half hearted attempt to accommodate those of us who choose to take
the train.

Usually, the transfer from the westbound train, at Woodside to the east
bound train that stopped at Shea, was a simple walk across the platform and
a five to ten minute wait MAX.

About a year or two ago, but not this last year, they screwed with the
schedules and ALL the trains east left five minutes BEFORE you arrived at
Woodside, and the next trains was at least a half hour wait.

We ended up taking the subway, LOCAL and got to the stadium BEFORE the LIRR.



As I said before, there are two or three platforms at the Shea stop, but
they NEVER use the others, only one platform is open, with ONE STAIRCASE!!!!



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

casey,

I was on the "four and a half year" plan. lol. but i had great times
there.anyway back at the ranch:

I agree. trailways stopped right on main street and it was an easy walk to the
dorms as long as you didnt have a lot of stuff.

yes MN was cheaper but you had to get that bus to poughkeepsie-which ran only 3
times a day. so in the end trailways was the better deal,even at a more
expensive fare.i would either take the E or 2 buses to get home.

I wonder if the students today have any more options getting to/from nyc/li than
we did.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
>
> I went to SUNY New Paltz also, i loved it up there.  i liked it so much that i
even stayed an extra year (5-years). lol.
> i did the Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie to GCT once, i didn't like it.
the Trailways bus from New Paltz to Port Authority was so much faster and much
more comfortable than the train, plus i could just walk to the bus station from
my dorm.  then when i got to the city it was an easy transfer to the A,C,E one
stop to penn (GCT to penn is more complicated).  once i got to penn i would be
on the LIRR for over an hour so any time i could save in the first half of the
trip was appreciated.
> it was more expensive taking the bus, but well worth it.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@> wrote:
> >
> > casey,
> > when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.
> >
> > there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go to
college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR to
penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the Adirondack
Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would buy my
Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only $1.50 per
ride).
> > > I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40
only.
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your LIRR
ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use card
from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > > oops,
> > > > >
> > > > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > > > >
> > > > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > > > >
> > > > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too
difficult a task for them to do. feh.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're
meandering into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50
metrocard from a LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited
ride card)?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > MJ
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or anyone
else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's hard to
concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum <ian_greenbaum@>
wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >________________________________
> > > > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >  
> > > > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold
the parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the
downtown area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of
parade-goers might have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to
purchase them probably still would have occurred.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown for
a Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was different
this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@
...> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It is
a beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the office.
It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to throw
their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either
be arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters Community
<yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for
multitude of Yankee fans
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
used the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman a case
study in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by
subway and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn
Station, where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the
subway - and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant
provision was made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the
Eighth Ave. IND.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the
throngs navigate.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to enhance
the riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for
coordination on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the
Transit Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to
aid travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

MJ,

geez louise..no need for a connector...just run some "scoots" between woodside
and shea on game days/nites. i also shouldnt call it citifield  :)

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@...> wrote:
>
> From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of
Shea relative to the Main Line.
>
>
>
> A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW
line without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.
>
>
>
> Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you plan
on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.
>
>
>
> I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.
>
>
>
> MJ
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of mrbeach602
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
>
>
>
>
> john,
> during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
>
> from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get to/from
citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
, John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> >
> > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
> >
> >
> >
> > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> >
> >
> >
> > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I perceive
as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that runs game
day only.
> >
> >
> >
> > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with
little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being
put into improving the service they provide.
> >
> >
> >
> > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though only
one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of these
platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> >
> >
> >
> > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game
days, yet they claim otherwise…
> >
> >
> >
> > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the
game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side
yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick
up the fans leaving the game.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > >
> > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > >
> > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to
Shea….
> > >
> > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I am
being quite kind.
> > >
> > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
> > >
> > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to Shea,
and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > >
> > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> > >
> > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service,
with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence,
both of which they lack.
> > >
> > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is sardine
can time!!!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I went to SUNY New Paltz also, i loved it up there.  i liked it so much that i
even stayed an extra year (5-years). lol.
i did the Metro-North train from Poughkeepsie to GCT once, i didn't like it. the
Trailways bus from New Paltz to Port Authority was so much faster and much more
comfortable than the train, plus i could just walk to the bus station from my
dorm.  then when i got to the city it was an easy transfer to the A,C,E one stop
to penn (GCT to penn is more complicated).  once i got to penn i would be on the
LIRR for over an hour so any time i could save in the first half of the trip was
appreciated.
it was more expensive taking the bus, but well worth it.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@...> wrote:
>
> casey,
> when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.
>
> there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go to
college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR to
penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the Adirondack
Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would buy my
Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only $1.50 per
ride).
> > I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
> >
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40
only.
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > >
> > >
> > > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your LIRR
ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use card
from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > >
> > > > oops,
> > > >
> > > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > > >
> > > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > > >
> > > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too difficult
a task for them to do. feh.
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're meandering
into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50 metrocard from a
LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited ride card)?
> > > > >
> > > > > MJ
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or anyone
else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's hard to
concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > > >
> > > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum <ian_greenbaum@>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >________________________________
> > > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > > >
> > > > > >  
> > > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold the
parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the downtown
area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of parade-goers might
have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to purchase them probably
still would have occurred.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown for a
Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was different
this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@ ...>
wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It is a
beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the office.
It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to throw
their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either be
arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters Community
<yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for multitude
of Yankee fans
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
used the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman a case
study in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by subway
and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn
Station, where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the
subway - and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant
provision was made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the
Eighth Ave. IND.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the
throngs navigate.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to enhance
the riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for
coordination on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the
Transit Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to
aid travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>

The Long Island's public affairs department does send press releases advising
customers that "extra train service will be provided after the game". Since the
end time of the games vary, a schedule for the extras cannot be published.

  an extra train is often laid up in Great Neck until the game ends. Extras are
also often placed in Port Washington and New York where they are held until
called in by supervision in Shea. Great Neck is the closest practical place to
hold an extra to be released without a reverse move. It's about ten minutes away
from Shea.

When the game ends, an extra station master or trainmaster at the stadium calls
the Section A Train Dispatcher at Jamaica who operates the Port Washington
Branch and releases the extra. For several decades, the Shea tasks were
performed by the same senior north side Trainmaster. He and the Train Dispatcher
coordinate the extras' placement between regular trains. With some luck and
maybe even skill the extra trains are placed to maximize their dwell time in the
station at Shea, while attempting to avoid delay to the regular trains which
follow. They also serve to relieve the regular trains from crowding. The extra
is usually dispatched from Shea as soon as the regular behind it is scheduled to
arrive. By maximizing the station dwell time, platform crowding is minimized,
and injuries from shoving and crowding are avoided.

  Extras are ordered based on expected LIRR ridership to the game which varies
from season to season and is now about 15% of Stadium ticket sales. Not all
games require extra trains and in an attempt to economize, they are not always
operated. Up until Helena William's tenure, the Shea program turned a handsome
profit and efficiency of operation was formerly a major consideration.

Many variables affect the timing of extra trains' arrival and departure. Spacing
between trains, differing loading characteristics, weather conditions, equipment
availability, platform and train crowding, even police input, affect when the
extras arrive and leave.

If extra trains are called out, they will operate at the end of the game, or
when the crowds arrive to leave regardless of the time. Even when games run very
late and crews "outlaw,"" being on duty of 12 hours, replacement crews will be
located to operate the extras. There have been times when extra trains operated
well after 2 AM, making multiple trips between Great Neck or Port Wash and New
York until the stadium was empty. Other times, extras were operated before the
games' end when a downpour sent hoards of passengers fleeing to the station
early.

The extra service is mentioned in press releases and not in schedules because it
is provided only as conditions require. Several years ago, when the Mets played
what was universally considered horrible baseball, you couldn't fill a single
car with a game's railroad riders, so no extras were ordered that season.

One day, some of the seldom used yard tracks at Shea can be interlocked to
provide a more efficient and flexible alternative to the system which has
operated since the shutdown of the '64 World's Fair.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@...> wrote:
>
> john,
> during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains
to-from yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called
common sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.
>
> from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get to/from
citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@> wrote:
> >
> > I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
> >
> >
> >
> > During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does
nothing more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would
normally run past it.
> >
> >
> >
> > I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I perceive
as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that runs game
day only.
> >
> >
> >
> > I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with
little additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being
put into improving the service they provide.
> >
> >
> >
> > As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though only
one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of these
platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
> >
> >
> >
> > The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game
days, yet they claim otherwise…
> >
> >
> >
> > From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the
game is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side
yard and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick
up the fans leaving the game.
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> > >
> > > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> > >
> > > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to Shea….
> > >
> > > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I am being
quite kind.
> > >
> > > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
> > >
> > > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to Shea,
and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> > >
> > > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a �"scoot” between Woodside and Shea, none
whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they can’t add a train or two
heading east too.
> > >
> > > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service,
with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence,
both of which they lack.
> > >
> > > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is sardine
can time!!!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

From my point of view the real problem with Shea service is the location of Shea
relative to the Main Line.



A connector that would allow service from east of Woodside to access the PW line
without a reverse move west of Woodside would be the ideal solution, but
you’re talking about a lot of construction costs for a connection that may not
receive a tremendous amount of traffic during non-game times.  Someone else
mentioned re-opening the platforms that are not in use at the Shea stop and that
wouldn’t be a bad idea either for service that would originate or terminate at
Shea.



Taking back streets are fine to get to the game, especially if you get there
early and hang out in the lot or stadium before the game.  But unless you plan
on leaving 90 minutes after the game ends (or even later) the streets are
clogged leading away from Shea.



I guess I am an old-timer for refusing to call it Citi Field.



MJ

From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of mrbeach602
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:04 AM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike





john,
during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains to-from
yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called common
sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.

from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get to/from
citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ,
John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@...> wrote:
>
> I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
>
>
>
> During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does nothing
more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would normally
run past it.
>
>
>
> I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I perceive
as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that runs game
day only.
>
>
>
> I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with little
additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being put into
improving the service they provide.
>
>
>
> As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though only
one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of these
platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
>
>
>
> The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game
days, yet they claim otherwise…
>
>
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
[mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ]
On Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
>
>
>
>
> the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the game
is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side yard
and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick up
the fans leaving the game.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> 
<mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> , "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> >
> > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> >
> > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to
Shea….
> >
> > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I am
being quite kind.
> >
> > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
> >
> > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to Shea,
and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> >
> > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a â€Å"scoot” between Woodside
and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they
can’t add a train or two heading east too.
> >
> > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service,
with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence,
both of which they lack.
> >
> > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is sardine
can time!!!
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

john,
during baseball season,on game days-nites, nyc transit runs extra trains to-from
yankee stadium,citi-field and keyspan park for the cyclones.thats called common
sense-two words that never appear in the LIRR's vocabulary.

from what you are saying, it just seems to be one giant hassle to get to/from
citi by train. id rather drive and take back streets.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, John R Wersan Jr <jwersan@...> wrote:
>
> I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..
>
>
>
> During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does nothing
more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would normally
run past it.
>
>
>
> I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I perceive
as a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that runs game
day only.
>
>
>
> I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with little
additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being put into
improving the service they provide.
>
>
>
> As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though only
one now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of these
platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????
>
>
>
> The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game
days, yet they claim otherwise…
>
>
>
> From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
> Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
> To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike
>
>
>
>
>
> the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the game
is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side yard
and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick up
the fans leaving the game.
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com>
, "John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@> wrote:
> >
> > >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
> >
> > I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to Shea….
> >
> > The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I am being quite
kind.
> >
> > The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
> >
> > Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to Shea,
and back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
> >
> > When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea,
usually the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs
area is usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the
platform. While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are
waiting for a regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR
can’t run a �"scoot” between Woodside and Shea, none
whatsoever. In fact there is no excuse why they can’t add a train or two
heading east too.
> >
> > The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service,
with little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence,
both of which they lack.
> >
> > Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is sardine
can time!!!
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I have been going to Shea for over five years now, and I have NEVER seen
additional trains through the Shea stop EXCEPT when the playoffs were at Shea,
and those nights were a zoo too..



During regular season games, it would appear to me that the LIRR does nothing
more than have REGULAR scheduled trains stop at Shea, when they would normally
run past it.



I am NOT privy to the schedules you see so I cannot say that what I perceive as
a regularly scheduled trains is in fact an additional train that runs game day
only.



I think the LIRR could make traveling to and from Shea MUCH better with little
additional effort on their part, and a LOT of additional thought being put into
improving the service they provide.



As an example. I believe there are THREE platforms at that stop. Though only one
now appears to have a stairway going down to it. Why not reopen ALL of these
platforms and use one or two as a departure platform and one as an arrival
platform, depending on direction and when the need is greatest. Why have only
ONE platform in use for BOTH directions?????



The LIRR, IMHO does the absolute MINIMUM to provide access to Shea on game days,
yet they claim otherwise…



From: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of casey_jones_vi
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Train to the game - 1 hit, 1 strike





the RR does run extra trains east and west through shea stadium after the game
is over. they hold extra equipment in great neck, port wash and west side yard
and after the game is over they are sent east or west through shea to pick up
the fans leaving the game.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com <mailto:LIRRCommuters%40yahoogroups.com> ,
"John R Wersan Jr" <jwersan@...> wrote:
>
> >on the Long Island Rail Road's experience with Met fans
>
> I’m one of those Mets fans who use the train to get to Shea….
>
> The LIRR’s implementation is LESS than stellar, and I am being quite
kind.
>
> The schedules are hit or miss some times, with long waits to transfer at
Woodside. I can live with the fact that I have to wait for a regularly scheduled
train to head east.
>
> Where the LIRR falls on its face is getting people from Woodside to Shea, and
back, which is usually a VERY frustrating experience.
>
> When the game lets out, it is near chaos at the LIRR station at Shea, usually
the platform is PACKED with people waiting for a train and the upstairs area is
usually overcrowded with them holding people from descending to the platform.
While those people heading east on the Port Washington line are waiting for a
regularly scheduled train east, there is no excuse why the LIRR can’t run
a “scoot” between Woodside and Shea, none whatsoever. In fact there
is no excuse why they can’t add a train or two heading east too.
>
> The LIRR has ample opportunity and platforms to GREATLY improve service, with
little additional costs, but that would require THOUGHT and intelligence, both
of which they lack.
>
> Forget about the days they have the US Open AND a Mets game, it is sardine can
time!!!
>
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

casey,
when i went to suny new paltz,rather than take the bus from np to the port
authority which was a $35 r/t even in those days,i would try and catch the bus
to poughkeepsie,then take metro north to gct. once there i would either catch a
bus ($1.15 or $1.25 each way) or simply walk to my parents home.

there was no metrocard in those days it was either cash or tokens.

--- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, casey_jones_vi <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> I don't think so, back in the late 1990's (1997-1999) when i used to go to
college upstate if i was visiting home for the weekend i would take the LIRR to
penn station then ride the A train to the Port Authority to catch the Adirondack
Trailways bus.  if i was planning a trip home for the weekend i would buy my
Round Trip LIRR  ticket and a $3.00 Metro-Card (Back then it was only $1.50 per
ride).
> I'll see if it can still be done with the TVM's next time i am near one.
>
>
> --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> >
> > Perhaps that's a new or LIRR thing. For a long time it was $20 and 40 only.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: casey_jones_vi <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
> > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:56
> > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> >
> >
> > that is incorrect, you can buy a 2-ride metro-card along with your LIRR
ticket at a station TVM.  i used to do it all the time.
> >
> >
> > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > >
> > > That was the point I was making to Phil - you can't get a low-use card
from a station machine so expecting a small or non-existent line from the
"spammers" is unrealistic.
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: "mrbeach602" <mrbeach602@>
> > > Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:45:37
> > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > >
> > > oops,
> > >
> > > im having multiple senior moments.
> > >
> > > i have been able to buy the single ride and $4.50 MC from th TRANSIT
AUTHORITY. lots of luck getting it at the LIRR or MNR tvm.
> > >
> > > then again,stocking those TVM's with the different MC's is too difficult a
task for them to do. feh.
> > >
> > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, "Michael B. Justice" <mbj@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I generally don't appreciate your attitude, but now you're meandering
into ignorance. Have you tried to buy a single-ride or $4.50 metrocard from a
LIRR or MNR TVM?  How about a "fun pass" (one day unlimited ride card)?
> > > >
> > > > MJ
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: "Philip L" <phil_yanks@>
> > > > Date: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:51
> > > > To: <LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com>
> > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > >
> > > > These "people" at the parade were not as smart as you or I or anyone
else on this group.  I doubt they even knew they had that option.  It's hard to
concentrate when you're buying a ticket while holding a beer at 7 in the
morning.
> > > >
> > > > Non-commuter spam....
> > > >
> > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com, Ian Greenbaum <ian_greenbaum@>
wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Sorry point out the obvious, but don't people have the option of
purchasing a Metrocard when purchasing their LIRR ticket?  Its been a while
since I have bought a ticket from the machine, but I rememer that option.  If
that is still an option, then these people screwed up also...
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >________________________________
> > > > > From: lingcat_2000 <phurrballe@>
> > > > > To: LIRRCommuters@yahoogroups.com
> > > > > Sent: Sat, November 7, 2009 3:51:53 PM
> > > > > Subject: [LIRRCommuters] Re: Ooops, MTA didn't think of THAT...
> > > > >
> > > > >  
> > > > > I do agree with Phil that it would have made more sense to hold the
parade on a weekend from just a logistics angle - less people in the downtown
area to control etc.... But considering the vast majority of parade-goers might
have still needed Metro-cards, the lines and confusion to purchase them probably
still would have occurred.
> > > > >
> > > > > As an aside, this has not been the first parade held downtown for a
Championship team - has this not occurred before? It not, what was different
this time around and if it did, then really, shame on the MTA.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, "Philip L" <phil_yanks@ ...>
wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > See what I mean? The city was overrun with non-commuter spam
yesterday.
> > > > > > This is why the damn thing should have been on a Saturday. It is a
beautiful day today, no work to do, nothing to worry about, not at the office.
It is a PERFECT day for a parade...Let the riff-raff go to the city to throw
their papers and get drunk and act like fools while I stay home and relax.
> > > > > > By Monday, it would be all cleaned up, the drunks would either be
arrested or sobered up. And then back to reality.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > *awaits pontificating response*
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In LIRRCommuters@ yahoogroups. com, LIRR Commuters Community
<yomf@> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Big party, big pain: MTA muffs Manhattan transfer for multitude of
Yankee fans
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Editorials
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Saturday, November 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The various arms of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority used
the Yankees' ticker-tape parade to give the agency's new chairman a case study
in how to create a nightmare for mass-transit riders.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > While doing yeoman's work in transporting heavy loads by subway
and commuter lines, the MTA blew it in the connections.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Case in point: the crowding and delays that plagued Penn Station,
where the Long Island Rail Road meets the subways.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Paradegoers poured off the LIRR needing MetroCards for the subway
- and were forced onto lines hundreds of bodies long because scant provision was
made to get them through turnstiles at the Seventh Ave. IRT or the Eighth Ave.
IND.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The IRT station superintendent found himself beset by
"pandemonium. " He got no extra staffing and was trying to use a bullhorn to
direct the surging crowds to unused MetroCard vending machines that were
situated in less obvious and less crowded locations.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Over at the IND, a lone conductor did his best to help the throngs
navigate.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Newly installed as MTA boss, Jay Walder has pledged to enhance the
riding experience. He could well start by impressing the need for coordination
on the chiefs of each of his units.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > When the LIRR adds service, as the line did yesterday, the Transit
Authority should beef up subway MetroCard availability and add staff to aid
travelers. Well, duh.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/07/2009-11-07_big_party_big_pain_mta\
_muffs_manhattan_transfer_for_multitude_of_yankee_fans.html
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>