LIRR Offers Plans For People To Enjoy Summer In Long Beach

LONG BEACH, NY — To assist with sunbathing or other summertime activities, the Long Island Railroad is ready to handle additional capacity across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

"The railroad is working closely with communities to ensure that wherever people want to go, we're looking to see how we can best serve that ridership," LIRR President Phil Eng told Patch.

As more people are vaccinated against COVID-19, they are more likely to feel comfortable in larger settings, especially outdoors. Summer destinations like Long Beach are expected to bring a welcome rejuvenation to the seasonal economy.

The LIRR has a special summer package to Long Beach. But there are deals to Fire Island, Montauk and Jones Beach. The commuter rail line is planning to offer other packages to wineries and craft breweries, as well.

"The one thing you want to do when you're on your own time, and enjoying, is not worry about traffic," Eng said. "Let us do the driving."

Although ridership is picking up and is expected to get busier in the hot months, the off-peak fare remains in effect.

"We see very strong, robust ridership in the off-peak," Eng said. "That's what we want to continue to focus on. It might mean a more balanced daily ridership."

Weekday ridership hit a pandemic record earlier this month at 33 percent and "we expect that to continue to rise," Eng said.

Morning peak times saw a boost from 6 a.m to 7:30 a.m with essential workers commuting early in the pandemic.

"Now, we're starting to see some ridership return in the 8 to 9 [hour]," Eng said.

The weekend ridership is 55 percent.

For people still on the fence about taking the LIRR, Eng said that the MTA led the country with cleaning methods.

"All of our stations are sanitized. All of our train cars are sanitized," Eng said. "The HVAC system in the train cars is actually more robust than what's required in buildings. It actually recycles fresh air continuously.

"You can ride the trains safely," Eng said.