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MERRY CHRISTMAS 2019!!!

Posted by
on December 25th, 2019 at 11:27 am

I would like to take this moment & wish each & every single reader & supporter of TransitBlogger.com a MERRY CHRISTMAS! May you enjoy the holiday season with your friends & family while making new memories that will last a lifetime!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR 2019 Holiday Service Plan Info

Posted by
on December 24th, 2019 at 4:11 pm

Here is the Christmas & New Year’s Eve 2019 service plan information for the MTA Long Island Rail Road:

December 24: Extra Holiday Eve Service for Christmas Eve

13 Extra Trains Departing Penn Station

Weekend/Holiday Schedule in Effect all Day on December 25, Christmas Day

The LIRR will provide 13 additional departures from Penn Station on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, for those heading home early for the Christmas holiday. The additional service includes:

Ronkonkoma Branch

  • 12:46 PM train to Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, local to Ronkonkoma
  • 1:49 PM train to Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, local to Ronkonkoma

Babylon Branch

  • 1:28 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 1:56 PM train to Jamaica, Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 2:22 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 2:32 PM express to Lynbrook, local to Babylon
  • 3:00 PM train to Jamaica, Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 3:31 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon

Port Jefferson Branch (to Hicksville/Huntington)

  • 2:08 PM train to Jamaica, Mineola, local to Huntington
  • 2:26 PM train to Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, local to Huntington
  • 3:24 PM train to Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury, Hicksville

Port Washington Branch (to Great Neck)

  • 3:40 PM train to Woodside, Flushing-Main Street, all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch

  • 3:48 PM train to Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, Valley Stream, all stops to Far Rockaway

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, LIRR trains will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule and off-peak fares will be in effect all day.

December 31 – January 1: Extra Holiday Service for New Year’s Eve

The LIRR will provide 13 extra afternoon trains from Penn Station on Tuesday, December 31, for those leaving early for New Year’s Eve. The additional trains depart Penn Station as follows:

Ronkonkoma Branch

  • 12:46 PM train to Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, local to Ronkonkoma
  • 1:49 PM train to Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, local to Ronkonkoma

Babylon Branch

  • 1:28 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 1:56 PM train to Jamaica, Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 2:22 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 2:32 PM express to Lynbrook, local to Babylon
  • 3:00 PM train to Jamaica, Rockville Centre, local to Babylon
  • 3:31 PM express to Rockville Centre, local to Babylon

Port Jefferson Branch (to Hicksville/Huntington)

  • 2:08 PM train to Jamaica, Mineola, local to Huntington
  • 2:26 PM train to Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, local to Huntington
  • 3:24 PM train to Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury, Hicksville

Port Washington Branch (to Great Neck)

  • 3:40 PM train to Woodside, Flushing-Main Street, all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch

  • 3:48 PM train to Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, Valley Stream, all stops to Far Rockaway

On Tuesday evening, December 31, the LIRR will operate 21 extra westbound trains to Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal for those attending New Year’s Eve celebrations. The extra trains are:

Port Jefferson Branch

  • 4:55 PM Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset, Hicksville, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 6:39 PM Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset, Hicksville, Jamaica, Atlantic Terminal
  • 6:59 PM Hicksville, local to Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 7:10 PM Port Jefferson, local to Huntington, Hicksville, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 7:33 PM Hicksville, local to Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 7:38 PM Huntington, local to Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 8:25 PM Huntington, local to Jamaica, Penn Station

Long Beach Branch

  • 5:42 PM Long Beach, local to Valley Stream, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 8:13 PM Long Beach, local to Valley Stream, Jamaica, Penn Station

Babylon Branch

  • 5:45 PM Babylon, local to Rockville Centre, Jamaica, Atlantic Terminal
  • 6:20 PM Babylon, local to Rockville Centre, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 7:24 PM Freeport, local to Rockville Centre, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 8:09 PM Babylon, local to Rockville Centre, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 9:25 PM Babylon, local to Rockville Centre, Jamaica, Penn Station

Ronkonkoma Branch

  • 6:50 PM Ronkonkoma, local to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, Atlantic Terminal
  • 7:42 PM Ronkonkoma, local to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, Penn Station
  • 8:40 PM Ronkonkoma, local to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, Penn Station

Hempstead Branch

  • 7:36 PM Hempstead, local to Jamaica, Penn Station

Port Washington Branch

  • 7:07 PM Great Neck, local to Woodside, Penn Station
  • 8:42 PM Port Washington, local to Woodside, Penn Station

Montauk Branch

  • 8:03 PM Speonk, local to Babylon, Jamaica, Penn Station

On Wednesday, January 1, the LIRR will operate 15 extra eastbound trains from Penn Station for those returning home after attending New Year’s Eve festivities. The extra trains are:

Port Washington Branch

  • 12:35 AM Woodside, Flushing-Main Street, all stops to Port Washington
  • 2:19 AM Woodside, Flushing-Main Street, all stops to Port Washington
  • 4:18 AM Woodside, Flushing-Main Street, all stops to Port Washington

Ronkonkoma Branch

  • 12:57 AM Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, all stops to Ronkonkoma
  • 2:02 AM Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, all stops to Ronkonkoma
  • 3:54 AM Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, all stops to Ronkonkoma

Babylon Branch

  • 1:09 AM Jamaica, Rockville Centre, all stops to Babylon
  • 2:14 AM Jamaica, Lynbrook, all stops to Babylon
  • 2:59 AM Jamaica, Lynbrook, all stops to Babylon
  • 3:29 AM Jamaica, Lynbrook, all stops to Babylon

Montauk Branch

  • 1:32 AM Jamaica, Rockville Centre, all stops to Speonk

Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch

  • 1:54 AM Jamaica, New Hyde Park, all stops to Huntington
  • 2:44 AM Jamaica, New Hyde Park, all stops to Huntington
  • 3:11 AM Jamaica, New Hyde Park, all stops to Port Jefferson

Long Beach Branch

  • 2:34 AM Jamaica, Valley Stream, all stops to Long Beach

Note: An extra train to Huntington and Ronkonkoma, and two extra trains to Babylon, will depart approximately 20 minutes after the end of the concert at the Barclays Center.

 

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Metro North Holiday Service Plan Info

Posted by
on December 24th, 2019 at 4:06 pm

Here is the Christmas & New Year’s service plan information for the MTA Metro-North Railroad:

East of Hudson Metro-North Service (December 24 – January 1)

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Early Christmas Getaway Service Tuesday, December 24, features extra trains departing Grand Central beginning at 1 p.m. Some evening trains will be cancelled or combined because of reduced ridership later in the day.

On Christmas Day, Wednesday December 25, trains will operate on a special holiday schedule with hourly service on most line segments, and regular weekend service on all branch lines.

For the week between Christmas and New Year’s (Thursday-Friday, December 26-27, and on Monday December 30), trains will operate on a weekday schedule with reduced AM Peak service and additional inbound service operating in the late morning. PM peak service will operate normally.

So if you are taking family and friends to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, stroll by the holiday window displays along Fifth Avenue, or take in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular or The Illusionists (see all of Metro-North’s discounted New York City packages), Metro-North will get you there.

When you purchase your tickets, we recommend you use MTA eTix®, the mobile ticketing app that enables you to purchase those ten-trip, one way, round trip, weekly and monthly passes on your smartphone or mobile device.

New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, trains will operate on a reduced weekday schedule in the morning and evening rush hours.

New Year’s Eve Service includes extra inbound late afternoon and early evening service to get you to your party. And there is “overnight” New Year’s morning service that will get you safely home when that party is finally over!

Please remember that drinking alcohol on Metro-North trains and at our stations is banned from noon New Year’s Eve until noon New Year’s Day.

Buy your tickets in advance. Those of you taking our early morning New Year service will have your tickets collected prior to boarding trains at Grand Central. The best way to do that is with MTA eTix®.

New Year’s Day

Finally, on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2020, Metro-North will operate hourly service on most line segments, and regular weekend service on branch lines.

For more details, please see a Christmas/New Year’s Holiday Timetable or our Train Time app.

West of Hudson Metro-North Service

Christmas Eve

On Tuesday, December 24, early getaway trains will operate on both the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines:

  • The regularly scheduled Port Jervis Line departure from Hoboken at 2:41 p.m., stopping at Secaucus Junction, and all stops between Suffern and Middletown/Town of Wallkill, will be extended to stop at Otisville and Port Jervis. Customers from Manhattan wishing to connect to this train should be on the 2:33 p.m. departure from Penn Station-NY to connect at Secaucus Junction. To accommodate this service, the 6:15 p.m. departure from Hoboken to Port Jervis will not operate.
  • The Pascack Valley train departing Hoboken at 2:58 p.m. will stop at Secaucus Junction, and select stations in New Jersey, and Pearl River, Nanuet and Spring Valley. Customers from Manhattan who are wishing to connect to this train should be on the 2:51 p.m. departure from Penn Station-NY to connect at Secaucus Junction. To accommodate this train, the 5:58 p.m. departure from Hoboken to Spring Valley will not operate.

Christmas Day and Immediately After

On Wednesday, December 25, Christmas Day, trains will run on a regular weekend/holiday schedule, with the addition of a late-afternoon train on the Port Jervis Line from Port Jervis to Hoboken. This train departs Port Jervis at 4:05 p.m., makes all stops to Suffern and then operates express to Secaucus Jct and Hoboken, arriving at 6:24 p.m.; the connecting train from Secaucus Jct to New York arrives in Penn Station at 6:33 p.m.

On Thursday, Friday and Monday, December 26, 27 and 30, trains will run on a regular weekday schedule.

On Tuesday, December 31, New Year’s Eve, trains will run on a regular weekday schedule. After the ball drops in Times Square, there will be one train rescheduled to operate later and one extra train on both the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines to take revelers home.

  • On the Port Jervis Line, the 12:40 a.m. departure from Hoboken to Port Jervis is changed to depart Hoboken at 1:27 a.m., stopping at Secaucus Junction, and operates express to Suffern and then all station stops to Port Jervis, with a connecting train from New York that departs Penn Station at 1:23 a.m.; a second train departs Hoboken at 3 a.m., stopping at Secaucus Junction, and then all station stops to Port Jervis, with a connecting train from New York that departs Penn Station at 2:51 a.m.
  • On the Pascack Valley Line, the 12:45 a.m. departure from Hoboken to Spring Valley is changed to depart Hoboken at 1:24 a.m., stopping at Secaucus Junction and then all station stops to Spring Valley, with a connecting train from New York that departs Penn Station at 1:18 a.m.; a second train departs Hoboken at 3:45 a.m., stopping at Secaucus Junction and then all station stops to Spring Valley, with a connecting train from New York that departs Penn Station at 3:30 a.m.

New Year’s Day

On Wednesday, January 1, 2020, New Year’s Day, trains will run on a Weekend/Holiday schedule, with the addition of a late-afternoon train on the Port Jervis Line from Port Jervis to Hoboken. This added train departs Port Jervis at 4:05 p.m., makes all stops to Suffern and then operates express to Secaucus Jct. and Hoboken, arriving at 6:24 p.m.; the connecting train from Secaucus Jct. to New York arrives in Penn Station at 6:33 p.m.

 

xoxo Transit Blogger

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NYC Transit 2019 Holiday Schedule Info

Posted by
on December 24th, 2019 at 4:02 pm

The end of the decade is upon us & the MTA will be there for all your travel needs. Here is their planned schedule for the Christmas & New Year’s holiday in regards to NYC Transit:

On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, December 25, 2019 and January 1, 2020, subways and buses will run on a Sunday schedule. Staten Island Railway will run on a Saturday schedule.

Sunday Schedule Reminder for Subways

  • 5 service will run between Bowling Green in Manhattan and Dyre Av in the Bronx, day/evening.
  • 5 and D trains will run local in the Bronx.
  • Use 6 and 7 local service instead of 6 and 7 express service.
  • Use A, C, D, or Q trains instead of B trains.
  • Use J local service instead of J/Z skip-stop service.
  • M trains will run between Metropolitan Av in Queens and Delancey-Essex Sts in Manhattan, day/evening.
  • N trains will run local in Manhattan.
  • Use N, Q, or R service instead of W trains.

L Project will not be in effect; expect normal L service, running on a Sunday schedule (check signage in your station for details).

Special Weekday Bus Schedules

Christmas Eve, December 24 Extra Service for the following Staten Island-bound routes:

Departures from 23 St and Broadway, Manhattan

  • SIM1c at 12:32 PM, 1:02 PM, 1:31 PM, and 1:43 PM
  • SIM3c at 12:29 PM, 12:59 PM, and 1:29 PM
  • SIM4c at 12:24 PM, 1:24 PM, and 2:10 PM
  • SIM33c at 12:29 PM, 12:59 PM, and 1:29 PM

Departures from Chambers St and Broadway, Manhattan

  • SIM1c at 12:55 PM, 1:10 PM, 1:25 PM, 1:40 PM, 1:54 PM, and 2:06 PM
  • SIM3c at 12:22 PM, 12:52 PM, 1:23 PM, and 1:53 PM
  • SIM4c at 12:40 PM, 1:41 PM, 1:56 PM, and 2:26 PM
  • SIM33c at 12:52 PM, 1:23 PM, and 1:53 PM

Tuesday through Tuesday (December 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31) modified schedules will be in effect for these routes: Brooklyn X27, X28, X37, X38 and Queens X63, X64, X68 (select your route to see a PDF schedule). Or, you can use Plan a Trip.

Monday through the following Tuesday (December 23, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31): local, limited and Select Bus Service will operate on an adjusted weekday schedule. Use Plan a Trip to make your itinerary.

New Year’s Eve, December 31 Extra Service Trips for the following Staten Island-bound routes:

From 23 St, Manhattan

  • SIM1c first extra trip at 12:32 PM
  • SIM3c first extra trip at 12:29 PM
  • SIM4c first extra trip at 12:24 PM
  • SIM33c first extra trip at 12:29 PM

From Chambers St, Manhattan

  • SIM1c first extra trip at 12:55 PM
  • SIM3c first extra trip at 12:22 PM
  • SIM4c first extra trip at 12:40 PM
  • SIM33c first extra trip at 12:52 PM

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA & TWU Local 100 Reach New Deal

Posted by
on December 6th, 2019 at 5:19 pm

Even though it was nearly 14 years to the date, the last NYC Transit strike still resonates with me. I recall being out there providing exclusive coverage from picket lines and providing that for my readers here on Transit Blogger. While such an occurrence did not seem to be in the cards this time around, it is good to know that the MTA & TWU Local 100 reached a new deal. More on that from the press release the agency shared with me yesterday:

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye and Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 President Tony Utano today announced a tentative agreement between the MTA and TWU Local 100. The agreement, which is subject to ratification by the union’s members and approval by the MTA Board, provides a four-year contract for more than 37,000 transit workers.

“This contract reflects the hard work of thousands of Transit employees who have helped us reach the highest on-time subway performance in more than half a decade, while providing a fair deal for taxpayers and our more than eight million daily customers,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye. “The tentative agreement is responsive to the financial challenges we face and addresses important issues such as accessibility, overtime and healthcare costs.”

Accessibility remains a top priority for the MTA, and this agreement reflects the agency and the TWU’s commitment to these projects. The agreement advances the MTA’s unprecedented investment in making 70 stations accessible in the proposed 2020-2024 historic Capital Plan by accelerating the delivery of these projects. The agreement also ensures these important assets will be reliably available for customers. The parties also agree to create the first-ever tri-party committee with MTA, TWU and accessibility advocates, to ensure close collaboration and continued focus on delivering these projects quickly and efficiently.

This agreement also includes changes to modernize the health plan. The adjustments will deliver $27 million in savings through a series of changes, including increases to emergency room co-pays to encourage greater use of primary and urgent care providers; instituting nationwide in-network coverage, increasing flexibility and choice for employees among providers; and adjusting prescription drug co-pays to encourage use of generic options, among others.

The agreement includes a suite of provisions that, combined and enacted in partnership with the TWU, will ensure the MTA continues to deliver on improvements in operations while realizing savings for the financial plan. This includes a commitment to a one-and-a-half day improvement in employee availability – the number of days an employee is available and reporting to work – which will deliver an estimated $17 million in annual savings to the MTA. Availability has steadily decreased since 2000. After an improvement of one day in employee availability is achieved, any additional savings will be jointly shared between the TWU and MTA.

The agreement includes a recognition of overtime equalization as an important priority for both the MTA and TWU, to ensure that opportunities for overtime are equally available to eligible employees and that overtime is efficiently allocated. The MTA will also enforce existing contractual agreements in order to achieve this priority. The agreement also includes provisions to further modernize the agency’s approach to discipline, to ensure policies are more progressive and fair to employees – significantly advancing a key goal in Fast Forward.

The TWU and MTA will also jointly work to identify goals and align interests to increase productivity, and a clear path to achieving these improvements, with any achieved savings shared equally. The agreement allows for mutual swaps of shifts between employees in similar job classes across all TWU members for the first time, giving employees increased flexibility in scheduling while ensuring sufficient coverage for critical operational roles and minimizing overtime.

The agreement allows third-party contractors to provide a one-time deep cleaning of up to 180 subway stations.

Both the MTA and TWU recognize worker safety as a priority issue, and will work together to increase public awareness of assaults on transit workers, advocate for increased usage of existing provisions in State law that classify worker assaults as a felony, and create a Task Force that includes partners in law enforcement to ensure these issues receive necessary attention and that all parties have a sustained focus on solutions. NYCT and TWU will also cooperate to explore the use of new technologies to increase track worker and flagger safety.

Under the terms of the agreement, NYCT will pay an average net wage increase of 2.3% each year through May 2023. Before giving effect to health savings and increases in availability, a one percent increase in wages is approximately equal to $36 million, offset by $44 million in savings in the health plan and availability. Once the contract is ratified, workers would receive a 2% increase for 2019, a 2.25% increase in 2020, a 2.5% increase in 2021 and a 2.75% increase in 2022.

The contract covers more than 30,000 TWU employees working for NYC Transit and 6,600 employees of the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), which include bus operators, maintainers, cleaners, maintainers and other employees who work out of seven bus depots in Manhattan and the Bronx.

The proposed agreement can be funded within the proposed MTA 2020-2023 Financial Plan.

So far both sides seem satisfied with the deal which should calm down the usual intensity geared towards each other from both sides. Hopefully nothing comes along that could derail the deal.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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