August 20, 2025

I’m Bryan Peranzo, a member of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council.

No one likes fare hikes, but small, regular increases are better than what we’re seeing in other places. It’s important to keep frequent and reliable service for the millions of riders who rely on the LIRR, and for our economy.

I do take issue with the proposed automatic activation and expiration after four hours. Here are my concerns about why it won’t work in real life:

I usually buy my ticket the night before, but now that’s off the table, along with that convenience.

What if I bought a ticket before I left the office and then decided to grab dinner or drinks with some colleagues? My ticket would expire and I would lose the money.

What if I bought a ticket in the morning before heading to work and my child was sick and I needed to stay home? My ticket would expire and I would lose the money.

What if I bought a ticket and then my train was delayed and I decided to travel a different way? My ticket would expire and I would lose the money.

What if I want to give my kid a ticket to hold onto in case they need it? Under this plan that would be impossible.

A 48-hour expiration window is a better, more realistic option. I understand the goal is to address the fare evasion, but at the same time, these changes will inconvenience a lot of honest commuters.

I am also concerned about losing the ten trip. It doesn’t always make sense for me to buy a monthly, so a ten trip is most cost- and time-effective – especially for off-peak travel. But its loss could increase the price up to 23-percent. That’s a lot! I am open to changing the way I travel but you should implement these changes over time and not all at once.

Finally, having just three meetings in two days at one place in Brooklyn is a real disservice to riders. The pop-up meetings don’t work where many of us live either. There should be more hearings for a longer period.

The post Fare Change Hearing Testimony- Why Automatic Activation and Expiration Won’t Work in Real Life appeared first on PCAC.

Positive

Grand Central Madison is Popular with Midtown Workers

Commuters in the vicinity of Grand Central Madison and along the Lexington Avenue Line report that they now have a one seat ride or a shorter last-mile journey than they did previously.

Flexibility for East Side and Bronx Commuters, and Through Commuting

Now that Midtown has two LIRR terminals, riders appreciate that they have more transit options on the East Side and West Side, allowing them more flexibility in their travel routines.

Added Service at formerly “local” stops.

Adding more stops at stations previously bypassed during certain times of day means riders who use those local stations have seen an increase in service from trains which now stop more frequently.

Negative

End of Cross-Platform and Timed Transfers at Jamaica

Trains are no longer held at Jamaica to await a transfer, and are no longer guaranteed to show up on adjacent tracks. Transfers are inconsistent and physically demanding, and not guaranteed. Because most trains to midtown are now alternating between Grand Central and Penn, riders consider their options have been halved, so their wait times have doubled as they wait for their direct train. Riders were already resistant to change at Jamaica, and the new practices look to be increasing that based on open-ended survey responses.

Addition of local stops onto many trains, and the end of trains skipping Jamaica

After the schedule change, many trains began making more local stops, or express and skip-stop patterns on branches were altered. Some rides got longer, and few if any trains bypass Jamaica in either direction.

Service Gap Complaints/Insufficient Rush Hour Service

Riders across all branches frequently reference individual trains in their complaints – in many cases, it’s in regard to a gap in service that was introduced with the new schedule, or that their train now requires them to transfer. With the railroad having several bad days where service broke down during rush hour, and the fact that Jamaica transfers are more stressful, passengers are mistrustful of any transfer.

Overloaded trains into and out of Penn Station/Train length woes

Riders uniformly complain about crowded trains into and out of Penn Station and reduced outbound service. Many of these Penn trains had cars removed during the schedule change, and were periodically lengthened over time. Still, standing room only conditions are frequently referenced. Grand Central passengers don’t share these complaints. Penn commuters continue to demand more frequent service to their individual branches and longer trains.

Before February 27, 34% of riders (out of a sample of 345) stated they had to transfer to get to their destination. After February 27, 59% of riders (out of a sample of 397) stated they had to transfer occasionally or all the time.

The post LIRRCC Releases Spring Survey Results appeared first on PCAC.

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LIRRCC Chair and MTA Board Member Gerard Bringmann said, “The opening of Grand Central Madison is a game-changer for those heading to and from Midtown East, but it should not come at the expense of other riders. This first week, we’ve seen overcrowded trains – at a time when ridership is at about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels and service increased 41-percent; mad dashes to make missed connections over jam-packed escalators and staircases at Jamaica; and commutes made longer, rather than shorter, by the new service. To be sure, signal issues on the first two days added flame to the fire, but it’s clear regardless that improvements must be made. We’re trying to get riders back on trains, not give them reasons to get into cars or stay home.

“Since Monday, LIRRCC has received countless complaints from longtime LIRR riders who are furious about the negative changes to their commutes. These complaints don’t come as a surprise: they were raised repeatedly since the draft schedules were released in June 2022, and then again last month when the final schedules were published. Riders called for improvements every step of the way, including more direct trains, timed connections, and better scheduling of trains to reduce crowding and long gaps in service, among others. However, these concerns were largely ignored, and now riders are suffering the consequences.

“The major issues witnessed in recent days include extreme overcrowding at Jamaica Station, with crowds of people rushing and pushing up crowded stairs and escalators to change trains, especially to Brooklyn. Without timed connections, many riders can’t afford to miss a train, knowing the next may be up to 20 minutes away. While we can understand that scheduling changes are bound to happen, this one is particularly alarming and puts riders’ lives at risk, particularly those with disabilities or limited mobility. It could also have been foreseen by listening to regular riders, who have voiced concerns about the ‘up and over’ since construction of Platform F began.

“With fewer riders and more service, it is incomprehensible for there to be this many crowded standing-room-only trains. The LIRR must take immediate action to rectify this situation by adding cars to consists during peak times and adjusting schedules to meet the demand and lessen crowding situations.

“The experiment isn’t a failure, but it needs work. We’re calling on the LIRR to adjust schedules to better meet demand, reinstate timed connections and more direct service, and add cars to overcrowded trains to ensure that riders have a comfortable and efficient trip. The opening of Grand Central Madison is an opportunity to prove that public transit is the best way to travel throughout the region, but the LIRR must address the concerns and complaints of riders. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and hold the LIRR accountable for delivering the service that Long Island Rail Road commuters deserve.”

The post Immediate Action Needed to Address New Schedule LIRR Flaws and First Week Debacle appeared first on PCAC.

The post LIRR Riders Are One Stop Closer to Grand Central with Waiver from FRA appeared first on PCAC.

“We’re seeing a better version of Penn Station than we’ve seen before — and with these improvements, it’s well on its way to becoming the train station commuters deserve. With weekday ridership still nearly 40% below pre-pandemic levels, it’s important that the MTA does everything possible to get more riders back on board. That means improving the overall experience of taking transit, including with better amenities, safer and more pleasant stations, continued fare discount programs, and more reliable and frequent service. With higher ceilings, brighter lighting, and new digital schedule boards, Penn Station is well on its way to finally becoming “more fit for humans than rodents,” as MTA Chair Janno Lieber said, and is a welcome change for millions of commuters, tourists, and riders who have waited decades for a more enjoyable Penn Station. Better wayfinding is a major benefit of this upgrade, with more readable real time digital signage that will help riders more easily see their trains and tracks. A better Penn Station—one of many major LIRR upgrades coming our way this year— will help prove that riders made the right choice by choosing transit and encourage even more people from Long Island to New Jersey to get back on board.”

The post A Better Penn Station Will Help Bring Riders Back appeared first on PCAC.

Love it or hate it, we need Congestion Pricing. As both a frequent driver and a regular rider of the Long Island Rail Road, I understand both sides. But I know that the Long Island Rail Road needs the funding brought in by Congestion Pricing to pay for critical repairs and improvements that will help make transit the best option for even more Long Islanders. Many transit improvements are already on the way, including East Side Access and Third Track, that show the MTA’s commitment to improving transit for Long Island— including making it easier for reverse-commuters traveling Eastbound for work, which will revitalize the Long Island economy.

Congestion Pricing will raise billions for critical LIRR projects like upgrading the signals that keep our trains moving from Babylon to Patchogue; platform and station repairs and accessibility projects throughout the system to make sure that the disabled and elderly can rely on transit; new (and more) train cars – more M9 “unicorns” to replace M3 “dinosaurs” that are back from retirement; and state-of-good-repair projects that will mean faster, more reliable rides with fewer delays.

Without this critical funding from Congestion Pricing, we risk delaying important repairs that will slow down commutes and bring us closer to another, or worse, “Summer of Hell.” Long Island has seen its fair share of storms and extreme weather over the last decade, leading to service outages on many lines, and we have to prepare for the worst. This capital funding will also help protect the Long Island Rail Road from damage caused by rain, flood, wind, and snow. 

All of these improvements will make riding the Long Island Rail Road more reliable, accessible, and enjoyable. And for those of us who do not end our trips at Penn Station or Atlantic Terminal — and soon, Grand Central — it’s clear that the city’s subways and buses desperately need more maintenance and upgrades. This funding will help the majority of Long Islanders who take transit into the city by speeding up trains and buses and improving our transit system as a whole. Investing in our transit system means investing in our economy and our entire region, and the funds brought by Congestion Pricing are more important now than ever. Thank you.

The post Long Island Rail Road Riders Will Benefit From Congestion Pricing appeared first on PCAC.

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