Middletown movers give their take on the bus system’s status

Middletown’s bus system faces an uncertain future, with the shuttering of two commuter routes in November. In the wake of the closures, Middletown Connector Co-op wants the Metro system to be more accessible to low-income residents, for example, and they want to see LIRR costs reduced and ridership increased.

What would you change?

A few months ago, we heard loud and clear the calls of the riding public for a smaller service that will directly impact our area. As a co-op, we are charged with providing affordable transportation to the low-income members of our middletown movers community. This means partnering with other services, including Middletown’s Bike Share, Greenport Trails Bike Path, the Long Island Rail Road, Long Island Lighting Company, The Woodhull Community Health Center, and more. We understand the challenges facing the LIRR but do not believe that the MTA’s fare hikes or service reductions will make the service affordable or accessible to the average Middletown commuter.

I believe that the MTA needs to invest in increasing the capacity of LIRR’s Oyster Bay branch by bringing additional service to the station, including additional rush hour trains. In the last five years, the LIRR has increased service and capacity on the Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, and Babylon branches; and there is no excuse for not increasing capacity again on the Montauk line. The only questions that remain are the size of the trains, how much additional service will there be, and where the stations will be located. The planning of train stations on the Oyster Bay line needs to be done on a regional basis with an emphasis on accessibility for families.

I believe that the MTA needs to lower the costs and fees that are currently associated with purchasing or leasing MTA passes. In order for the MTA to provide a reliable service to the riding public, it needs to offer a basic commuter pass and charge a reasonable price.

If the LIRR wanted to bring down the cost of rail passes, it should implement smart ticketing and create a unified pass that would give riders seamless travel across all MTA transportation.

Why should Middletown focus on the LIRR?

We can’t make the Middletown LIRR connection without the support of the MTA. The MTA has been extremely supportive of our efforts. We’ve had several meetings with representatives from the MTA and they have taken our concerns seriously.

We believe it’s in the MTA’s best interest to maintain and increase LIRR ridership. They have several new projects planned that will result in increased capacity along the LIRR system. The MTA can also improve its capital program by making funding available to improve the track, signals, and other aspects of the LIRR.

Some have mentioned that the MTA should acquire buses to accommodate the ridership and ride better. If the MTA invested in more buses and made service to be as frequent as the LIRR, we would all agree that the Middletown Connector Co-op would like to take part in the purchase and operation of these buses. The MCC is a nonprofit, self-funding agency. We wouldn’t have to charge our members more for an LIRR ride if they were utilizing the LIRR system.