How many take the LIRR? (Hempstead, Brookhaven: live, beach, train)

[azzurrony]

I've taken the train from Nassau Blvd (Hempstead line) in the morning and the "express" trains seem fine to me. 40 min or so to Penn. Granted that is 3 stops closer to the city than Hempstead, but still, it's not bad at all.

Now the evening trains do suck a bit more. They almost all stop at Jamaica and seem slow. I still have to experiment to see which one is best in the evening.

[Crookhaven]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION USAGE & AVERAGE COMMUTE TIME
Nassau & Suffolk Counties (2000 Census)

Place:..............................% Use..............Avg. Commute (minutes)
Munsey Park (N)..................33.7.....................40.0
Plandome Manor (N).............33.4.....................37.4
Bellerose (N).......................32.3.................... .37.7
Plandome (N).......................32.1.................... 37.6
Kensington (N).....................29.8....................39 .0
Great Neck (N).....................29.4....................40 .8
Great Neck Plaza (N).............28.8....................35.5
Port Washington North (N)......28.4....................43.0
Thomaston (N)......................27.5...................35 .3
Russell Gardens (N)................27.4...................37.7
Bellerose Terrace (N)..............27.2...................39.5
Plandome Heights (N)..............26.2...................34.0
Manhasset (N).......................25.9...................3 2.6
Saddle Rock Estates (N)..........24.7...................34.9
Port Washington (N)...............24.6...................36.8
Baxter Estates (N)..................24.3...................36.2
Hempstead (N).......................24.3...................3 2.4
Kings Point (N).......................24.2...................4 2.3
Great Neck Gardens (N)...........24.0...................35.2
Flower Hill (N)........................23.6................... 36.9
Garden City (N)......................23.0...................34 .6
Sands Point (N)......................22.7...................39 .7
Great Neck Estates (N)............22.0...................32.9
Rockville Centre (N).................21.8...................34.4
University Gardens (N).............21.8...................32.4
North Valley Stream (N)...........21.3...................42.0
Saddle Rock (N).....................20.8....................37 .5
Saltaire (S)...........................20.8................ ....31.3
Long Beach (N)......................20.7....................3 9.2
Lido Beach (N).......................20.6.................... 42.4
East Atlantic Beach (N)...........20.4....................43.8
Floral Park (N).......................19.6.................... 34.9
North Lynbrook (N).................19.6....................31.8
Stewart Manor (N)..................19.4...................36.6
South Valley Stream (N)...........19.3...................37.6
Lynbrook (N)..........................19.0................. ..32.5
Harbor Hills (N).......................18.8...................3 6.9
South Floral Park (N)...............18.7...................40.4
East Wiliston (N)....................18.7....................34. 0
Huntington Bay (S).................18.6...................43.9
Lake Success (N)...................18.5...................33.2
Barnum Island (N)...................18.4...................38.1
Lakeview (N).........................18.4.................. .37.5
Roosevelt (N)........................18.4................... 33.9
Laurel Hollow (N)....................18.3..................39.5
Merrick (N)...........................18.3................ ...35.3
East Rockaway (N)................18.0...................34.1
Baldwin (N)..........................17.9................. ..37.3
Halesite (S)..........................17.8................. .45.4
Hewlett (N)..........................17.7................. .31.5
Woodmere (N)......................17.4...................38 .4
Centre Island (N)..................17.3...................45.9
Lawrence (N).......................17.2...................4 1.5
Uniondale (N).......................17.1...................3 5.7
Malverne (N)........................17.1................... 33.9
Valley Stream (N)..................17.1..................33.9
Syosset (N)..........................16.9................. .36.1
Roslyn Harbor (N)...................16.8..................43.9
Wantagh (N).........................16.8.................. 35.7
Bellmore (N)..........................16.8................. .35.4
Cold Spring Harbor (S).............16.5.................38.1
Elmont (N).............................16.4.............. ...38.4
Woodbury (N)........................16.3.................36 .5
New Hyde Park (N)..................16.3.................31.4
New Cassel (N).......................16.3.................28. 2
Oceanside (N)........................16.2.................36 .9
South Hempstead (N)...............16.0................34.9
Manorhaven (N)......................15.9.................34.3
Old Westbury (N)....................15.7.................36.8
Mineola (N)............................15.5............... ..30.2
Island Park (N)........................15.4................29. 8
Wheatley Heights (N)...............15.3................35.8
Massapequa (N)......................15.2................37.4
Freeport (N)...........................15.2................ 32.0
North Hills (N).........................15.1................39 .2
Massapequa Park (N)................15.1...............37.2
Atlantic Beach (N)...................15.0................42.7
North Bellmore (N)...................15.0................34.1
Seaford (N)............................14.8............... .35.6
Farmingdale (N).......................14.8................30.3
Roslyn Estates (N)...................14.7................39.1
Westbury (N)..........................14.5................3 2.5
Roslyn (N)..............................14.4............. ...37.5
Searingtown (N)......................14.4................37.4
Old Bethpage (N).....................14.4................36.7
Plainview (N)..........................14.4................. 35.1
Huntington (S)........................14.2................38. 1
Jericho (N).............................14.2.............. ..36.8
Fire Island (S).........................14.1................31 .1
Inwood (N).............................14.1.............. ..28.2
Hewlett Neck (N).....................13.8................33.3
Baldwin Harbor (N)...................13.6................39.2
West Hills (S)..........................13.6................3 5.1
East Hills (N)...........................13.3................ 36.8
North Merrick (N).....................13.3................34.6
Cedarhurst (N)........................13.3................33. 5
Amityville (S)..........................13.3................3 3.0
Point Lookout (N).....................13.1...............33.6
Asharoken (S).........................13.0...............42. 7
Muttontown (N).......................13.0..............41.6
Herricks (N)............................13.0............... 37.9
Malverne Park Oaks (N).............12.8..............34.8
East Massapequa (N)................12.7..............36.6
Garden City South (N)...............12.5..............30.5
Glenwood Landing (N)................12.4..............31.8
Garden City Park (N).................12.4..............30.3
Babylon (S).............................12.3.............. 35.2
West Hempstead (N).................12.3..............33.2
Lloyd Harbor (S).......................12.0..............40.3
North Wantagh (N)...................12.0..............33.4
Hicksville (N)...........................12.0..............32 .1
Roslyn Heights (N)....................11.9..............34.3
West Bay Shore (S)..................11.9..............32.9
North Massapequa (N)...............11.7..............32.3
Oyster Bay Cove (N).................11.6..............38.3
South Farmingdale (N)...............11.6..............34.7
Salisbury (N)...........................11.6..............30 .2
Wyandanch (S).......................11.6...............28.9
East Farmingdale (S).................11.6..............27.9
Matinecock (N)........................11.5..............41.7
Brightwaters (S).......................11.5.............34.9
Williston Park (N)......................11.5.............31.6
Elwood (N)..............................11.4............. 38.1
Franklin Square (N)...................11.4.............32.7
Hewlett Bay Park (N).................11.3.............29.9
East Norwich (N)......................11.1.............31.9
Carle Place (N).........................11.1.............29.1
Centerport (S).........................11.0.............38.4
Manhasset Hills (N)...................11.0.............32.4
East Garden City (N).................10.9.............27.7
Gordon Heights (S)...................10.7.............43.3
North Amityville (S)...................10.7............26.8
Bethpage (N)...........................10.4............30.9
Islandia (S).............................10.4.............3 0.5
Cove Neck (N).........................10.3.............34.0
Lindenhurst (N)........................10.3............32.5
Bay Park (N)............................10.0............35. 2
Mill Neck (N).............................9.9.............37 .9
Greenlawn (S)...........................9.9.............32.8
Greenport (S)............................9.6.............19. 4
Levittown (N)............................9.5.............31. 5
Copiague (S).............................9.5.............31 .4
Huntington Station (S)................9.5.............28.9
Melville (S)...............................9.4............. .34.7
South Huntington (S)..................9.4.............33.1
Sea Cliff (N)..............................9.4.............3 1.4
Plainedge (N).............................9.4.............29 .7
Hewlett Harbor (N)......................9.2............39.8
East Northport (S)......................9.2.............36.0
Glen Head (N)............................9.2.............29. 4
Fort Salonga (S).........................9.0............35.7
Oyster Bay (N)...........................9.0............33.0
Deer Park (S).............................8.8............32. 4
Islip (S)....................................8.8........ .....31.5
Old Brookville (N)........................8.7.............38.8
Bay Shore (S)............................8.7.............28. 7
Baywood (S)..............................8.6.............3 2.5
West Islip (S).............................8.6............32. 0
Locust Valley (N)........................8.6.............29.5
North Babylon (S).......................8.5.............33.4
Albertson (N).............................8.5.............30 .8
Northport (S).............................8.4.............38 .4
East Meadow (N)........................8.4.............31.0
Harbor Isle (N)...........................8.2.............36.6
North Lindenhurst (S)..................8.0.............30.1
Lake Ronkonkoma (S)..................7.8.............32.4
Brookville (N).............................7.7.............33 .1
Patchogue (S)...........................7.7.............26.6
Greenvale (N)............................7.7.............19. 9
Eatons Neck (S)........................7.5.............47.9
Dix Hills (S)...............................7.5............3 3.6
Commack (S)............................7.5............33.6
West Babylon (S)......................7.5............30.5
Glen Cove (N)...........................7.5............27.8
North Bay Shore (S)...................7.4...........29.6
North Bellport (S)......................7.3............35.9
Kings Park (S)...........................7.3............35.3
Central Islip (S).........................7.3............30.3
Brentwood (S)..........................7.2............29.1
Woodsburgh (N)........................7.1............34.5
East Islip (S)............................7.1............32.6
Quioque (S).............................7.1............24. 3
Great River (S).........................7.0............40.8
Holbrook (S)............................7.0............33.0
North Great River (S).................7.0...........30.8
Islip Terrace (S).......................7.0............29.6
Lattingtown (N)........................6.8...........34.7
Water Mill (S)...........................6.8...........20.0
Mount Sinai (S).........................6.7...........37.2
Gilgo-Oak Beach-Captree (S).......6.7..........33.5
Fishers Island (S)......................6.7...........13.2
Upper Brookville (S)...................6.6...........37.3
Nesconset (S)..........................6.6...........33.0
Mastic Beach (S)......................6.5...........38.1
Oakdale (S).............................6.5...........33.5
Village of the Branch (S)............6.5...........32.5
Quogue (S).............................6.4...........32.7
Ronkonkoma (S).......................6.4...........31.8
Baiting Hollow (S).....................6.3...........34.3
Westhampton (S).....................6.1...........31.7
Sayville (S).............................6.1...........30.6
Bohemia (S)............................6.1...........30.1
Flanders (S)............................6.0...........28.9
Head of the Harbor (S)..............5.9...........33.8
Farmingville (S).......................5.8............33.6
Hauppauge (S)........................5.8...........32.4
Bayville (N).............................5.6...........37.4
North Haven (S).......................5.6...........34.3
East Patchogue (S)..................5.5...........32.1
Port Jefferson Station (S)..........5.4...........30.6
Amagansett (S).......................5.4...........28.9
Bellport (S).............................5.3...........27.1
Holtsville (S)...........................5.2...........31.9
Centereach (S)........................5.1...........31.2
Bayport (S).............................5.1...........30.5
Greenport West (S)..................5.1...........24.3
Medford (S)............................5.0...........32.2
Smithtown (S).........................5.0...........31.8
East Marion (S).......................5.0...........25.0
Selden (S)..............................4.9...........32. 9
St. James (S)..........................4.8...........33.0
Coram (S)..............................4.6............35 .5
Sagaponack (S)......................4.6............19.8
Blue Point (S).........................4.5............30.4
Southampton (S)....................4.4.............17.7
Nissequogue (S).....................4.3.............33.9
Sound Beach (S)....................4.3.............32.1
Stony Brook (S).....................4.3.............30.8
Remsenburg-Speonk (S)...........4.3............30.5
North Patchogue (S)...............4.2.............31.5
Port Jefferson (S)...................4.2.............30.0
Bridgehampton (S)..................4.2.............24.2
Calverton (S).........................4.1.............29.6
Northampton (S)....................4.1.............21.5
Lake Grove (S).......................4.0............34.5
West Sayville (S)...................4.0.............30.5
Terryville (S).........................3.9.............32.1
Miller Place (S)......................3.8.............37.0
North Sea (S)........................3.8.............27.4
East Quogue (S)....................3.7.............29.9
Westhampton Beach (S)..........3.7.............27.8
Rocky Point (S)......................3.6.............36.5
Riverside (S)..........................3.6.............21.9
Shirley (S).............................3.5.............31 .7
Setauket-East Setauket (S)......3.5.............29.0
Montauk (S)...........................3.5.............23.0
Orient (S)..............................3.4.............3 3.2
Belle Terre (S)........................3.3.............29.0
East Hampton North (S)............3.3............20.6
Yaphank (S)...........................3.1............31.5
Riverhead (S).........................3.1.............22.4
Ridge (S)...............................2.9............. 33.6
Shinnecock Hills (S).................2.8.............23.3
Mastic (S).............................2.6.............35 .7
Middle Island (S).....................2.6.............32.9
Southold (S)..........................2.6.............29.1
Tuckahoe (S).........................2.6.............23.8
Springs (S).............................2.6............19. 9
Center Moriches (S).................2.4............30.2
Poquott (S)............................2.3............32.3
Hampton Bays (S)....................2.3............26.3
Sag Harbor (S)........................2.2............22.1
Moriches (S)...........................2.0............31.3
Manorville (S).........................1.9.............32.8
Shoreham (S).........................1.9.............27.9
Peconic (S)............................1.8.............33. 6
Noyack (S).............................1.8.............23 .8
East Shoreham (S)...................1.7............32.2
Wading River (S)......................1.6............31.0
Aquebogue (S).........................1.6...........25.3
Laurel (S)...............................1.5............2 4.4
East Hampton (S)....................1.5............16.1
Shelter Island (S)....................1.5............14.4
Mattituck (S)..........................1.3 ............27.1
Wainscott (S).........................1.3.............24.4
Brookhaven (S).......................1.3.............24.1
Northwest Harbor (S)...............1.3.............19.8
Old Field (S)...........................1.2.............30.4
Shelter Island Heights (S).........1.2.............28.6
New Suffolk (S).......................1.1............23.6
Eastport (S)...........................0.8............29.5
East Moriches (S)....................0.5............31.0
West Hampton Dunes (S)..........0.0............50.0
Poospatuck Reservation (S).......0.0............34.5
Jamesport (S).........................0.0............28.9
Northville (S)..........................0.0............22.0
Napeague (S).........................0.0............17.5
Ocean Beach (S).....................0.0............13.5
Dering Harbor (S).....................0.0.............7.0
Shinnecock Reservation (S).......0.0.............6.0

Most at the top of the list are on the Port Washington line.

That makes sense since fewer people use the LIRR moving East due to inferior service.

[TVR1997]

Sorry for the late reply (I really need to start participating here more) but you are aware that West Hempstead is served by its own line (W. Hempstead), separate from the Hempstead line. The service on the West Hempstead line leaves a lot to be desired and will involve lots of connecting at Jamaica. Take a look at the timetables. I think this is a very low ridership line for the LIRR. If you are in W. Hempstead stick with that line since the Hempstead line is very very slow and you would have to account for the extra drive.

Originally Posted by TaliTab

My husband and I are moving to W Hempstead from Queens. Is the Hempstead branch really that bad. I commute now, to the city and it takes me about 45 minutes,express bus.

[TVR1997]

The problem is there are only 2 morning express trains (really one IMO because the 8:03 gets in at like 8:50 which is late for a lot of people who are 9-5ers). That leaves you with the 7:12 only. Why there are no evening express trains is beyond me, and why there are 30 minute gaps in the rush hours is even more baffling. 4:32, 5:04, 5:38????

Let's use some examples during the evening rush for comparison sake. The 5:38 Hempstead train is scheduled to arrive in Hempstead at 6:36 wheres as the 5:17 to Westbury gets you to Westbury at 5:57 (and is almost always on time as its express). Even worse, the 5:36 Babylon train gets to Babylon at 6:40! Babylon is 39 miles or so away from Penn while Hempstead is like 20! The same hour journey but Babylon is almost double the distance! Its a painful journey on the Hempstead branch with many people in GC area using the Merillon Ave stop (however if you live within walking distance of the train as many do, its OK).

Originally Posted by azzurrony

I've taken the train from Nassau Blvd (Hempstead line) in the morning and the "express" trains seem fine to me. 40 min or so to Penn. Granted that is 3 stops closer to the city than Hempstead, but still, it's not bad at all.

Now the evening trains do suck a bit more. They almost all stop at Jamaica and seem slow. I still have to experiment to see which one is best in the evening.

[Johninwestbury]

The problem is the stops at Bellrose, Queens Village, and Hollis. How many people even use these stops? Most ppl just take the bus to the subway.
Perhaps closing those stations could speed up the Hempstead line. Those ppl have enough choices between Express bus and local bus/subway. They can also get a local bus to Jamaica and connect with the LIRR there, and NYCT buses run every few minutes in that area.

[Crookhaven]

Originally Posted by Johninwestbury

The problem is the stops at Bellrose, Queens Village, and Hollis. How many people even use these stops? Most ppl just take the bus to the subway.
Perhaps closing those stations could speed up the Hempstead line. Those ppl have enough choices between Express bus and local bus/subway. They can also get a local bus to Jamaica and connect with the LIRR there, and NYCT buses run every few minutes in that area.

60 stops iin Nassau is stupid for everybody.

Especially Suffolk.


crooks

[sean sean sean sean]

Originally Posted by Johninwestbury

The problem is the stops at Bellrose, Queens Village, and Hollis. How many people even use these stops? Most ppl just take the bus to the subway.
Perhaps closing those stations could speed up the Hempstead line. Those ppl have enough choices between Express bus and local bus/subway. They can also get a local bus to Jamaica and connect with the LIRR there, and NYCT buses run every few minutes in that area.

There are no subways in Bellerose, Queens Village or Hollis. I think the closest would be the F train stop on Hillside all the way up near Jamaica Estates. If you're in Eastern Queens, you're pretty much in the same boat as Nassau with train service, LIRR is the only option.

How much longer does it take to get to Jamaica on a bus at rush hour as opposed to just getting on the train at Bellerose? I know it's a fraction of the price...

[sean sean sean sean]

Also, a note about the Hempstead Branch.... it was originally not a part of the LIRR at all, and instead of merging with the Main Line tracks right before Jamaica it ran north to Flushing where it met up with the Flushing & North Side Railroad and continued west towards LIC, and Manhattan (via ferry, this is before the East River Tunnels were built). If only someone would have realized how useful having another set of tracks would become back then, service on this line would likely be twice as fast as it is now, similar to the way the Port Washington branch runs.

Port Jeff, Main Line and Montauk Branch trains originating in Suffolk could also be diverted to it, improving service all around. Unfortunately, it was all swallowed up by the LIRR and sold off during the Great Depression. The only remnants are the Hempstead Branch current incarnation and the diagonal stretch of track between Babylon and Bethpage that is occasionally used for express service nowadays.

[omigawd]

I dont' think that average commute time table that is posted is correct. It says from Babylon, it's 33 minutes...... Even an express train from Babylon takes a little over an hour... I just looked at that table again and I don't think it's strictly for LIRR... I'm thinking it's the average time people commute from their home to work, whether that be on a bus, train, taxi, etc.

[mrmoose]

I take the Far Rockaway train to Inwood. It is pretty reliable. The only problem is that It only runs once an hour off peek. which kind of sucks for me since I usually only work in the morning. If I miss it I will sometimes take a train to Lynbrook and then the bus to Far Rockaway. I am not looking forward to the 25% fair increase which would make my monly like $230 a month. Just another reminder it is time to move out of New York and into America.