The future of the South Fork Commuter Connection train and bus service, two east and two westbound Long Island Rail Road trains and the “last mile” shuttle bus service that took commuters to commercial centers on weekdays during its year of operation, remains uncertain.
Launched in March 2019 as an effort to alleviate traffic congestion, particularly the “trade parade” that travels eastward on Montauk Highway in the mornings and returns west in the afternoons and evenings, the service was suspended until further notice on March 27 as the coronavirus pandemic surged on Long Island and elsewhere in New York State. At the time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the L.I.R.R. cited a significant drop in ridership during the pandemic and announced a 35-percent reduction in the overall train schedule.
East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said on Tuesday that the service would not resume in September, citing a discussion with Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. “The M.T.A. has experienced a ridership loss of about 75 percent,” he said. “They’re facing extreme economic and revenue shortfalls. So, sadly, just as that South Fork Commuter Connection was expanding and providing critical alternatives to the trade parade and highway traffic, it looks like that service will not restart in September and for the time being. Beyond that, it’s uncertain, which is another sad effect of this pandemic.”
A representative of Mr. Thiele, who is out of town, said yesterday that the assemblyman said that no decision has been made as to the service’s future, and that he would meet with the L.I.R.R. and East Hampton and Southampton officials when he returns. “It’s not running because people don’t want to ride mass transit,” he said, citing L.I.R.R. ridership at just 22 percent of its pre-pandemic level. Like state and local governments, the M.T.A. needs federal aid, he said.
Aaron Donovan, a L.I.R.R. spokesman, confirmed Mr. Thiele’s statements and emphasized that a suspension of service beyond September has yet to be considered. There has been no decision about its long-term future, he said.
