Schwartz: Your Train Trip To Islanders Games Is About To Improve
By Peter Schwartz
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For 43 seasons, Islanders fans were programmed to get in their car and drive to home games at Nassau Coliseum. But when the team relocated to Brooklyn for this season, the commute to homes games changed to the way that many Long Islanders get to work.
All aboard the Islanders express to Brooklyn on the Long Island Rail Road!
For a large portion of the team's fan base that still comes from Long Island, it's no longer practical to drive. It's a lot easier to get to Barclays Center by taking the train and, as it turns out, there are a good number of fans from Nassau and Suffolk counties that have been making the trek.
Through 31 home dates, the Islanders are averaging 13,424 fans at Barclays Center with approximately 5,000 getting there via the LIRR. That's a pretty staggering number and it proves a couple of things.
First, a lot of Islanders fans from Nassau and Suffolk are making the commute to Brooklyn and, second, that number could go up as the playoff push continues. So the plan is to be able to make the trip easier for all involved.
"We have been in continuous conversations with the LIRR about increasing service just in terms of adding more trains," said Elisa Padilla, Barclays Center's chief marketing officer. "Nothing has been solidified. We have expressed to them that we definitely would like an increase in service for the Nassau and Suffolk Islanders fans."
While the addition of more trains is being discussed, Barclays Center and the LIRR have already collaborated on a way to make the commute a bit more enjoyable.
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Starting with the March 8 game against the Penguins, Islanders fans will be in for a special treat from time to time when they take the train. That's because there will be surprise visits onboard from Islanders legends as well as the team's mascot, Sparky the Dragon.
"Thinking of the guest experience first, we know how much Islanders fans love the legends and also love Sparky," Padilla said. "We've been coordinating with the LIRR on specific trains coming from Long Island into Atlantic Terminal when we're able to get Mike Bossy or whatever legend we're working with and Sparky on the train."
Bossy and Sparky have already mingled with fans on the LIRR this season, but those encounters are going to be more commonplace the rest of the way. Sparky wasn't supposed to be a part of the gameday experience at Barclays Center but due to popular demand, he was brought back.
As a matter of fact, his return has made a lot of Islanders fans feel more at home in Brooklyn.
"The greatest thing that we have given the fans that we have gotten an overwhelming positive response to has been the return of Sparky," Padilla said. "Knowing that one of the barriers for us to overcome has been the train, we think that putting Sparky on the train will make the ride a little easier."
Another improvement that will certainly lessen the stress level of fans will come in the way of improving the flow of people coming on an off the train and traveling to and from the arena.
Also starting with the March 8 game will be transit ambassadors stationed at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station and on the arena's plaza to help fans that take the LIRR. The railroad will also increase the number of ushers at Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica Station to help riders.
These enhancements are being made to help direct traffic for new fans that aren't used to taking the train.
"We want to make it as seamless as possible for them," Padilla said. "It's just the volume of people and getting them onto the platform on time so that they can get the train and get there in a timely fashion."
When a game is over, a question that pops into a lot of Long Island-bound fans' minds is what track their train is leaving from at Atlantic Terminal. Many of those fans wait until they cross the street and go into the station before finding out where they have to go.
But what they may not know is that they can get that information before they depart the arena by checking out the video monitors in the concourse.
"The second the game ends a 'thank you' message comes up and then right after that the train schedule comes up," Padilla said.
The Islanders' move to Brooklyn has certainly been a big adjustment for the fans, especially when it comes to getting to the games. The LIRR made things easier by adding some direct trains in both directions so that fans can avoid having to transfer at Jamaica.
While Rangers fans on Long Island have been taking the train to Madison Square Garden for years, this is something new for Islanders fans that were accustomed to getting behind the wheel of their car and driving to the Coliseum.
It has been a learning experience for all parties involved, but the Islanders, Barclays Center, and the LIRR continue to try and find ways to make the commute an enjoyable experience. So much so, the next time you're on the train to a game looking out the window, you might want to turn around.
You just might see Mike Bossy, Bobby Nystrom or Sparky in the next seat over!
Don't forget to follow Pete on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow @NYIslanders, @barclayscenter, and @LIRR