'Summer Of Hell' Was Not So Hellish For LIRR Commuters, Lhota Says
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Long Island Rail Road is getting ready to shift back to regular service as the last week of the Summer of Hell arrives.
As WCBS 880's Mike Smeltz reported, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was not so hellish after all.
Despite having to reduce service at Penn Station by 20 percent due to the repairs, this July's on time performance was better than last years. MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said the agency wants to take lessons learned from the Summer of Hell into a fall of normalcy:
"Look, the lessons learned are really, really an exercise in good management – how to make decisions quickly; how to coordinate, you know, communication with our customers," Lhota said.
That communication, Lhota said, was key to avoiding any major commuting headaches. He promised increased communication with customers would be the standard going forward.
This upcoming Tuesday, regular LIRR service will return. Going away will be the temporary alternate ferry and bus options, as well as discounts for riders who finished their ride at Atlantic Terminal and other stations outside Penn Station.