Most LIRR riders' time lost on Babylon line, group says
Commuters on a LIRR train to Babylon from Penn Station at rush hour on Jan. 27, 2014 . Credit: Linda Rosier
A transit advocacy group has, for the second year, singled out the Long Island Rail Road's Babylon line for wasting more riders' time than any other branch.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign's second annual "Laggy Awards" recognize the LIRR lines with the greatest lost economic productivity, delay per rider and lost time. As in 2013, the busy Babylon line took the gold Laggy for most annual lost productivity -- $17.3 million -- and most hours of delays at 389,055 annually.
The Port Jefferson branch saw the most delays-per-rider at 22.07 hours in a year. The average LIRR rider lost 17.3 hours due to late, canceled or terminated trains -- a 9.6 percent jump over last year, according to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
The group used LIRR data on ridership, on-time performance, and other metrics, as well as U.S. Census income data to calculate the value of riders' lost time. Organizers said the findings of the Laggy analysis emphasize the need for more investments in the LIRR, including through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's recently proposed 2015-2019 capital program.
"This year's analysis proves that delays on this essential transit system impact more than just the commuters' blood pressure; they impact the regional economy," Tri-State Transportation Campaign research fellow Yichun Tu said.
In a statement, LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena said that the agency agrees "that continued capital investment is the best way to ensure that the LIRR remains a vital transportation link and economic engine for Long Island." He said, however, that time spent on an LIRR train is not necessarily unproductive, because many commuters continue working on mobile devices.
"We work hard to avoid delays but we also note that many of our customers are able to be more productive while commuting on the LIRR than if they were stuck in traffic on the LIE*."
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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