Graph: LIRR riders sided with MTA as strike loomed

LIRR commuters braced for the worst and sided with the MTA before a potential strike was averted Thursday, according to a newsday.com “mood graph.”

The graph, which received more than 4,000 responses Tuesday and Wednesday, asked readers to click on a box that asked how hopeful they were of a strike being averted and whether they supported the MTA or the unions, on a scale of 1-9. They were then asked, among other questions, if they were an LIRR commuter and how long their commute is. As part of this unscientific polling, readers were allowed to vote once per day so they could react to developments.  

Of the more than 1,500 responses that came from those who identified themselves as LIRR commuters, nearly 77 percent said they were pro-MTA, and supported the MTA by an average number of 4.3.

Of those same respondents, 71 percent were not hopeful of the strike being averted, by an average number of 3.6.  

Car commuters shared similar feelings. Nearly 70 percent supported the MTA, and the average pro-MTA number was 4.1. They were not hopeful of a strike being averted by an average of 3.3.

Longer commutes also equaled more support for the MTA. People with commutes under 15 minutes supported the MTA by an average number of 2.2. Those with a commute greater than an hour backed the MTA by an average of 3.4.