With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, Long Islanders taking mass transit may find themselves caught up in the mad dash of the holiday rush. But on the Oyster Bay line, riders are lucky in that they don’t experience the same level of stress over parking as some of the busier lines do.
“The Oyster Bay station never seems to get that crowded, but we’ll see what happens during Thanksgiving holiday when a lot of people come to visit families. I don’t think I’ll have a problem commuting, though,” says Michael Miniero, an Oyster Bay resident who regularly commutes to work on the LIRR.
Riding the train could help commuters avoid the stress of traffic and the cost of parking in Manhattan. But with service from the stations on the Oyster Bay line running about once an hour or so during the day, with the last train out of Penn Station usually around 1:15 a.m. daily, those traveling to the city for shopping, Broadway shows or reveling at the window displays and other holiday sights are more likely to experience frustration with a lack of train options than with parking.
“No, I don’t think there will be a problem. There are always open spaces here no matter what time of year,” says Marie DeCostanza of Oyster Bay, who regularly commutes back and forth to work on the train. “I’ve never had a problem with parking.”
Others agree.
“I plan to do a lot of traveling back and forth on the LIRR on the holidays,” says Joe Lenore of Oyster Bay, who was recently taking the train to see friends in the city. “If there are too many cars parked here, I’ll just walk to the station.”
While more residents will head into the city by rail road from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, MTA officials say the increased ridership is typically during its off-peak period, like weekends and evenings. Passengers who plan to leave for the city before daily commuters can get back to their cars will face a parking shortage.
“People should know that if they are planning to go into the city, parking [around the station] can be a little bit of a problem,” said Long Island Rail Road spokesman Salvatore Arena. “Parking availability becomes more difficult during the holiday season simply because of the volume.”
Even so, Arena said people should not be deterred from taking mass transit. “It’s better to go into the city by train rather than by car,” Arena said. “Even after the morning rush, you tend to have a simpler day if you use mass transit.”
The Town of Oyster Bay oversees parking lots at the Syosset, Bethpage, Massapequa, Hicksville, Glen Head, Oyster Bay and Locust Valley train stations. In those stations combined, there are less than 10,000 town permit parking spots available—however, the town said it currently has 27,604 active permits issued.
According to the public information office, the town issues more parking permits than there are spaces because “many town residents only use parking periodically.” They also said residents can use their town parking permit at other stations within the town.
In a statement, the Town of Oyster Bay said,“the Town of Oyster Bay is consistently working with its residents to meet the demands for railroad station parking, especially at its most utilized lots. This process is a delicate balance between an increasing ridership and a limited amount of parking. The Town is also working with the MTA, which ultimately is the beneficiary of increased ridership, to address the concerns commuters have expressed with respect to limited parking and increased demand for spots.”
For parking tips and a round-up of the worst LIRR parking situations, turn to page 10A.
— With additional reporting by Dan Offner and Gary Simeone
