WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 15, 2021 13
LIRR revives getaway packages just in time for summer
BY PHIL ENG
Summertime on Long Island is like no other, in
good weather and in bad. Last week, our incredible
LIRR workforce saw the region through our
worst storm yet of the season, Tropical Storm Elsa.
Our crews braved the elements and stepped up once
again while working tirelessly to provide safe train
service despite the torrential rain and high winds.
Safety is and will always be our top priority.
Preparing for storms like Elsa is a team eff ort that
starts well before the fi rst rain drops even fall. The
day it hit, on Thursday, we pre-positioned crews
and diesel locomotives across the system to help
minimize service disruptions. But there’s so much
more that goes into our weather planning – like
the aggressive steps we’ve taken to protect infrastructure,
strengthen and replace utility poles and
tackle poor drainage locations. We also regularly
trim trees and branches adjacent to our tracks to
prevent them from falling during storms.
It’s our mission to make sure things run smoothly
in every circumstance so riding the rails is an
OP-ED
enjoyable experience. We want you to keep you
coming back, especially as Long Island continues
to recover from the pandemic.
That’s why we’ve revived our popular LIRR Getaways
packages this summer aft er the program
went on pause last year. Customers can revisit
favorite local destinations like Long Beach, Jones
Beach, and Fire Island (via Bay Shore and Patchogue),
or join us for something new: a day-long guided
brewery crawl across the South Shore.
On two Saturdays this summer, July 31 and August
21, you can experience beer tastings at Sand
City Brewing Co. in Lindenhurst, followed by a bus
trip to Bay Shore for another round at Great South
Bay. Our tour ends in the Village of Patchogue,
where you can patronize local restaurants and
shops. Each ticket costs $63 (adults only, of course),
and includes round-trip rail, private bus transportation,
and both tastings.
Visit new.mta.info/daytrips for full details on this
and all the discount packages we off er.
What I truly love about these off ers is that they
highlight what Long Island is all about – getting
together and enjoying all the great businesses and
beauty we have in our own backyard. There are so
many great spots located within walking distance
of our 124 railroad stations, making each journey
to a new town an adventure.
We’re prouder than ever to support the region’s
economy while helping customers get to all the
amazing destinations across Long Island and New
York City. I’m grateful to the LIRR workforce who
continue to show up day in and day out, as they
have during the entire pandemic, to keep New York
moving. It’s because of their hard work we’re able
to provide a record level of service more safely and
reliably than ever.
If you take a look out the window while you’re on
one of our trains, you’ll see we’re doing this with
major construction going on across our system as
we build a better, more robust network that will
truly give Long Island the public transportation it
needs to thrive. With Mainline Expansion and East
Side Access completion on the horizon, the future
is bright.
Phil Eng is president of the Long Island Rail Road.
SNAPS
NYC HONORS ITS HOMETOWN HEROES
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
Send us your photos of Queens
and you could see them online or in our paper!
To submit them to us, tag @qnsgram on Instagram,
visit our Facebook page, tweet @QNS
or email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
