(By Debora Toth of the Long Island Travel Examiner)
Long Island Rail Road has eliminated manned ticket booths in 20 locales.
Long Island Rail Road commuters in 20 areas across Long Island are seeing more cuts to their service. A week ago, the railroad quietly announced that manned ticket booths at 20 stations would be suspended as part of a cost-savings program.
The 20 affected stations are: Bethpage, Broadway, Cedarhurst, Douglaston, East New York, Farmingdale, Floral Park, Forest Hills, Hewlett, Kew Gardens, Lindenhurst, Little Neck, Massapequa Park, New Hyde Park, Northport, Nostrand Avenue, Oceanside, Rosedale, Seaford and Woodmere.
The LIRR says that station waiting rooms will continue to remain open with their regular hours. Train service will not be affected, they add, and cleaning schedules for the stations will not be changed and restrooms will be available for customer use during the same time periods currently in effect.
The LIRR defends its actions by saying that most LIRR customers who purchase tickets at a station do so using their kiosk ticket vending machines, which were first introduced in 1983. Approximately 70% of LIRR tickets sold are purchased through ticket vending machines.
However, commuters will have to give themselves ample travel time and bring cash in case the kiosk vending machines are not working or a long line has formed before the train arrives. In case the machines are not working, commuters will need to pay for their ticket onboard and will be charged a steep step-up fee. The fee can be re-imbursed if the commuter sends the ticket to LIRR headquarters in Jamaica and explains the situation. For those who need advice as to where they are traveling or need change, these affected stations will no longer have a live person to help them with their commute.