Changes to North Hills’ Long Island Rail Road shuttle schedule mean some commuters will get home quicker, but a few others may have to leave their offices earlier.
The village Board of Trustees on Wednesday decided to nix the little-used 7:56 p.m. run from the Manhasset LIRR station to Village Hall and add one around 5:40 p.m. in response to demand for the earlier slot. The changes will take effect May 16.
“We try to accommodate,” Village of North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss said. “Most of this is an accommodation to the village residents, so we do listen and if there are comments like, ‘Can’t we leave five minutes earlier?’ We understand that.”
Four or five residents whose train arrives at 5:40 p.m. have complained that they must wait for a later train to arrive before a shuttle leaves at 5:55 p.m., Natiss said.
An average of only three people take the 7:56 p.m. run, Natiss said, so the final shuttle will leave Manhasset at 7:30 p.m.
“I think the families of the guys or women who have to now take the 7:30 will be happy because they’ll be home a little earlier,” Natiss said.
Shuttle provider Long Island Limousine used to offer a 5:40 p.m. trip as a “courtesy” in an effort to maintain its village contract, he said.
The trip went away after Hicksville-based Goldcrest Transport took over the service earlier this year after Long Island Limousine had repeated problems with vehicle heating, air conditioning and breakdowns, he said.
Natiss said ridership has steadily increased since the village started the service in 2012.
March usage rose more than 50 percent compared to last year, from 735 to 1,112 riders in the morning and from 689 to 1,072 in the evening, according to village data Natiss presented Wednesday.
The village has shifted the shuttle schedule according to rider demand before, Natiss said, but the number of trips has remained the same.
“They’re the ones who are using it, they have the experience with it and so we listen,” he said.
Acorn Ponds Homeowners Association President Jim Goldstein said he thinks the change is “a smart move.”
The shuttle helps because North Hills lacks easy access to public transportation and parking near the Manhasset LIRR station is difficult and expensive, said Doug Weigler, chair of the village Board of Zoning Appeals.
“The village can afford this amenity, and it has greatly increased our property values because of it, and those who use it love it,” he said.
The Goldcrest Transport contract will cost the village about $185,000 a year, Natiss said, up from $144,000 with Long Island Limousine.
Natiss said all new proposals it received in the fall were more expensive. Long Island Limousine would have had to increase its price if it bought new equipment, he said.
