Fearing increased parking congestion once the Long Island Rail Road begins service to the East Side of Manhattan, many Port Washington residents expressed interest in a shuttle from designated stops to the LIRR station.
A two-week survey conducted by Residents For a More Beautiful Port Washington said about 80 percent of respondents would consider taking a shuttle to the station to alleviate parking problems.
The survey, with nearly 1,000 respondents, showed that residents favored a shuttle for the morning trains between 7:19 and 8:18 a.m. and the evening trains between 5:11 and 7:01 p.m.
“The results definitively show that commuters are ready to look at alternatives to alleviate the current parking problems,” said Lisa Grossman, director of development for Residents For a More Beautiful Port Washington. “This is a hot topic which affects many people in our community.”
The survey asked residents how often they take the train, when they take the train in the morning and evening, how they get to and from the station, where they park and their opinion of a shuttle service.
Adding a shuttle service is one of 14 recommendations the Port Washington Parking Improvement Committee made.
Reorganizing the parking lots, a possible tiered parking lot and other simple solutions were recommended, too, said Mindy Germain, executive director of the Residents group.
About 100 people said they pay for private parking near the train station due to the lack of public parking, the survey showed, and others park on the street beyond the limited-time parking areas at least once a week.
More than 100 residents said they are either dropped off or take a taxi daily.
Grossman said the Residents group will meet with the Town of North Hempstead and the Port Washington Parking Improvement Committee to “analyze results and determine the next steps.”
There are a total of 1,000 parking spaces in the Haven Avenue lot and the South Bayles Avenue lot at the station.
Residents offered suggestions in the survey’s write-in section, including building a multi-tiered garage, charging more for second and third permits within the same household and ticketing more.
The parking committee and the Residents group will also look into different modes of transportation, including better coordination with the Nassau Inter County Express bus service, Germain said.
A majority of the responses came from people living in the Soundview area, a news release said, followed by Salem, Manorhaven, Sands Point, Port Washington Estates and Beacon Hill.
Germain said the survey was just one of many ways in which her group has been in contact with the Port Washington community.
“Data from the community is the only way to start the planning process,” Grossman said. “We look forward to using this data to create new solutions that work for our community. We know that every community is different, and that is why this survey was so important.”
