Photo Credit: Vinny DuPre
The Long Island Rail Road, which had been on strike since 12: 01 am on Saturday, May 16, is now back up and running. The LIRR is the largest commuter rail system in the United States; over 300,000 people use the LIRR daily. Many commuters had to turn to their cars or use shuttle buses to Queens subway stations. Negotiators reached a deal after which Governor Kathy Hochul said, “… I always believed that we could reach a good, fair compromise, a contract that achieved two principles: Number one, protecting affordability for Long Islanders and commuters while giving fair wages to the employees. And by working and negotiating together, we have reached that kind of deal.” Service was expected to be fully restored by Tuesday, May 19, for the evening rush hour.