Free Hampton Hopper shuttle service to Montauk returns to East End thru Labor Day

Free rides around Montauk return this summer as East Hampton Town will once again sponsor a shuttle service circulating through its eastern tip.

East Hampton began its partnership with Hampton Hopper in 2018, but the popular service was suspended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer 2021 is expected to be a busy season on the South Fork, and public transportation will take cars off the notoriously clogged Hamptons roadways, town officials said.

"By offering this free shuttle we advance our goals of reduced emissions, fewer vehicles on the roadways and lesser demands for parking," East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said in a statement.

State grants that previously funded a portion of the service were not available this year, according to a town news release.

The East Hampton Town Board voted 5-0 on June 17 to spend up to $100,754 on the service. The route will run from 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. seven days a week until Labor Day and make 12 regular stops between Hither Hills State Park and the Gosman’s Dock area.

Another route linking East Hampton Village to the Montauk lighthouse, with a stop in Amagansett, will be funded in part by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. That route will run from 11 a.m. until 6:55 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with a suggested $5 fare. It will launch by June 30, officials said.

The routes and schedules will be the same as in 2019, said Hampton Hopper founder Derek Kleinow. The shuttle served 20,000 riders in previous years, he said.

"We and the town like to think that is 20,000 car trips that get taken off the road," Kleinow said, adding that the fleet of seven buses offers "corporate-style seating" with seatbelts.

Hampton Hopper will also roll out a separate route around Southampton Village this summer, although the fare is to be determined, Kleinow said.

Vaccinated riders can take the bus mask-free, and riders will not be asked to show their vaccination cards, Kleinow said.

A mobile app provides the location of the buses and schedules. Fares will be credit card only, Kleinow said. For more information visit hamptonhopper.com.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.