Survey: LIRR riders critical of service

Commuters reeling from disruptions, fare hikes and service cuts, are far less happy with the Long Island Rail Road than they were a year ago, and LIRR officials have an idea on how to cheer them up: run more trains.

Responding to a critical report card survey of riders, LIRR president Helena Williams suggested Monday that the agency should move to restore some of the service axed last year to cut costs.

In its annual customers satisfaction survey, 78 percent of riders said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the LIRR's overall service -- down 11 percentage points from 2010. Only 17 percent said they were "very satisfied," down from 24 percent last year.

Williams noted that the biggest drops in satisfaction came from customers on branches that saw major service cuts last year. Satisfaction was down 22 percentage points from 2010 for customers on the West Hempstead Branch, which lost all weekend service and some weekday peak service. Satisfaction on the Port Washington line, which lost half its weekday off-peak trains, dropped 11 percentage points.

Comparatively, satisfaction on the Port Jefferson line, which did not see major service cuts, stayed the same.

"My sense is that the overall loss of train service probably contributed to the biggest reductions in the rating," said Williams, who added that restoring some service "would go a long way toward raising customer satisfaction."

The service cuts, implemented in September 2010, saved the LIRR about $4 million a year. They were part of a larger MTA effort to close a nearly $1-billion budget gap that included layoffs, fare hikes and internal efficiencies.

The plan was spearheaded by then-MTA chairman Jay Walder, who left the agency last week. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has appointed former New York City deputy mayor Joseph Lhota to succeed Walder, pending confirmation from the State Senate.

Now eyeing a $170-million budget surplus at the end of this year, the MTA Board has "a fair opportunity" to restore some of the service, board member Mitchell Pally said.

"I don't think that there's any question that the ability to add additional service would alleviate some of the concerns," Pally said. "The reduction in service has had a dramatic impact. Can we rectify that? That will be the issue."

As in most years, the LIRR scored worst for its restroom cleanliness, with a 62 percent satisfaction rating. Customers were most happy with the overall courtesy of conductors, giving them a 92 percent rating.

Williams noted that another factor may have contributed to the LIRR's especially poor showing on the survey: It was conducted in June, days after an Amtrak derailment in an East River tunnel caused a week of delays and cancellations on the LIRR.

"I would say that it was not an ideal time to survey our customers regarding service," Williams said.