The Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched a free shuttle network Monday as the Long Island Rail Road remains idle after a worker strike that began Saturday. Six pick‑up points on Long Island feed buses to the A line at Howard Beach‑JFK and the F line at Jamaica‑179 Street. Service runs every ten minutes from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., with return trips from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Commuters without remote options face a stark shortfall: the shuttles can move roughly 13,000 riders each way, a fraction of the 270,000 daily passengers the rail line typically carries. Nassau County residents may rely on NICE buses to the 7 line in Flushing or the Jamaica terminal, though union leader John Samuelsen warned drivers against altering routes to cover the gap.

To ease parking pressure, the MTA opened Citi Field lots for $6 daily, letting drivers board the 7 train at Mets‑Willets Point. Yet officials anticipate a surge of cars on the Long Island Expressway and state parkways, and promised refunds for monthly rail pass holders on business days without service. The limited bus capacity leaves many commuters scrambling for alternatives.