**The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has officially shut down all service.** Following the expiration of a cooling-off period and a breakdown in eleventh-hour contract negotiations between the MTA and five major labor unions, workers went on strike at **12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026**.
This is the first LIRR strike since 1994, completely halting service for nearly 300,000 daily riders. No new negotiations are scheduled, and officials say the two sides remain far apart on wage increases and healthcare contributions.
If you need to travel, expect severe road congestion and heavily crowded alternatives.
### 🚗 Official Travel Advice & Contingency Plans
The MTA and Governor Kathy Hochul are strongly urging anyone who can to **work from home** and avoid non-essential travel. If you must commute, consider these options:
* **MTA Shuttle Buses (WEEKDAYS ONLY):** The MTA is providing limited shuttle buses during peak hours (**4:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.** toward NYC and **3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.** toward Long Island). These buses connect specific LIRR stations to Queens subway hubs:
* **To Howard Beach-JFK Airport (A train):** Buses run from *Bay Shore, Hicksville, Mineola,* and *Hempstead Lake State Park (near Lakeview)*.
* **To Jamaica-179th St (F train):** Buses run from *Huntington* and *Ronkonkoma*.
* **NICE Bus (Nassau County):** Riders can use Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) buses to connect directly to Queens subway entry points at Flushing-Main St (7 train) or Jamaica Bus Terminal (F train).
* **Subway Drop-offs:** If someone is driving you toward the city, the MTA recommends using outer-borough subway stations near major highways as drop-off points, such as **Kew Gardens-Union Tpke (E, F)**, **Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd (A)**, or **Sheepshead Bay (B, Q)**. *Note: These stations do not have commuter parking lots.*
### 🎫 Ticket Refunds
The MTA has stated that it intends to issue **prorated refunds to May monthly ticket holders** for the business days that service remains suspended, pending board approval.
For the most up-to-date travel alerts, shuttle schedules, and details on how to apply for a refund, check the official MTA hub at mta.info/lirrstrike or call **511**.
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