Commuters’ pros, cons of E. Side Access

Continued from Page 3 a.m., this may not give commuters enough time to arrive at work by 9 a.m.

Richard Class, a Port Washington commuter for 40 years, said that the addition of Grand Central Madison has made his commute to his job on the Upper East Side much easier than when he commuted into Penn Station.

He said that while the trains are typically on time, when they aren’t, it can be a big issue.

“When it goes bad, it’s really, really bad,” Class said. “It’s miserable.”

The MTA’s Train Time app, which provides the train schedules for all LIRR and MetroNorth trains as well as online ticket sales, includes a feature that tracks the occupancy of each train car.

The app describes each car on the train with the number of occupants and a color as- sociated with the percentage of seats taken. Colors range from green, yellow, orange and red, each respectively associated with fewer than 35%, 35-50%, 50-85% and over 85% of seats taken.

The 7:17 a.m. train to Grand Central train was made up of 10 M7 rail cars, which use the train’s suspension systems to measure the weight of each car’s seating cabin and approximate occupancy, according to the MTA.

Included were five A cars and five B cars. A cars have a maximum occupancy of 110 passengers and B cars, which include a handicapaccessible bathroom, have a maximum occupancy of 101 passengers.

The train’s total maximum occupancy was 1,055 passengers.

Upon leaving Port Washington, all but one train car was at less than 35% capacity. These cars had from 5 to 33 passengers. One train car contained an estimated 36 passengers, being the only within the 35-50% occupancy range.

The train continued to fill with passengers as it picked up more along the way to Grand Central. Upon arrival in Manhattan, all train cars ranged from 35-85% occupancy based on the app’s determination.

The final occupancy of the 7:17 a.m. train from Port Washington when it arrived in Grand Central Madion at 8:57 a.m. (Screenshot taken by Cameryn Oakes from the MTA TrainTime app)

Five cars stayed within the 35-50% occupancy range. The other five cars were classified in the 50-85% range, with the largest occupancy in a single carestimated at 69 passengers.

About 522 passengers arrived in Grand Central Madison at 7:57 a.m., arriving three

“Indian” name with pride and passion.

“Manhasset students represent this culture with the utmost respect,” the letter said. “Not once at any school or community event have we witnessed the Indian name tarnished or demeaned in any way. Rather we watch as students and community members proudly boast the name, chanting ‘We are the Indians’ for anyone in the nearby vicinity to hear.”

In a statement responding to the students’ letter, the Manhasset Justice Initiative, an online organization comprised of current and former Manhasset school students, claimed there was a disconnect on how to appropriately honor native tribes and communities to the area.

“By claiming “We are the Indians,” we are claiming that we have the shared experience of the hardship the native communities faced and paying homage to a caricature that doesn’t accurately represent them,” the initiative said in a statement last year. “When the Native Americans said “do not forget us,” it wasn’t to keep the mascot but make sure that their cultures are depicted accurately and respectfully with educational components accompanying any decision the school makes.” minutes earlier to their destination. The train’s total occupancy upon arrival to the East Side was just shy of 50%.

Commuters arrived at the sleek new terminal’s platform, which is on the station’s lower level and services eight tracks. Steep escalators take commuters up to the concourse level, which features wide arching walkways and art installations from renowned artists, including Yayoi Kusama.

While the morning commute ran smoothly, Port Washington commuter Class said what is more annoying is the commute home. He said trains run less frequently, meaning he has to wait longer for another train in the instance that he misses one.

For someone who gets off work at 5 p.m., the next train departing from Grand Central that runs directly to Port Washington leaves at 5:21 p.m. The following one leaves at 5:42 p.m. but does not go to Port Washington, requiring commuters to transfer. The next train after the 5:21 p.m. departure that arrives in Port Washington is not until 6:08 p.m.