New York Could Join Paris, London, Rome, And Sicily With A Massive Railroad Strike Looming In Long Island

Travelers in four of the world's busiest cities — New York, London, Paris, and Rome — are facing widespread disruptions this September as transportation workers strike over pay, schedules, and government policy. New York's Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is bracing for a potential shutdown on September 18. On September 8, unions representing thousands of workers authorized a strike and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has warned riders to prepare for severe disruptions, rolling out contingency plans that include shuttle buses. 

The first thing to know about the LIRR strike is that, if it happens, it would only affect people traveling to and from Long Island; New York City's subways and buses will remain unaffected. Geographically speaking, two of the city's boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens, are on Long Island, but they are served by the city's subway system. Approximately 300,000 people rely on the LIRR every day to travel and commute — and they won't have any good options if service comes to a halt. The MTA is still in negotiations with the unions in order to prevent what would be the first strike in 30 years. The unions refused a 9.5-percent raise over the next three years, a deal that the MTA says would keep LIRR workers as "the highest-paid railroad employees in the country." 

Meanwhile, public transportation strikes are also disrupting travel across the Atlantic. In Paris, commuters and transportation workers are preparing for a large-scale strike on September 18 as unions protest the government's austerity measures. Metro, bus, tram, and train services are expected to be heavily disrupted due to widespread demonstrations throughout the city. Air travel could also face disruption, though a separate strike by air traffic controllers has been postponed until October.

If you're traveling on Long Island in the near future, you'll want to keep abreast of the situation. Both Long Island and New York City are already congested, so an influx of people driving would cause major traffic headaches. The best option for locals will be to work from home, if possible. There will also be shuttles to a subway: The MTA is planning three shuttle buses on weekdays for essential workers from the Bellmore, Hicksville, and Ronkonkoma LIRR stations. Those traveling from Nassau County could also take a Nassau Inter-County Express bus, which has routes that are convenient to Queens subway stops. Travelers could also ride the Hamptons Jitney to spots like the historic town of Greenport or the bohemian hamlet of Montauk.

If your travel plans might be affected by a strike, it's important to stay up to date by following local news, as the situation can change quickly. The best thing to do if you're caught in a strike in Europe, per Rick Steves, is to be flexible and stay the course, as most strikes don't last that long. 

In general, strikes of this nature are more common in Europe than in the United States. In London, a week-long strike brought the Underground to a near standstill from September 7 to 11, while Rome commuters faced a four-hour stoppage on September 4 that hit buses, metro, and trams, followed by a nationwide rail strike stretching into the next day. In Paris, September 10 was a day of action dubbed Bloquons Tout or "Block Everything," which resulted in major transportation problems across France.