MTA, LIRR officials encourage U.S. Open attendees to take trains to the tennis tournament in Queens

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and United States Tennis Association are encouraging tennis fans to take public transportation to the U.S. Open this year, with additional Long Island Rail Road and subway service planned for the tournament and its Fan Week events, which begin Sunday.

At an announcement Wednesday outside the Mets-Willets Point subway and LIRR station in Queens, MTA and USTA officials said the additional service is intended to help accommodate the more than 1.2 million fans expected to travel to the nearby USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center over the next several weeks.

"We are here to remind people the best way to get here is by mass transit," said Shanifah Rieara, the MTA's chief customer officer.

For Long Island fans, the LIRR will add the Mets-Willets Point stop to four additional westbound morning peak-hours trains and four additional eastbound evening peak-hours trains on the Port Washington Branch. The railroad will also add an additional train in each direction and more cars to other trains during the evening peak for the duration of the tournament, which runs through Sep. 13th.

Those additions will supplement regular services. All weekday off-peak trains and all weekend Port Washington Branch trains will stop at Mets-Willets Point, according to LIRR President Rob Free. A total of 98 weekday trains and 82 weekend trains will serve the station.

The LIRR also offers direct service to Mets-Willets Point from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison.

"We're adding capacity so customers can get on a train and get home as quickly as possible," Free said.

The transportation push comes as the U.S. Open coincides with some Mets games and as ongoing construction at Citi Field has limited parking, according to Daniel Zausner, the tennis center's chief operating officer.

The combination makes public transportation an even more important option for attendees, Zausner said. “We really implore everybody to use mass transit if it's feasible," he said. "This is the year to take it on more than ever.”

The expanded service follows record ridership during last year's U.S. Open. "Last year, over 177,000 riders — a record number — used the Long Island Rail Road to attend the U.S. Open and Mets games, shattering the previous record by over 50,000 riders," Free said.

A ride on the LIRR to the Mets-Willets Point Station during off-peak hours costs $5.25, Rieara said. Subway and bus riders can reach the tennis center for the standard $3 fare.

Fans can also take the 7 train to the Mets-Willets Point Station. NYC Transit Executive Vice President of Subways Bill Amarosa Jr. said additional trains will be available when needed, particularly following matches, to help manage crowds.

After the final match each night, the MTA will run up to seven express trains to help transport fans, Amarosa said.

Bus riders can take the Q90, which stops on Roosevelt Avenue near the tennis center. A designated paratransit pickup and drop-off area will also be nearby.

MTA officials encouraged riders to check the MTA app and TrainTime app before traveling.

"This is our third time standing at this location, encouraging all New Yorkers, as well as our visitors from across the world and country, to take mass transit," Rieara said.