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Arrested on Long Island: A Guide for Bronx Residents
There is no Long Island Rail Road station in the Bronx, which makes this the one borough where every train trip to court is really two trips. If you were arrested on Long Island and live in the Bronx, plan on getting yourself to Grand Central or Penn Station first and starting the clock from there.
Everything below on getting to Long Island court from the Bronx assumes a weekday morning calendar call, which is when most of these cases are heard. Times and fares are current as of September 2026 and should be checked before you travel.
Getting to the LIRR from the Bronx
Grand Central Madison is usually the better choice. Metro-North’s Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines all terminate at Grand Central Terminal, and the LIRR concourse is in the same complex — you never go outside. The 4, 5, 6 and D also reach it. If you are in the west Bronx, Penn Station via the 2 or 3, or the B or D to Herald Square, may be quicker.
Both are LIRR fare Zone 1, so the ticket price is identical. Pick whichever you can reach faster.
Bronx to Nassau County District Court, Hempstead
| How | Route | Rough time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIRR | Metro-North or subway to Grand Central Madison, then the Hempstead Branch — one seat, no transfer at Jamaica | About 46–55 min on the LIRR leg; 1 hr 30 – 2 hr door to door | $13.50 peak / $10.00 off-peak, plus your local fare |
| Car | Throgs Neck or Bronx-Whitestone Bridge to the Cross Island Parkway south, then the Southern State to Exit 17, 19 or 21 | 45–60 min clear, 75–110 in rush | Toll, gas, meters |
| Car, northern route | Cross Island to Grand Central Parkway to Northern State, then Meadowbrook south to Exit M4 (Route 24 west) | Similar | Toll, gas |
A verified sample from the LIRR timetable: Grand Central 6:40 a.m. arrives Hempstead 7:26 a.m., a 46-minute ride. From Hempstead station the courthouse is about two blocks on foot.
Bronx to Suffolk County District Court, Central Islip
| How | Route | Rough time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIRR | Grand Central Madison or Penn Station, then the Ronkonkoma Branch — one seat | About 1 hr 5 – 1 hr 15 on the train; 2 hr 15 – 2 hr 45 door to door | $21.50 peak / $16.00 off-peak, plus local fare |
| Car | Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge, then the Clearview (I-295) or Whitestone (I-678) Expressway to the Long Island Expressway east, Exit 56 (Route 111) south to Carleton Avenue | 60–75 min clear, 90–130 in rush | Toll, gas |
Add the last two and a half miles. The Central Islip LIRR station is about two and a half miles from the Cohalan Court Complex — the figure comes from the federal bankruptcy court in that complex and from Touro Law School, which is inside it. Suffolk County Transit Route 17 connects the two, roughly every 30 minutes on weekday mornings, $2.25. For a Bronx resident this is the difference between making a 9:30 calendar call and missing it.
Two hours is a long way to travel for a five-minute appearance
Some court dates can be covered by your lawyer without you. Call 516-939-1529 and find out whether yours is one of them before you plan the trip.
Driving to Long Island court from the Bronx for work
Trucks and commercial-plated vehicles are permitted on the Throgs Neck and Bronx-Whitestone bridges — the Whitestone clears about fifteen feet — but never on the Henry Hudson Bridge. Once you are across, the Cross Island and Grand Central parkways are closed to you. Use the Clearview (I-295) or the Whitestone Expressway (I-678) to reach the Long Island Expressway, and stay on the LIE.
For Central Islip that is LIE to Exit 56, Route 111 south, Wheeler Road, Carleton Avenue — the court’s own published route. For Hempstead, come off the LIE and down to Route 24, Hempstead Turnpike, which becomes Fulton Avenue one block from the courthouse.
What time to leave for Long Island court from the Bronx
Criminal calendars are called at 9:30 a.m. in both courts, and both have a magnetometer at the door. Aim to be inside by 8:45.
- Hempstead by train: leave the Bronx around 7:00 a.m.
- Hempstead by car: leave around 7:15 a.m.
- Central Islip by train: leave around 6:15–6:30 a.m.
- Central Islip by car: leave by 7:00 a.m., earlier if the Cross Bronx is involved.
Long Island court from the Bronx: common questions
Is there any way to do this without crossing the whole city?
For some appearances, yes — calendar calls and conferences can often be handled electronically under CPL 182.20(1)(c), and some arraignments can be covered by counsel. It depends on the stage and on the judge. It is worth asking before every date, not just the first one.
Which bridge is faster?
Usually the Throgs Neck for Suffolk and the Whitestone for Nassau, but that flips with traffic. Check before you leave rather than committing to one.
What if I do not have a car and cannot afford the train?
Tell your lawyer. Courts and prosecutors deal with this constantly, and an appearance problem raised in advance is a scheduling question. The same problem raised after you miss the date is a bench warrant question.
Do you have to make the trip to Long Island court from the Bronx at all?
Sometimes not. Whether your lawyer can cover a date without you depends on the stage of the case and on how it started — a desk appearance ticket leaves more room than a custodial arrest, and the judge decides either way. The rules, stage by stage with the statute for each, are on the main page for New York City residents.
One provision is worth knowing before your first date: under CPL 182.20(1)(b)(iv), if you ask to be arraigned by video and the court grants it on that basis, the only securing order available is release on your own recognizance. Whether that is the right move in your case is a conversation to have with a lawyer first, not a decision to make from the Bronx.
Tell us your court date before you plan the trip
Some of these appearances can be handled without you, and some cannot. Call 516-939-1529 and we will tell you which one yours is.
Long Island court from the Bronx: the short version
If you take one thing from this page, take this. Travelling to Long Island court from the Bronx is a two-part problem — the trip itself, and whether you need to make it at all.
- Check the courthouse on your ticket first. Nassau cases go to Hempstead, Suffolk cases from the five western towns to Central Islip, and an arrest on the East End goes to that town’s own justice court.
- Hempstead is walkable from the train. Central Islip is not. The Central Islip station sits about two and a half miles from the courthouse; Suffolk County Transit Route 17 covers the gap for $2.25.
- Calendars are called at 9:30 a.m. in both courts, with a magnetometer line before that. Be at the door by 8:45.
- If you drive a work vehicle, do not follow your phone. The parkways are closed to commercial traffic. Use the Long Island Expressway.
- Ask before every date whether you need to be there. With no LIRR station in the borough, a two-hour trip for a five-minute calendar call is worth a phone call first.
Hochhauser Criminal & DWI Defense
Richard Hochhauser
164 Jackson Street, Hempstead, NY 11550
Tel: 516-939-1529
RH@Hochhauserlaw.com
This page provides general information about New York criminal procedure and court logistics and is not legal advice. Court schedules, fares and transit routes change — confirm details with the court or carrier before you travel. Every case turns on its own facts.
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