Hampton Tradition XXXVIII - Hampton Jitney

By T.J. Clemente

Since the '70s, The Hampton Jitney has been a reliable mode of transportation between the Hamptons and New York City with almost clockwork timing. The concept of the Jitney was born during the Arab oil boycott in 1973, which caused a horrendous gas shortage and long lines at the gas pumps in the U.S. James Davidson, founder of the Hampton Jitney (he coined the name during a dinner party at artist Loren Dunlap's Sagaponack home) originally intended to create a bike bus to ferry people and their bikes from Amagansett to Southampton College so that one could get about the Hamptons without a car. The trip to the city was almost an afterthought.

Sisco Barnard, one of the original drivers when service began in 1974 with a handful of vans that seated 10 passengers, remembers the cost was $12 one way and $20 roundtrip to New York City. The Long Island Rail Road used all of its power and influences to ban the Jitney, but with help from the Group for the South Fork, Davidson prevailed. He even compared Jitney service to train service by saying it was like "a steamship to a jetliner." Barnard also remembers the first bus purchased in 1980, a 1966 Dodge Challenger with seating for 46 travelers. At the time, it seemed like a Boeing 747. It was vehicle model number 8 used by the Jitney, with the previous being GM vans. Just recently Hampton Jitney rolled out its "greenest coach yet," number 110.

After the Jitney's first year, intra-Hampton service was suspended because it was not financially feasible, but the service to New York City became the staple of the Jitney's success. Barnard remembers some of the original passengers who rode the Jitney back and forth, including Lauren Bacall and George Plimpton. He recalled picking up passengers from a barn on Butter Lane and Davidson taking reservations from his kitchen. Back then, there were 33 drivers who were mostly part time. Now there are over 100 well-trained professional drivers. Always privately owned, J.Brent and Missy Lynch purchased the Hampton Jitney in the '80s. Today Geoffrey Lynch is president with family members Andrew, Stephanie and Peter also active in the company.

Marketing Director for Hampton Jitney, Jennifer Friebely, said that both Davidson and the Lynch family have taken the Jitney "from a kitchen table business to one of the most successful businesses in the Hamptons." While touting new Coach number 110 as the greenest coach ever, she said, "One fully occupied motor coach is 475% more fuel efficient than the most popular hybrid car."

Born from the first oil shortage, the Hampton Jitney now plays an integral part in conserving fuel and saving money. With gas currently priced at over $4 a gallon, and heading to $5, so many more people are opting to ride the Jitney and leave their cars behind.

"The Hampton Jitney has become part of the fabric of the Hamptons. It's an icon. It's why the Hamptons is the Hamptons," added Friebely. "Our tradition of reliable daily service is always at the highest level. We are excited knowing that we will continue to be able to serve the Hamptons at this high level."

A concept that was born at a 1973 Sagaponack dinner party has evolved into the most reliable option for traveling between the Hamptons and New York City. Driver Barnard watched things happen from the beginning, and now still in the Jitney's employ, he watches the Lynch family run the concept of fuel-efficient travel at the highest level. The tradition of taking the Hampton Jitney is not only convenient, but also environmentally friendly.

The Hampton Jitney runs almost hourly, seven days a week, and a live reservationist can be reached at 631-283-4600 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Bookings are now available 24 hours a day via hamptonjitney.com - quite an evolution from the phone calls taken on Davidson's kitchen phone.

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