Hound

Yes and that went down the drain too. It really shouldn't have been an issue. It didn't run frequent and there weren't too many "poor folks" on the bus

Nassau wanted to extend the N2 there years ago,but nimbyism prevented it.

Well all is to scrapping that route theory. ..although SCT years ago spoke of that extension like the s33 extension to Smith Haven Mall...so for some its like a faith matter but now virtually obsolete with the new s20 run through the n19 corridor between Sunrise Mall and Babylon

 

And gotcha s20 won't use Unqua road but Carmans road

 

BTW speaking of large deadheads the last s58 after reaching East Northport where does it deadhead to Ronkonkoma or where EBT is housed or another depot

It's using Rt 110 & County Line Rd to & from Montauk Hwy. The former N19 stretch of Carmans Rd bet. Merrick Rd & Sunrise Hwy is no longer being serviced.

Is the idea really worth that quick dismissal? Couldn't the schedule just call for example, a 5-10 minute buffer at Freeport LIRR station to encompass for the traffic or overcrowding delays that could happen at the beach should they occur? I don't know, I feel like the idea could work if it's done right (not saying NICE does things right though).

NO.

Not in favour of the new s20 modifications. ..was more towards a s40 extension to Amityville via the old n19 itinerary

 

Also i dislike the new usage of the computer announcements. ..i mean it just displays the route number and its final destination. ..i like when it displays us the date and time and spontaneously appears a major intersection and the town or village it belongs like example: approaching Southampton Hospital. ..Southampton

 

Also the 10 minute between sunrises mall and Amityville is because of the very very long traffic light change at NYS 27 and Unqua Road

The S20 reroute will not be using Unqua Rd.

There were comments on NICE's Facebook throughout last year I think from someone named Charlton D'souza, who still comments, who wanted to extend the n4 route to Jones Beach or create a seperate route between Jones Beach or Jamaica or something. I think a better idea is to extend one of the north-south routes to Freeport to the beach similar to that n73/74 extension to Jones Beach idea that was pitched around here to replace the n87. With that route not around anymore/currently, possible routes could be the n43 or certain runs of the n40/41. I could see ridership increasing with those extensions.

These route extensions wouldn't work. They would only cause reliability issues with the rest of the route due to beach traffic,raised drawbridges on the parkway & overcrowding delays.

Packed on Memorial Day and regular service on weekends, yes. But often on weekdays during the summer, the buses ran close to empty which has contributed to the cost.

 

Add in the fact that NICE doesn't have resources to have relief buses on the n88 anymore like Long Island Bus did on days like Memorial Day, and you have people who just stopped taking it and drive to the beach.

 

IF the n88 were to be eliminated, though concert service is already removed I believe (but from what I saw on here, they screwed that up anyway), they could always extend a couple of n40/41 or even n4 runs to the beach and see how that plays out. At least hound didn't say the n88 was next on the chopping block before the n33 and the n36.

The main reason for the drop in ridership on the N88 is because NICE screwed up the schedule that caused missed train connections,unlike when the MTA ran it. Also,the headways were increased & span of service cut.

Yeah, I could agree to have it use Woodbury Road. The 1.5 bus per route still lets it have 60 minute headways on weekdays. On Saturdays, you could have the setup mentioned (the n73 headway would be every 70 minutes instead of 60 minutes, since 3 minutes of recovery seems too little. Additionally, you could interline the n81 and the n79 on Saturdays (I believe you'll need three buses for both routes). 

 

As for the Floral Park terminal, while it's true that there's a commercial strip there, nobody still uses the bus there. Routing it on Hempstead Turnpike while decreasing the span and increasing the headway off peak would help the n6 while not adding buses at all to the n6. The n2/8 would give the n6 2 extra buses per hour rush hours, and it needs all the help it can get. The n1 supplements it to Jamaica, while there's nothing to/from Hempstead. With the n2/8 running to/from Hempstead, there would be more buses to better distribute loads, while there's less of a chance to get flagged. For some depatures, I would move it up a tad bit (since the ones I posted were just an outline), in order to get people on that bus, over the n6. The n6 wouldn't be boggled down as much, and by the time it reaches Meacham, there would be slightly more space on the bus. I've also mentioned that since I have seen people before connecting to/from the n2/8 at Meacham Avenue, on multiple occasions. 

At one time the N3(now gone) ran bet. Green Acres & Hempstead. When the N8 was started,it was originally supposed to go to Hempstead,but due to some internal work rule involving the full-time & LABO drivers,it never happened.It would have definitely boosted ridership & helped out the N6.

You could just dedicate one bus to the n73, and have two buses on the n81, but have it run up Pinepower's suggested route (take South Oyster Bay to Woodbury Road to get to Hicksville)

 

 

 

The Floral Park terminal wasn't really in the middle of nowhere. There is a fairly busy commercial area to the north, stretching down to the railroad tracks. Not saying it was the best terminal, but there was some logic behind it. 

The better option would have been extending the N2 up Tulip Ave to the Floral Pk LIRR station. They tried to do this many years ago,but unfortunately Floral Pk nimbyism prevented it. Even routing it up Covert Ave to at least Jericho Tpk would have been another option.

Why not have N73 serve the colleges to add ridership?

Serving the Broadway Mall, like it once did would have helped.

Laziness and the fact that nassau could care less.

Don't you mean COULDN'T care less?

Their probably going to take their time, especially since someone from NICE had said in Newsday that if they were to get the money the cut routes could be reinstated. If they went right out an took all the signs down it would show that the cuts would be permanent and the person lied. (Not to mention wasteful if they were telling the truth and reinstated the routes if they got the money)

 

What they are probably doing is waiting for like a month or two or whenever they think they are sure they won't be getting any money to reinstate them or that riders forgot what they said and most likely have found other ways of getting around, 

 

Or they could just say heck with it and just leave them up. Suffolk left a route sign up even though a route didn't serve it, not sure if it was an approved route change by the county also don't know if the sign is still up since they renovated the ambulance station the sign was on. Also Suffolk put up a bus sign a few years ago for a route that doesn't serve the stop, though again it goes towards that route change mentioned earlier. So it goes to show that route signs aren't seen as important. 

On Sat. morning I saw at least 3 people waiting for the N73 on Jerusalem Ave at different stops.

Needless to say, if I ever saw you doing it in front of me, or pretending to work for NICE, I'd certainly call the police. Since you didn't post the photo here, I assume this is the bus that got stuck courtesy of a public Facebook group:

 

 

Good use of our tax dollars on PinePowerLI am I right?

 

Well, thank you for keeping us informed.

Another professional NICE driver getting in that position.

To say much i can guess that prior to the budget cuts the n20 was the longest NICE bus or was that position handed to the n72

The 20 & the 22.

Damn. #served

 

 

Hound do you still keep in touch with the planners/management? I thought you were retired and just kept informed from people still working at NICE (sucks).

 

Directly after the end of the storm when NICE started service again, the n20 was running like the original n20 and doing direct service between Flushing and Hicksville without the split.

Yes-yes &yes.

I wear orange reflector for safety when I get on NICE Bus because Long Island is very dark when it get a night time. I sometimes had to walk on Nassau/Suffolk County street. My LIRR friend at Woodside and Hicksville always give me senior ticket when I'm wearing my safety orange vest that says, "Official LIBRU- NICE Bus-Suffolk County Transit Bus Survey/ Select Bus Service Volunteer."

I don't pretend to be public servant.

I like to help people and my friends.

When I see teacher with school kids on field trip crossing the street, I help, well as my neighborhood in Jackson Heights.

I DO NOT PRETEND. I JUST HELP AS REGULAR PUBLIC. I have seen regular public helping police officers direct traffic.

 

Back to NICE Bus, n20G line had longest line that strecht all the way to Rotary at Great Neck Station, so n20G/H is costly some people 30-45 minutes extra on their old n20 commute.

We all knew it wouldn't work. It's only driving their ridership down even more. NICE sucks more than ever.

From what I understand, they have this (rather stupid IMO, but it's been around since the LIB days) policy that transfers must be between routes that intersect. So even if you just had to walk a few blocks from the n4X to the n22, it doesn't count as a transfer.

Transfers are not accepted from one Nassau route to another in Jamaica(i.e. N6 to/from N22,N4 to/from N6,etc. This has always been the policy.

There's nothing "reliable" about NICE. This will cause ridership to drop like everything else NICE does.

NICE sucks more than ever.

meaning final destination. This means there are 2 ways to speed up the trip one get off at middle neck road and chase down a N20H that already left allowing you to skip great neck or use LIRR to catch the N20H

This is nothing new. People have been doing this for years. The only problem is-you take a chance of even getting on a bus there,as they very often are full & flag that stop.

Why does the n79 run down Plainview Road? I don't think I've ever seen anyone take the bus from any stop between New South Road and E Marie St. Now that the n81 is gone it should probably run that way...yes it's a little added distance but it shouldn't add all that much runtime...

It's actually the reverse. I've always gotten pass. on & off on Plainview Rd when I drove the 79,while almost none get on or off on the 81 portion of Old Country.

Providing bus service east of Sunrise Mall is now officially Suffolk's problem, not NICE. I guess folks can take the train to Massapeaqua and then take the n55 to the mall from there.

The N55 does not serve Amityville on Sun.

He's asking capacity-wise, can the n48/49 handle Front Street by themselves?

 

For the Nassau Hub area, after 1/17/16, we're going to have the following routes at the following hubs:

 

RFM: n15, n16, n22/22A/22X, n24, n27, n35, n43, n45

 

NCC: n6X, n16, n35, n43, n45

 

NCDSS (60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd): n16, n27, n43, n45, n24 (select rush hour trips)

 

Mineola: n22, n23, n24, n40/41

 

I think the n27 could be cut back from Hempstead to the RFM (except during hours when it's needed for capacity reasons. i.e. NCC dismissal times when the n16 & n35 get crowded). Those n24 trips to RxR Plaza can be cut back to the RFM. 

 

Not really sure what else can really be done. Maybe some restructuring of the n6X, n16, and n35 out of NCC. There should definitely be something directly connecting NCC to both the RFM and Hempstead, for connections to the other routes over there. (Which in this case, both the n16 & n35 serve both purposes). I don't think having more n35s bypass NCC and leaving the n16 & n6X covering it would offer enough capacity to accommodate NCC students, though.

The 43 & 45 do not service 60 Chas. Lindbergh.

Did the n45 ever have Sunday service, prior to the n43 being created?

NO

It looks like the N21 & N27 are going to interline on weekends and off-peak, and it looks like they're going to keep the N25/N58 interline on the weekends. 

Did anyone notice that the last N70 from Hemp. will be at 4:15pm? But there's still later w/b pm service from Newsday.Obviously necessitating deadheads from somewhere.

Hound, has the bus stop at Merrick Rd + S Park Avenue in RVC always been concrete?

No-it used to be quicksand,but the buses kept sinking.

So the n19 now is 60 minutes all day on weekdays except to Massapequa in the AM, and a small PM slot from Massapequa from 4:15-5:15 PM. However, the payback for the lost service is an extra n19 to Massapequa at night. Well, that's gonna suck big time, I don't think reducing the headway from 30 to 60 minutes is a good idea.

 

N20 riders, while the trip time will increase, will have two additional buses on Saturday night to Great Neck (last bus now at 11:00 PM instead of 9:14 PM). The n20L notices are still mentioned on the n21 schedule, go figure.

 

The Late morning n57 headway is being increased, so the span of service  has technically increased by 15 more minutes. There's 1 minute added time in the AM & PM times to make the loop.

 

n79 now has a 55-59 minute headway during midday periods.

 

There is also now no PDF system map. NICE is redirecting people to its interactive map (via Google). IDK if they will release a new map reflecting the service changes at all or not.

On the cover of the N19 timetable-it shows Massapequa twice instead of Massapequa Park. It also shows the early morning dashed routing bypassing the mall which will no longer exist.

They have a later trip from Hicksville to Great Neck weekdays & Sat. but there's no Flushing connection in Great Neck. What good is that?

When did the n1 starts serving the Valley Stream LIRR station?

It always served it at rush hrs only. It was served full-time starting a few years before the NICE takeover.

Majority of n20 and n21 riders said n20 split routes wouldn't work well. During weekday rush hour, line at Great Neck Station for n20 Flushing has many people waiting. With split n20G/n20H, passengers on Great Neck-bound n20H or n21 will not be able to get on connecting n20G to Flushing because lines for n20 Flushing there strecht out to n25 bus shelter. With this split, it could be possible that line could make Guiness World Record for longest bus line waiting for n20G Flushing. I also think this means there will be no n20L Limited. Maybe Hound could correct me.

N20 Limited will be discontinued.

I know, we all know about the finance situation already. Nassau County is a problem, but if any of this has meant anything, NICE is ALSO a part of the problem. My point in my original post was that NICE could have been spreading around their money better/smarter from the start than reviving the n17 and instead reducing the n14, n62, n80/81 earlier than when their budget deficit happened and in turn, the routes had to be eliminated for good. Those routes never got significant ridership increases although NICE likes to think so, but has yet to release any route ridership statistics. Doesn't anyone else here think NICE is corrupt?

 

No, it won't. The n20 is going to be destroyed and ridership will continue to decrease. I will say that I expect the n20G (Flushing - Great Neck) to either stay the same or decrease slightly in ridership since there is a ton of ridership on that portion. I do expect the n20H to decrease in ridership because the connection to Flushing or Queens isn't there anymore. The lines at Great Neck during rush hours will be absurd, and I predict it will just get worse and worse.

 

And yet, with all the problems that NICE is facing and the failure that the service has become, this guy complains that you still have to pay by quarters:

 

-----------------------------------------

 

LINK: https://www.newsday.com/opinion/letters/letter-nassau-buses-should-take-bills-1.11208805

 

The Nassau Inter-County Express bus system is a failure on many levels [“$500 million in NY, LI bus subsidies restored,” News, Dec. 2]. The fares must be paid in quarters, which are hard to obtain because none of the stores in Hempstead will give you change.

 

I have traveled to many cities, and most municipal buses will take a dollar bill. I’m interested in civil rights history, and I’ve traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, and stood in the pulpit from which Martin Luther King Jr. preached and visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

I think Rosa Parks’ memory deserves a cleaner bus station than the one that bears her name in Hempstead, and it should have a way to provide riders with change.

 

A quarter machine would improve services for those of us who can’t afford MetroCards and need to get to work on time.

 

Stephen W. Abadie, South Hempstead

 

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NICE sucks

I forgot all about the n15/16 and the n40/41

 

The n15 and n16 are very similar in that their routes are segmentated that is n15 Roosevelt field mall-Hempstead. ..Hempstead- Rockville centre and Rockville centre- Long beach. ..the n16 between Roosevelt field- Hempstead. And Hempstead- lynbrook

 

Also these two routes are the ONLY routes to run to Hempstead and not terminate there

The N16 does not go to Lynbrook.

There's no demand for such service. Waste of time, money, and you would make the B39 even more unreliable.

It would make more sense to extend the B39 to the west side via Spring/Prince St(former M12 route).

I have a question on Jamaica Ave btwn, where the Q36 ends and CIP can you get on and off both the Q36 and N24 buses? or is it close door service for the Q36?

The Q36 does not end at the Cross Island Pkwy. Some end at 257th St & Jericho Tpk & some go on to Little Neck replacing the former Q79. And yes-both routes are open-door on the common part of the route east of 225th St.