Burrstone

Any pictures of the new buses yet?

"n19 Freeport Babylon"? When did the n19 start going to Babylon again? I agree, I love the livery! I've been waiting and hoping a long time they'd switch the blue and orange (I even mentioned it here), the old mostly orange livery was getting kinda stale (and if they order all buses like this it will be easy to spot new buses).

Yes, Nassau not wanting to properly fund it's system is the problem but the is not the answer they charge more than Transdev and are able to offer less service for it. It's sad to see "low ridership" routes on the chopping block, public transit isn't meant to fund itself, if this was the case NY and federal governments would give zero funding to Nassau and Suffolk transportation and give it all to higher ridership routes in the city. During times like this I think the transit systems should "take from from the rich and give to the poor" and take a bus or two from a busy line and put it on a low ridership route. There is no reason a bus should run every ten minutes in Brooklyn while someone in Nassau or Suffolk has to walk miles in the freezing cold or pay $100/week to take a cab if they want to keep their job. Shouldn't we take one of those buses an hour and put it on a line that is on the chopping block for NICE or SCT? I know I know, they are separate systems but I think you see the bigger picture I am talking about.

The problem with the NICE and SCT is that funding is keep on being cut while Cuomo is buying new buses with wifi and usb chargers and Bellone is getting millions to study BRT.

This is the point you are missing and my point with your argument. No, NICE has no obligation to people who live in Suffolk. We should actually say any obligation to offer service in Suffolk County. You get lost with ridership (again, the reason given wasn't "ridership and" as you keep defaulting too) in your first paragraph then you contradict yourself saying NICE is under no obligation to service an area outside of Nassau but you think there should be a double standard on the other side of the county line because of ridership? Can you show me that all buses being sent into queens are breaking even? You can't argue this one with me, I mean you can and lose, my point is solid. Ridership is not the point, if you want to continue to argue something besides the point I can argue tat too, but I'm busy, lets make it quick.

I don't care about ridership, if ridership is the issue than NICE should focus on Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan express routes. The reason given to not restore the n19 to Babylon was not ridership it was because another service provider provided service along the same route. Under this same theory routes to/from queens must be axed at the county line/next nearest transfer point. Ironically Suffolk County cares so they rerouted the S20 offering service every 90 minutes via Montauk Highway. NICE uses Unqua Rd, to get to/from the mall, SCT uses Broadway/W. Oak St in Amityville to get to Sunrise Mall so NICE really screwed over a large group of mentally retarded people living on Carman Mill Rd., many of whom have physical disabilities and cannot make the over half mile walk to/from the bus stop at Merrick/Unqua.

IMO the n4 should be cut at hook creek blvd or rerouted to and cut at green acres mall if nice refuses to restore the n19 to babylon. I mean the reason given to not restore service along montauk highway to babylon is that it it is outside of nassau county and another agency (sct) provides service along montauk highway (S20, ever 90 minutes). The n4 passengers leaving nassau county can take the Q5 from hook creek blvd or green acres following the same route another agency ( MTA ). What's fair is fair, actually it's more than fair for the n4 rider compared to the n19 rider waiting up to 10 minutes for the Q5 as opposed to up to an hour an a half for the S20 if it's on time.

I was hoping for MiDi's, oh well...

What it all really boils down to, AGAIN, is that Nassau refuses to properly fund NICE bus and give those in the community who need it a ride. NICE has a $7 million shortfall, the county has a $45 million dollar surplus and only gives NICE $3 million less than half the shortfall to run at a minimum. What else are they doing with this surplus? Instead they'd rather see the elderly and mentally handicapped walk 2-3 miles each day. It makes me sick!

Thanks for the link, I searched and searched last week, couldn't find anything... It sucks they will not restore the n19. I rode it a few times just to check it out and feel bad fir anyone who has to travel between the mall and Montauk HWY. For starters the service has 90 minute headways and they don't follow the schedule. IMO someone would have to be retired or collecting SSDI having to go to the doctor or shopping once and a while. If some who had a job used it they'd probably lose their job unless they have a very understanding boss . NICE did leave a bunch elderly and mentally handicapped on Carman Mill Road stranded. I know a lot of them go to a day program in Freeport. The s20 service goes no where near it and it is in Nassau County. If the LIBRU was worth anything they'd rent a van or work with these people's counselors to get them to the next NICE meeting so their voices can be heard.

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Any word on the eliminated portion of the n19? No word in the recent announcement while the fate other routes have been revealed. When the plans were made to eliminate routes there were no signs at stops informing riders of the elimination (or what portion). Only a sign at Freeport. I hear many disabled residents living in an apartment on Carmen's road think they may have intentionally been left in the dark so they wouldn't know to go to the meeting and object. I'm starting to think they were right.

Yes, I've delivered MANY vehicles and to answer your question new vehicles break down all the time. New coach buses break down, UPS brown boxes, new Volvo tractors all break down during delivery. I can't really comment on stats for after delivery but I've seen enough vehicles back at dealerships of all time to support test that they do. New engines do need to be "broken in" as well, I'm not an engineer so I'm not even going to attempt to change it. A new vehicle breaking down is not unrealistic, that's why manufactures offer warranties and fix these these vehicles for free. It would only be unrealistic. If the problems weren't fixed by the manufacturer.

It's really not, not since Walmart left.... While a better route to the mall than it takes now I'm saying it should take Clocks Blvd or County Line Rd to Oak St and into the Amityville RR. There are links to more transportation there and if someone wanted/needed to get to the mall they have many options there to get them to the mall including the n54/55. OR the should have just eliminate the routing to the mall and back and had the n19 run straight from Freeport/Babylon via Merrick/Montauk... Almost anything would have been better than what they did...

I look at NICE's layout of the town placement's on the new n19 map and chuckle at the vision of the person laying the placements of the towns who has obviously never been out here. lol Why did they even put Amityville on the Map? Just to remind those in Suffolk that the bus no longer goes out there? lol I'm also annoyed at Cumo! Billions announced in "public transportation!' but he allows these cuts to go through? Apparently to him public transportation only means LIRR bringing people who work in Manhattan an easier ride and getting vehicles from Long Island to Westchester County.