PinePower

I was by Stop and Shop, on Old Country Rd, in the Country Glen Center, which is nowhere near the Carle Place train station. I dont think I've ever taken the train from Carle Place to Westbury or vice-versa. I have walked from Westbury to Carle Place and vice versa to catch the LIRR on weekends, when I didn't feel like waiting for the Westbury train.

Another reason they just need to bring back the n6L, they could still have some n6x trips but the regular n6s are getting slammed. It's getting to the point where you'd be better off grabbing a city bus and backtracking to the n6x bus stop! I had my own fun a couple nights ago when it took 80 mins for me to get from Carle Place to Westbury because two n22's to Hicksville never showed up, n24 was 20 mins late, and then two n15s came at once. Missed the 35 and had to wait for the next one. There was a time when you'd never have to wait long for a bus along OC Rd to Roosevelt Field but it seems there are alot less buses. But it's not the schedule, but delays, which aren't neccesarily NICE's fault. I dunno what happened with those n22s to Hicksville, 7:52pm and 8:15pm respectively, but I never saw them as I left on the n35 at 8:23pm. Pretty sad I left the Stop&Shop at Country Glen at 7:25pm and wasn't able to get a bus in time for the 7:52pm n35 or one n22, I'd have been better off walking all the way to the RFM bus stop. Heck, it'd have been faster to walk all the way home! I think Nassau needs to give buses traffic light priority, the devices would pay for themselves fairly quickly, in less running time and lower fuel costs. Think of the n24 which loses ALOT of time in FP with the lights on Jericho Turnpike, I bet that's almost 10 mins right there that could be saved! Lateness is not a new problem, it was a problem with the as well, but bunching seems much worse, I think its because these new ppl Veolia is hiring aren't experienced enough to keep a schedule.

I'm pretty sure NICE would suspend operations if sustained winds are over 40mph, since it's not safe to be operating buses in that kind of wind. No mention on Suffolk Transit's page on what they are doing, but I think we should all assume most service will be shut down everywhere after midnight Sun to at least Tuesday afternoon. It's important to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles and power crews!

I can confirm that as I believe the low 1700s are at RVC and I frequently see them on the n35. Speaking of which, will the 3G order be split with RVC or not?

What does what I do for a living have to do with bus service? I dont go asking you or Joel what you do. Why? Because it's none of my business! And my life is none of your business! You can bet if you walked on my bus and started saying your disrespectful trash to me I'd let you know how I feel just like I did here. I do not let people walk all over me, not on the internet, not in person. My life is none of your damn business. I compliment NICE when I feel they've done a good job and criticize them when they've failed. I dont hate Veolia or the MTA, they both have their different management styles, but clearly when Veolia promised they can run a similar level of service for a much lower cost, it is reliability that gives. Both with lower cost labor as well as less maintanance, so buses are late and breakdown much more frequently than under the MTA. When it comes to whose at fault I've always been consistant on blaming Nassau County. The problems Nassau riders had under the MTA, as well as Veolia, are directly related to a lack of funding by Nassau County. But go ahead and keep blaming the messenger, all I'm doing is reporting what I see in my daily experiences with NICE Bus.

I'd like you to say that to my face, punk! Easy to say stuff over a computer isnt it? You and your friends think NICE Bus is so great why not try riding it for a week or two? Yes I know the MTA would've cut much more service given the budget, but the service NICE provides is crap. I waited an hour for an n27 today, one broke down and they never filled the run. And then its return trip from Glen Cove was never filled either. Then an n22 was an hour late with the next one right behind it. And this was just today! You think we're better off now with NICE than with MTA Long Island Bus before Mangano pulled his shit, WTF are you smokin? I know I'm expected not to go off on any of you who talk shit about me but I've had enough. You aren't in my shoes so STFU.

MTA Long Island Bus would've been better had Nassau County properly funded it's bus system. Is Veolia doing a better job with a smaller budget than LIB? Yes they are. Still I think stuff like maintanance suffers because of Nassau's refusal to provide a greater subsidy. This has been holding back bus service for years, with every Executive since Gulotta! I just would've liked to have seen Mangano agree to properly fund bus service. MTA Long Island Bus was set to be integrated with MTA Bus, but when push came to shove the County refused to work with the MTA and hence NICE was born. Nassau doesn't need the MTA to run a good bus system, one only has to look to Westchester's Bee-Line as a good example of a public-private partnership. But thats because Westchester doesn't keep cutting it's bus budget! Veolia has been able to run more service under a lower budget than the MTA would have, but you do have to look at the quality of the service. Bus bunching has gotten much worse, often there will be 2 or 3 buses in a row (I've seen this almost everyday on the n22), and I can definately say the buses are more off schedule than they were with the MTA because the already short running times and layovers have been made even shorter. But this is how Veolia saves money. And yes I'd still rather have it this way than a skeleton system under the MTA, I'm certainly not that crazy!

I know my original idea was crazy. Yes the S71 is probably the least on time of all ST routes after the S92. Many diversions. I often hear them running 45 minutes late. But the main thing is the 60 needs help and the 76 doesn't really do much to help since it only runs between SB Village and Port Jeff.

S60 usage between Stony Brook and the mall is very heavy. Its lighter (but not empty) toward Port Jefferson. S62 usage is heaviest between Smith Haven and Rocky Point. The 5A carries air. The 5A and S76 being combined may not be a bad idea, but it needs to go to the mall to help out the 60. It can loop in Stony Brook village like it normally does but then send it down Stony Brook Rd. SUNY students could use it from 25a which runs right by the college (which is on the other side of the tracks). This would get more people on the 5A/S76 (renamed to just S76) since it goes to the mall and Stony Brook. Scheduling should connect with the S62 so ppl can get between SUNY Stony Brook and Riverhead more easily. Definately better than my S62 Stony Brook idea...

Problem is the 60 needs help. If so many SUNY students have cars, why are 60s getting crush loaded between the mall and Stony Brook? Many dont have cars and use the bus to get to the mall. I've been told the 60s get crush loaded and Suffolk Bus often has to call up anyone running off to pick up those left behind! Having the 62 serve Stony Brook would help out the 60 and give SUNY students more options. It would get more riders on the S62. I took away Port Jeff because its already served by 4 other routes, the S60,S61,S76,and 5A. And having the 62 go to both Port Jeff and Stony Brook would cause too many delays. OK so lets scratch changing the 62, how would you help out the situation on the S60? Should the S56 go down 25a instead of 25 and serve ST James, Stony Brook, and then Smith Haven? I was also going to mention if the S62 went to Stony Brook it would no longer serve Happaugue and I would extend the S33 to Smith Haven Mall via 347, so one bus would connect the hubs at Sunrise Mall and Smith Haven Mall. I'm just saying everybody seems to underestimate just how many SUNY Stony Brook students dont own cars. There needs to be more bus lines that serve the campus, and that connect it to hubs in Lake Grove and Riverhead. If some of my suggestions seem too complicated, then here's a simple idea, extend the S57 or S59 to SUNY Stony Brook.

I agree. I remember looking for the S66 when I needed to transfer from the 7A and had some trouble finding it and almost missed it! All buses in Patchogue should serve the LIRR station.

Another idea I have would be to have the S62 serve SUNY Stony Brook. It would follow the S60 route but stop at the LIRR station, then down Nicholl's back to 347. The section in Port Jeff would be eliminated and the S62 would go straight on 347, PJ riders can transfer from the 60,61, and even the 5A (in Rocky Pt). This would provide another bus for the busy SUNY-Smith Haven corridor, and give SUNY students another easier option for shopping trips in Riverhead. All 62's would run to Smith Haven, no more runs that end in Port Jeff as the route will skip this area. A big plus since now I could take the LIRR to Stony Brook and get the S62 there, avoiding the ghetto area Port Jeff now is (and most ppl are starting to avoid). Pros-new options, no port jeff Cons-traffic at SUNY could prove to cause significant delays to 62 service According to drivers the 60s are getting hammered between the mall and Stony Brook so there needs to be another bus in that corridor besides just the 3D.

The lights are on mall property? Isn't "Ring Road" owned and maintained by the mall? In winter I see the mall snowplows clear those roads, not County.

Well I see plenty of folks who can afford to drive Range Rovers and other gas guzzling luxury tanks, a small gas tax would help. These rich ppl wouldn't even feel it. But Mangano refuses to raise taxes, although he has no problem raising fees for other things let alone those red light cameras. And yes alot of people in this county could care less about buses. Fortunately for them there's still enough service for the service economy not to suffer too severely, but if bus service was slashed in half (like what the MTA wanted to do) these people would be moaning about long lines in stores and having to pay for taxis for the nannies. So if I was in Mangano's shoes I'd have a luxury vehicle guzzler tax which would apply to personal use vehicles that get less than 18mpg or cost more than $50,000. It would be 2% of the purchase price. I'd get legislative pay down, instead of them voting themselves another increase. I'd cut my own salary by 30%. Basically in tough times it is my belief that those who have the most should sacrifice the most. Instead of giving Veolia $2 Million they would get $18 million. I'm not sure if I'd bring back the , but probably not right away. I know there are those who hate my way of thinking, but it's a lot harder for someone working a low wage retail job to get to work if they dont have a bus, than someone who may have to cut back on the Starbucks abit to get a Range Rover. B) Speaking of Roosevelt Field, has anyone noticed they screwed up the left turn light across from the north side of the mall? It only stays green one side at a time and the cycle is only about 10 seconds. The result is a backup and delayed buses. I already called the mall last week about it, but nothing has been done.

Yeah because Mangano doesn't provide enough money. When you run a bus system on so little, maintanance is going to be deferred. Then throw in the complications in the CNG fuel system and you've got yourself loads of breakdowns.

Pretty sad they'd rather have them sit in a scrap heap than give them to NICE...

Yeah we could use some of those loaner buses we had back in Dec tho. I dunno how much they are worth but the MTA could lease them to NICE until the 3G's come in.

The question is are NICE Buses now able to pass inspection? And do the inspections actually look at the condition of the engine, and whether it runs well or not?

I bet it was an Orion V too. Probably stalled out as it couldn't make it over the incline of the grade. Many of them are just shot. Even the 1600s, had one today that did 0-20 in one minute. Perhaps Nassau should get a waiver so the buses dont have to stop at RR crossings, because they may not start up again...

How does it compare to Islip (which sees regular bus service Mon-Sat on the S57)?

I would definately go any length to avoid taking a taxi! I thought the airport provided a shuttle bus to the Egg Harbor train station though. Must've been an odd site to be walking along a Pine Barren road with a rolling suitcase. No one offerred you a lift?

Afraid of the JD? Always amazes me how city folk are so afraid of the pines. To me there's nothing more soothing than being with nature on a deserted road, or better yet, on a sand trail in the woods. Google Earth has that walk at about 7-8miles. I've walked way more than that, from Toms River Bus Terminal all the way to Double Trouble and back. Then there was that walk from Manasquan train station along the bike path to Allaire State Park and then to US 9 in Howell. As long as it's not hot (below 80) there's no place I'd rather be but with those Great Shapes.

So you were in the world famous NJ Pine Barrens. Yeah I've been on plenty of walks like that.

So the bus passes by but doesn't stop there anymore? The outlets are right on 537. I would like to take a trip down there, but not to Six Flags. The main goal is to check out the Colliers Mills Preserve which is right by Six Flags.

Perhaps leaving the engine cover up while running will help the buses run cooler!