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MTA to pull all funding on Long Island Bus (bye bye bus service?)

w8Hou

By w8Hou,
in New York City Bus

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w8Hou

w8Hou

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MTA Cuts May Gut L.I. Bus Service

 

More than 104,000 people rely on Long Island buses to get to work each day, making it one of the largest suburban bus systems in the country. However, according to a report in Newsday, the MTA was considering a plan to pull all funding from the bus system.

 

Ryan Lynch, a spokesman for the Transportation Campaign, a group that supports regional bus service, said without the MTA money, the system "would literally be obliterated to almost nothing."

 

Currently the Long Island Bus operates 47 lines with $40 million from the MTA, $44 million from the state and $9.1 million from Nassau County.

 

"I would not reach work without it. I'm coming all the way from Brooklyn and I need the bus to take me to work," said rider Sharon Martin.

 

This latest possible MTA cut was expected to be discussed at MTA budget meetings next week aimed at whittling down the agency's $800 million deficit. "The staff has been instructed to come up with fare proposals that would affect the least number of people," said Allen Cappelli, MTA Board Member.

 

Among the other proposals being considered, sources told CBS 2HD's Marcia Kramer that the LIRR was planning to raise fares on the one hand, then decrease the discount on monthly tickets on the other.

 

Regular discounts for buying in bulk throughout the MTA system were also expected to shrink. There will also be a cap on unlimited ride cards for subways and buses and the discounts for using E-ZPass at bridges and tunnels will be cut.

 

"They would affect me greatly because I come all the way from Brooklyn and I depend on this bus every day," Nigel Wright said.

 

"It's unconscionable. It's very, very, very, it's just not right," said Stan Sadofsky of Bellmore. "We're paying enough already."

 

By comparison, the bus system in Suffolk County runs without MTA funds.

 

Link: http://wcbstv.com/topstories/nassau.bus.service.2.1814211.html

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Joel Up Front

Joel Up Front

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I've always been skeptical of how the MTA treats Long Island as a whole - bus and LIRR combined. LIRR fares are already high and an awful lot of LI B/Os got the shaft over the past year or so, and this comes as a big blow.

 

A certain driving issue of mine (let's not discuss it, so-called "friends" of mine laughed at me for it) is the primary reason why I have to take the bus to get home from college.... they've already eliminated 11 routes and it seems like more are on the way.

 

I'm also pretty much stuck at home because I only have $9 (or so, I can't remember what the farebox read last time I rode a bus) on my MetroCard and the only place I can fill it is at the Hempstead Transit Center, a good 6 miles away, not worth me waiting 15-20 minutes for each bus I have to take just for that purpose.

 

I'd rather not get behind the wheel only to lose it because I can't drive, but LI Bus is getting hit hard here. Anything they can come up with will hurt badly. I've seen a LOT of workers onboard buses here, and the last thing they need is for the MTA to slam them with cuts that hit closer to home.

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Nova RTS 9147

Nova RTS 9147

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Even though it makes me sIck to say it, this is basically the shape they were in when the MTA took over!

 

That is so true. I know I'm singing to the choir, but this is what happens when essential transit services are taken over without help from state government.

 

LIBUS has always been the bastard child of the (MTA). It's seen in the maintenance of the buses, and in the service. Nassau County officials didn't see a need to pay for the service (which is why the funding has been bare minimum at best) and Albany has been hell bent on breaking the (MTA) since it's inception. Having said that, I honestly hope something happens that would save LIbus from what appears to be certain doom.

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R32 3838

R32 3838

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The (MTA) is stupid , They take over almost everything and think that they are going to do great, oh How about no, This is why I hate Bloomberg, f**king duck, Because He made the MTA take over those private bus lines, Jamaica buses and Queens surface as well as Command, NYBS and Liberty lines were doing fine until the (MTA) took over, College point is a dumping ground for old CNG buses.

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East New York

East New York

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The (MTA) is stupid , They take over almost everything and think that they are going to do great, oh How about no, This is why I hate Bloomberg, f**king duck, Because He made the MTA take over those private bus lines, Jamaica buses and Queens surface as well as Command, NYBS and Liberty lines were doing fine until the (MTA) took over, College point is a dumping ground for old CNG buses.

 

Bloomberg didn't "make" them take over the pbl's and they were not doing just fine before the TA took over. Liberty, QSC and Command were not as bad as some of the others, but were definitely in need of an overhaul. LGA was straight trash! The buses were on their last legs, and service was extremely unreliable in some areas. Some days drivers would just sit at a depot because they didn't have any buses. MTA bus has come a long way in 5 years. Now all we need is a CEO like Alan Mulally to turn things around. And MTA didn't want to take over LIB, but was forced to because Nassau was so far in debt to the TA. Those service cuts were inevitable.

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East New York

East New York

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Damnit man how the hell am I to get home on weekday mornings after the overnight shift?

 

I guess they expect me to take that hour-long walk to the Hicksville LIRR then. SMH.

 

Ok let's think logically here people. Even if the MTA pulls their funding from LI, do you really think the entire system would cease to operate??? It's not, and I repeat NOT going to happen!

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Grand Concourse

Grand Concourse

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Send those 1700s to JG and/or CP [reseated] and let the private operators take over the defunct lines. Nassau should pay it's bills otherwise it's just a burden to the MTA overall.

 

The one thing I will blame MTA Bus for is the early retirement of the NYBS fishbowls due to the lack of the lifts. Otherwise they could've ran a few more years. And all these D4500s bought these past few years are just overkill. 40' buses would've been fine.

 

As for the CP being 'dumping grounds' maybe their buses just crapped out due to old age or too many of their CNGs were being sent out = shortage? The JG buses maybe crap, but at least it's better than no bus showing up.

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Joel Up Front

Joel Up Front

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Bloomberg didn't "make" them take over the pbl's and they were not doing just fine before the TA took over. Liberty, QSC and Command were not as bad as some of the others, but were definitely in need of an overhaul. LGA was straight trash! The buses were on their last legs, and service was extremely unreliable in some areas. Some days drivers would just sit at a depot because they didn't have any buses. MTA bus has come a long way in 5 years. Now all we need is a CEO like Alan Mulally to turn things around. And MTA didn't want to take over LIB, but was forced to because Nassau was so far in debt to the TA. Those service cuts were inevitable.

 

I understand the LIRR got thrown under the MTA umbrella before LIB came around to be, but what did Nassau do to the MTA?

 

And when did LIB get taken over by the MTA?

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Joel Up Front

Joel Up Front

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Send those 1700s to JG and/or CP [reseated] and let the private operators take over the defunct lines. Nassau should pay it's bills otherwise it's just a burden to the MTA overall.

 

The one thing I will blame MTA Bus for is the early retirement of the NYBS fishbowls due to the lack of the lifts. Otherwise they could've ran a few more years. And all these D4500s bought these past few years are just overkill. 40' buses would've been fine.

 

As for the CP being 'dumping grounds' maybe their buses just crapped out due to old age or too many of their CNGs were being sent out = shortage? The JG buses maybe crap, but at least it's better than no bus showing up.

 

Hey, LI needs newer buses, too. Not fair that NYC got a fresh batch of O7s when they first came out.

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Infamous85

Infamous85

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Hey, LI needs newer buses, too. Not fair that NYC got a fresh batch of O7s when they first came out.

 

Lol Nassau got new O7's while I was still riding nothing but old RTSs (Jamaica Depot) but I see what your saying, however there's still bus depots in NYC that don't have newer buses.

 

This is extreme, cutting LI Bus. Then watch that's still not going to be enough then it'll be some of Queens & Staten Island. I don't even care anymore, and I still wouldn't care if I still lived in NYC (Queens), service isn't that great and every bus goes to Jamaica (haven't shopped there in years), I prefer having a car. Cut away till you're down to the B46 & M15. I really don't have sympathy for the (MTA) but I will admit that they don't get as much help as they need as well as doing things they shouldn't. They should start standing up for themselves and start calling people out and telling passengers what's what as opposed to just taking the wrath for everything.

 

Ex: "As painful as it is, cutting LI Bus is on the table because Nassau County isn't contributing as much as they should for the service...(show the numbers) then blah blah blah", "encourage your county's government to contribute a little more to the service and we're good". Better than just standing there looking like the bad guy imo.

 

But whatever.

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LRG

LRG

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Can't wait for regular LI Bus rider, JohnqPine reactions to this. I am sure it will be the biggest screaming and 'heads will roll" rant and commentary in history of the NYCTF forums.:eek:

 

Is it necessary for you to instigate like that?

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LRG

LRG

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Patch repair jobs, mismatched paint jobs, no AC and no ADA access is not how the real world defines "fine"

 

To this day, I think that NYBS and Liberty Lines were best off on their own. The rest of the PBLs could have been taken over.

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DevilBus65

DevilBus65

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Well once upon a time the MTA had a ton of surplus money and a grand vision of running all the buses and trains and subway systems. Mayor Mike and his crew finally put forth the grand scheme of acquiring the last 7 private lines. He said we can do a better job running these companies instead of giving them $140 million each year. The public thought this was a great idea too,little did they know that the poorly maintained equipment was a scam by the city to sway favor for a takeover. Now it's 2010. The surplus is long gone. Real estate isn't what it used to be. Now we have layoffs and service cuts. Just like life,fairy tales don't always have happy endings. The hare beats that tortoise,Hansel and Gretyl don't escape the witch. The MTA can't pull it off.

The end.

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Gotham Bus Co

Gotham Bus Co

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Currently the Long Island Bus operates 47 lines with $40 million from the MTA, $44 million from the state and $9.1 million from Nassau County.

 

By comparison, the bus system in Suffolk County runs without MTA funds.

 

 

Of all the suburban counties in the MTA District, only Nassau is unwilling to pay for its own bus system.

 

Clearly, Nassau is waiting for NYC to bail it out yet again. Not gonna happen.

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