NICE Planned Service/Schedule Changes

[N6 Limited]

I'm still having issues logging in. and it won't let me reset my password.

[qjtransitmaster]

Not even close N6X does stop at 169th cause it's express between 179th and westminster rd. so yes its going to make all stops afterwards

[N6 Limited]

Not even close N6X does stop at 169th cause it's express between 179th and westminster rd. so yes its going to make all stops afterwards

 

Perhaps you should consult the N6/N6X schedule:

http://www.nicebus.com/Maps_and_Schedules/Interactive_System_Map/IndividualMap/index.html?ID=4434

http://www.nicebus.com/_meta/NewRoutePDFs/NICE-April_8_n6_MapSchedule.pdf

 

I have provided two links for your convenience. The N6X runs primiarily between 179th street and the Hemstead Bus Terminal. The only stops eastbound are the previous N6 Limited stops east of Westminster Road. (Westminster Road, Terrace/Hilton Aves, and the bus terminal). Only the last few PM Rush Express Buses go west of 179th street to the Jamaica Bus Terminal. Those Buses stop at 169th street, 179th street, then go straight to Westminster Road, where it will make 1 more stop before the bus terminal (Hilton Ave). Westbound, they stop at Terrace Ave, Westminster Rd, run express to 179th, stop at 169th and the Jamicia bus terminal.

[Joel Up Front]

About half of the routes at the Transit Center were rearranged. The N40, 41, and 43 all use the three bays that were originally for the N6. The N6 and N6X use the old N17 bay, but I know for sure they didn't touch the N31/32, N15, and N35. There was a crane putting up wraps with the routes on them but I only saw an n6x wrap..

 

People also didn't know about the 43 going to Hempstead. I was going to, but I was in pain all day and it kinda put me in a bad mood. The smoother commute home made me feel better, however, and the 43 to Hempstead was a genius idea. Maybe people will catch on as the month goes on.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[N6 Limited]

I thought the N43 was using the N16 bay at the Terminal? So what did you observe today that made you thin that the N43 to Hempstead was a genius Idea? Were there people lined up for the N6X? Was there mass histeria at the Roosevelt Field total reshuffling of bays?

[N6 Limited]

NICE Bus changes catch some off guard

 

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nice-bus-changes-catch-some-off-guard-1.3650916

It was a confusing and frustrating commute Monday morning for many riders of NICE Bus, which put several major service changes into effect Monday.

 

The changes included longer waits for buses and the elimination of midday service on some lines. Although officials with Veolia Transportation, which operates the system, said they worked for weeks to spread word about the changes, many riders were still caught off guard.

 

"It's horrible," said Ebony Miller, who arrived at the Rosa Parks Transit Center in Hempstead unaware of the service changes. As a result, she just missed her N48 bus and would have to wait nearly two hours for the next one and be late to her job at the Century 21 in Westbury. "We're going to have to take a cab."

 

The service changes are aimed at closing a $7-million budget gap for Veolia, which took over the system from the MTA in January.

Charlene Obernauer, of the newly formed Long Island Bus Riders Union, said she was most disappointed at the lack of communication between Veolia and riders Monday. At Hempstead, riders crowded around posted schedules and maps of the changes looking for answers.

 

"There was a lot of confusion at the bus terminal this morning," said Obernauer, who took to answering many riders' questions herself. "I imagine there's going to continue to be confusion until people start to know the routes."

 

Others were grateful for some of the changes that took effect Monday. At Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, hospital staff met with some Veolia officials to thank them for restoring service to the facility via the new N17. The hospital was without any bus service since MTA service cuts initiated in 2010.

 

"We commend them for their responsiveness to our needs," Sister Mary Alice Aschenbach, vice president of pastoral care for the hospital, said about Veolia.

 

 

There is no excuse for daily riders to be completely surpised by these service changes, none whatsover. If you need to bus to get to work you should definitely be more attentive to service changes or any posters/phamphlets you see.

 

As for Ebony Miller, this is why you need to learn your alternatives. 2 hours for the Next N48 but not 2 hours to get to work. Get your ass on a bus to Roosevelt Field and take the N24.

 

Obernauer was answring many riders questions herself? She knows nothing!

[checkmatechamp13]

NICE Bus changes catch some off guard

 

http://www.newsday.c...guard-1.3650916

 

 

There is no excuse for daily riders to be completely surpised by these service changes, none whatsover. If you need to bus to get to work you should definitely be more attentive to service changes or any posters/phamphlets you see.

 

As for Ebony Miller, this is why you need to learn your alternatives. 2 hours for the Next N48 but not 2 hours to get to work. Get your ass on a bus to Roosevelt Field and take the N24.

 

Obernauer was answring many riders questions herself? She knows nothing!

 

 

That, and she should've been aware that there were changes taking place, and the N48 schedule could've been adjusted.

 

In any case, it is plausable that she could be late for work after missing the bus. According to Google Transit, it takes about 40-45 minutes to get from the Hempstead Transit Center to the Century 21 in Westbury by taking the N35 to the N24, but it only takes 27 minutes if she takes the N48. (The extra time is basically due to the time waiting for the transfer). But in any case, between the extra time waiting for the next bus to the RFM and the extra time spent traveling, it is possible that she could be late for work.

 

I mean, if the N48 normally gets her to work 15 minutes early, the only way she'd be able to make it on time is if everything managed to connect perfectly (which it likely wouldn't), and even then it would be by the skin of her teeth.

[Joel Up Front]

I thought the N43 was using the N16 bay at the Terminal? So what did you observe today that made you thin that the N43 to Hempstead was a genius Idea? Were there people lined up for the N6X? Was there mass histeria at the Roosevelt Field total reshuffling of bays?

 

 

The bus operator for the n43 I was on pulled into another bay at Hempsead, so I assume he just had to get home. I suppose this was done at the cost of a few N40/41 trips, considering those used to bunch like crazy on 9-15 minute headways combined. They put signs up at RF over last week apparently, but the overhead signs at Hempstead are all gone. I suppose they'll re-wrap them this week because there was a scissor lift in the n6X bay, which had a finished sign up.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[User]

NICE bus riders cope with service changes

 

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=F70562DFE81F88D75B25FCFBD2F8C62F?site=newsday&view=nassau_item&feed:a=newsday_5min&feed:c=nassau&feed:i=1.3650916&nopaging=1

 

Many Nassau bus riders got to work faster, while others were quite late Monday, on the first weekday since major service changes to NICE Bus took effect.

 

The changes included longer waits for buses and the elimination of midday service on some lines. Officials with Veolia Transportation, which operates the system, said they worked for weeks to spread word about the changes. But many riders were still caught off guard Monday.

 

"It's horrible," said Ebony Miller, who arrived at the Rosa Parks Transit Center in Hempstead unaware of the service changes. As a result, she and a friend missed their N48 bus and would have to wait nearly two hours for the next one. That meant she would be late to her job at the Century 21 in Westbury . "We're going to have to take a cab."

 

The service changes are aimed at closing a $7-million budget gap for Veolia, which took over the Long Island Bus system from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in January.

 

A Veolia spokeswoman said Monday that the only indication she had of how the morning commute went was that the volume of phone calls to NICE Bus was down.

 

Charlene Obernauer, of the newly formed Long Island Bus Riders Union, visited the Hempstead bus terminal Monday morning and said she was disappointed at the lack of communication between Veolia and riders.

 

"Quite frankly, if we weren't there this morning, I think people would have been even more confused," said Obernauer, who signed up 100 people from the station to her group Monday morning. "I think they needed to do better outreach."

 

The New York Public Interest Research Group surveyed 58 Nassau Community College students Monday and found that more than half did not see any posted signs during their commute about the changes or Veolia employees at stops to explain them to riders.

 

"Many . . . [students] had no idea that the service cuts were put into effect," NYPIRG spokesman Adam Garfield said. "Students are afraid of being late to class and are unsure of how these service cuts will effect them."

 

Others were grateful for some of the service changes, which Veolia officials said would benefit far more people than they would hurt. Some improvements included the addition of new express service to Jamaica from Hempstead and from Hicksville , and restored service to Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre .

 

The facility had been without bus service since 2010 -- driving some employees to walk along the Southern State Parkway to get to work, and discouraging some patients from visiting altogether.

 

Sister Mary Alice Aschenbach, vice president of pastoral care at the hospital, said those most affected were pregnant women who relied on the hospital's Women's and Children's Outpatient Center.

 

"It has been a significant hardship for . . . [patients] to be without the bus, and both they and the hospital are most grateful to Veolia Transportation for restoring the service," Aschenbach said in a statement.

 

At the Hicksville Long Island Rail Road station, Henry Lee had to wait an extra half-hour for the N49, but said he didn't mind, because the new timetable was better coordinated with arriving trains.

 

"This is good for people," Lee said.

[N6 Limited]

That, and she should've been aware that there were changes taking place, and the N48 schedule could've been adjusted.

 

In any case, it is plausable that she could be late for work after missing the bus. According to Google Transit, it takes about 40-45 minutes to get from the Hempstead Transit Center to the Century 21 in Westbury by taking the N35 to the N24, but it only takes 27 minutes if she takes the N48. (The extra time is basically due to the time waiting for the transfer). But in any case, between the extra time waiting for the next bus to the RFM and the extra time spent traveling, it is possible that she could be late for work.

 

I mean, if the N48 normally gets her to work 15 minutes early, the only way she'd be able to make it on time is if everything managed to connect perfectly (which it likely wouldn't), and even then it would be by the skin of her teeth.

I know that it was plausible for her to be late, but not 2 hours late, there were other buses she could have taken. But, good thing for her there are cabs close to the bus terminal

[nostalgia]

Claims of ignorance remind me of the expression Ignorance is bliss. County residents who are forum members would be chewing out the county and Veolia if they felt these changes were kept a secret. Members have posted newspaper articles. NICE couldn't make clearer on the website about the changes.

 

I live in Westchester County. It's ridiculous to think I know more about the changes than passengers who regularly use the bus. Were the new timetables available at transit hubs on April 4? The same people who didn't know about the changes probably haven't started to prepare their income taxes.

[N6 Limited]

I agree. Yes, I was able to get new schedules on April 4th.

[N6 Limited]

http://mercymedicalc....html?task=view

 

 

 

 

Bus Service To Mercy Medical Center Restored

 

Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE, Restores n17 Route

(April 9, 2012 - RockvilleCentre, NY) - For the first time in more than 18 months, Mercy Medical Center patients, visitors, staff and volunteers who depend on public transportation once again have direct access to the hospital by bus.

 

Service on the n17 line, connecting the Hempstead Transit Center and the Rockville Centre Long Island Railroad station, with a stop at Mercy on North Village Avenue, was resumed by the Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE, on April 9th.

 

It had been suspended as part of a series of cut-backs in 2010 by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operated Nassau County's bus system at the time.

 

Led by Sister Mary Alice Aschenbach, Vice President of Pastoral Care, the hospital's administration had joined in extensive community efforts to maintain the service.

 

They found support for restoring the route from Veolia Transportation which on January 1, under contract with Nassau County, assumed day-to-day operations of the newly established NICE system.

 

"Those most affected by the loss of bus service to Mercy were pregnant women and their children who utilize the hospital's Women and Children's Outpatient Center," Sister Mary Alice explained. "It has been a significant hardship for them to be without the bus, and both they and the hospital are most grateful to Veolia Transportation for restoring the service."

 

"Mike Setzer, NICE's CEO, Rahul Kumar, vice president of business development, and others from the company, took the time to meet with us to hear our concerns," she went on. "They were instrumental in having this vital service restored, and we commend them for their responsiveness to our needs."

Bus route-maps and schedules are available on line on the Nassau Inter-County Express web site:

 

www.nicebus.com

 

 

 

 

Wow this site keeps all formatting lol

Edited April 10, 2012 by N6 Limited

[checkmatechamp13]

The bus operator for the n43 I was on pulled into another bay at Hempsead, so I assume he just had to get home. I suppose this was done at the cost of a few N40/41 trips, considering those used to bunch like crazy on 9-15 minute headways combined. They put signs up at RF over last week apparently, but the overhead signs at Hempstead are all gone. I suppose they'll re-wrap them this week because there was a scissor lift in the n6X bay, which had a finished sign up.

 

 

I thought it was done by just using the N16 short-turns, with no impact on the N40/41.

 

NICE bus riders cope with service changes

 

http://mobile.newsda...0916&nopaging=1

 

 

Already posted.

 

I know that it was plausible for her to be late, but not 2 hours late, there were other buses she could have taken. But, good thing for her there are cabs close to the bus terminal

 

 

I reread the article and you're right. She made it seem as if she was going to arrive 2 hours later.

 

Actually, my first instinct would've been to take the N49 and then walk or take the N24, but your route via the RFM makes more sense.

[Joel Up Front]

Speaking of the N16, where are those non-stop runs to Hempstead? I liked the 43 and all but the 16s that do come will flag people like crazy. The 35 might be able to help half the campus, but what about the other half, where the most people get on?

[qjtransitmaster]

the reason why ppl get on at 169th is cause they are coming off the(F) so they will adjust and stay on till 179th instead of getting off early.

[N6 Limited]

I reread the article and you're right. She made it seem as if she was going to arrive 2 hours later.

 

Actually, my first instinct would've been to take the N49 and then walk or take the N24, but your route via the RFM makes more sense.

 

 

The combined headways of the N48/N49 is one hour mid-day. So if the next N48 is in two hours, then the next N49 is it one hour. So she could take 4 buses to the mall (n15, n16,n35, n43) with the bold being the quickest routes, and the N24,( which is on 30 min headways.).

Speaking of the N16, where are those non-stop runs to Hempstead? I liked the 43 and all but the 16s that do come will flag people like crazy. The 35 might be able to help half the campus, but what about the other half, where the most people get on?

 

The non-stop runs are the N16X that you see in the photo threads. You need NCC ID to get on those buses. Students are going to have to learn that if they wan't their choices of all buses then they should go to the N building or behind the clusters. or just take the N43 by the student union building if they can't fit on the N16.

the reason why ppl get on at 169th is cause they are coming off the(F) so they will adjust and stay on till 179th instead of getting off early.

 

Yes, I am very aware of rider patterns on the N6. It's not just because they're coming from the , it's because they want to make sure they can actually get on the bus and not get flagged at 179th street, and if they are able to get on the bus at 169th street their chances for a seat improves significantly. I've seen people flagged at 179th street, It's virtually the 3rd pick-up stop (If you count the terminal)!

 

As for them adjusting and staying on until 179th street, perhaps. When LIB replaced the evening LImited with Locals that began at 179th street, you could easily tell which bus originated where. The buses that originated at the bus terminal were packed, and the buses that originated at 179th street were light.

[sirtiger]

n20 bus came on time today at 6:23am but did a screeching stop to pick me up. Got to work at 7:20am. Yesterday was 8am....a rather big diff in time which can be frustrating.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Speaking of the N16, where are those non-stop runs to Hempstead? I liked the 43 and all but the 16s that do come will flag people like crazy. The 35 might be able to help half the campus, but what about the other half, where the most people get on?

 

The n16x makes two stops:Hempstead and NCC. N16X can pick up in NCC but after student union it goes express to Hempstead. I wanted to take it but the driver was looking for NCC ID. Since the bus only goes to NCC, students with proper NCC ID can board. Not even NCC staff can go on the n16x , which is retarded. Everyone else has to take n43 during those times

Edited April 10, 2012 by Q23 Central Term

[N6 Limited]

NICE Bus Service Elimination in Effect: http://fios1news.com/longisland/node/12068

[Joel Up Front]

The n16x makes two stops:Hempstead and NCC. N16X can pick up in NCC but after student union it goes express to Hempstead. I wanted to take it but the driver was looking for NCC ID. Since the bus only goes to NCC, students with proper NCC ID can board. Not even NCC staff can go on the n16x , which is retarded. Everyone else has to take n43 during those times

 

 

Considering all of NCC's staff drives, that doesn't mean much to them. I was asking about where they were (and I saw one today...), however.

Edited April 11, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[nostalgia]

The n16x makes two stops:Hempstead and NCC. N16X can pick up in NCC but after student union it goes express to Hempstead. I wanted to take it but the driver was looking for NCC ID. Since the bus only goes to NCC, students with proper NCC ID can board. Not even NCC staff can go on the n16x , which is retarded. Everyone else has to take n43 during those times

 

 

I just checked the schedule. There's no mention that only students can ride the N16X.

[Joel Up Front]

It does mention that it only serves NCC and Hempstead in the tiniest font. You'd think they'd run a few more runs considering after 2:30 the buses leaving NCC can be packed.

[VWM]

the n16X should be given a diff. designation

n18, maybe?

[N6 Limited]

It does mention that it only serves NCC and Hempstead in the tiniest font. You'd think they'd run a few more runs considering after 2:30 the buses leaving NCC can be packed.

 

They want students to utilize all routes. N16, N35, N43, N45, N51.

the n16X should be given a diff. designation

n18, maybe?

 

I think N16x fits it, it's basically express. Edited April 11, 2012 by N6 Limited