Random Thoughts Thread - Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE)

[Mtatransit]

On 2/13/2022 at 10:28 AM, Joyjliradio said:

This is pretty bad

do you think about this 

Pinepower has some interesting points, but lately he has been obsessed with the South Shore, so much that he believes the n4 doesn't deserve the service it currently receives

Something tells me that the passengers riding the n4 are not the same passengers who ride the Babylon Branch

[B35 via Church]

14 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

Pinepower has some interesting points, but lately he has been obsessed with the South Shore, so much that he believes the n4 doesn't deserve the service it currently receives

Something tells me that the passengers riding the n4 are not the same passengers who ride the Babylon Branch

That fool has been saying that for years about the n4, well before his tangential & hypocritical south shore rants...

Of course riders from off the n4 & riders of the Babylon Branch, large in part, don't use the two modes interchangeably... He knows that full well... He knows that the n4 isn't representative of the south shore of Nassau county; he brings that route up because it happens to run in the south shore...

[Joyjliradio]

33 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

That fool has been saying that for years about the n4, well before his tangential & hypocritical south shore rants...

Of course riders from off the n4 & riders of the Babylon Branch, large in part, don't use the two modes interchangeably... He knows that full well... He knows that the n4 isn't representative of the south shore of Nassau county; he brings that route up because it happens to run in the south shore...

Yes he wanted to moving to south shore,  because middle Long Island is ghetto and Mineola is ghost town!

[checkmatechamp13]

37 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

That fool has been saying that for years about the n4, well before his tangential & hypocritical south shore rants...

Of course riders from off the n4 & riders of the Babylon Branch, large in part, don't use the two modes interchangeably... He knows that full well... He knows that the n4 isn't representative of the south shore of Nassau county; he brings that route up because it happens to run in the south shore...

Shoot, the guy thinks Brentwood & Central Islip are spared from service cuts due to them (supposedly) being on the South Shore, despite the Ronkonkoma Branch running right through those areas.

[Joyjliradio]

1 minute ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Shoot, the guy thinks Brentwood & Central Islip are spared from service cuts due to them (supposedly) being on the South Shore, despite the Ronkonkoma Branch running right through those areas.

Really,he did said  that, I’m living in central islip 

[MTABusTransitFanner]

1862 crashed into a tree in Glen Cove while deadheading to the depot(Prayers to the man in that car)

[Lawrence St]

2 hours ago, MTABusTransitFanner said:

1862 crashed into a tree in Glen Cove while deadheading to the depot(Prayers to the man in that car)

What is going on over there???

[MTABusTransitFanner]

18 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

What is going on over there???

Basically what happened is, the bus crashed into a car and hit a tree, the driver of that car died 🙏 here’s the news video:

 

[Future ENY OP]

NICE has started wrapping the Gilligs. 
2014, 2051 and 2075 are the first units to receive wraps. 

[MTABusTransitFanner]

On 3/14/2022 at 2:25 PM, Future ENY OP said:

NICE has started wrapping the Gilligs. 
2014, 2051 and 2075 are the first units to receive wraps. 

Few others have them too, I’ll keep an eye out for them 

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, MTABusTransitFanner said:

Few others have them too, I’ll keep an eye out for them 

Copy that. It’s prolly the only 1 wrap. That New York State Parenting app wrap. 

[Joyjliradio]

What do you think about this 

[trainfan22]

On Youtube a certain someone is having a meltdown over a missing run and saying the MTA needs to come back.... when the MTA currently has missing runs problem of its own due to an driver shortage. If the MTA still ran the Nassau County bus system the missing run problem would most likely still be there.

[Mtatransit]

7 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

On Youtube a certain someone is having a meltdown over a missing run and saying the MTA needs to come back.... when the MTA currently has missing runs problem of its own due to an driver shortage. If the MTA still ran the Nassau County bus system the missing run problem would most likely still be there.

That's if they didn't shut the entire system down. There ain't no way MTA would deal with the 2.5 million Nassau gave NICE during 2012-2017

I remember the old rants against the MTA as well... even as far as wanting a LITA (Long Island Transportation Authority), and cutting express buses in NYC because they are empty.

I mean he is currently ranting about the LIRR as it is

Edited April 9, 2022 by Mtatransit

[Gotham Bus Co.]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:34 PM, NewFlyer 230 said:

I wish NICE would add PM service to Jamaica on the n1. After taking the n1 for the last few weeks I’ve noticed that there are usually a few people including myself who end up transferring to Queens bound n6 buses. I don’t think the n1 necessarily needs to go all the way to 165th street but at least 179th street and turn around. The other day there were about 8 people who got off the n1 at Hempstead Turnpike who ended up having to race across the street to catch an n6 that was already at the stop. Had they missed that bus they would have needed to wait a good 12-15 minutes for the next one and a lot of times those n6 buses are packed. 
NICE needs to stop playing and either make the n6 more frequent or order more artic buses. 

 

 will schedule exactly as much service as Nassau County is willing to pay for and no more.

[Joel Powers]

46 minutes ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

 

 will schedule exactly as much service as Nassau County is willing to pay for and no more.

Which seems to suggest that Nassau MIGHT actually be shelling out more for the first time since the early 2000s atleast.

[Joel Powers]

On 4/9/2022 at 3:52 AM, Mtatransit said:

That's if they didn't shut the entire system down. There ain't no way MTA would deal with the 2.5 million Nassau gave NICE during 2012-2017

I remember the old rants against the MTA as well... even as far as wanting a LITA (Long Island Transportation Authority), and cutting express buses in NYC because they are empty.

I mean he is currently ranting about the LIRR as it is

TBH, I don't know if MTA would have gone throw with closing the entire system. I just don't see that occurring, severe cuts? Yes, however but it would have caused an even bigger headache. The only thing I could have seen MTA doing (without the county going private) would be to actually officially purchase the system itself (like they should have) and have the state impose giant fees for the county to be FORCED into complying. That still likely would have lead to cuts since the MTA would have had a field day with the system (including routes that even NICE managed to somehow avoid cutting). RVC Depot still might have closed down, or they could have cut alot of Mitchell Field's service and split it up between the 2 CNG Depots.

[NewFlyer 230]

20 hours ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

 

 will schedule exactly as much service as Nassau County is willing to pay for and no more.

Yeah you are right and even on high ridership routes like the n4 and n6 service could be more frequent, but they are only given as much service as the budget allows. I really wish NICE could have ordered more XN60’s to have for those two routes because  they need them especially now when they are lacking the budget to have more frequent service. 
The n4 has seen more cuts than the n6, because most of its express “X” service has been cut and the evening and weekend frequencies have been reduced as well so buses are more crowded than before. 

[Joel Powers]

1 hour ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Yeah you are right and even on high ridership routes like the n4 and n6 service could be more frequent, but they are only given as much service as the budget allows. I really wish NICE could have ordered more XN60’s to have for those two routes because  they need them especially now when they are lacking the budget to have more frequent service. 
The n4 has seen more cuts than the n6, because most of its express “X” service has been cut and the evening and weekend frequencies have been reduced as well so buses are more crowded than before. 

Apparently, more XN60s are indeed on the way, we just don't know when or how many (or even where they'll be assigned). This was according to a couple of sources on FB, nothing official, but more artics are indeed coming.

[User]

6 hours ago, Joel Powers said:

Apparently, more XN60s are indeed on the way, we just don't know when or how many (or even where they'll be assigned). This was according to a couple of sources on FB, nothing official, but more artics are indeed coming.

If you're going to keep leaving and coming back here (or being banned), please read the past posts that are made while you're gone. After all, most of the information posted to YouTube, including what you have shared, is taken from here.

With the above post, specifically read item #5 below please.

On 12/9/2021 at 7:45 PM, User said:

A couple of updates:

1) The contract with Veolia has been extended to 2024 by Nassau County - no community meeting held to vote on that. "It was extended per the emergency of the pandemic" - Jack Khzouz

2) No service to Manhattan with NICE is planned anytime soon. That proposal/study that came out a few years back is not being actioned at this time.

3) Mitchel Field is being outfitted with charging stations in collaboration with New Flyer and ABB. One station can charge two buses.

4) The plan is that, even though the XE40s are slated for 240 miles of range on paper, NICE will count on 180 miles of range for a day of service which should cover a shift. There will also be a service vehicle with a charger added to the maintenance department to use if the bus loses a charge out in the field.

5) Per the CEO, NICE is looking to get additional articulated buses next year (they are "pleased" with the New Flyers) and expand them onto the n4 route as well.

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

Also, a random note since there was discussion about cut routes above, in this evening's community meeting, PinePowerLI asked for the n45 to be restored.

[Mtatransit]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:34 PM, NewFlyer 230 said:

I wish NICE would add PM service to Jamaica on the n1. After taking the n1 for the last few weeks I’ve noticed that there are usually a few people including myself who end up transferring to Queens bound n6 buses. I don’t think the n1 necessarily needs to go all the way to 165th street but at least 179th street and turn around. The other day there were about 8 people who got off the n1 at Hempstead Turnpike who ended up having to race across the street to catch an n6 that was already at the stop. Had they missed that bus they would have needed to wait a good 12-15 minutes for the next one and a lot of times those n6 buses are packed. 
NICE needs to stop playing and either make the n6 more frequent or order more artic buses. 

I'm always a big fan of having the n1 go to Queens at all times. However the issue with having buses end at 179th versus 169th is that passengers are so accustomed including myself to get off the  at 169th Street and catch any NICE bus. NICE tried having the n6x begin at 179th St a couple of years back and they were empty.

Inbound to Queens however, subway pax always get off at 179th Street, so all n1 service inbound I can see ending at 179th St

12 hours ago, Joel Powers said:

TBH, I don't know if MTA would have gone throw with closing the entire system. I just don't see that occurring, severe cuts? Yes, however but it would have caused an even bigger headache. The only thing I could have seen MTA doing (without the county going private) would be to actually officially purchase the system itself (like they should have) and have the state impose giant fees for the county to be FORCED into complying. That still likely would have lead to cuts since the MTA would have had a field day with the system (including routes that even NICE managed to somehow avoid cutting). RVC Depot still might have closed down, or they could have cut alot of Mitchell Field's service and split it up between the 2 CNG Depots.

There is no way the MTA will get away with forcing a tax on Nassau County. Nassau in 2010 was already suing the MTA regarding the implementation of the payroll tax. Nassau County owns the bus system, if the MTA buys the bus system from them, Nassau will contribute zero.

That being said, If Nassau gave 2.5 million to the MTA like NICE it won't be a surprise to see the MTA threatening to shut down the system year after year (after the 50% cut in 2011 that is), and Pinepower complaining about the MTA's supposedly favoritism to the city (as versus the South Shore now)

 

[Joel Powers]

3 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

I'm always a big fan of having the n1 go to Queens at all times. However the issue with having buses end at 179th versus 169th is that passengers are so accustomed including myself to get off the  at 169th Street and catch any NICE bus. NICE tried having the n6x begin at 179th St a couple of years back and they were empty.

Inbound to Queens however, subway pax always get off at 179th Street, so all n1 service inbound I can see ending at 179th St

There is no way the MTA will get away with forcing a tax on Nassau County. Nassau in 2010 was already suing the MTA regarding the implementation of the payroll tax. Nassau County owns the bus system, if the MTA buys the bus system from them, Nassau will contribute zero.

That being said, If Nassau gave 2.5 million to the MTA like NICE it won't be a surprise to see the MTA threatening to shut down the system year after year (after the 50% cut in 2011 that is), and Pinepower complaining about the MTA's supposedly favoritism to the city (as versus the South Shore now)

 

The State could have done that. The MTA is a state Agency first and foremost.

[Lex]

12 hours ago, Joel Powers said:

The State could have done that. The MTA is a state Agency first and foremost.

The bus network in question is Nassau's. If Nassau is unwilling (as opposed to unable) to pay for its own bus service, why should the contractor provide service, and why should the State pay instead?

[checkmatechamp13]

16 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

I'm always a big fan of having the n1 go to Queens at all times. However the issue with having buses end at 179th versus 169th is that passengers are so accustomed including myself to get off the  at 169th Street and catch any NICE bus. NICE tried having the n6x begin at 179th St a couple of years back and they were empty.

I think the bigger issue was that it ran pretty much nonstop from Jamaica to Hempstead with no intermediate stops to generate turnover.

[Joel Powers]

28 minutes ago, Lex said:

The bus network in question is Nassau's. If Nassau is unwilling (as opposed to unable) to pay for its own bus service, why should the contractor provide service, and why should the State pay instead?

Because the state has an obligation to provide goods and services to the taxpayer.