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

[Joel Up Front]

Never mind the CAVEpeople who live north of VS... places like Malverne and VS don't really mind but places closer to the shores (North AND South, see how places like south Freeport and Oceanside have all of one route running nearby) explode when even UPS trucks pop up.

 

Note I said CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people. They reject just about anything that would result in change, even something that would benefit them.

 

 

Went to RFM and some a**hole in a Ford Explorer (running a car service in an SUV) cut my N15 off and then went no faster than 5-10 MPH, trying to slow the bus down for no reason. The entire time the B/O was on the horn and the guy didn't move, so she just merged into the other lane. When we turned off the ring road he slowed down just to make some gesture but the B/O laughed it off.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[PinePower]

Nassau County is $310,000,000 in debt, where would the money be coming from?

 

Joe

 

 

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)

 

Never mind the CAVEpeople who live north of VS... places like Malverne and VS don't really mind but places closer to the shores (North AND South, see how places like south Freeport and Oceanside have all of one route running nearby) explode when even UPS trucks pop up.

 

Note I said CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people. They reject just about anything that would result in change, even something that would benefit them.

 

 

Went to RFM and some a**hole in a Ford Explorer (running a car service in an SUV) cut my N15 off and then went no faster than 5-10 MPH, trying to slow the bus down for no reason. The entire time the B/O was on the horn and the guy didn't move, so she just merged into the other lane. When we turned off the ring road he slowed down just to make some gesture but the B/O laughed it off.

 

 

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.

[Joel Up Front]

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.

 

 

I wonder what crawled up your ass to make you think a shopping mall would be in charge of the traffic lights around it...

[VWM]

I wonder what crawled up your ass to make you think a shopping mall would be in charge of the traffic lights around it...

 

[petabread]

Mangano can give his salary up... I heard that school districts pay their mascots about 100,000 a year. No wonder they're screwed up.

[User]

Mangano can give his salary up... I heard that school districts pay their mascots about 100,000 a year. No wonder they're screwed up.

 

While Mangano is not as wealthy, he could get paid a dollar a year like Bloomberg. And if thats true, then those mascots definitely need a paycut. Any dumbass can put a costume on and dance at sports games.

[PinePower]

I wonder what crawled up your ass to make you think a shopping mall would be in charge of the traffic lights around it...

 

 

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.

[Joel Up Front]

By that logic, I control the shit flowing through the sewer under my street...

[N6 Limited]

It is possible that the lights IN Roosevelt Field MAY be run by the mall since the mall is private property.

 

Just because someone has a range rover , it doesn't mean they can actually afford it.

[User]

I always thought the Nassau DOT managed those lights and roads.

[Joel Up Front]

Exactly. They did repave Front Street and part of Franklin Street (up to Peninsula Boulevard) but the rest of the roads are still crap.

[NewFlyer 230]

I've been on a greyhound that's AC busted, windows down roof hatches up, there,s nothing you can do if the AC busts once a bus is out in service no matter who the operator of the bus is... Oh I've also been on quite a few LIB buses that had a faulty AC.

 

I love how Veolia is taking shit for 11+ plus year old buses breaking down (that they've maintained for not even 8 months) because of their maintenance. lmao

 

You all say 11+ year old buses but the MTA's is still holding up. Those Orion's in Nice are only 10-12 years old compared to the MTA's ones which are 13 and 14 years old and some of them are turning 15 years old. The MTA's ones came from PBL's most with crappy maintance and somehow are doing very well. That's why I'm always saying that a NICE bus is only going to last 10-11 years because the maintance is terrible. I think we are all familiar to Pinepower videos and he is telling the truth in them. A bus breaks down and they sent it to the depot and then the next day a innocent bus driver pulls that same bus out and has to deal with it with no back ups whatsoever.

[Joel Up Front]

You all say 11+ year old buses but the MTA's is still holding up. Those Orion's in Nice are only 10-12 years old compared to the MTA's ones which are 13 and 14 years old and some of them are turning 15 years old. The MTA's ones came from PBL's most with crappy maintance and somehow are doing very well. That's why I'm always saying that a NICE bus is only going to last 10-11 years because the maintance is terrible. I think we are all familiar to Pinepower videos and he is telling the truth in them. A bus breaks down and they sent it to the depot and then the next day a innocent bus driver pulls that same bus out and has to deal with it with no back ups whatsoever.

 

 

That only "illegals and day laborers" ride the bus out here? You're still anally anguished about Veolia being able to buy new buses...

[N6 Limited]

I'm tired of Veola taking the brunt for buses that have ALWAYS BEEN CRAP. LIB did not have the best maintenance, and they let buses go to shit so that they could get federal funding. Get over it folks, when you buy a used car and it brakes down is it YOUR fault? Or years of bad maintenance? Get a grip

 

Edit: IF the NEW buses start having issues THAT is when you will have a valid point. And I mean the NEW deliveries coming this year. not the existing O7's

Edited July 31, 2012 by N6 Limited

[Joel Up Front]

I googled MSBA and I keep finding these idiots suing what was LIB (7 years ago) for over $1 million only for the courts to go "lol nope" and turn the case down.

 

All I wanted was to find any info on the New Looks they had...

 

They came up with a new Able-Ride wrap but I was on the N4 and couldn't get a pic.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Joel Up Front

[User]

I'm tired of Veola taking the brunt for buses that have ALWAYS BEEN CRAP. LIB did not have the best maintenance, and they let buses go to shit so that they could get federal funding. Get over it folks, when you buy a used car and it brakes down is it YOUR fault? Or years of bad maintenance? Get a grip

 

Edit: IF the NEW buses start having issues THAT is when you will have a valid point. And I mean the NEW deliveries coming this year. not the existing O7's

Wait, so from the start when the O5 CNGs came, they did poor maintenance for more federal funding? But if they had started off with good maintenance from the beginning, then the buses would have been running better all together right?

[N6 Limited]

Wait, so from the start when the O5 CNGs came, they did poor maintenance for more federal funding? But if they had started off with good maintenance from the beginning, then the buses would have been running better all together right?

 

I've heard that the MTA/LIB only got funding from the federal government when they had a certain amount of breakdowns, and so, that's how their maintenance was paid for. And we know how government funding works, I certainly find that to be the likely case.

[Phantom909]

I googled MSBA and I keep finding these idiots suing what was LIB (7 years ago) for over $1 million only for the courts to go "lol nope" and turn the case down.

 

All I wanted was to find any info on the New Looks they had...

 

They came up with a new Able-Ride wrap but I was on the N4 and couldn't get a pic.

 

 

here ya go

 

http://suffolktransithistory.angelfire.com/retired-buses.html

 

joe

[Burrstone]

You all say 11+ year old buses but the MTA's is still holding up.

Those Orion's in Nice are only 10-12 years old compared to the MTA's ones which are 13 and 14 years old and some of them are turning 15 years old. The MTA's ones came from PBL's most with crappy maintance and somehow are doing very well.

 

 

Who cares about what is going on in city garages? How many of those buses city buses were maintained at MF or RVC?

 

I love how people say LIB's maintenance was better and NICE's is crap... It's the same mechanics. lol Did the require the mechanics to turn in their great maintenance skills along with their uniforms?

Edited August 1, 2012 by Burrstone

[NewFlyer 230]

Who cares about what is going on in city garages? How many of those buses city buses were maintained at MF or RVC?

 

I love how people say LIB's maintenance was better and NICE's is crap... It's the same mechanics. lol Did the require the mechanics to turn in their great maintenance skills along with their uniforms?

 

 

Well no money no work can be done. Orion VII's are probably going to have the same problems later on especially the 1700's

[N6 Limited]

Folks, apparently you all are still not getting it. These are the SAME buses that HAVE been breaking down for A DECADE! How exactly does this reflect in anyway on NICE?

[Burrstone]

How old were the 1400's and what year were they retired?

 

Well no money no work can be done. Orion VII's are probably going to have the same problems later on especially the 1700's

 

 

Some people get hung up on "no money"... Veolia hired the same mechanics and have to pay them the same was paying them? So how exactly does "no money" come into play? Isn't the biggest part of maintenance costs labor? Unless people think these mechanics should be overhauling buses that will be retired in a matter of months... Now that's a waste of money!

[Joel Up Front]

There were 13-14 when they retired but by the time the NGs came in they were all but dead inside and out. Somehow they kept the external signs working, but inside the plastic was cracked, the Stop Requested signs half worked (bell only) or never at all and the transmissions sounded ill.

[petabread]

How about when the whole MTA regional bus thing got started in 2008? In 2009, 2010 and for the first part of 2011 when LIB was having outstanding am/pm pullouts and % of trips completed or that the mdbf nearly doubled after the MTA management from mta bus went over to lib? Yesterday I saw 3 Orion 7 broken down on Sanford ave heading to flushing, one of my family members who takes the n6 telling me since the creation of the God awful n6x, he's waited 45 mins for a local, only to have one or two show up? Missing buses for sure. Or how last month i waited for the n1 45 mins and when I asked the other passengers they were already waiting 30 mins?

 

It's a known fact veolia doesn't have money but I don't buy that it's not all their fault. I mean the n6x is a stupid move, the n22x is useless, they haven't kept up to their promise which was provide better service for less. We have gotten worse service for less and there is not much that can be done.

[KeystoneRegional]

From my years after years of riding ()' /> Long Island Bus, I can tell you I've NEVER seen such a horrible bus system as what it is like today. Every single ride from 1996 all the way to 2006 [10 years, and every Saturday until 2002, every other Saturday until 2006], the ride was flawless, the N93 Hub Shuttle even runs consistently, the annoucements was 98% of the time working flawlewssly, their annoucements are even better than NYCT/MTA Bus and NYC Subway! From my sporadic revisits in 2008 thru 2010, I can tell their service is as good as before, but some bad apples from the NYC Side of the border has been intruding in, however after rumors of LI Bus being privatized came afloat I went back into obeserving in depth of the service and many route. From my review in Q1 and Q2 of 2011, LI Bus has been operation on par with their levels in the 2008-2010 "low level" review. However, Q3 is the Quarter that seen the decline in service levels and reliability, Q4 continues the ongoing decline trend in service levels and reliability, however there is no noticable dramatic drop in July thru November. However, right after the Thanksgiving holiday, the dramatic drop has happened, December 2011 is the month that seen the worst service in LI Bus history under my observations and December-31st-2011 closes my books on LI Bus Observations. I cite staff leaving and some underfunding as reasons why the service level tumbled. (NOTE: Observations include obeservation data from other transit fans and members on NYC Transit Forums, I give them credit for sharing information on the state of ()' /> LI Bus.)

 

But, that didn't stop me, I continued obeserving the newly formed NICE Bus operated by Veolia Transdev under Nassau Co. However, service has not been reliable and really bus breakdowns are happening more than what my December 2011 data shows. Also, from what speculation and comments from Bus Operators and Operations Dispatchers and Supervisors and such, I heard talks about Bus Maintenance staff, staff from other Veolia Operations and such filling in the Bus Operators position, also I heard them using third party maintainers and towing companies to fix the buses. The non NICE, but Veolia Transdev maintenance and service reliability record are also in question since Veolia operations in Monmouth County, NJ and Las Vegas, NV has been poor. Even overseas in Australia, their record are not good. However I suggest Nassau Co. boost the funding to NICE Bus and then I'll reevaluate and make a final say, however currently, Nassau County and NICE Bus share the blame, and I would not blame the ()' /> on anything what-so-ever.