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

[Via Garibaldi 8]

How is one to stay "on-topic" in a Random Thoughts thread?? lol I also never knew it was "illegal" to discuss politics in a transit forum when transportation is VERY political.  

Edited August 18, 2015 by Via Garibaldi 8

[N6 Limited]

Is there a minimum speed limit in Nassau County?  I would think that a bus driver who is traveling under 10mph for the first 20 minutes of a certain intra-county route is creating a safety hazard by having tons of cars pass him by.  (Then he realizes he's way behind schedule and speeds up for the final portion of the route.)  This appears to be in violation of New York State law:  http://ypdcrime.com/vt/article30.htm#t1181

 

"No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic...."

I wish they'd enforce that law. The parkways are littered with these snails. 

[R188 7857]

I decided to pass up a Q12 at Morgan Street and take the N20 today. Oh boy, was I not impressed. I was forced to sit in the dreaded back area of the NG (a 17xx). Lets just say, that water was leaking onto the seats, and that there were graffiti tags EVERYWHERE. On the window, on the seats, on the walls, and the back of the bus was literally just a big mess. It reminds me of how SF Muni had those buses where there would be tags everywhere. The driver wasn't any better, the ride was the opposite of smooth, the way he operated that bus was terrible.

[John from Flushing]

N20 buses are becoming more filthy, i see graffitti all over, behind the seats, on the seat, beer bottles & fast food bags & wrappers all over the bus, people are starting to use the public bus as a public garbage can. I even saw large soda cups & coffee cups & fried chicken legs half eaten left overs maybe saved for the mice. Nice should be cleaning the buses on a regular basics. The riders  can not continue to ride in filth, Also the drivers do not have a nice friendly tone, each passenger deserves a nice & friendly bus driver. Mostly the back of the bus smells bad, smells like fish or body odor. The nice bus system is getting worse everyday, But the N20 is faster than the Q12, the Q12 is like riding on a slow horse, it stops on every stop the Q12 in rish hour takes 40 minutes to reach morgan street, meanwhile the N20 can make it to morgan street in 15 minutes, depending if the driver drives really fast in the left lane and by-passes bell blvd.

[Tom Meadow]

Well email the pictures to Newsday or long island press.

[DetSMART45]

N20 buses are becoming more filthy, i see graffitti all over, behind the seats, on the seat, beer bottles & fast food bags & wrappers all over the bus, people are starting to use the public bus as a public garbage can. I even saw large soda cups & coffee cups & fried chicken legs half eaten left overs maybe saved for the mice. Nice should be cleaning the buses on a regular basics. The riders  can not continue to ride in filth, Also the drivers do not have a nice friendly tone, each passenger deserves a nice & friendly bus driver. Mostly the back of the bus smells bad, smells like fish or body odor. The nice bus system is getting worse everyday, But the N20 is faster than the Q12, the Q12 is like riding on a slow horse, it stops on every stop the Q12 in rish hour takes 40 minutes to reach morgan street, meanwhile the N20 can make it to morgan street in 15 minutes, depending if the driver drives really fast in the left lane and by-passes bell blvd.

Customers obviously see that NICE doesn't maintain buses, so they feel they can do whatever they want.

In my area, even with the "Berlin Wall" service style where SMART stops service all times except AM & PM Peak weekdays at the city line, our buses don't see the spillover of trash and graffiti seen on Detroit's DDOT buses.  In fact it is the rarest of situations where you see graffiti/scratchiti, marker graffiti seems to get removed within 1-2 days.  Trash on the floor or seats is usually only transfers or the like, and it's not that prevalent, and most customers (from personal observations) will pick up cups, etc. and actually take them to the trashcan.  My point being, a lot of the same customers use both systems for their travels, and since SMART runs on-time and keeps the buses clean, customers have a sort-of "respect" they don't extend to the DDOT buses.

[John from Flushing]

I think nice needs to put up signs no eating & no littering on the bus & take your trash with you.

[FamousNYLover]

Customers obviously see that NICE doesn't maintain buses, so they feel they can do whatever they want.

In my area, even with the "Berlin Wall" service style where SMART stops service all times except AM & PM Peak weekdays at the city line, our buses don't see the spillover of trash and graffiti seen on Detroit's DDOT buses.  In fact it is the rarest of situations where you see graffiti/scratchiti, marker graffiti seems to get removed within 1-2 days.  Trash on the floor or seats is usually only transfers or the like, and it's not that prevalent, and most customers (from personal observations) will pick up cups, etc. and actually take them to the trashcan.  My point being, a lot of the same customers use both systems for their travels, and since SMART runs on-time and keeps the buses clean, customers have a sort-of "respect" they don't extend to the DDOT buses.

I remember during Food & Water Watch protest in Katonah during Gov Cuomo's election, while I was waiting for Bee-Line #19 bus, nice Spanish lady was throwing her trash into garbage can, not on street compare to Spanish resident in Westbury, Glen Cove, Hicksville or on NICE Bus.

[John from Flushing]

Maybe nice should install sign do not litter please

[mac5689]

I think nice needs to put up signs no eating & no littering on the bus & take your trash with you.

Doesn't NICE have a sign at the front above the Windshield? I know SCT has a small sign on their buses that shows food in a red circle with a line though it.  Though it wouldn't matter, just because there is a sign that says someone shouldn't do something doesn't mean people would follow it, What you would need is someone who would inforce the rules, like the driver. If the driver or anyone doesn't inforce the rules then people will break them. 

 

Also the drivers do not have a nice friendly tone, each passenger deserves a nice & friendly bus driver. 

As one School Bus Company in suffolk says, anyone can drive a bus though not everyone could drive for them. Obviously NICE doesn't seem to have high standerads when hiring their drivers. Though it probably isn't easy dealing with the public in general. 

[John from Flushing]

What is nice bus standards for hiring drivers? Maybe nice bus should put every bus Driver In a customer service class once or twice a year.

[+Young+]

What is nice bus standards for hiring drivers? Maybe nice bus should put every bus Driver In a customer service class once or twice a year.

 

According to http://www.nicebus.com/About-NICE/Job-Opportunitites.aspx, the job requirements are to have a Class B CDL, and a passion for providing excellent customer service.

[mac5689]

What is nice bus standards for hiring drivers? Maybe nice bus should put every bus Driver In a customer service class once or twice a year.

I don't know what NICE's standards are. Each company is diffrent. 

 

According to http://www.nicebus.com/About-NICE/Job-Opportunitites.aspx, the job requirements are to have a Class B CDL, and a passion for providing excellent customer service.

Left out the requirment of the Passenger Endorcment,

 

[John from Flushing]

Excellent customer service? Towards the evening hours I tend to see a bus driver not happy, in the mornings the bus drivers are happier why are they happy in the morning?

[FamousNYLover]

http://longisland.news12.com/news/bus-riders-walk-to-highlight-commuting-issues-1.10754795

 

 

Bus riders walk to highlight commuting issues

Updated August 19, 2015 4:50 PM
 

 

 

The walk was from the Roosevelt Field mall to the nearby Nassau Inter-County Express headquarters. (8/19/15)

 

GARDEN CITY - Some Long Island bus riders walked from the bus stop at Roosevelt Field to the headquarters of the NICE bus company Wednesday to emphasize ongoing commuter problems.

Freeport resident John Alexander Grant says he takes the bus to school and to work. He told News 12 that he would like to attend an upcoming bus transportation meeting at the headquarters in Garden City to ask about rising fares, but service does not reach that far.

"There's virtually no way I'm going to be able to get to this public transportation meeting," said Grant.

Organizer Aaron Watkins-Lopez, from the Long Island Bus Riders' Union, said the walk to the headquarters was challenging.

"It's a game of lethal Frogger. You have to pass lanes and lanes of traffic. You have to pass over streets that have no crosswalks, no lights," said Watkins-Lopez.

NICE spokesman Andy Kraus said the county picks the location of the meetings. He also said that fares have risen because "NICE expenses and operational costs have gone up every single year."

Riders also told News 12 that inaccessibility is a problem, including announcements and signs in Braille. Kraus says they're spending $10 million to upgrade communication for passengers, and that 100 percent of the auditory announcements are working on buses.

 

[Joel Up Front]

RFM to MF isn't even that bad a walk.

 

RVC to MF, maybe THAT would have gotten their attention.

 

Stewart Avenue also isn't that far from MF, either.   It's not like they were walking from Merrick Road or anything.

[John from Flushing]

Bus fare should stay at $ 2.50 cash fare & $2.75 for metrocards. The bus riders including myself can not afford another fare hike. Everytime the fare goes up we ( the riders) decide either take the bus or take food off the table. Everytime the fare goes up that means i can not afford my favorite lunch sandwich.

[NY1635]

Wouldn't it make more sense to argue for a better bus terminal at Roosevelt Field than complain about the walk from the mall to NICE headquarters?

[John from Flushing]

I believe the point the people are trying to make is that it is dangerous to cross many streets and busy hwys in that part of li, & to let the public know that there should be a bus from the mall that stops by the bus depot. It looks dangerous to cross those dangerous roads I do not cross big roads like that alone, I like somebody to be with me I feel safer

[NY1635]

I believe the point the people are trying to make is that it is dangerous to cross many streets and busy hwys in that part of li, & to let the public know that there should be a bus from the mall that stops by the bus depot. It looks dangerous to cross those dangerous roads I do not cross big roads like that alone, I like somebody to be with me I feel safer

 

But there's already a bus that stops by the depot. The n27 stops in front of 700 Commercial Avenue and every other route in the area either stops at Stewart Ave and Quentin Roosevelt, or the Mall, both stops are just a short walk away from the depot. The area near the depot has plenty of options to get around.

[John from Flushing]

I think the point the Long Island bus rider union is trying to make is that there no bus stop close by to the bus depot. At least nice said 100% of there buses have working annocements.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

The n27 stops by the depot though. Theres two bus stops there in fact. I don't understand why they're complaining. They even get two transfers on NICE bus. Get the n27 at either Hempstead or Roosevelt Field, or Roslyn. Some n24 buses even serve the depot as well. Just more unnecessary complaining.

Edited August 20, 2015 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[John from Flushing]

They are also telling the news how dangerous it is to cross that busy roadway, maybe speed limit should be reduced to 25 mph like nyc has, the  lower speed limit makes crossing the street safer, & maybe li should install traffic lights at every block on a major road so people can cross safely.

[N6 Limited]

http://longisland.news12.com/news/bus-riders-walk-to-highlight-commuting-issues-1.10754795

They're full of it. It's one thing to complain about bus service, but as for getting to the meeting? The N27 serves the Depot, and Stewart Ave is one block away and that has the N35, N16  (and N45/N51 to a lesser extent).

Edited August 20, 2015 by N6 Limited

[John from Flushing]

According to this group there is no other way to get to the meeting than crossing a busy highway. Where does the N27 stop? Maybe nice should provide shuttle bus from the mall to the meeting

If member on here said anything about the meeting maybe I would have went