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

[NY1635]

The N16 makes so many crazy detours on its route from Roosevelt Field to Rockville Centre, that it adds at least 20 minutes of running time compared to the N15 (with the N16 roundabout detours to the college and the Social Services Center/60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd). Anyone going the full route would be a fool to take the N16.  That's like saying you get on the train at Times Square, but you're going to detour to Chambers St before you catch the #2 train back to Harlem.

 

 

60 Charles Lindbergh and NCC are the most used stops on the n16. I usually see long lines of people, mostly NCC students, waiting for the n16 at the Terminal to try and get to the Student Union Building on time. The NCC students are really determined get onto the n16 at the terminal, even though the n6x and the n35 are usually a few minutes behind the n16. The people going to 60 Charles Lindbergh either take the n16, or they have to use the n27 as back up.

 

I don't believe that the n16's routing is that crazy considering how many people use those stops.

Edited December 26, 2015 by NY1635

[Joel Up Front]

I always liked the N35 when I was at NCC.  The n16 would get so packed and delayed, the N35 would beat the 16 to the terminal.  Westbury Boulevard is far too narrow for all the traffic it sees when school lets out.

[DS4Ever]

The n16 was created to enable and enhance passenger connections. To destined areas

 

To my point of view 2% would ride the full route on the n16...then again the n15 is also the same as only 5% would ride the full route

 

Also the n16 acts more as of a alternative route for the n15 between Roosevelt field and Rockville centre

[N6 Limited]

Most people take the N16 to go to NCC and social services. Otherwise they know to take the N15 and N35 between Roosevelt Field and Hempstead

[MTA Orion Bus]

NICE Bus is going downhill like Roosevelt Field mall safety is.

[Joel Up Front]

I used to go there all the time before they "renovated." It's sad to know that even RFM is going down hill.  I'd love shopping online more if my experiences with what I actually get weren't so mixed.

[FamousNYLover]

I found this few days ago when I took n2/8 in November I think. I think it might be posted by either legislators or maybe NICE Bus riders.

PLEASE NOTE THIS POSTER WAS NOT POSTED BY LIBRU OR ME. Please do not accuse me of putting this poster.

Edited December 28, 2015 by FamousNYLover

[N6 Limited]

"Let's unite and do something so we can continue to use this bus for work, school, and shopping"

 

Yes, it's called actually using the bus routes in question, lol.

[checkmatechamp13]

Yes, it's called actually using the bus routes in question, lol.

 

For those particular people who were already using the bus, there's not much more they can do. (I assume the flyer was put up by actual riders)

[MTA Orion Bus]

I found this few days ago when I took n2/8 in November I think. I think it might be posted by either legislators or maybe NICE Bus riders.

PLEASE NOTE THIS POSTER WAS NOT POSTED BY LIBRU OR ME. Please do not accuse me of putting this poster.

 

In what world would legislators put up notices at bus stops telling bus riders to call up the legislators and complain? Hell, the Nassau County legislature just voted to give themselves a pay raise. And you think we're going to save bus service? The last 3 years have had NICE going farther and farther downhill and the constant petty complaints by LIBRU have been no help. N21 bus service has been put back to full-time at the expense of 11 other routes. I hope the clowns at LIBRU are happy. Thank god I don't rely on NICE.

[N6 Limited]

For those particular people who were already using the bus, there's not much more they can do. (I assume the flyer was put up by actual riders)

Yes I was basically saying the way to save those routes is to increase ridership, encourage others to use the bus more.

 

In what world would legislators put up notices at bus stops telling bus riders to call up the legislators and complain? Hell, the Nassau County legislature just voted to give themselves a pay raise. And you think we're going to save bus service? The last 3 years have had NICE going farther and farther downhill and the constant petty complaints by LIBRU have been no help. N21 bus service has been put back to full-time at the expense of 11 other routes. I hope the clowns at LIBRU are happy. Thank god I don't rely on NICE.

N21 weekend service has been restored because of the N20G/H split. The routes that were cut were the most expensive/subsidized.

 

The ones who are "relieved" that they don't rely on NICE and other variations of that statement, including "NICE is going down the tubes" etc, don't/wouldn't even use the jeopardized routes anyway.

 

Also, LIBRU's petty complaints only makes them annoying pests as opposed to a voice to be listened to.

[MTA Orion Bus]

N21 weekend service has been restored because of the N20G/H split. The routes that were cut were the most expensive/subsidized.

 

The ones who are "relieved" that they don't rely on NICE and other variations of that statement, including "NICE is going down the tubes" etc, don't/wouldn't even use the jeopardized routes anyway.

 

Also, LIBRU's petty complaints only makes them annoying pests as opposed to a voice to be listened to.

Whether it's the N21-only portion or those 11 routes, NICE is still blowing money away. Those "relieved" will most likely not return to NICE Bus and get their own means of transportation such as buying a car and NICE ridership will continue to decrease. LIBRU is a joke, and NICE is a joke. If you support what they're doing to the n20 or to the system in general, that's ludicrous. At first, it seemed like they knew what to do with their meager funding, but now it's clear they don't.

[NY1635]

Whether it's the N21-only portion or those 11 routes, NICE is still blowing money away. Those "relieved" will most likely not return to NICE Bus and get their own means of transportation such as buying a car and NICE ridership will continue to decrease. LIBRU is a joke, and NICE is a joke. If you support what they're doing to the n20 or to the system in general, that's ludicrous. At first, it seemed like they knew what to do with their meager funding, but now it's clear they don't.

 

NICE is eliminating 11 routes because they don't have the money to keep system afloat. The money generated from the fares isn't enough to close the large deficit in the budget. What's going on is that the State isn't providing aid to them or Suffolk County (which having problems as well), and Nassau County can't contribute more money to NICE due to having financial troubles of it's own. NICE knows that they can't keep these 11 low ridership routes going, so they are getting rid of them. If anything, it's Nassau County that's the problem. Just like the MTA, Nassau expects NICE to provide high quality service at a low cost.

Edited December 29, 2015 by NY1635

[checkmatechamp13]

Whether it's the N21-only portion or those 11 routes, NICE is still blowing money away. Those "relieved" will most likely not return to NICE Bus and get their own means of transportation such as buying a car and NICE ridership will continue to decrease. LIBRU is a joke, and NICE is a joke. If you support what they're doing to the n20 or to the system in general, that's ludicrous. At first, it seemed like they knew what to do with their meager funding, but now it's clear they don't.

 

The N21 was restored on the weekends so that riders don't have to make a 3-legged transfer to get to Queens. (So instead of N27-N20, it's N21-N20G).

 

Now the question is: Will the change indeed boost ridership? There is a decent amount of turnover at Great Neck, which means that those riders benefit from the more reliable service resulting from the split. At the same time, what will the impact be for riders traveling between points east of Great Neck and west of it?

 

I think part of it might have to do with reducing their peak-base ratio. So they might push peak ridership enough down to eliminate a few trips, and use the savings to run the weekend N21 service.

[FamousNYLover]

Yes I was basically saying the way to save those routes is to increase ridership, encourage others to use the bus more.

 

N21 weekend service has been restored because of the N20G/H split. The routes that were cut were the most expensive/subsidized.

 

The ones who are "relieved" that they don't rely on NICE and other variations of that statement, including "NICE is going down the tubes" etc, don't/wouldn't even use the jeopardized routes anyway.

 

Also, LIBRU's petty complaints only makes them annoying pests as opposed to a voice to be listened to.

 

 

Whether it's the N21-only portion or those 11 routes, NICE is still blowing money away. Those "relieved" will most likely not return to NICE Bus and get their own means of transportation such as buying a car and NICE ridership will continue to decrease. LIBRU is a joke, and NICE is a joke. If you support what they're doing to the n20 or to the system in general, that's ludicrous. At first, it seemed like they knew what to do with their meager funding, but now it's clear they don't.

 

 

NICE is eliminating 11 routes because they don't have the money to keep system afloat. The money generated from the fares isn't enough to close the large deficit in the budget. What's going on is that the State isn't providing aid to them or Suffolk County (which having problems as well), and Nassau County can't contribute more money to NICE due to having financial troubles of it's own. NICE knows that they can't keep these 11 low ridership routes going, so they are getting rid of them. If anything, it's Nassau County that's the problem. Just like the MTA, Nassau expects NICE to provide high quality service at a low cost.

 

 

The N21 was restored on the weekends so that riders don't have to make a 3-legged transfer to get to Queens. (So instead of N27-N20, it's N21-N20G).

 

Now the question is: Will the change indeed boost ridership? There is a decent amount of turnover at Great Neck, which means that those riders benefit from the more reliable service resulting from the split. At the same time, what will the impact be for riders traveling between points east of Great Neck and west of it?

 

I think part of it might have to do with reducing their peak-base ratio. So they might push peak ridership enough down to eliminate a few trips, and use the savings to run the weekend N21 service.

Majority of n20 and n21 riders said n20 split routes wouldn't work well. During weekday rush hour, line at Great Neck Station for n20 Flushing has many people waiting. With split n20G/n20H, passengers on Great Neck-bound n20H or n21 will not be able to get on connecting n20G to Flushing because lines for n20 Flushing there strecht out to n25 bus shelter. With this split, it could be possible that line could make Guiness World Record for longest bus line waiting for n20G Flushing. I also think this means there will be no n20L Limited. Maybe Hound could correct me.

Edited December 29, 2015 by FamousNYLover

[MTA Orion Bus]

NICE is eliminating 11 routes because they don't have the money to keep system afloat. The money generated from the fares isn't enough to close the large deficit in the budget. What's going on is that the State isn't providing aid to them or Suffolk County (which having problems as well), and Nassau County can't contribute more money to NICE due to having financial troubles of it's own. NICE knows that they can't keep these 11 low ridership routes going, so they are getting rid of them. If anything, it's Nassau County that's the problem. Just like the MTA, Nassau expects NICE to provide high quality service at a low cost.

I know, we all know about the finance situation already. Nassau County is a problem, but if any of this has meant anything, NICE is ALSO a part of the problem. My point in my original post was that NICE could have been spreading around their money better/smarter from the start than reviving the n17 and instead reducing the n14, n62, n80/81 earlier than when their budget deficit happened and in turn, the routes had to be eliminated for good. Those routes never got significant ridership increases although NICE likes to think so, but has yet to release any route ridership statistics. Doesn't anyone else here think NICE is corrupt?

 

The N21 was restored on the weekends so that riders don't have to make a 3-legged transfer to get to Queens. (So instead of N27-N20, it's N21-N20G).

 

Now the question is: Will the change indeed boost ridership? There is a decent amount of turnover at Great Neck, which means that those riders benefit from the more reliable service resulting from the split. At the same time, what will the impact be for riders traveling between points east of Great Neck and west of it?

 

I think part of it might have to do with reducing their peak-base ratio. So they might push peak ridership enough down to eliminate a few trips, and use the savings to run the weekend N21 service.

No, it won't. The n20 is going to be destroyed and ridership will continue to decrease. I will say that I expect the n20G (Flushing - Great Neck) to either stay the same or decrease slightly in ridership since there is a ton of ridership on that portion. I do expect the n20H to decrease in ridership because the connection to Flushing or Queens isn't there anymore. The lines at Great Neck during rush hours will be absurd, and I predict it will just get worse and worse.

 

And yet, with all the problems that NICE is facing and the failure that the service has become, this guy complains that you still have to pay by quarters:

 

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

 

LINK: https://www.newsday.com/opinion/letters/letter-nassau-buses-should-take-bills-1.11208805

 

The Nassau Inter-County Express bus system is a failure on many levels [“$500 million in NY, LI bus subsidies restored,” News, Dec. 2]. The fares must be paid in quarters, which are hard to obtain because none of the stores in Hempstead will give you change.

 

I have traveled to many cities, and most municipal buses will take a dollar bill. I’m interested in civil rights history, and I’ve traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, and stood in the pulpit from which Martin Luther King Jr. preached and visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

I think Rosa Parks’ memory deserves a cleaner bus station than the one that bears her name in Hempstead, and it should have a way to provide riders with change.

 

A quarter machine would improve services for those of us who can’t afford MetroCards and need to get to work on time.

 

Stephen W. Abadie, South Hempstead

 

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

Edited December 29, 2015 by MTA Orion Bus

[NY1635]

I know, we all know about the finance situation already. Nassau County is a problem, but if any of this has meant anything, NICE is ALSO a part of the problem. My point in my original post was that NICE could have been spreading around their money better/smarter from the start than reviving the n17 and instead reducing the n14, n62, n80/81 earlier than when their budget deficit happened and in turn, the routes had to be eliminated for good. Those routes never got significant ridership increases although NICE likes to think so, but has yet to release any route ridership statistics. Doesn't anyone else here think NICE is corrupt?

 

 

No. Nassau was corrupt way before NICE even existed.

[DS4Ever]

The n73should be saved

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

I believe the n73 and n81 should have been saved as coverage. The n81 would run however on a wider headway instead. The others more or less have alternatives at least for some part of the route, so it wouldn't be so bad.

 

The only exception to that though is the n2/n8, since the n2/n8, since they serve portions of Valley Stream and Elmont for from other routes. I think they should've reverted the n2 to it's former route, and run one bus along it the entire day, and have the n8 run rush hours via Hook Creek in both directions. I would've also just eliminated the n46 entirely instead of converting them into n47 runs.

 

From what I've seen on the n51, ridership is scattered in some sense, but concentrates at Merrick Road, the area around the LIRR, and north of Hempstead Turnpike. Everyone north of Hempstead Turnpike has alternatives, so they wouldn't be impacted as much. Some riders are just intra- Merrick Riders, and some go to Glenn Curtis or points north from Merrick. People along Camp & Jerusalem still have the n45 amd n54/55 (respectively), so it wouldn't be so much of an inconvenience. Some people will have to walk instead of taking the bus, which sucks for them.

 

The n81 certainly has several alternatives. They have the n78/79, the LIRR in Bethpage, and the n54/55 in the Massapequas. There's also the n72 to the n49 if you live near Hempstead Turnpike. Some areas will be left stranded though, and I believe there should've been some sort of coverage service. With the n80, if it was eliminated, the n81 would still provide most areas with service, just not as close anymore. I would've prefer that over the elimination of both routes. They n81 probably does better than the n50 on weekdays.

Edited December 29, 2015 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Mtatransit]

Regarding the n20 split, they better fix the timing of the bus on the timetable between Great Neck and Flushing because 20 minutes is not enough, buses always arrive late. The same goes with the N4.

[N4 Via Merrick Rd]

Regarding the n20 split, they better fix the timing of the bus on the timetable between Great Neck and Flushing because 20 minutes is not enough, buses always arrive late. The same goes with the N4.

I agree, in the morning they should run the 4 more frequently in the EB direction.

[Hound]

Majority of n20 and n21 riders said n20 split routes wouldn't work well. During weekday rush hour, line at Great Neck Station for n20 Flushing has many people waiting. With split n20G/n20H, passengers on Great Neck-bound n20H or n21 will not be able to get on connecting n20G to Flushing because lines for n20 Flushing there strecht out to n25 bus shelter. With this split, it could be possible that line could make Guiness World Record for longest bus line waiting for n20G Flushing. I also think this means there will be no n20L Limited. Maybe Hound could correct me.

N20 Limited will be discontinued.

I know, we all know about the finance situation already. Nassau County is a problem, but if any of this has meant anything, NICE is ALSO a part of the problem. My point in my original post was that NICE could have been spreading around their money better/smarter from the start than reviving the n17 and instead reducing the n14, n62, n80/81 earlier than when their budget deficit happened and in turn, the routes had to be eliminated for good. Those routes never got significant ridership increases although NICE likes to think so, but has yet to release any route ridership statistics. Doesn't anyone else here think NICE is corrupt?

 

No, it won't. The n20 is going to be destroyed and ridership will continue to decrease. I will say that I expect the n20G (Flushing - Great Neck) to either stay the same or decrease slightly in ridership since there is a ton of ridership on that portion. I do expect the n20H to decrease in ridership because the connection to Flushing or Queens isn't there anymore. The lines at Great Neck during rush hours will be absurd, and I predict it will just get worse and worse.

 

And yet, with all the problems that NICE is facing and the failure that the service has become, this guy complains that you still have to pay by quarters:

 

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

 

LINK: https://www.newsday.com/opinion/letters/letter-nassau-buses-should-take-bills-1.11208805

 

The Nassau Inter-County Express bus system is a failure on many levels [“$500 million in NY, LI bus subsidies restored,” News, Dec. 2]. The fares must be paid in quarters, which are hard to obtain because none of the stores in Hempstead will give you change.

 

I have traveled to many cities, and most municipal buses will take a dollar bill. I’m interested in civil rights history, and I’ve traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, and stood in the pulpit from which Martin Luther King Jr. preached and visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

I think Rosa Parks’ memory deserves a cleaner bus station than the one that bears her name in Hempstead, and it should have a way to provide riders with change.

 

A quarter machine would improve services for those of us who can’t afford MetroCards and need to get to work on time.

 

Stephen W. Abadie, South Hempstead

 

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

NICE sucks

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

It's funny how they've been trying to discontinue limited notations, and limited service, and try to implement their type of express (X) service. They're really trying to distance themselves from the MTA every way possible. 

 

Will the limited buses be used to maintain service or improve runtime on the n20's, or would it just be a straight elimination? Either way, the n20 change is really stupid for everyday riders, but for nice, it's a pretty sneaky way to shift resources to/from other routes. Also, what will the operators who currently work on the soon-to-be eliminated routes do? Will they just be on standby, or what? Also what would happen to any interline partners (e.g; n36 and n62 at Freeport)? Would headways be increase just to maintain a certain amount of buses (in the n36's case, 1) bus along the route, or would other routes interline with the route?

[MTA Orion Bus]

No. Nassau was corrupt way before NICE even existed.

Shhh, mac5689 doesn't like us saying that unless we have concrete proof!

 

I believe the n73 and n81 should have been saved as coverage. The n81 would run however on a wider headway instead. The others more or less have alternatives at least for some part of the route, so it wouldn't be so bad.

I like the plans suggested on here before of having the n73/74 and n80/81 running bi-hourly. Has anyone here actually suggested this or proposed it to NICE with petitions or backup support of sorts? I mean, LIBRU gets through with such stupid ideas and the better ones on here seem to never happen.

 

It's funny how they've been trying to discontinue limited notations, and limited service, and try to implement their type of express (X) service. They're really trying to distance themselves from the MTA every way possible. 

 

Will the limited buses be used to maintain service or improve runtime on the n20's, or would it just be a straight elimination? Either way, the n20 change is really stupid for everyday riders, but for nice, it's a pretty sneaky way to shift resources to/from other routes. Also, what will the operators who currently work on the soon-to-be eliminated routes do? Will they just be on standby, or what? Also what would happen to any interline partners (e.g; n36 and n62 at Freeport)? Would headways be increase just to maintain a certain amount of buses (in the n36's case, 1) bus along the route, or would other routes interline with the route?

It's good to see someone agrees with me that this change is dumb, and I definitely agree that this is a sneaky way to shift resources somewhere else or dump them for good. There's close to no relief drivers anymore and buses are missing left and right. Hound was right to say NICE sucks. I'm also curious as to the answers to your questions.

[checkmatechamp13]

I would've also just eliminated the n46 entirely instead of converting them into n47 runs.

 

Probably has to do with maintaining the same level of capacity along Front Street.

 

Would headways be increase just to maintain a certain amount of buses (in the n36's case, 1) bus along the route, or would other routes interline with the route?

 

Probably a combination of the two.