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

[67thAve]

1 hour ago, Axis said:

It really simmers me that out of all five ways to get in & out of Five Towns on a MetroCard, none of them are anywhere near ideal for me personally.

Q113/114 & n31/32 - Unreliable & nonexistent

 - Infrequent & requires taking one of the four unreliable bus routes above to actually get me to where I work.

What should scare you is that the n31/32 are probably among the most reliable services that NICE operates.

[NY1635]

1 hour ago, Axis said:

It really simmers me that out of all five ways to get in & out of Five Towns on a MetroCard, none of them are anywhere near ideal for me personally.

Q113/114 & n31/32 - Unreliable & nonexistent

 - Infrequent & requires taking one of the four unreliable bus routes above to actually get me to where I work.

The n31/32 is actually one of the most reliable routes in the NICE system. It just starts running at combined 30 minute headways after 6PM even though it's ridership is pretty heavy between Five Corners and Mott/B.21 in Far Rockaway during the PM rush hours.

[Axis]

Really? “Most reliable”? Did I NOT get through with how the n31/32 is far from reliable just now?

If I have to wait more than an hour after a certain time to actually leave the vicinity, that’s not reliable.

[RtrainBlues]

The buses have been a total disaster with more and more and more dropped runs.  Worse than it's ever been.  To have to wait 30+ minutes for ANY N22/N24/N15 bus from Roosevelt Field to Mineola during afternoon rush-hour, you know how bad it's become.  A few years ago, you would have seen close to 100 people by then.  Now you might see 15 people.  Coworkers are getting their other coworkers to drive them to the LIRR, coworkers are taking cabs to the LIRR, people are carpooling ,etc.   I'm walking a mile to the LIRR now.  Way faster than waiting for a delayed bus that gets to the LIRR  1 minute too late.  Ever since they cut the N51 and N45, the number of students in the mornings has dropped by half or more.  

Does anyone have any idea how NICE ridership has been over the past year?  

Anyone with half a brain knows that most people now make at least $15.00/hour minimum wage like at McDonalds.  Why waste at least an extra hour on a slow (or nonexistent) bus to save $8 or $9 on LIRR fare?  It's far cheaper to work an extra hour and ride home on the LIRR.  Walk to the Carle Place or Garden City or Mineola LIRR stations, but forget the nonexistent N22/N24 buses.

Edited June 21, 2019 by RtrainBlues

[NY1635]

1 hour ago, RtrainBlues said:

The buses have been a total disaster with more and more and more dropped runs.  Worse than it's ever been.  To have to wait 30+ minutes for ANY N22/N24/N15 bus from Roosevelt Field to Mineola during afternoon rush-hour, you know how bad it's become.  A few years ago, you would have seen close to 100 people by then.  Now you might see 15 people.  Coworkers are getting their other coworkers to drive them to the LIRR, coworkers are taking cabs to the LIRR, people are carpooling ,etc.   I'm walking a mile to the LIRR now.  Way faster than waiting for a delayed bus that gets to the LIRR  1 minute too late.  Ever since they cut the N51 and N45, the number of students in the mornings has dropped by half or more.  

Does anyone have any idea how NICE ridership has been over the past year?  

Anyone with half a brain knows that most people now make at least $15.00/hour minimum wage like at McDonalds.  Why waste at least an extra hour on a slow (or nonexistent) bus to save $8 or $9 on LIRR fare?  It's far cheaper to work an extra hour and ride home on the LIRR.  Walk to the Carle Place or Garden City or Mineola LIRR stations, but forget the nonexistent N22/N24 buses.

That's actually a good question. NICE's Ridership was around 87,000 in 2017 due the severe cuts in service caused by Ed Mangano cutting their funding at the time. It might be a little higher now because of external factors like the new County Executive restoring their funding, the n40/41 getting 24 hrs service, Saturday Service on the n78/79 being restored, ridership on the Elmont Flexi growing enough to warrant more service, and n88 concert service being restored.

If that PDF file they put on their website is anything to go by, NICE's ridership is growing during the evening rush hours and weekends. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by NY1635

[Axis]

Also, I just realized the last four weekday evening trips on the n35 out of Westbury have been cut back to Roosevelt Field, and will no longer go to Hempstead Transit Center. That just screams stranding at night time.

Example: If you were to leave Hicksville on the last w/b n22 (which only goes as far as Mineola) for the night, you used to be able to connect with the last s/b n35 at Roosevelt Field to Hempstead Transit Center, then a w/b n6 at Hempstead Transit Center to Jamaica so you don’t get stranded in Nassau County for the night. Now, that connection is gone.

[NY1635]

9 hours ago, Axis said:

Also, I just realized the last four weekday evening trips on the n35 out of Westbury have been cut back to Roosevelt Field, and will no longer go to Hempstead Transit Center. That just screams stranding at night time.

Example: If you were to leave Hicksville on the last w/b n22 (which only goes as far as Mineola) for the night, you used to be able to connect with the last s/b n35 at Roosevelt Field to Hempstead Transit Center, then a w/b n6 at Hempstead Transit Center to Jamaica so you don’t get stranded in Nassau County for the night. Now, that connection is gone.

Hempstead Transit Center closes around 10-11pm and the buses still active around that time do pickups/drop offs on West Columbia Street by the LIRR station. The n35 is getting cutting back most likely for security reasons as that part of Hempstead is pretty dangerous at due to the number of assaults and robberies happening near the Terminal.

Edited June 21, 2019 by NY1635

[NY1635]

16 hours ago, RtrainBlues said:

The buses have been a total disaster with more and more and more dropped runs.  Worse than it's ever been.  To have to wait 30+ minutes for ANY N22/N24/N15 bus from Roosevelt Field to Mineola during afternoon rush-hour, you know how bad it's become.  A few years ago, you would have seen close to 100 people by then.  Now you might see 15 people.  Coworkers are getting their other coworkers to drive them to the LIRR, coworkers are taking cabs to the LIRR, people are carpooling ,etc.   I'm walking a mile to the LIRR now.  Way faster than waiting for a delayed bus that gets to the LIRR  1 minute too late.  Ever since they cut the N51 and N45, the number of students in the mornings has dropped by half or more.  

Does anyone have any idea how NICE ridership has been over the past year?  

Anyone with half a brain knows that most people now make at least $15.00/hour minimum wage like at McDonalds.  Why waste at least an extra hour on a slow (or nonexistent) bus to save $8 or $9 on LIRR fare?  It's far cheaper to work an extra hour and ride home on the LIRR.  Walk to the Carle Place or Garden City or Mineola LIRR stations, but forget the nonexistent N22/N24 buses.

I just now remember that new houses are being built by the Stewart Avenue entrance/exit in Roosevelt Field and that might be a factor in the n15, n22x, and n24 running with some delays during the rush since those routes enter the mall at the Ring Road before the Meadowbrook instead of East Gate Blvd-Zeckendorf- and accessing the terminal from points west.

[B35 via Church]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 2:51 AM, Joel Up Front said:

Change or not, it doesn't excuse the dropped runs, constant bunching (even on 2 bus/hour routes)  and chronic lateness.  I'm seeing rush hour buses packed far less than they used to be.

Nobody's excusing anything here....

22 hours ago, Axis said:

Clocked in Far Rockaway-bound n32’s passing by Central/Washington at the following times:

3:10, 3:20, 3:50, 4:00, and 4:03

“Headway-based” operation sure totally works...

/s

I'm not all that high on headway based operations either.... I can't plan a commute on "a bus arrives every 10 minutes" (even if it actually does arrive every 10 minutes).... As if to say, 10 minutes from, what?

If someone asks you what time it is, you don't go "it's 10 minutes to the next 10 minutes", or "it's 10 minutes away from the next 10 minutes".....

[User]

There was a multiple vehicle accident involving an N22 bus today at Hillside Avenue and Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park. This caused the right lane of Hillside Avenue westbound to be closed. An old man was supposedly driving the car that caused the accident and the bus took minor damage (if any).

 

[Axis]

n31/32 was horrendous this past Wednesday.

Arrived at Far Rockaway from an  train at 2:30 PM. Nothing on the n31/32 arrived until 3:20 PM.

Signed up as an n31, but operated via n32 routing.

Upon entering Central Avenue, THREE buses on the n31/32 line passed by on the other side going into Far Rockaway.

[NY1635]

13 minutes ago, Axis said:

n31/32 was horrendous this past Wednesday.

Arrived at Far Rockaway from an  train at 2:30 PM. Nothing on the n31/32 arrived until 3:20 PM.

Signed up as an n31, but operated via n32 routing.

Upon entering Central Avenue, THREE buses on the n31/32 line passed by on the other side going into Far Rockaway.

The n31/32 tends to get stuck around Five Corners in Lynbrook, held up by the railroad crossings at Hempstead Avenue in Malverne and West Broadway in Hewlett whenever the LIRR is passing thru, crawling around Central Avenue in Downtown Cedarhurst. Those factors can slow the route down.

[FamousNYLover]

On 6/28/2019 at 7:02 PM, Axis said:

n31/32 was horrendous this past Wednesday.

Arrived at Far Rockaway from an  train at 2:30 PM. Nothing on the n31/32 arrived until 3:20 PM.

Signed up as an n31, but operated via n32 routing.

Upon entering Central Avenue, THREE buses on the n31/32 line passed by on the other side going into Far Rockaway.

Sometimes some NICE bus drivers don't know how to chance correct route sign.

I have been on n20G/H bus but sign was up as n6.

[Lex]

N41? N72? What are those?

[B35 via Church]

46 minutes ago, Lex said:

N41? N72? What are those?

Shells of their former selves.

[NY1635]

19 hours ago, Lex said:

N41? N72? What are those?

NICE consolidated the n40/n41 and n70/71/72 into one route.

The n41 was Hempstead-Mineola via Bab. Turnpike, but now the n43 runs there. NICE timed the n40/41 and n43 to make connections at Roosevelt on Nassau Road before the split. The n40/41 had a combined 9K under LIB, but now 7k in NICE

72 was the Hempstead-Babylon route, now reduced to 110/Conklin during off peak hours and weekends. Interestingly, the n70/71/72 has a combined ridership of 4.8K

 

[Lex]

9 minutes ago, NY1635 said:

NICE consolidated the n40/n41 and n70/71/72 into one route.

The n41 was Hempstead-Mineola via Bab. Turnpike, but now the n43 runs there. NICE timed the n40/41 and n43 to make connections at Roosevelt on Nassau Road before the split. The n40/41 had a combined 9K under LIB, but now 7k in NICE

72 was the Hempstead-Babylon route, now reduced to 110/Conklin during off peak hours and weekends. Interestingly, the n70/71/72 has a combined ridership of 4.8K

 

In other words, those two designations can disappear, with the relevant trips getting different labels.

[NY1635]

I just got from the community meetings. NICE is considering rebalancing the stops on the n6, and getting articulateds to put on the n4.

Also found out that one of the board members is a retired bus operator, and according to him it wasn't all Mangano's fault but rather what happened behind his back.

[N6 Limited]

On 9/26/2019 at 7:42 PM, NY1635 said:

I just got from the community meetings. NICE is considering rebalancing the stops on the n6, and getting articulateds to put on the n4.

Also found out that one of the board members is a retired bus operator, and according to him it wasn't all Mangano's fault but rather what happened behind his back.

That's interesting.

N6 does need some rebalancing

[NY1635]

I tried the n31/32 from B.21st to West Hempstead and it went as smoothly as possible. It seems that Far Rockaway is still in the middle of construction, which is negatively affecting  the n31/32. On the plus side, transfering from the  to the n31/32 is much easier since they use that layover spot on B.21st for the n33. 

I can't say the same for the crowds waiting for the Q22 at B.21/Mott by the Deli, or those folks waiting for the Q114 at Rockaway Turnpike/W.Broadway at 7pm at night.

 

[Axis]

I have to wonder how often those private mini-bus “vans” operate between Far Rockaway & 5 Towns Shopping Center. I’ve seen ‘em pop up at both locations, and with how bad actual bus service is around there, I think I’m about ready to start riding those myself.

[NY1635]

21 hours ago, Axis said:

I have to wonder how often those private mini-bus “vans” operate between Far Rockaway & 5 Towns Shopping Center. I’ve seen ‘em pop up at both locations, and with how bad actual bus service is around there, I think I’m about ready to start riding those myself.

Those Minivans aren't licensed to operate in Nassau. They are City Commuter Vans. Nassau is notoriously strict with their rules. 

I think they take roughly 20-30 minutes to get to Archer/153rd, but are very dangerous.

[GojiMet86]

NICE now has new XN40s. 1971 was spotted earlier today, per the Tranist Photos & Videos group in FB. Word is they have 15 of them.

[NY1635]

1 hour ago, GojiMet86 said:

NICE now has new XN40s. 1971 was spotted earlier today, per the Tranist Photos & Videos group in FB. Word is they have 15 of them.

IIRC, they're trying to retire the old Orion VII buses and replace them with a newer fleet. It's a challenge because NICE runs on all CNG buses.

[Lex]

5 minutes ago, NY1635 said:

IIRC, they're trying to retire the old Orion VII buses and replace them with a newer fleet. It's a challenge because NICE runs on all CNG buses.

Aren't the tanks rated for 20 years?

For that matter, which of the Orion VIIs are 12 years old? (And if NICE is trying to replace them, it speaks volumes about how shit the maintenance of those buses has been.)