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

[TML]

Actually, my point was this: since NICE replaced LIB, I have seen people reporting on this and other forums that some runs are missing, some drivers are skipping stops, including stops at colleges & universities. Are these things really happening, and if so, how often? Back when LIB was running, I probably would not have asked this question, but now, under current circumstances, I want to double check what's going on before I make my decision as to whether or not to rely on NICE buses to go to/from NCC and/or OW.

[Joel Up Front]

Whoa, that was my bad.

 

 

I've never seen a bus drivera stop at school except if the bus is SRO.  With the N16x and the N43 extension the crowding isn't as bad as it was before but unfortunately, the missing run thing hasn't improved...

[Hound]

Actually, my point was this: since NICE replaced LIB, I have seen people reporting on this and other forums that some runs are missing, some drivers are skipping stops, including stops at colleges & universities. Are these things really happening, and if so, how often? Back when LIB was running, I probably would not have asked this question, but now, under current circumstances, I want to double check what's going on before I make my decision as to whether or not to rely on NICE buses to go to/from NCC and/or OW.

You get what you pay for-Veolia.

[FamousNYLover]

Actually, my point was this: since NICE replaced LIB, I have seen people reporting on this and other forums that some runs are missing, some drivers are skipping stops, including stops at colleges & universities. Are these things really happening, and if so, how often? Back when LIB was running, I probably would not have asked this question, but now, under current circumstances, I want to double check what's going on before I make my decision as to whether or not to rely on NICE buses to go to/from NCC and/or OW.

 

 

Actually, my point was this: since NICE replaced LIB, I have seen people reporting on this and other forums that some runs are missing, some drivers are skipping stops, including stops at colleges & universities. Are these things really happening, and if so, how often? Back when LIB was running, I probably would not have asked this question, but now, under current circumstances, I want to double check what's going on before I make my decision as to whether or not to rely on NICE buses to go to/from NCC and/or OW.

PinePower got lifted by car twice to catch up with bus which female driver refused to pick him at bus stop.

 

You get what you pay for-Veolia.

Is Twenty22 operator still working as Veolia? Since none of TWU Local 252 don't want to use NICE.

 

 

[Tom Meadow]

I think I saw 1756 in island park earlier it was not wrapped.

[PinePower]

SuperShuttle uses 15-passenger blue Ford vans with no lifts, you see them in Manhattan everywhere. They're a shared-ride airport van service.

 

Supershuttle is doing work for NICE Able Ride. Photo I took today in Greenvale.

[Marctalky1]

When i was coming back to work from lunch I saw  2 training buses for the n78 both making lefts on E. Bethpage road at around 12 45.

[User]

1833 is still white with LIB colors. Just saw it on the N20!

[User]

Who wants to know more about Hicksville?

 

[mtattrain]

1833 is still white with LIB colors. Just saw it on the N20!

 

I heard from you that there was a particular reason for keeping the original livery... would you now happen to know why?

[Joel Up Front]

Who wants to know more about Hicksville?

 

It's dirty, there are bums all over the station at night, it's dirty, the underpass and platform waiting rooms smell, and for whatever reason one of the Penn Station eagles is in the parking lot beside Track 3, creating a beautiful but annoying bottleneck during the rush.

[FamousNYLover]

Yesterday, even thought I had Rally Against Canadian Seal hunt in Midtown, I took risk and took 12:15 n20 Hicksville #1855, male bus driver. He didn't even bother to slow down, even thought NICE is enforcing bus driver not to leave early. Before he left Flushing ontime, NYC Student try to board with Student MetroCard (NYCBOE), he told them we don't take that. We don't drop off in Queens. Male driver he left 3 minutes ahead all the way through CW Post. When I saw horses at Brookville Farm on Cedar Swamp Rd, I said through the closed window, "Thank you for taking care of horse." Those horses looks happy. I don't see Brookville Farm folks putting horses out in rain or snow unlike carriage horses does.

Guess what male bus driver did? HE SKIPPED SUNY OLD WESTBURY, MAJOR STOP and I was sure there was passenger waiting for either bus comes first either Flushing or Hicksville.

Onboard 14:01 n22 Jamaica #1743, near New Castle-Westbury border, Spanish Immigrants delayed the bus by paid her cash fare with pennies!! When male driver got near Shake Shack at E. Gate Blvd, one passenger said you're very late. At Roosevelt Field Mall, female students were begging bus driver for free ride, but male B/O did the right thing. Which caused more delayed.

By the time we left Mineola IC, bus was trully OVER CRUSH LOADED from rear to front. Thanks to n22a picking up our crowd, we arrived Jamaica Bus Terminal at 15:41, 20 minutes behind schedule. Most of them got off at 179th St.

Edited May 18, 2013 by FamousNYLover

[Guest MTA Bus]

I saw 1833 on the N22A today. It still looks good with the LIB colors. However, why hasn't NICE painted this bus yet ?

[Burrstone]

Male driver he left 3 minutes ahead all the way through CW Post.

 

NICE recommends you be at the stop 5 min early buses can be 5 min early just like LIB.  Think about it, it's nuts to think every bus will be sitting at every stop until it's exactly the time, unless you think that every bus should magically come at exactly the scheduled time?  

 

If buses sat at stops until it was the scheduled time on the dot A) buses could then become late as schedules can't predict traffic, accidents, etc. B)  Buses could be partially blocking lanes of traffic as sometimes the shoulder isn't big enough for the entire bus C) Given the track record, the more you have buses sitting on the side of the road for several minutes at a time is more chance for drunks to rear end buses.  You think I'm kidding, but look at the idiots who've rear ended buses since NICE started operations, imagine increasing the amount of time they are sitting on the side of the road?  More drunks and idiots rear ending stopped buses...  lol

Edited May 21, 2013 by Burrstone

[FamousNYLover]

I meant male driver on 12:15 n20 #1855 left 3 minutes early from Great Neck Station to CW Post. He departed Flushing at 12:24, 1 minute early.

I was at Flushing at 11:51.

[Burrstone]

I meant male driver on 12:15 n20 #1855 left 3 minutes early from Great Neck Station to CW Post. He departed Flushing at 12:24, 1 minute early.

I was at Flushing at 11:51.

 

I don't understand what you're telling me?  The driver left within the allowed 5 min window, he didn't break any rules?  They can leave 5 minutes early and NICE suggests you be at the stop 5 minutes early.  What's the problem here?  What am I missing?

[Joel Up Front]

I'm surprised his N20 was even on time.  For the two weeks I rode the N20 eastbound, it was no less than 30 minutes late every day.  The one time I did see it pull into my school on time, I couldn't get on because I was trying to get on campus for a presentation I had to do in class.

[FamousNYLover]

According to NICE officials, drivers are only permitted to leave 1 or 2 minutes early, following MTA LIB industry policy.

Leaving 5 minutes is not allowed.

[Burrstone]

According to NICE officials, drivers are only permitted to leave 1 or 2 minutes early, following MTA LIB industry policy.

Leaving 5 minutes is not allowed.

 

Who told you this and when did this go into effect?  I was told by NICE customer service that "NICE recommends being at the bus stop 5 minutes early."  When did this business start about a minute or two?  BTW is it a minute or two?

 

Is this only at major stops or all stops?  It is absurd to have a rule saying a bus cannot come more than a minute or two early.  That is the difference between getting red light or making the green at an intersection and having to sit at the bus stop after crossing the intersection for 1 to two minutes.

 

IF this is a rule it is only going to make buses later, if they can't leave a bus stop more than a minute or two before they are scheduled the bus is killing valuable minutes sitting when they could be moving.  People also miss their connection when buses are late?

 

Lemme guess, the LIBRU is going to credit themselves for this new ridiculous rule?

 

I agree buses shouldn't be flying by early, but I'm talking over 5 minutes, not a minute or two!

[FamousNYLover]

After BRU Forum got complaints about lots of NICE drivers leaving way early.

NICE is following LIB Industry's policy of 1-2 minutes early ia OK, but more than 2 minutes not OK.

 

Most Bee-Line bus operators only leave 1 or 2 minutes early or ontime.

 

Setzler told me NICE telling drivers not to leave early no more than 2 minutes.

Edited May 21, 2013 by FamousNYLover

[FamousNYLover]

On Saturday, when I was transfering from 12:25 n20 Hicksville and 13:27 n27 Glen Clove, I meet good Spanish lady friend of mine, who told me that 13:27 male driver on n27 is always late and she tells me that driver is always sleeping at Roslyn Station. He was very late at downtown Glen Cove, so I rush to get 50 cent snack and boarded 13:54 n27 Roslyn which left 14:12 and which missed both n20 Flushing connection at 14:17-14:22 and 14:00 n23 Hempstead at 14:20-14:31. Thanks to NICE for putting short trip 3:03pm out from Searington Rd, we didn't have to wait an hour for bus.

When I got off at Roslyn Station, regular n27 riders were complaining to me, "he's very late!!"

He missed two connection twice. He was driving very slow, and bus was seem to be dancing because he was driving like proffessional.

 

This is why Glen Cove neighborhood want the n21 back. I sent email to mayor of Glen Cove and they want the n21. Gas station in Greenvale and business there are slow.

Even the Nassau County Museum want the n21 back.

n20/n27 and n23/n27 is NOT WORKING OUT.

 

On Tuesday night, two n20l Hicksville missed n27 Glen Cove which I came out from.

Edited May 21, 2013 by FamousNYLover

[Amtrak7]

NICE trains in more than a parking lot...I saw 1651 heading west on Hempstead Turnpike at the Meadowbrook Parkway with a few employees inside this morning.

[FamousNYLover]

Speaking of NICE, when I search engine NICE complaints, look what I found.

http://www.nicebus.com/_meta/downloads/NICE_Title_VI_Complaint_Form.pdf

http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/dpw/documents/DraftTitleVIProgram.pdf

http://www.pwfinance.net/document/research_reprints/-8%20Veolia%20Solves.pdf

 

 

Edited May 22, 2013 by FamousNYLover

[qjtransitmaster]

Yesterday, even thought I had Rally Against Canadian Seal hunt in Midtown, I took risk and took 12:15 n20 Hicksville #1855, male bus driver. He didn't even bother to slow down, even thought NICE is enforcing bus driver not to leave early. Before he left Flushing ontime, NYC Student try to board with Student MetroCard (NYCBOE), he told them we don't take that. We don't drop off in Queens. Male driver he left 3 minutes ahead all the way through CW Post. When I saw horses at Brookville Farm on Cedar Swamp Rd, I said through the closed window, "Thank you for taking care of horse." Those horses looks happy. I don't see Brookville Farm folks putting horses out in rain or snow unlike carriage horses does.

Guess what male bus driver did? HE SKIPPED SUNY OLD WESTBURY, MAJOR STOP and I was sure there was passenger waiting for either bus comes first either Flushing or Hicksville.

Onboard 14:01 n22 Jamaica #1743, near New Castle-Westbury border, Spanish Immigrants delayed the bus by paid her cash fare with pennies!! When male driver got near Shake Shack at E. Gate Blvd, one passenger said you're very late. At Roosevelt Field Mall, female students were begging bus driver for free ride, but male B/O did the right thing. Which caused more delayed.

By the time we left Mineola IC, bus was trully OVER CRUSH LOADED from rear to front. Thanks to n22a picking up our crowd, we arrived Jamaica Bus Terminal at 15:41, 20 minutes behind schedule. Most of them got off at 179th St.

and this is why I take the LIRR.

[qjtransitmaster]

 

On Saturday, when I was transfering from 12:25 n20 Hicksville and 13:27 n27 Glen Clove, I meet good Spanish lady friend of mine, who told me that 13:27 male driver on n27 is always late and she tells me that driver is always sleeping at Roslyn Station. He was very late at downtown Glen Cove, so I rush to get 50 cent snack and boarded 13:54 n27 Roslyn which left 14:12 and which missed both n20 Flushing connection at 14:17-14:22 and 14:00 n23 Hempstead at 14:20-14:31. Thanks to NICE for putting short trip 3:03pm out from Searington Rd, we didn't have to wait an hour for bus.

When I got off at Roslyn Station, regular n27 riders were complaining to me, "he's very late!!"

He missed two connection twice. He was driving very slow, and bus was seem to be dancing because he was driving like proffessional.

 

This is why Glen Cove neighborhood want the n21 back. I sent email to mayor of Glen Cove and they want the n21. Gas station in Greenvale and business there are slow.

Even the Nassau County Museum want the n21 back.

n20/n27 and n23/n27 is NOT WORKING OUT.

 

On Tuesday night, two n20l Hicksville missed n27 Glen Cove which I came out from.

 

Well try taking the LIRR oyster bay line at greenvale instead it comes on-time. But why not bring the N2 up there via covert and LIE HOV to glen cove on N21's route via roslyn. it can serve the LI jewish med center and gain ridership and help off-peak ridership. Also time better with N20 unlike the fail that is N27. It will use HOV so traffic won't be an issue at least not off-peak. At rush you still have N21.

Edited May 22, 2013 by qjtransitmaster