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


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If the MTA was still running Long Is Bus,they would have had the N20/21 picking up at Bowne & 41 Ave, like they did in the past. They also would have signage at regular stop directing pass. there.

 

I'm not sure if NICE is allowed to pick up there. But I agree that NICE kinda messed up this detour. They could've at least tried to negotiate about picking up at Bowne&41.

 

But regarding the signage: Bowne St is in Queens so NICE isn't allowed to put up any signage on their own.

Edited by Vistausss
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I'm not sure if NICE is allowed to pick up there. But I agree that NICE kinda messed up this detour. They could've at least tried to negotiate about picking up at Bowne&41.

 

But regarding the signage: Bowne St is in Queens so NICE isn't allowed to put up any signage on their own.

Previsous detour bus stop for n20/n21 was at Bowne St/Roosevelt Av or 41st Av last two years during Snake and Mouse year.

This time detour stops were unorganized including MTA service. Last year they had Bus Route #s were written on the papers including for n20/n21 after Veolia's takeover.

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The n17 could really use more stops b/w Mercy MC and Rockville Centre. It's a beautiful route and I would die to live there but seeing the many miles b/w the stops... wow, I'd need a car to drive to the next bus stop.

Edited by Vistausss
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The n17 could really use more stops b/w Mercy MC and Rockville Centre. It's a beautiful route and I would die to live there but seeing the many miles b/w the stops... wow, I'd need a car to drive to the next bus stop.

 

I might be wrong, but the few stops on the n17 between Mercy Medical Center and Rockville Center might have something to do with N.Village Ave running parallel to Peninsula Blvd.

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The n17 could really use more stops b/w Mercy MC and Rockville Centre. It's a beautiful route and I would die to live there but seeing the many miles b/w the stops... wow, I'd need a car to drive to the next bus stop.

 

LMAO welcome to Nassau County!  Actually don't worry about buying a car just have a friend or significant other drive you to the bus stop, and make sure you wait for until the last possible minute so the bus pulls out of your spot, follow it until you can get in front of it, put on your hazard lights, cut in front of the bus, slam on your brakes (forcing the bus to stop), you get on, whalla the Nassau County way...  lol

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I might be wrong, but the few stops on the n17 between Mercy Medical Center and Rockville Center might have something to do with N.Village Ave running parallel to Peninsula Blvd.

 

Oh, so there are more stops nearby, like, walking distance? If that's really the case, then ignore my previous post :)

 

LMAO welcome to Nassau County!  Actually don't worry about buying a car just have a friend or significant other drive you to the bus stop, and make sure you wait for until the last possible minute so the bus pulls out of your spot, follow it until you can get in front of it, put on your hazard lights, cut in front of the bus, slam on your brakes (forcing the bus to stop), you get on, whalla the Nassau County way...  lol

 

Well, it's not like that in all of Nassau County. I've seen on-board videos of NICE in Nassau County (so not the Queens part) where there's a bus stop every block. If you live in b/w them you can choose whichever one you wanna walk to lol. And even then it's like a 2 min walk max.

Edited by Vistausss
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Well, it's not like that in all of Nassau County. I've seen on-board videos of NICE in Nassau County (so not the Queens part) where there's a bus stop every block. If you live in b/w them you can choose whichever one you wanna walk to lol. And even then it's like a 2 min walk max.

 

I was joking, I ride both NICE and SCT and it seems people get a ride and I dont't want to say "a lot" but "I often" see people getting rides and the person giving the rides just cuts off the bus, slows to a stop, and the person gets on....

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The n17 could really use more stops b/w Mercy MC and Rockville Centre. It's a beautiful route and I would die to live there but seeing the many miles b/w the stops... wow, I'd need a car to drive to the next bus stop.

Actually there are some NICE riders get to specific bus stop by cars or taxis.

When I was at SUNY Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Taxi drops off his passengers on n20 bus stop.

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For the next bus order, i have a feeling that NICE will order some Gillig CNGs, seeing as though they are too poor to order New Flyers, unless the MTA steps in and pays for some XN40s.

Not necessarily. If NICE is interested in purchasing New Flyer products as some have mentioned there is the possibility of direct negotiations rather than issuing a competitive RFP.

 

And if a RFP is still issued New Flyer may still be the most compliant to the criteria NICE has set.

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NICE brought back all the local stops that were on the original n17 under the (MTA) . If there isn't a bus stop at a desired location, some drivers still let passengers off. It's not like the route is crowded where it disrupts any timing or anything like that. If you want more official stops added to the route, talk to NICE.

 

 

Actually, some stops south of Mercy weren't restored  (there's some on N.Village Avenue that have no stops, however, if you like extremely closely, you'll see the stops hidden behind the trees on the side closer to Peninsula).

For the next bus order, i have a feeling that NICE will order some Gillig CNGs, seeing as though they are too poor to order New Flyers, unless the MTA steps in and pays for some XN40s.

That is not happening at all, I assure you.

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For the next bus order, i have a feeling that NICE will order some Gillig CNGs, seeing as though they are too poor to order New Flyers, unless the MTA steps in and pays for some XN40s.

 

Are you forgetting that NICE has a successfull company behind them called Transdev? Transdev does invest in NICE and they can always ask Transdev for some extra investment. And as someone who occasionally works with Transdev, I can assure that will happen. So maybe they will go for New Flyers.

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It doesn't really matter what offer there's gonna be. If NICE asks Transdev for some extra investment for buses, there's gonna be more money anyway. Hopefully they'll choose Xcelsiors, New Flyer's Xcelsiors are among my top 5 favorite buses! :)

 

When's the bid gonna be up anyway? I mean: I'm guessing none of you don't have an exact date but some estimation?

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Just a heads up for anyone riding or planning on riding the n19...  I just saw on news12 that a tanker truck carrying home heating oil aught fire on Merrick rd in Massapequa in front of St. Rose church, I would expect a detour somewhere Lakeshore BLVD and Park Blvd on Massapequa.  It took hours took about 2 hours to put the fire out, residents were evacuated and just allowed back in the area.  Officials say they are now waiting on a crew to clean up the mess.  

 

In addition to a detour I would expect delays on n19....

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For the next bus order, i have a feeling that NICE will order some Gillig CNGs, seeing as though they are too poor to order New Flyers, unless the MTA steps in and pays for some XN40s.

 

The MTA has nothing to do with NICE, they handled the contract for decades and now Veolia runs the system.  The MTA stepping in to offer funds would make as much sense as SCT in Suffolk County or RGRTA up in Rochester stepping in to offer funds.

 

Are you forgetting that NICE has a successfull company behind them called Transdev? Transdev does invest in NICE and they can always ask Transdev for some extra investment. And as someone who occasionally works with Transdev, I can assure that will happen. So maybe they will go for New Flyers.

 

80% of the funds will come from state/federal funding and 20% comes from the municipality, in this case Nassau County...  Nassau County would be the owners of the buses, cut and dry...

 

I don't think Gilligs would perform well in the NICE system plus there's got to be a reason why the (MTA) didn't buy them. This is a similar system to the (MTA) one for buses. I'm sure New Flyer, knowing the neighboring system, would bid low enough for NICE to accept them.

 

I think the reason Nassau has an all ORION fleet is the same reason there are no Gillig's in the fleet, geography.  Orion was located up near Utica, NY and Gillig is located on the other side of the Country.  Besides, I think there was some sort of "buy NY" incentive offered, because I always remember schumer sticking his in the press talking about upstate workers building a bus for a downstate system.   blah blah blah...

 

With Gilligyou are talking about a 3,000 mile trip (an extra 3,000 on the odometer) and at least $6,000 to $9,000 in delivery expenses per bus with 40 buses that's $240,000 to $360,000 just for delivery.  Compare this to Orion in Oriskany, NY, less than 300 miles away, your talking 10% the cost for delivery.

 

Now for everyone saying NICE can't "afford" New Flyer, for the money allocated for new buses it comes out to about $400,000 per bus, which if you look at recent New Flyer orders it comes out to about $400,000 per bus.  The last NICE order was (MTA) spec'd buses and if they do the same (MTA) orders stripped down buses.  Believe me some places order buses with all the "bells and whistles" where the (MTA) orders the bare bones.  

 

Speaking of the (MTA) Veolia and the (MTA) have a good working relationship, (MTA) just ordered 276 Xcelsior buses, I wouldn't be surprised at all if NICE hammered out a deal to by some of those buses, NEw Flyer builds some in that order for NICE, or NICE excercizes an option for buses the MTA has on "order."

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