news Business Groups Lead the Charge for Increased Funding for NICE Bus

[User]

 

http://blog.tstc.org/2013/10/03/business-groups-lead-the-charge-for-increased-funding-for-nice-bus/

In the face of declining ridership and high levels of rider dissatisfaction, nearly two dozen local groups sent a letter to Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and the members of the Nassau County Legislature in August calling for increased funding for Nassau County’s bus system, Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE).

Unfortunately, although the final Nassau County budget is due by the end of the month, the County’s proposed contribution to NICE remains a paltry $2.6 million in the County Executive’s proposed budget. The groups hope that robust support from a diverse background of service sectors including rider, labor, social services, planning, environmental and transportation groups, will help convince Nassau County’s elected officials that funding the beleaguered bus system is good public policy. Support for increased funding for the bus system was particularly strong from Nassau’s business community, which made up 20 percent of the signatories to the letter. Region-wide business groups like the Long Island Business Council and the Long Island Association, as well as local business advocates like the Hicksville and Freeport Chambers of Commerce, helped make the case that County investment must be increased.

Business group support for better transit in Nassau County should come as no surprise to legislators and the County Executive. Small and large businesses alike know that public transit expands and diversifies employment pools. Good service also reduces transportation costs keeping more money in the wallets of potential customers. But it isn’t just business interest groups that recognize the importance of bus service to their bottom line. A local civic leader in Bethpage recently wrote a Letter to the Editor to Newsday calling for the restoration of all NICE service to weekends as a way to get more people to “outdoor fairs, festivals, afternoon concerts, theater matinees and many other venues” to boost the local economy.

Doing so wouldn’t break Nassau County’s bank. A Tri-State analysis of the County’s contract with Veolia Transportation, the company that runs NICE, found that even if County Legislators amended the budget to restore the $7.3 million in ‘savings’ from service cuts made in April 2012, NICE would be able to add almost 84,000 hours of service while only increasing the County’s proposed $2.79 billion budget by .26 percent.

[PinePower]

Pretty sure Mangano won't listen. And sadly it won't matter, in this county the motorists have the power and could care less about us. I'm not saying to kick out Veolia and bring back the right away, what I am saying is that increase the funding, even if it's just by 1 Million, show some good faith, but instead he treats us like the peons he steps on, thats why I wont vote for Mangano. Period. Like the other poster said VOTE.MANGANO.OUT

When people are late to work and are forced to shell out $20 for a crooked cabbie to get to work or be fired, that's a travsety and its been happening more than ever. Completely unacceptable. I've been to the meetings, the TAC is a useless body, doesn't stand up for the riders, all appointed by Mangano & a cabbie runs the entire thing, what a joke.

But he'll probably win anyway, but at least I know I took a stand against this BS. 

[Joel Up Front]

I'm still sickened that he wanted his name printed on every bus like he was some sort of savior.  What did he "save" us, the RIDERS, from?

[N6 Limited]

I'm still sickened that he wanted his name printed on every bus like he was some sort of savior.  What did he "save" us, the RIDERS, from?

50% bus system reduction?

[Joel Up Front]

50% bus system reduction?

 

We get what we pay for.

[PinePower]

We get what we pay for.

 

We get more service with NICE than with the current Nassau budget, but it may be more quantity but less quality. was more reliable. Hate to say it but in just the past year and a half I've had more problems with NICE than all my time riding LIB.

[B35 via Church]

We get more service with NICE than with the current Nassau budget, but it may be more quantity but less quality. was more reliable.

Hate to say it but in just the past year and a half I've had more problems with NICE than all my time riding LIB.

Such as?

(That's a serious question btw)

[PinePower]

Such as?

(That's a serious question btw)

 

1. Buses running 10 minutes hot or more, have been burned by the n20 on weekends about 5 times since NICE took over running sometimes over 10 minutes early e/b at Greenvale. The most LI Bus ever ran hot was by about 5 minutes, which is acceptable since you're expected to be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the timepoint.

2. Clueless drivers - n35 passed me at a bus stop in Baldwin, ran to the next one, driver didn't wait. Good samaritan gave me a lift to catch the bus as this was the last one of the night. Another n35 driver running late skipped NCC because he felt like it. LIB never had done that. Drivers getting lost or misrouted, happened at least 5 times since NICE took over, only happened twice with LIB. 

Listing the incidents I can remember, n27 driver missed turn onto Harbor Hill, turned onto LIE service road e/b wound up driving through Old Westbury till I got him back to Jericho Tpke and Glen Cove Road. n35 driver misses Privado Dr twice. n20 driver forgets to turn around at SUNY Old Westbury and we take that long road into Campus. n22L driver makes wrong turns in Carle Place going down residential streets.  Another n20 driver was 50 min late and I had to give directions to her, she got lost on the way to Hicksville on the prior run winding up in Williston Pk. n27 driver thinks he's an n23 and makes left onto Hillside. There's probably a few more. The only time an LIB driver got lost was on the n21 a long, long time ago, and went right for the n20 instead of staying on Bryant.

And that leaves out the assinine changes they made to the n27, which still frequently misses connections to and from the n23 on weekends. n35 has always run every 20-30 min on weekdays, the hourly wait middays sucks. I dont like the schedules, the buses aren't evenly spaced like they used to be, leads to bus bunching and uneven loading. Of course I will say I have not experienced more breakdowns with NICE, they do seem to perform better mechanically speaking, and as we know many of the LIB's couldn't pass inspection.

I do understand that its cheaper to train drivers in half a parking lot, and schedule as tight as possible to save money and minimize driver rest time. Things the is not allowed to do, I know. Perhaps if Mr.Mangano wasn't such a Nasty Incompetent County Executive and budgeted more money for the NICE budget, they could've kept all the service and quality the had, but he won't budge. At least bring it back to 9 Million, but he wont so I vote for Suozzi.  

I aint a Veolia hater, I'm an Ed Mangano hater. He needs to go. He hasn't a clue as to how transportation works and thinks cars and cabs are king, bad news for ya Ed, there's no room for anymore roads so you better open your wallet for mass transit or the county economy will suffer as more jobs & young ppl move to the city or places with better transit.

[Hound]

1. Buses running 10 minutes hot or more, have been burned by the n20 on weekends about 5 times since NICE took over running sometimes over 10 minutes early e/b at Greenvale. The most LI Bus ever ran hot was by about 5 minutes, which is acceptable since you're expected to be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the timepoint.

2. Clueless drivers - n35 passed me at a bus stop in Baldwin, ran to the next one, driver didn't wait. Good samaritan gave me a lift to catch the bus as this was the last one of the night. Another n35 driver running late skipped NCC because he felt like it. LIB never had done that. Drivers getting lost or misrouted, happened at least 5 times since NICE took over, only happened twice with LIB. 

Listing the incidents I can remember, n27 driver missed turn onto Harbor Hill, turned onto LIE service road e/b wound up driving through Old Westbury till I got him back to Jericho Tpke and Glen Cove Road. n35 driver misses Privado Dr twice. n20 driver forgets to turn around at SUNY Old Westbury and we take that long road into Campus. n22L driver makes wrong turns in Carle Place going down residential streets.  Another n20 driver was 50 min late and I had to give directions to her, she got lost on the way to Hicksville on the prior run winding up in Williston Pk. n27 driver thinks he's an n23 and makes left onto Hillside. There's probably a few more. The only time an LIB driver got lost was on the n21 a long, long time ago, and went right for the n20 instead of staying on Bryant.

And that leaves out the assinine changes they made to the n27, which still frequently misses connections to and from the n23 on weekends. n35 has always run every 20-30 min on weekdays, the hourly wait middays sucks. I dont like the schedules, the buses aren't evenly spaced like they used to be, leads to bus bunching and uneven loading. Of course I will say I have not experienced more breakdowns with NICE, they do seem to perform better mechanically speaking, and as we know many of the LIB's couldn't pass inspection.

I do understand that its cheaper to train drivers in half a parking lot, and schedule as tight as possible to save money and minimize driver rest time. Things the is not allowed to do, I know. Perhaps if Mr.Mangano wasn't such a Nasty Incompetent County Executive and budgeted more money for the NICE budget, they could've kept all the service and quality the had, but he won't budge. At least bring it back to 9 Million, but he wont so I vote for Suozzi.  

I aint a Veolia hater, I'm an Ed Mangano hater. He needs to go. He hasn't a clue as to how transportation works and thinks cars and cabs are king, bad news for ya Ed, there's no room for anymore roads so you better open your wallet for mass transit or the county economy will suffer as more jobs & young ppl move to the city or places with better transit.

You get what you pay for.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

lol@ "mass transit" on Lawwwwnnnng Eyeland...

[qjtransitmaster]

lol@ "mass transit" on Lawwwwnnnng Eyeland...

Lol at buses that copy subways.

[Turbo19]

lol@ "mass transit" on Lawwwwnnnng Eyeland...

No...

 

Lol at buses that copy subways.

And no.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Nice first needs to fix any scheduling beforehand, then see where the extra buses are needed. I took a little trip on NICE today, all buses were running late (that I took).

 

They can also save money on some routes without all that interlining crap they do.

[Turbo19]

Nice first needs to fix any scheduling beforehand, then see where the extra buses are needed. I took a little trip on NICE today, all buses were running late (that I took).

 

They can also save money on some routes without all that interlining crap they do.

Interlining between two certain line I can understand. It's these haphazard interlines throwing off the passengers and operators alike.

[Vistausss]

I'd say: voice your concerns about interlining to Transdev. If I'm not mistaken we'll talk to Transdev again in December and we'll see what we can do about the interlining they so prefer to do everywhere. But it would help if people from other companies backed by Transdev voice their concerns as well, that'd make our stance even more powerful.