FamousNYLover Posted November 3, 2014 Share #1 Posted November 3, 2014 I got this from Newsday: NICE bus gets $2M bump in 2015 Nassau budget Updated October 30, 2014 8:40 PMBy ALFONSO A. CASTILLO alfonso.castillo@newsday.com A bipartisan agreement by Nassau lawmakers will boost the county’s subsidy to its bus system by $2 million, freeze fares for some customers in 2015, and give NICE riders more say on issues that affect them. The plan, included in Nassau’s newly adopted 2015 budget, increases the county’s subsidy to the Nassau Inter-County Express to $4.6 million from the previous $2.6 million. It promises to hold a ride to $2.50 for customers who pay in cash or with NICE’s mobile application, and will add four new members to the county’s Bus Transit Committee, which governs NICE. The four new members will include two appointed by County Executive Edward Mangano, one by the Republican majority, and one by the Democratic minority. Democratic lawmakers said they plan to make their pick a riders’ representative, chosen in conjunction with the nonprofit Long Island Bus Riders Union. “NICE Bus continues to save taxpayers millions of dollars while protecting riders from a fare hike or service cut,” Mangano said in a statement Thursday. But the new county budget was not all good news for riders. Even with the increased subsidy, NICE still runs a deficit of about $6 million, according to figures in Mangano’s originally proposed executive budget. And Nassau’s vow to not raise fares outside of any hikes on the MTA-controlled MetroCard removes one of the county’s options to help fill the deficit. Officials with Veolia Transportation, NICE’s parent, declined to comment Thursday. Long Island Bus Riders Union spokeswoman Anita Halasz said she fears that, without further government subsidies, Veolia may be forced to cut service to fill a budget gap, as it has before. “Can we not come up with a better plan?” Halasz said. “We need to be prioritizing public transportation.” Halasz added that she was grateful that riders will soon be able to voice their concerns on the county Bus Transit Committee, even if that voice may be “diluted” by the addition of three additional Republican appointees. In total, seven of the panel’s nine members will be appointed by Mangano or the GOP majority. “I think no rider representation is worse than some rider representation,” Halasz said. “For us, this is a victory.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q43LTD Posted November 3, 2014 Share #2 Posted November 3, 2014 $4.6 mil? That's still not enough IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Up Front Posted November 3, 2014 Share #3 Posted November 3, 2014 Long Island Bus Riders Union spokeswoman Anita Halasz said she fears that, without further government subsidies, Veolia may be forced to cut service to fill a budget gap, as it has before. “Can we not come up with a better plan?” Halasz said. “We need to be prioritizing public transportation.” Probably gets rides to and from Lazy and Incapable of Basic and Rational Understanding meetings. What the hell does she think she's going to accomplish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted November 3, 2014 Probably gets rides to and from Lazy and Incapable of Basic and Rational Understanding meetings. What the hell does she think she's going to accomplish? 7 members out of 12 is NICE Riders and 1 former Veolia Driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N6 Limited Posted November 4, 2014 Share #5 Posted November 4, 2014 How do I get appointed? Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Up Front Posted November 4, 2014 Share #6 Posted November 4, 2014 7 members out of 12 is NICE Riders and 1 former Veolia Driver. That sure does say a lot about NICE. You do know that NICE requires drivers to get a CDL, and guess what the DL part of it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted November 4, 2014 I meant 7/12 is LIBRU is NICE Bus Riders. For privacy, only first name will be used. 1. Aaron doesn't have car and he only relies on NICE/SCT. 2. Professor Sapile from Nassau College (LIBRU) is resident of Woodside, Queens and commutes via LIRR/NICE Bus. 3. Kimberly, LI Jobs with Justice, Valley Stream resident relies on n4 bus. 4. Frederick (former MTA Garage technian, Laurelton, Queens resident and works in NICE/SCT Territory, often use Coach USA, LIRR. 5. Allison of Long Beach Street NY. Depends on NICE Bus/City of Long Beach Bus. 6. NICE Bus Rider (new member) 7. NICE/MTA/Bee-Line/Trailways/Coach USA/LIRR/MNRR/NJT Rider (me) 8. Cindy one of best MTA Long Island Bus/Veolia Driver- she quit her job including TWU Local 252. Some of drivers don't know she's retired from Veolia). 9. Anita LIBRU Spokewoman- uses both car and NICE Bus. 10. David- NICE Bus and Able-Ride 11. Mother and disable child- Uses NICE Bus. 12. Fed Ex at Hicksville Station (1 member is LIBRU)- use NICE Bus- but with his work, he's unable to attend meeting) 13. Two church employees at Ethnical Humanist Society List of organization that supports LIBRU. 1. Long Island Jobs with Justice 2. Nassau County Democrative Community 3. Car Free Day Long Island 4. Vision Long Island 5. Long Island Progressive 6. Long Beach Streets New York 7. Transport Workers Union Local 100 8. Transport Workers Union Local 252 9. ATU Local 10. RIders Alliance 11. Tri-State Campaign 12. Straphangers Campaign 13. Citizen Defending Library 14. News 12 Long Island 15. Vision Fios Long Island News 16. Newsday 17. East Hampton Patch 18. Patchogue Patch 19. Many churches across Nassau/Suffolk Counties) 20. Walmart 21. Westchester County DOT (Bee-Line Bus Planning Manager) 22. Nassau County Police 23. Long Island Orchestrating for Nature 24. Jones Beach Hotel. 25. Change for Suffolk County Transit Bus (created by Suffolk County Bus Riders) 26. Back to NICE Bus, Mangano will choose both republican and democrative to NCBTC, while democrative lawmakers will appoint NICE Bus Rider. I got this from Newsday: NICE bus gets $2M bump in 2015 Nassau budget... and will add four new members to the county’s Bus Transit Committee, which governs NICE.The four new members will include two appointed by County Executive Edward Mangano, one by the Republican majority, and one by the Democratic minority. Democratic lawmakers said they plan to make their pick a riders’ representative, chosen in conjunction with the nonprofit Long Island Bus Riders Union. That sure does say a lot about NICE. You do know that NICE requires drivers to get a CDL, and guess what the DL part of it is... Cindy was only MTA Long Island Bus/NICE Bus driver who was also member of LIBRU and president of "Coalition to Save Long Island Bus." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM5 via Woodhaven Posted November 4, 2014 Share #8 Posted November 4, 2014 Hey, at least NICE is getting a increase in budget. Won't solve all problems, but if this is done in increments, hopefully it would better service over time (but who knows if that happens). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted November 4, 2014 Share #9 Posted November 4, 2014 what does the bee line bus manager have to do with nice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted November 4, 2014 what does the bee line bus manager have to do with nice? He supports LIBRU and NICE Bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM5 via Woodhaven Posted November 4, 2014 Share #11 Posted November 4, 2014 Why do I feel however like some of the listed groups do not even give a damn about nice (and LIBRU)/ have no correlation whatsoever in the first place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted November 4, 2014 26. Coalition to Save Long Island Bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted November 4, 2014 Share #13 Posted November 4, 2014 problem with nice is that they keep holding on to routes that they should just let go and restructure or merge with other routes. N80 I am looking at you. N46&51 are also offenders n47 is useless and needs to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted November 4, 2014 Share #14 Posted November 4, 2014 26. Coalition to Save Long Island Bus.there's nothing left to save Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM5 via Woodhaven Posted November 4, 2014 Share #15 Posted November 4, 2014 problem with nice is that they keep holding on to routes that they should just let go and restructure or merge with other routes. N80 I am looking at you. N46&51 are also offenders n47 is useless and needs to go. The n47 gets more ridership than you think it does, for it's frequencies. The n46 can pick up, but on the Bellmore side, it's very floppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted November 5, 2014 Share #16 Posted November 5, 2014 How useful is the N80 & 51? I am not convinced they should be kept around plus the n6x to the college was questionable considering other buses N43&35 go to ncc. Hempstead ain't really helping bellmore bus service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM5 via Woodhaven Posted November 6, 2014 Share #17 Posted November 6, 2014 How useful is the N80 & 51? I am not convinced they should be kept around plus the n6x to the college was questionable considering other buses N43&35 go to ncc. Hempstead ain't really helping bellmore bus service. I don't know, but I do know that all the east side buses are lacking in terms of ridership (save the n71 and the intercounty routes). This is what I had in mind: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/35828-nassau-inter-county-express-proposals-and-ideas/?p=802556 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1995 Orion V CNG Posted November 24, 2014 Share #18 Posted November 24, 2014 Hey, at least NICE is getting a increase in budget. Won't solve all problems, but if this is done in increments, hopefully it would better service over time (but who knows if that happens). Yes, it's not much, but it's a start. Hopefully (I hope) that thread continues from here on out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.