Nassau moves to privatize LI Bus

Nassau County has moved a step closer to privatizing Long Island Bus by issuing a request for proposal seeking bidders to take over the beleaguered bus company from the MTA.

The bus system is owned by the county, but has been operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for nearly 40 years.

A long-brewing funding dispute between Nassau and the MTA came to a head in July when the MTA announced plans to withdraw all financial support for the bus company.

The MTA has said that with its own fiscal crisis, it can no longer afford to make up for Nassau shortfalls in funding to LI Bus. The system has a $133-million annual budget, but receives just $9.1 million from Nassau.

County Executive Edward Mangano has said Nassau cannot afford to pay significantly more than it does now.

"This decision is a vote of no confidence in the management of the MTA," Mangano said in a statement Tuesday. "The MTA views our residents as dollars to fund its wasteful practices, but come Jan. 1 they will not be able to get to work, school, a clinic or a store without bus service. . . . Bus service is critical to our economy and community, and it must continue."

In a letter to Mangano last week, MTA chairman Jay Walder said that if Nassau believes it can do better than the MTA by going private, MTA officials "stand ready to help." Walder touted the MTA's management of the system, which he said has led to significant savings for Nassau.

Suffolk and Westchester counties both contract out their bus systems to private companies.

In the request for proposal, Nassau says it is looking for a "firm with experience in providing all aspects of a public transit program" including operation and maintenance of buses, as well as planning, marketing and purchasing.

The request seeks proposals for a five- to 25-year contract, but says Nassau is also interested in a shorter-term contract to operate the county's bus system "on an emergency basis to maintain continuity of services to riders."

Ryan Lynch, spokesman for the nonprofit Tri-State Transportation Campaign, called the request for proposal the latest move in an ongoing "game of chicken" between Nassau and the MTA.

He advised Nassau against privatizing LI Bus - an option that he said would likely be far more costly than continuing its relationship with the MTA.

"We think it's much more intelligent for the county to be working with the MTA to find a sustainable solution," said Lynch, who added that the MTA's "implicit support for this concept is misguided."