NICE Bus prepares for 1st 'real' run day

Most bus riders in Nassau will be introduced to the county's new transit system Tuesday as NICE Bus rolls out for its first weekday commute.

The newly privatized system, named the Nassau Inter-County Express, began operating Sunday but ran on a holiday schedule for its first two days. Most of Nassau's 100,000 weekday bus riders are expected to return to their bus stops Tuesday, and the system's new operator, Veolia Transportation, says it is ready for them.

"That's the real test," NICE Bus chief executive Michael Setzer said Monday. "If we can roll everything out tomorrow, then I'm going to breathe a sigh of relief. I think we will."

To ensure that its first rush hour runs smoothly, Setzer said the company will staff extra drivers and have more buses available than on a typical weekday.

Veolia also is looking to make a good first impression with clean vehicles and shining tires, Setzer said.

Until Sunday's switchover, the bus system had been run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority since 1973.

Setzer said NICE Bus' first couple of days went well, with all buses on the abbreviated holiday schedule making every stop and completing their runs. One "glitch" was that some riders were not aware that the system was running on a Sunday schedule Monday.

"I don't think we did a good enough job at that," said Setzer, adding that Veolia should have posted signs or found other ways to get word out. "We dropped the ball on that somewhat."

Veolia has printed 102,000 brochures of timetables that will be made available on buses and at major transit hubs. The 34 different timetables cover all 48 NICE Bus routes. In addition, Veolia has posted signs at 23 bus and Long Island Rail Road stations.

NICE Bus' first day of operation included one incident, when a journalist in a wheelchair fell while boarding a bus at a Garden City news conference.

Barbara Yanger, who hosts two public access television shows, Monday was recuperating at Nassau University Medical Center. She is wearing a neck brace, according to her husband, Raymond.

"She's still in pain. Her movement is limited," he said. "We're just hoping she feels better soon."

Raymond Yanger said Sunday that his wife has used the wheelchair since a heart attack and stroke a few weeks ago left her right side paralyzed.