State lawmaker: LI Bus needs a 'Plan B'

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo should come up with a "Plan B" in case Nassau Executive Edward Mangano's proposal to have a private company run Long Island Bus falls apart, potentially leaving 100,000 daily passengers stranded, a state lawmaker from the bus system's home base said.

Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) appealed to the governor for an alternative plan that would allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to continue running LI Bus, as it has for 38 years. Nassau and the MTA parted ways earlier this year over a funding dispute, and the transit agency is to quit running LI Bus after Dec. 31.

Martins, in a Sept. 29 letter, asked Cuomo to consider the opportunity afforded by a newly appointed MTA chairman to work out a deal with Nassau "that would restore the commitment our residents need and deserve."

Cuomo's office did not respond Tuesday to a call for comment. The governor is expected this week to announce his pick to replace outgoing MTA chairman Jay Walder.

"Bus commuters in Nassau County need stability," Martins wrote. "For people who are on fixed incomes or struggling through this economy and have no other access to mass transit, nothing less is acceptable."

Veolia Transportation, based in Lombard, Ill., is scheduled to take over LI Bus on Jan. 1. A contract with Veolia first must be approved by the county Legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority. The county also has said it will hold a public forum.

Martins' plea gained urgency when Nassau Legis. John Ciotti (R-Valley Stream) said at a meeting last week that he would vote against any bus contract that includes fare increases or service cuts. Ciotti could be the swing vote to defeat the plan in the Legislature's seven-member rules committee, which includes four Republicans and three Democrats.

When Mangano announced in June that he had chosen Veolia to run LI Bus, he pledged that the new operator would not increase fares or cut service in 2012. However, on a recently launched website, Veolia suggested that both options are on the table.

The site, libusinfo.com, says there may be "changes in routes or timetables as of January 1, 2012" and only that "there are currently no plans" to increase fares.

In a statement Monday, Veolia spokesman Andrew Kraus said the company has "undertaken a comprehensive review of all bus routes to ensure that in the long run, the most and best service is provided for the financial resources that are available."

County spokesman Brian Nevin said Monday that a contract to operate LI Bus is complete and waiting to be signed by Veolia. He said Mangano "will present the Legislature with a plan that saves taxpayers over $30 million a year while providing riders with quality service."

Kraus would not comment beyond Veolia's statement.

Long Island Bus, which has an annual budget of $141 million under the MTA, stands to lose more than $32 million in subsidies from the MTA, the state and Nassau County next year.

Martins' spokesman, Joe Rizza, said the governor's office has not sent a response to the senator's letter. Rizza noted that Martins is not opposed to the county's privatization plan, but wants a fallback plan in place.

"When you negotiate with a private company, if you have nothing as a backup, what are you negotiating?" Rizza said. "You're taking their deal or nothing."

Ciotti said Monday that he has not seen a contract between the county and Veolia but remains confident that "it will all work out."