Suffolk bus fare veto override planned

Suffolk County bus riders may soon see their first fare hike in nearly two decades if lawmakers override County Executive Steve Levy's veto of the increase, which aims to fund new Sunday service on some routes.

The county legislature last month voted for a pilot program to increase the fare for Suffolk County Transit buses from $1.50 to $2 to pay for the expanded service.

The measure passed with 11 votes from the 18-member body. Legis. Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) said Friday he is confident he can get the one vote needed for a two-thirds majority to override Levy's veto.

Under the plan, the new fares would take effect in May and about a dozen of the system's busiest routes would get Sunday service starting in June, Schneiderman said. That number could double over the next two years, he said.

Levy on Friday disputed the projection, saying the new revenue might support Sunday service on as few as six lines. He said he vetoed the measure because it unfairly burdens all county bus users while benefiting relatively few of them.

"The problem is that the bill asks for every rider to pay a third more in their bus fare so that a very small percentage could get the Sunday bus routes," said Levy. He wants instead to push the state and federal governments to give Suffolk's transit system enough extra aid to fund systemwide Sunday service.

Levy also touted the fact that the county has kept fares the same since 1992, even as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has regularly increased fares on its various transit systems during that period.

Schneiderman, meanwhile, said county residents who currently take taxicabs to get to and from work on Sundays would gladly pay the increase.

He also argued that even those who would not benefit have a responsibility to subsidize fellow riders, as they do on other transit systems.

"Obviously, I would prefer not to raise the fare, but people need the Sunday service," said Schneiderman, who said Levy's veto was not "the right thing to do."

Suffolk County Transit buses carry about 6.5 million riders a year on its 50 lines, according to the county.

Schneiderman said he believes "hundreds of thousands" would take advantage of Sunday service, even if it was only added on the 24 busiest lines.