Suffolk bus riders have their say on fares

At a public hearing Wednesday, Suffolk County bus riders were generally accepting of fare hikes -- if service can be expanded as a result.

The boost in fares -- the first in two decades -- takes effect May 1 and has already been approved by the Suffolk County Legislature.

Fifteen riders and advocates spoke at Wednesday's hearing.

"I understand the need" for a fare increase, but only if it results in better service, said Joshua Tomel, 29, of Commack.

Expressing dislike for the new buses that recently went into service, Robert Lane, 58, of Amityville, also said he understands the need for the fare hike, with "gasoline prices going up."

Officials said the hearing at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, and a final hearing Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the County Center Building in Riverhead, were legally required before the fare increases could take effect.

Suffolk County Transit plans to raise fares from $1.50 to $2 for most riders, and by 25 cents for seniors, students and people riding the two East End routes that already increased fares to $2 last year to fund Sunday summer service.

Suffolk, which subcontracts bus service to private companies, wants to increase fare revenue to cover higher operating, labor and fuel costs. The last time Suffolk raised bus fares was in 1992, when motorists on Long Island were paying $1.30 a gallon for gas.

Legis. Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), who heads the county legislature's transportation committee, said the increases will generate about $1 million in annual revenue.

"People probably won't like the fact that these fares are going up without additional services," he said. "Nobody wants to pay more. . . . But this is something that we need to do."

Schneiderman said 20 years "is a very long time to go without a fare increase. We are doing our best to keep it low."

Lawmakers, he said, are "sensitive to the economic climate we're in, and the struggle for working people to make ends meet."

One mass transit advocacy group, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, said it would prefer that the fare hikes be phased in over several years. Nonetheless, the group's senior planner, Ryan Lynch, said Suffolk has done a "pretty decent job" of funding its bus system with little outside support.

At Wednesday's hearing, Lynch said he hopes the $1.5 million that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo added to the state budget as additional aid for Suffolk County Transit would be used to provide added service, especially on Sundays.

"As for the increase, people don't want it; they can't afford it, but they didn't mind it if they got their Sunday service," said Patricia Lenehan, 59, of Port Jefferson, who said she runs the Transportation Advisory Committee, an advocacy group for Suffolk County bus riders.

With Patricia Kitchen