Take time for best LI Bus deal

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and his staff are now going through the due diligence on all the options for Long Island Bus that should have been conducted months ago. The second time around, it should be done thoroughly.

News that Veolia Transportation, the Illinois company that won the county's contract, is being sold by its Paris-based parent corporation does not present an emergency. Sales of divisions are common. The situation, however, adds uncertainty to a process that had plenty already.

And the change presents an opportunity to back up, reassess and make certain that the transportation needs of Nassau's bus-dependent residents will be met in the best possible manner. To some extent, and in a somewhat frenzied fashion, that is now happening.

Mangano, blindsided by the Veolia sale, has been reaching out to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week to determine whether it would be willing to keep running the buses for a while. Its leaders say yes -- pointing out that they've always been willing to continue running the buses, but Mangano has refused to agree to pay the quoted price of $3 million per month for the service or to negotiate an increase over time to that fee level.

Mangano has also re-entered talks with other bidders for privatization, including one that is reportedly willing to fulfill the contract written for Veolia -- and take $1 million less per year. But Veolia is still set to take over Nassau's bus service on Jan. 1, if the county legislature grants approval.

That vote had been planned for Dec. 19, but is now on the agenda for this Monday, only seven days after the transition's lone public hearing and the day before Mangano is scheduled to meet with new MTA head Joseph Lhota. Mangano said yesterday he sought talks with the MTA and MP Transit because he was upset at not having known about the Veolia sale. But he's been reassured that few were aware of the possibility and the county was not purposely kept in the dark. Regardless, having been presented a good rationale to explore possibilities he should have vetted this summer, he'd be smart to grab it.

Throughout this process, fears have been raised that the interests of the county and bus riders have not been well-enough protected: that Veolia can walk away, raise fares or cut routes far too easily.

Opponents argue the turnover should be postponed, with some saying hold off until the contract is better understood and others opposing privatization entirely. With employees and riders still uncertain about what lies ahead and several aspects of the Veolia-Nassau relationship not entirely nailed down in the contract, moving up the vote to Monday is a poor plan, and holding it on Dec. 19 isn't much better.

Mangano needs to negotiate a few more months of service from the MTA, at the best rate he can, and use the time to pick the best possible option for Long Island Bus. Then he needs to create an ironclad contract that protects riders' interests, and let the public respond to it at a public hearing well before the contract is voted on. It's rare to get a free second shot at due diligence when you've botched the first attempt -- and foolish not to exploit it.