Veolia bus cuts in Nassau aren't severe
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, left, joined by Michael Setzer, CEO of Veolia Transportation, unveil the first bus with new Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) design. (Jan. 1, 2012) Credit: Barry Sloan
When it comes to cutting Nassau County's bus service, it's important to keep things in perspective.
Almost a year ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced extensive cuts to Long Island Bus. Some 25 routes, or 52 percent of its service, would have stopped. About 16,000 people would have been left with no transportation and 18 percent of Nassau's disabled riders were threatened with a loss of service.
In contrast, cuts now planned by the new private bus operator, Veolia Transportation, are pretty tame.
The changes mostly involve running buses less often on some routes. A Hempstead-to-Jamaica circuit will be served every 12 minutes rather than every 10, but express buses will be added, cutting 20 minutes off some commutes. A route between Wantagh and Hicksville will be served every 40 minutes instead of every 30 during peak hours; it will run only hourly off-peak. Four midday routes will be eliminated and two lines will stop running on Saturdays. Alternative routes for both lines are nearby.
This service costs Nassau County $6 million less per year than it paid the MTA in 2011, and $30 million per year less than the MTA wanted to keep operating the buses.
Veolia has been in charge for eight weeks, and the reviews, for now, are mostly positive. Some riders say the buses are cleaner, the service better and staff more helpful. An advisory panel reviewing the cuts might find some adjustments need to be made. But Veolia said up front it would rework routes and service. An efficient transportation system can't keep operating the same way in an ever-changing world.
