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Posted by
N6 Limited
on Wed Mar 28 00:52:05 2012, in response to Bus service cuts to affect 1,000 riders...NICE, posted by Gold_12TH on Wed Mar 28 00:04:08 2012.
edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Here you go:'The operator of Nassau's newly privatized bus system says only 3 percent of riders will be significantly impacted by planned service changes next month.
In a letter sent last week to county legislators, NICE Bus chief executive office Michael Setzer said that about 1,000 out of 35,000 unique daily riders will be affected by cuts on four routes that have some of the lowest ridership in the system.
The cuts include the elimination of midday and Saturday service, and longer waits between buses.
Those 1,000 riders may have to walk to different bus stops up to a mile away or travel at different times, according to NICE Bus operator Veolia Transportation.
Veolia officials say that, in comparison, more than 11,000 riders will benefit from what it says will be the biggest improvements to bus service in Nassau. They include riders who will use new express buses to and from Jamaica, and restored service to Mercy Medical Center and to Jones Beach.
Most NICE Bus riders -- nearly 23,000 of them -- will see little or no change to their bus service, other than "schedule frequency adjustments," most of which are 10 minutes or less, Veolia officials said.
"This codifies what we've been saying," Setzer said. "These so-called service cuts are really part of a bigger thing where more people will benefit, or at least be unaffected."
The changes are meant to close a reported $7.3 million budget gap for Veolia, which took over Nassau's bus system from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in January.
Nassau County Legis. Francis Becker Jr. (R-Lynbrook), who last week expressed concern over the service changes in a letter to Veolia, said it was apparent the cuts would not affect most riders. Still, he urged Veolia to hold a hearing before the county's Transit Advisory Committee to more carefully review the changes and gather public input.
"It doesn't seem to be severe, but these things are always in the eye of the beholder," Becker said.
Setzer said Veolia has already done "everything we could think of" to communicate with riders about the service changes, including holding two community meetings last month. It's too late to undo the planned changes, he said, and any delay in implementation would only increase the deficit.
For Jo Brennan, 74, of Hempstead, who rides midday buses to libraries and senior programs, the changes hurt. "I need these buses, and they're the ones that get cut," he said.
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