CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record

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CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by Gold_12TH on Fri Apr 27 16:37:10 2012 edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Nassau 's bus system carried more riders during one day last week than in any other day in five years, the chief of NICE Bus reported during the first meeting of the system's governing committee. NICE Bus chief executive Michael Setzer told the five-member Nassau Transit Advisory Committee that on April 18, about 105,000 trips were taken on NICE Bus, "a modern record." "It means we're meeting the needs of a lot of people," Setzer said at the Mineola meeting. NICE Bus has made other important gains since Veolia Transportation took over the system from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in January, Setzer said. A customer satisfaction survey taken in March showed significant improvements in every category as compared to a survey done in December, Setzer said. Overall satisfaction increased from 33 percent to 47 percent, he said. Still, Setzer acknowledged that the system has hit some "bumps" along the way, including overcrowding and late buses on its busiest route, the N6, which runs from Hempstead to Jamaica via Hempstead Turnpike. Veolia is working to address the issues, such as adding stops on the N6 express route, he said. Setzer also repeated Veolia's assertion that Nassau 's privatization of its bus system has saved the county $26 million annually as compared to the MTA 's costs. But some speakers at the meeting weren't convinced. "It just seems impossible, to be honest," said Nassau Community College student and bus rider Luke Martinez at the hearing. He worried that Veolia would eventually resort to major fare hikes and steep service cuts to drive up profits. Legs. David Denenberg (D- Merrick ) also told committee members that they should demand to see some of the data to back up Veolia's claims of having cut costs without significantly impacting most riders. Committee member Samuel Litman assured Denenberg they would do just that. "We're not going to take Mr. Setzer's word for it," Litman said. --- NEWSDAY
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by The Flxible Neofan* on Sat Apr 28 00:15:50 2012, in response to CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by Gold_12TH on Fri Apr 27 16:37:10 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Wow congratulations to NICE! I think it would be good to do some data checking to make sure the numbers aren't being manipulated in some way to give a false impression. The thing I like about NICE is that they are still in the media touting their system.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by Joe V* on Sat Apr 28 17:47:30 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by The Flxible Neofan on Sat Apr 28 00:15:50 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d If MTA were still in charge, half the system would be gone, and we'd have plenty more to talk about than bad connections on the N27, because there wouldn't be one to talk about.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by murray1575* on Sat Apr 28 21:02:50 2012, in response to CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by Gold_12TH on Fri Apr 27 16:37:10 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d All this is fine but as far as I am concerned Nassau County and NICE have not kept their promises not to raise fares or reduce service for one year. The "service adjustment" this month which combined the N2 and N8 lines effectively cut the bus service in my area in half.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by R40SlantontheB* on Sat Apr 28 22:07:45 2012, in response to CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by Gold_12TH on Fri Apr 27 16:37:10 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I heard quite the contrary, some guys have been telling me ridership is down 20,000 daily, and what I've been seeing reflects that. As a daily bus rider, service is much worse now than it was in 2010 with the MTA. Its not just that there are less buses, but they are often late or don't show at all. Was at Hicksville today and there were alot of people waiting for the 5:01pm n20, and some guy said he'd been waiting an hour, which leads me to believe the previous bus never showed due to a breakdown. Then the 5:01pm never showed up, and I decided to get the train at 5:23pm and change to the other train at Mineola. Ask any of the bus operators that have been here awhile and they will say the same thing, lots of breakdowns, no maintanance, and alot of new hires that have no experience driving a bus. Plus with hardly anyone maintaining the fare boxes, read errors and broken ones are more common than ever. And Veolia cant keep blaming the breakdowns on the MTA, they've been running things for nearly 5 months now!
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by N6 Limited* on Mon Apr 30 09:30:25 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by murray1575 on Sat Apr 28 21:02:50 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Did they ever promise not to reduce service for a year? I keep "hearing" about this promise, but don't recall it ever being mentioned by Veolia/Nice nor Nassau County. I do have a faint memory of it being requested by some "Transit Advocates'though, probably the LIBus Riders Union.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by N6 Limited* on Mon Apr 30 09:38:09 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by R40SlantontheB on Sat Apr 28 22:07:45 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I was on 1801, or one of those buses 1805 or below (forgot) on the N6, and he back door wasn't working. A route known to have SRO loads at all times has a bus without a working back door? I purposely get a spot by the rear door so I can hop off the bus with the least amount of effort, but I had to walk through all those people which just just watch you as you try to walk through. I had to eventually yell out "Excuse me, I'm getting off the bus! The back door isn't working!" The bus driver laughed in disbelief that those people would just stand there, someone already had to walk through to get off a few seconds before me.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by petabread2* on Mon Apr 30 09:50:00 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by N6 Limited on Mon Apr 30 09:38:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d My brother in law was taking the N6 this morning and he had just missed it, he watched it though as it was involved in an accident. then the next N6 came right behind and as it pulled into his stop it broke down. The N1 never showed up. He had a rough morning. I'm sure back to back local N6 buses then both can't make it to Jamaica, he said there were a ton of people waiting at Elmont Road. The garbage that is NICE bus.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by JAzumah* on Mon Apr 30 09:58:54 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by N6 Limited on Mon Apr 30 09:30:25 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d No. They promised not to change fares for a year.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by The Flxible Neofan* on Mon Apr 30 11:11:35 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by Joe V on Sat Apr 28 17:47:30 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Definitely so! I still don't understand why the county felt that it should cut it's contribution to Veolia so much from the $9 million down to $2.5 million. Based on what's going on with NICE today, that extra money could have done so much for the community...
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by N6 Limited* on Mon Apr 30 15:51:36 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by petabread2 on Mon Apr 30 09:50:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d It's moments like that where the Express should stop and pick up people who are going to the subway. The N1 never showed up? Interesting.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by petabread2* on Mon Apr 30 15:52:41 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by N6 Limited on Mon Apr 30 15:51:36 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yeah, maybe eventually but they were out there for 30 mins before he even text me so. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by R40SlantontheB* on Mon Apr 30 23:11:31 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by petabread2 on Mon Apr 30 09:50:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The N1 probably broke down too. And I saw another bus with a broken back door as well, it was a 1500 with a cardboard sign on the back door. I would bet at least 20% of the buses that go out daily breakdown.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by mac5689* on Tue May 1 00:01:30 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by petabread2 on Mon Apr 30 09:50:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d But theres is a diffrence, in my opinion, between a break down that was caused by someone who doesn't know what they are doing and a break down because a part that was fine just happen to break. I mean my sister spent 2,000 + repairing her truck over the last month because her idot ex didn't make the reapirs right in the first place. Not every break down can be blamed on NICE, and for the record if the MTA were still running the system and they had alot of break downs I would be defending them as well.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by Bounad Hanhic* on Tue May 1 07:51:47 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by R40SlantontheB on Mon Apr 30 23:11:31 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d But they still pass NYS inspection whereas the MTA buses don't.
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Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record
Posted by R40SlantontheB* on Tue May 1 18:25:15 2012, in response to Re: CEO: NICE Bus sets ridership record, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue May 1 07:51:47 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Well we'll see about that when they get inspected again. Remember it was the MTA that had to fix the buses to pass inspection before Veolia took over. If Veolia can manage to have the buses pass inspection without having to be "fixed" again, then maybe I'll agree their maintanance is better than MTA.
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