“NICE Bus increases major route trips” (Karina Kovac – Sept. 8) is great news for riders.
Even with the new 15-cent Nassau Inter County Express bus fare increase from $2.75 to $2.90, it will still be one of the best public transportation bargains around.Â
Since the last fare increase eight years ago, inflation has increased 28%. Most bus transit agencies raise their fares far more frequently. A majority of NICE bus riders use the MTA Metro Card.Â
As such, it must match the MTA’s 15-cent fare increase. Even with this modest fare increase, NICE services continue to be one of the best deals around. Since the 1950s, the average cost of riding a bus in Nassau County has gone up at a lower rate than either the Consumer Price Index or inflation.
The Metro Card introduced in 1996 affords a free transfer between NICE bus and the NYC Transit bus or subway.
Thousands of NICE riders take advantage of this. Prior to this, riders had to pay two full fares. Purchasing either a weekly or monthly pass further reduces the cost per ride. Many employers offer transit checks, which pay even more of the costs.
Riding the Long Island Rail Road is not the only option for Great Neck residents to access midtown Manhattan. NICE bus route N20G runs frequent rush hour and off-peak service to Flushing Main Street. You can transfer there to the Flushing #7 Express subway. It will arrive at Grand Central Terminal in 25 minutes or Hudson Yards (adjacent to Penn Station) in 30 minutes. (Add five minutes when there is only local service).
Total travel time averages a little over one hour, but the cost is only $2.90, which includes a free transfer between bus and subway. There are hundreds of health care workers, maids, restaurant and store employees, gardeners, other blue collar workers, seniors and students who can’t afford the LIRR and utilize this connection. Now we have the new N20X Flushing to Roslyn Express via Northern Blvd.(no stop in Great Neck Plaza).
Great Neck residents also have other NICE bus options such as the N25 Great Neck to Lynbrook, N26 Great Neck to Jamaica, N58 Great Neck Loop (rush hours only) and N59 Great Neck to Kings Point via Middle Neck Road.
NICE has an excellent track record in scheduling bus replacements on a 500,000-mile or 12-year cycle, whichever comes first. This is based upon Federal Transit Administration eligibility guidelines. Since 1973, buses operated by NICE under contract to Nassau County are now on the fourth replacement cycle.  Most buses operated by NICE are under 12 years old. This was not the case decades earlier when the average age of the fleet was closer to 12 years
In the end, it all comes down to the availability of increased funding for additional transportation service to serve residents.  Operating subsidies are required to increase the level of service and reduce the amount of time one waits for a bus on existing routes. Same for adding more off-peak, evening and weekend service or new routes such as the N20X Flushing to Roslyn bus.
Funding for NICE bus is a four-way dance between what riders pay at the farebox and a combination of capital and operating assistance from Nassau County, New York State and Washington. Everyone needs to have skin in the game. TANSTAFL – There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch or in this case bus ride.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management. Â
