The recent Nassau County Public Notice for a $20 million grant application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on behalf of Nassau Inter County Express (NICE) bus system was great news. Our local bus system is a four-way partnership between fares paid by riders along with funding provided by Nassau County, New York State Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration in financing public bus transportation operated by NICE.
In 2020, Nassau County has wisely requested $20 million from the FTA. These funds matched by $2 million from Albany and $2 million from Nassau County will pay for 23 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) replacement buses, 14 replacement paratransit vehicles, engineering and design services (for development of future capital projects), five replacement non revenue dispatch, patrol or service vehicles, shop improvements to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, CNG fueling station dispensing system improvements and bus area operations improvements and capital cost of contracting which maintains NICE’s revenue fleet and support facilities in a state of good repair.
We have come a long way since Nassau County took control of all bus routes from a group of private operators in 1973. In 1973, Nassau County purchased equipment, routes and facilities from numerous private bus operators whom were experiencing serious financial difficulties. These included Bee Line, Rockville Center Bus Corporation, Utility Lines, Stage Coach Lines, Schenck Transportation, Inc., Nassau Bus Line, Hempstead Bus Corporation, Jerusalem Avenue Bus Lines, Universal Auto Bus, Roosevelt Bus Lines, Stage Coach Lines, Hendrickson Bus Corporation and others. Nassau County followed up that same year by entering into a lease and operating agreement with the MTA to continue providing local bus service. This resulted in creation of the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MSBA). Years later, MSBA was followed by Long Island Bus and on Jan. 1, 2012, Nassau Inter County Express managed by Transdev.
Many routes operated by MSBA, LI Bus and NICE today can be traced back to the various private bus operators. Over that time period, Nassau County, Albany and Washington have combined invested over $740 million in capital improvements and almost $1 billion in operating subsidy. NICE services continue to be one of the best bargains around. It is a model cost-effective suburban bus operator for others to emulate. Let us give thanks to the hard working men and women of Nassau County Department of Public Works Transportation Division and NICE bus who make all of this possible.
—Larry Penner
Larry Penner is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who previously worked for the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for grants supporting capital projects and programs on behalf of Nassau County’s bus system from 1983-2014.
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