Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) buses along certain routes are now equipped with front-end bicycle racks for riders who wish to travel with their bikes in tow.
NICE CEO Jack Khzouz and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced during a news conference on Monday the new initiative that aims to improve riders’ experience and encourage environmentally-friendly transportation. On buses without the new bike racks, bikes are only allowed onto the bus if they fold.
“We are now able to offer bike riders the ability to connect to a NICE bus while storing their bike safely and securely to the front of the vehicle,” Khzouz said.
The new bicycle racks, which hold two bikes and attach to the front of the 60-foot buses, will be implemented on the weekday n6-Xpress Hempstead Turnpike route, which connects the Hempstead Transit Center to the Jamaica bus terminal in Queens, and the weekend n88 buses, which go to Jones Beach from both the Hempstead Transit Center and the Freeport LIRR station.
“It is important that we encourage and assist people who choose to use public transportation,” Curran said. “The addition of bike racks to the busiest NICE bus routes will provide convenience to cycling enthusiasts, weekend beachgoers, and those traveling via NICE who rely on a bicycle to complete their journey.”
Each bike rack holds two adult-sized bicycles with 16-inch wheels or larger. Child bikes and motorized bikes are not allowed. There is no additional charge to use the racks. Riders must load and unload the bikes themselves, as drivers are not allowed to leave the bus to assist. A customer how-to brochure will be provided on the routes, and an instructional video is also available at nicebus.com.
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