Nassau Notebook: MetroCard Use on NICE Buses, Enhanced STAR Exemption
A weekly look-in at the news of Nassau County.
MetroCard to Be Allowed on NICE Buses
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has announced that the county and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) have reached an agreement to allow usage of the MetroCard for riders who are transferring between Nassau Inter-County Express buses and MTA buses, or between a NICE bus and the subway.
The agreement has designated Veolia Transportation, which is managing the Nassau's bus and paratransit system under a public-private operating partnership, to assume all the county’s rights and responsibilities for use of the swipe MetroCards, the farebox equipment on NICE Buses and transfer policies.
Beginning Jan. 1, NICE Buses will no longer be operated by the MTA as Long Island Bus.
The MetroCard will continue to be available through vending machines, at subway stations and through designated neighborhood merchants. It offers reduced fares, as well as free transfer between subway and bus, or between buses.
Enhanced STAR Exemption for Seniors Turning 65 in 2012
Mangano would also like to remind seniors who turn 65 in 2012 that they can apply for Enhanced STAR benefits before the Jan. 3 deadline for submitting property tax exemptions for the 2012-2013 school and general fund tax year.
To receive the Enhanced STAR property tax exemption for the 2012-2013 tax year, the applicant must be 65-years old as of Dec. 31 of the year in which the exemption will begin with an annual household income in 2010 of $79,050 or less.
To learn more about Nassau County's property tax relief programs or to obtain an exemption application, Mangano urges homeowners to contact the Department of Assessment at (516) 571-1500 or download forms and information from its website.
Gerald Cymbalsky
10:41 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011
STAR exemptions..... WARNING...... Basic and the enhanced versions are a great help
in savings...... But if you live in a Co-op apartment building, make sure you apply because the building will keep the money. When you buy an apartment, there is an automatic transfer from the previous owner for the remainder of the year. Make sure you got that auto transfer money.
Bojames
2:10 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Are people aware that exemptions do nothing to reduce spending/budgets they simply pass part of one person's taxes on to all other tax payers You get my exempted taxes I get yours. Unless you have a Clergy exemption which under NYS RP 460 you get huge exemptions due to distorted application of the law in NC. exemptions as high as $13,000 in UFASD #14, Hewlett -Woodmere. Now when is THAT going to stop? The law requires $1500 exemptions.
icarumba
5:37 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
NICE-
Nassau Inter-County Express- haha
express when compared to a model T ford.
dont be surprised if a year from now this turns out to be a complete fiasco.
Lu Scala
6:47 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Able Bus Serivce .. seems like a good idea.. but it's not.. no shocks on these buses.. shame on who purchased these busses... my 97 year old mother is in a wheelchair & yelled out in pain everytime we hit a bump in the road.. that is no way to treat a sick person.. shame shame shame on the entire system...!!!!!!!!!!!!
paul
9:39 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
I am sure there are shocks on the buses.
Maybe bigger potholes?
icarumba
8:38 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
i doubt that the potholes got bigger. The able-ride (or access-a-ride) buses-which are really oversized vans probably have worn-out shock absorbers.
it costs LI Bus $60 per person per ride. Hopefully Veolia can do it for less,but im skeptical.
B83
9:49 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
The only way to prevent that type of bus from hitting potholes hard is to reduce the speed... then people complain that the buses obstruct traffic or don't get them to where they need to go in a timely fashion. The ride is probably much smoother when they are brand new, but they take a lot of wear and tear and are constantly on the road. It's just the nature of that type of bus
An tUasal Airgead
11:13 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
The inaugural run of Nassau County's new bus service was brought to a screeching halt Sunday when a woman demonstrating how to get on the bus in a wheelchair was injured.
Her wheelchair fell backward as she was going up the bus's ramp.
She hit her head on the pavement and was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/long_island&id=8487100
Mac
7:32 am on Monday, January 2, 2012
Is anyone surprised by this? I would imagine she will now sue the county and the bus company costing us more money.
Vin Zumo
2:12 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
LOL
Now that the company has left the MTA, watch what happens to the quality of the buses and the drivers.
Going private is a good deal for all of us. Saves the county 200 million, they said. Great ! Now the fares will be cut in half and my property taxes lowered.
How much is the fare now? How much can I deduct from my tax bill starting this month?
Vincent
8:50 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Mac, "This bus recently went through a full safety inspection conducted by the New York State Department of Transportation. The wheelchair ramp was part of that inspection. The NYS DOT approved the bus on November 7, 2011." Union workers? Hmmm.
Mac
9:00 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Vincent what does your post have to do with my response? Does a safety inspection conducted by a union or non-union entity prevent a lawsuit? Does an approval by the NYS DOT prevent a lawsuit? All my comment was meant is that whatever can go wrong in Nassau County will go wrong and it will probably cost us all money.
icarumba
3:48 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
vin zumo,
where do you come up with 200 million dollars in savings?
veolia is running the same equipment,same drivers,same unions- they have to match the salaries to the penny.the only change is that the employees are no longer getting a paycheck that says "LI Bus" on it.
how they are going to be able to do this with a fraction of the funding they previously got from the MTA beats me.
they have frozen fares for 2012.
ill bet a year from now, you'll be seeing a much higher fare and far fewer routes.
that woman has one juicy lawsuit against veolia and the county. nice going mangano.
remember what george marlin said," a year from now we will look back on this contract and conclude it was a disaster.
phooey.
An tUasal Airgead
11:09 am on Sunday, February 19, 2012
NICE BUS, $7.3 million in the red, already threatening service cuts.
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Mangano Nov 2011 announcing the contract with Veolia - " ... No longer will the choices be limited to demanding more subsidies from taxpayers or slashing service."
http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/CountyExecutive/NewsRelease/2010/11-10-2011.htm
and
http://levittown-ny.patch.com/articles/nassau-notebook-new-bus-service-launched-lirr-smoking-ban
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NICE BUS, $7.3 million in the red, already threatening service cuts.
Now, just a few months into their tenure, the company has announced proposed service cuts totaling $7.2 million set for April.
Essentially, then, Veolia is doing what the MTA threatened to do. Since Mangano cut county contributions to the bus system from $9 to $2.5 million, NICE BUS is essentially placing that funding cut on the backs of its riders. Perhaps the are operating at greater efficiencies than the MTA. Perhaps the MTA was bluffing about a $26 million cut to force Mangano’s hand. Either way, Long Islanders are no better off now as their county leadership continues to withdraw funding for transit.
http://www.longislandbusridersunion.org/
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NICE Bus Feb 2012 notice to cut routes, 6 weeks after taking over from MTA
http://www.nicebus.com/Passenger_Information/Community_Meetings/index.html