Nassau Notebook: New Bus Service Launched, LIRR Smoking Ban
A weekly look-in at the news of Nassau County.
Mangano Launches "NICE" Bus Service
On Thursday, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced a contract agreement with Veolia Transportation to manage and operate Long Island Bus under a new name – Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) – starting Jan. 1, 2012. The contract maintains current fares and the Able-Ride service area. The contract, which saves taxpayers more than $32 million annually, was submitted this week to the Nassau County Legislature for review and approval. The legislature is expected to hold a public hearing on the contract prior to voting on the agreement.
“Nassau’s public-private partnership with Veolia symbolizes a new, smarter and more efficient way of providing services in Nassau County. No longer will the choices be limited to demanding more subsidies from taxpayers or slashing service. Today marks a new era of reliable service for riders, job opportunities for employees and reduced costs for local taxpayers,” Mangano said.
The contract outlines a fully transparent, business-minded process with public oversight for development of an annual budget based on available funds and service demands. According to Mangano, this approach was specifically designed to avoid the upheaval and unpredictability that occurred just this past spring when the MTA held public hearings to eliminate more than half of the Long Island Bus routes, strand disabled riders, lay off hundreds of workers and increase by $26 million the burden which residents must pay through property taxes. Nassau’s NICE Bus plan:
- Saves taxpayers $32.4 million annually when compared to the MTA’s demand. The annual taxpayer direct subsidy will decrease from $9 million to $2.62 million, saving local taxpayers $6.38 million in addition to not having to pay the MTA $26 million a year.
- Maintains current fares. Fares cannot be raised unless approved by a 100 percent Nassau County Resident Transit Committee rather than the MTA Board with only one Nassau County representative.
- Preserves the Able-Ride service area for 2012 and 2013, rather than implement the MTA’s proposed cuts.
- Restores the MTA’s proposed route cuts.
- Increases transparency and oversight through the establishment of a Transit Committee, comprised of public transit professionals accountable to Nassau County, to provide quarterly and annual reviews of the private management and operation of the transit system.
- Insures customer satisfaction through an annual customer scorecard that measures time performance, service reliability, trips that are missed and bus cleanliness.
- Consolidates duplicative work and inefficiencies.
DA Rice Speaks Out About Crime Lab
In February, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed State Inspector General Ellen Biben to lead an investigation into potential impropriety at the Nassau County crime lab.
This week, District Attorney Kathleen Rice released a statement regarding the inspector general's investigation. Rice said:
“Last December, I first learned of serious problems at the Nassau County Police Department’s crime lab. In February, after a review of the circumstances, I requested the closure of the lab to ensure the integrity of evidence my office relies upon to prosecute accused defendants. I called for an independent investigation into the lab, and Governor Cuomo appointed New York State Inspector General Ellen Biben to lead that probe. Inspector General Biben’s independent, painstaking investigation was both comprehensive and appropriately swift. This report highlights the need for an independent civilian-run crime lab, state accreditation agency reform, and offers a welcome blueprint for returning the necessary credibility to our county’s testing of forensic evidence.
“The inspector general’s report today details troubling failures in the lab and with the regulatory system that allowed these problems to persist for years with no notice to my office or the public. In the wake of the lab’s closure, I requested extensive retesting to ensure the integrity of convictions which relied upon evidence tested in the lab, and that process remains ongoing.
“I thank the inspector general for her comprehensive investigation and insightful recommendations. To ensure my office remains informed about the accreditation process, I have appointed my Chief Assistant District Attorney as liaison to the New York State Forensic Science Commission. I stand ready to work with Mangano and the Office of the Medical Examiner as we move forward toward a new, state of the art, independent, civilian-run crime lab.”
Smoking Ban to Begin on LIRR Platforms
Lighting up a cigarette while waiting for the train to arrive will no longer be allowed on Long Island Rail Road platforms beginning Sunday.
New York State's new smoking ban will go into effect on Nov. 13 for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. The current rules prohibit smoking on any train and in any indoor area within a terminal or station, but the new state law extends the prohibition to the outdoor railroad platforms, ticketing and boarding areas, according to a notice on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website.
An tUasal Airgead
7:28 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
• Veolia can cut six routes in the first 6 months and has the ability to reduce service as it sees fit without approval by the Transit Advisory Committee, as long as changes do not amount to more than a 25% service cut on any route;
• There is no guarantee of free transfers to NYC buses and subways, or MetroCard use. Losing free transfers would be a de facto fare increase for the 30,000 riders that link into the NYC system;
• Fare hikes are not planned for 2012, but Veolia can propose fare increases next year if revenue projections are not coming in as anticipated;
http://blog.tstc.org/2011/11/11/nassau-hands-veolia-a-nice-deal-and-bus-riders-a-raw-deal/
An tUasal Airgead
7:30 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
• If the Advisory Committee does not approve fare hikes, service cuts, or country funding increases requested by Veolia, the company appears to be able to terminate its contract. While an Annual Plan and Budget will be approved, it appears that it can be amended quarterly, putting the County on the hook for increases in “Variable Fees” (scheduled to go up by about $21 million by the ninth year of the contract alone);
• Reasons which Veolia can demand a fee increase quarterly include: an increase in fuel costs, operating costs, or “any other circumstance reasonably requiring that [rates] be adjusted … in order to maintain for Veolia the opportunity to earn a reasonable margin for overhead and profit for Veolia.”
http://blog.tstc.org/2011/11/11/nassau-hands-veolia-a-nice-deal-and-bus-riders-a-raw-deal/
An tUasal Airgead
7:30 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
• All Transit Advisory Committee members must be county residents, but do not need to be bus riders. There is no designated seat to represent riders or workers.
• There are no clear provisions for public access to Transit Advisory Committee meetings, except those required by state law.
http://blog.tstc.org/2011/11/11/nassau-hands-veolia-a-nice-deal-and-bus-riders-a-raw-deal
Kelley Spada, LMHC at First Light Psychological Services
7:29 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Bravo! Good news for a change. We could use more privatization which would alleviate dependence on the taxpayer in other sectors. "No longer will the choices be limited to demanding more subsidies from taxpayers or slashing service."
An tUasal Airgead
7:37 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
For running the system, Nassau will pay Veolia a fixed annual fee and a variable fee calculated by the number of hours buses are running, with the total payment going from as much as $106 million next year to up to $127 million in 2021. The contract has incentives if Veolia meets certain performance markers and penalties if it does not.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/cutbacks-likely-under-new-li-bus-deal-1.3312718?p
An tUasal Airgead
7:38 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
On a quarterly basis, Veolia can propose further service cuts, fare hikes or increases in fees paid by the county if revenues fall short of Veolia's projections or if costs exceed them, the contract says. The Transit Committee would have to approve such measures. If it chooses to do nothing, Veolia could walk away from the contract.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/cutbacks-likely-under-new-li-bus-deal-1.3312718?p
Kelley Spada, LMHC at First Light Psychological Services
7:38 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wow you certainly have done your homework Airgead. I still dont see anything in what you have written to suggest a government agency would be a better choice. Companies have a right to charge more for their services if their operating costs increase. And of course, if the company is not making money, they should be able to terminate their contract. All bargaining chips for negotiation. Its way better when everyone has skin in the game. Taken out of the equation is a government bureaucracy's (sp?) natural tendency to absorb more power and responsibility, and their complete reliance on the taxpayer dole.
James M.
12:22 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
Except knowing our wonderful gov't they will rubber stamp any increases for fear of Veolia cancelling the contract which means Nassau is paying more for less.
Michael L.
7:39 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Privatization of all essential services = abrogation of responsibility of our public servants (who not so ironically use public service work to enrich themselves when no longer "serving" the public)
Gerald Cymbalsky
9:09 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Hi Michael,
I lost my ability to work as an electrician and been awarded Social Security disabilty. Needing affordable public transportation for occaisional transportation, MTA LI Bus gave me that. What is a fair wage for a bus driver, or bus mechanic? Minumum wage? Not everyone can go to college. So trades is an answer to a decent wage. NYC MTA electricians make $30 an hour compared to $45 an hour in the private sector. Overtime at the MTA is a result of mismangement of the workforce, and mandated safety rules. < example is the tired casino bus driver in the Bronx crash. What is the proper balance to have a safe bus driver, keeping a schedule, and putting up with some really strange people who are mixed in with people who need to get to work at supermarkets, small stores. The buses are packed with people right now. As gas goes up, or if you get injured, you might be needing the bus, too. This isn't just about you. Civil service workers should be able to pay their mortgages just like everyone else. The skilled civil public service workers are not burger flippers and enrichment, well that a interesting comment, because who would do the work if the private sector pays better.
Kelley Spada, LMHC at First Light Psychological Services
7:48 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Michael: Are they responsible to see that we have those essential services or to actually provide them? We ask a politician who may have been a teacher or a lawyer in private life to become experts on education, business, law etc. They are better suited to bringing experts together to get things done. They do not do well with a blank checkbook and lack of expertise.
Nassau Taxpayer
8:44 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
The point of the "NICE" new paint job is what? To inflate costs of an already uneconomic program?
John Rennhack
7:29 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
It's to put Mangano's name all over the buses. I bet his name will appear as large or larger than the "NICE"logo.
Jon L.
9:01 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
I wonder how much Veolia will be expected to contribute to the Nassau GOP? The standard 2% tithe as demanded by Margiotta back in the day would be a good starting point.
Gerald Cymbalsky
10:17 am on Saturday, November 12, 2011
As soon as Cuomo was elected, I heard talk about Veolia getting LI BUS. They are all in on it. Let us if they do away with the Payroll tax. And all the other regional MTA taxes on automobile gas, your telephone, etc.
laocoon
2:31 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
If I were in charge of enforcing the Act, the taxpayers wouldn't be paying your way and I'm sure you'd be more motivated to excel on your merits rather than demand from others and beg for handouts based on your disability.
Marc Rosen
2:55 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
And what handouts have I gotten? List them. Are accommodations in the classroom, without which many children would be rendered unable to BE in there and learn, a "handout", despite the obvious fact that they ARE capable of learning the material and performing academically? Are wheelchair-accessible ramps a handout to the physically-disabled, because they should learn to use stairs like the rest of us? Are service animals a "handout", if their owner would be unable to function without said animal's assistance, or would have a severely-limited quality of life? What gives YOU the right to decide?
Gerald Cymbalsky
3:08 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
I pay my way for everything, forced early retirement was not in my plans though. Some people are also pre-cluded from driving because of lawfully prescribed medications. There are 100,000 people using LI Bus. I would like to see a raised fare structure, a low fair for county residents awarded disability and for seniors. A tier for gainfully employed low wage and college students, and a higher tier for people with no Tax returns being submitted within the county of Nassau. Seniors and the disabled get break, and it encourages them to use public transportation. The woman who hit me should be on medication.
laocoon
3:28 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
So you'd like me to subsidize some more than others. The achievers, who work hard, you'd only take a little from me for. The underacheivers who don't like work at all, you'd make me pay more for them. And those who can't work -- I'd have to pay the full ride for them.
What happens after you bankrupt me and those like me who have earned their own way, have saved and work hard? What happens when you drive us all out?
Guess you'll be eating cat food then. And maybe even learning to pay your own way. Wouldn't that be so quaint and old fashioned!
It's your social programs that has our nation in the mess it's in, and I'm glad at least one party has the guts to tell you to pay your own bills.
Marc Rosen
3:32 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
So ensuring equal opportunity and equal access to public facilities and services is a "social program"? It's a "handout" to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and access that you enjoy? Thanks for showing what a bigot you are.
Gerald Cymbalsky
3:38 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
The nations messed up because the banks will not lend out their bailout money. Iaocoon, when you go bankrupt, don't worry my real estate tax will contribute to your food stamps so you get eggs, potatoes, rice, beans, milk and it will be just enough for you to get by. And just hope, the Social Services office is just a bus ride away.
laocoon
3:31 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Marc, you asked, "...What gives YOU the right to decide?"
It's my money, that's what gives me the right. You want something? You pay for it! Don't you have any shame, groveling for handouts? Begging from the successful ones to support you?
It's pathetic and disgusting. Your parents could have done a better job teaching you some pride.
Marc Rosen
3:37 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
I have received less than 75% of the poverty line in your so-called handouts. Then again, every tax credit and tax deduction you get is also a handout. It's money from the government. Your public library, that's a handout, because everyone should buy their books from a private store and spend, spend, spend! Schools are a handout because if you aren't able to pay for your kids' tuition privately, you should send them off to work in a factory that no longer exists! Ensuring equal access in the classroom is a handout because those "cripples and retards" don't belong in society anyway in your OH SO HUMBLE opinion! Now, get a clue, and learn that not everyone has the same ACCESS or OPPORTUNITY that you do, even if they live right down the block. If you're not white, able-bodied, male, and heterosexual, your chances of getting hired for something that will keep you alive (even at minimum wage) are less than 5%.
Gerald Cymbalsky
3:53 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Iaocoon, frankly I am upset I can't work anymore. Some Doctor examined me and stated "unemployable". I even can't go back to college because my SS# is used to track me.
laocoon
4:46 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Marc said:
"...If you're not white, able-bodied, male, and heterosexual, your chances of getting hired for something that will keep you alive (even at minimum wage) are less than 5%...."
No excuse, dude. It's your choice: Cry and beg me to support you at "75% of the poverty level" or go out and become a productive citizen. Big bad White guys keeping you down? I don't buy that. I'm not White and I'm very successful. Never asked anyone for a dime. Nobody kept me down.
Get some pride and some usefulness. Aren't you ashamed to come to me and beg that I support you?
You're a disgrace.
Eddie
4:53 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Laocoon makes a very valid point, one that is shared by the vast majority.
Mr. Rosen, there are a good number of folks with the same physical limitations as you who choose a more productive road, and aren't limited to the "75% of poverty rate" that you demand those "able-bodied Whites" to earn and hand over to you.
Your entitlement attitude is a bigger crutch than your handicap. Open your eyes. Stop begging for some entitlement that is bankrupting this nation and develop a skill or talent and you'll break out of your chains of government slavery.
It's only your attitude that makes you a little slave boy with a demanding, boring and very outdated mantra.
Marc Rosen
5:46 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
What is entitlement? By the definitions I've stated thus far, equal ACCESS and treatment is an "entitlement" in your eyes. Again, I'm not saying equal RESULTS, I'm saying equal ACCESS. That means that where needed, reasonable accommodations are made to ensure that nondisabled persons can fully utilize facilities, including but not limited to stores, BUSES (try getting a wheelchair-bound person on a bus that has no lift), SIDEWALKS (imagine trying to use a wheelchair to cross the street with no graduated curbs), PUBLIC TRANSIT, and more.
I haven't received a single check from the government, save for tax refunds, in over 3 years. You can make as many assumptions as you want, but I only stated the maximum I ever received, and that was a one-shot deal when I would have otherwise died. Furthermore, you have no way of knowing what barriers to employment the disabled face unless you yourself ARE disabled. I'd like to see you try to get a job when you're neurologically incapable of reading someone's facial expressions, catching vocal subtleties, or putting up with fluorescent lighting for 8 hours at a time without wearing sunglasses. Many employers will discriminate without openly stating that they are, by claiming that accommodations which don't actually require them to do anything but say "okay" are "unreasonable".
icarumba
5:49 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Mr Rosen-
"once you posted," if your not white,able-bodied,male and hetero,you chances of getting hired are less than 5%" you lost my sympathy.
that remark is complete bull. i know lots of people who arent in that category and they work-in some kind of capacity.
there are plenty of people -like gerald- who got into a situation thru no fault of their own. he was an electrician-he put something into the system. you "work" for a nonprofit that would be probably be defunct if it wasnt for govt funding.
getting back to the bus takeover-which is the main point of this article- suburbia runs on private cars and (formerly cheap)gas. LI bus riders CHOSE to live in an area where mass transit is substandard, if it all available. if i didnt drive and have access to a car, i would not have moved to nassau county.
be glad that they arent totally shutting things down after 1/1. there will be some NICE busses running after 1/1- they just may not go to your neck of the woods.
whats the old expression," dont bite the hand(s) that feed you.".
Marc Rosen
5:57 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
First, did you choose where you were born and raised? People don't always choose where they live, and if dependent on public transit, odds are good that moving's not a possibility. What money would you use to fund the move if you can barely get a roof over your head? Second, I get no government funding for the nonprofit I run. Ever. The funding doesn't exist for the arts, and most nonprofits are run entirely through fundraisers and public donations. Third, I don't state my occupation on my profile, but I am gainfully employed, have a car, and live the very life I said is most likely inaccessible to disabled persons. You would do well to ask yourself if you'd be willing to say something to my face before you post it on here.
laocoon
6:15 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Like most liberal socialists, when the selfishness of your argument is exposed, you resort to threats.
Okay Tough Guy. We're done here.
But let me add, you're going to have to beat up a lot of people before you find any who agree with your entitlement laced racist rant.
Maybe in your heart, you really know we're right.
No man really wants to be a slave, begging those more successful than they for meager sustenance.
TheGreek
1:51 am on Sunday, November 13, 2011
This whole comment thread disgusts me. All of you (both sides) take your blinders off and just TRY to see things from the other's point of view.
"No man really wants to be a slave, begging those more successful than they for meager sustenance" BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE SUCCESSFULL SHOULD BE WISE ENOUGH TO SEE THAT OTHERS NEED HELP THAT ALLOWS THEM TO KEEP THEIR PRIDE. The real problem is that in America acheiving welth is too easy, and that many who have it do not realize that with it comes social responsibility. The "don't take my money for handouts" attitude is stereotypical of those who have small wealth and a smaller conscience. laocoon you are so transparent it is pathetic.
Nassau Taxpayer
7:39 am on Sunday, November 13, 2011
Well stated; have a social conscience. If you are lucky to have even modest fortune, pay it forward proportionally.
TheGreek
1:53 am on Sunday, November 13, 2011
PS Don"t bother to flame me, I will not return to this thread.
Lloyd
9:05 pm on Sunday, November 13, 2011
Hey The Greek!
So "achieving wealth in America is too easy". Hmmm. Have you accomplished that feat yet?
And where is it written about their "social responsibility"?
The wealthy are only obligated to pay taxes and their employees, and their creditors. Everything else is kinda voluntary.
And what are the "social responsibilities" of the poor and middle class? Do YOU detrrmine that too?
James M.
12:45 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
So let's increase taxes to force social responsibility to the companies and individuals that benefit the most from America's largess. IF you employ 200 people from the community and pay the bottom 95% minimum wage and the Top 5% about 300% of what you pay the bottom 95% perhaps there is a need to take a portion of that salary to reallocate it to the gov't since they are the ones that support the working poor when they jobs do not provide enough money to provide for basic needs.
Gerald Cymbalsky
4:17 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
You are all missing out on the 100,000 less cars on the road. Raise the fares. But to encourage older people and the disabled, give them discounts like they have know.
THE PAYROLL TAX is over!
Samething for the LIRR.
James M.
4:46 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
Rarely does someone on LI have a car and take the bus.
icarumba
9:55 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
Gerald Cymbalsky-
even if the NICE buses provided service equivalent to those in Queens, I doubt that there would be 100,000 fewer cars on the road. Id say 3000-5000 is more likely.
What good is it if the buses dont take you within a block or two of your destination? Look at the distance between sunrise hwy and merrick road; in most parts of nassau its easily a mile,probably more.
What is really needed- but the $$ isnt there- would be a light rail system connecting the north shore to the south shore.
Gerald Cymbalsky
11:33 pm on Monday, November 14, 2011
The buses are mostly occupied. It was from the MTA I got the 100,000 people a day. Some lines run every 15 minutes, and they are packed.
John Rennhack
1:15 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I've always advocated for a North-South light rail the connects to bus routes and LIRR stations. Possibly a light rail the runs up and down 135. Easy connect with buses on Sunrise or Merrick and Seaford LIRR in the south.
An tUasal Airgead
6:51 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Republican Nassau lawmakers Monday scheduled, and then canceled, a long-awaited public hearing on the county's plan to have a private company run its bus system -- further fueling criticisms that the privatization process has been bungled from the start.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/public-hearing-on-nassau-bus-plan-canceled-1.3321581
John Rennhack
8:28 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
They don't want to hear what the public has to say and will delay and delay and finally accept public comments right before Schmitt closes the hearing.
Bob O'Brien
11:07 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
In 1971 the MTA developed a rail plan for Nassau with 3 North South lines connecting with major East West existing routes. I believe Route 101, 106/107 and another N/S existing roadway. I have a copy of that plan and would like to see it get re-examined. Now is exactly the time for government to build infrastructure. We built highways and parks during the last recession, it is time to start building again.
An tUasal Airgead
7:45 am on Saturday, November 26, 2011
Nassau County has moved up the date of a public hearing on its new bus system to Dec. 5.
The hearing will be held at 1 p.m. in the legislative chambers of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Franklin Avenue in Mineola. The county previously had set the public hearing for Dec. 12.
Speakers will have the opportunity to weigh in on Nassau's plan to hire Veolia Transportation, of Lombard, Ill., to operate the county bus system, which will be renamed the Nassau Inter-County Express Bus, or NICE.
The system, now known as Long Island Bus and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, serves 100,000 weekday riders.
Veolia is scheduled to take over the system on Jan. 1 pending approval by the county legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.
The legislature's Rules Committee is expected to consider the contract Monday. The full legislature is slated to vote on the proposed contract Dec. 19.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau-bus-system-hearing-moved-to-dec-5-1.3346989
An tUasal Airgead
10:33 am on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday morning Veolia announced they are getting out of the transportation business, after standing next to Mangano at a Monday night public meeting for Nassau County residents, claiming they are the best solution for the Nassau bus system.
On Wednesday, Mangano is talking to the MTA about extending their service, while other bidders are now lowering their original bid price to get the contract.
Mangano & the Nassau County Legislature are the true Keystone Kops of politics.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/source-nassau-revisits-li-bus-deal-1.3374474