Nassau Inter-County Express

Nassau Inter-County Express

Parent	Nassau County, New York (fleet ownership)
Founded	1973 (MSBA) 2012 (NICE)
Defunct	2011 (MSBA)
Headquarters	700 Commercial Avenue Garden City, NY 11530-6410
Locale	Nassau County, New York
Service area	Most of Nassau County, except for northeastern part
Service type	Local bus
Routes	48
Hubs	5 major bus hubs, 48 LIRR stations, and 5 New York City Subway stations
Fleet	325 fixed-route, 94 Able Ride (2009 figures)
Daily ridership	104,036 (weekday, 2009)
Fuel type	CNG (fixed-route) Diesel (Able-Ride)
Operator	Veolia Transportation
Chief executive	Michael Setzer
Web site	NICE

Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) is the the local bus system serving Nassau County, New York. It also serves parts of western Suffolk County, New York as well as eastern portions of the New York City borough of Queens. It was formerly operated under the name of MTA Long Island Bus, the trading name of the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority, a division of MTA Regional Bus Operations. In 2011, the owner, Nassau County, decided to switch the system over to a private operator, Veolia Transportation, due to a funding dispute with the MTA.

History

Before 1973

The MTA began operating Nassau County bus service in 1973 under the name Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority, through the merging of 11 private operators:

• Bee-Line, Inc. (N1, N2, N4, N6, and the now-discontinued N3) and subsidiaries:
  • Rockville Centre Bus (N14, N15, N16, and the now-discontinued N17)
  • Utility Lines (N19; extended to Patchogue along current S40 [Suffolk Transit] route)
  • Stage Coach Lines (N71, N73, N74, and earlier N70): NOTE: The N70 under Stage Coach was a loop route from Hempstead to Levittown, Bellmore, Wantagh, and back to Hempstead.
  • Mid-Island Transit (N78, N79, N80, N81): This operator was acquired by Stage Coach, which would be acquired by Bee-Line. Also operated by this operator was a route from today's Broadway Mall to Oyster Bay.
• Schenck Transportation (N20, N21, N22, N23, N24, N25, N26, N27) and previously acquired:
  • Nassau Bus Line (N31, N32, N33)
  • Universal Auto Bus (N57 and N58)
• Jerusalem Avenue Bus Line (N51, N54, N55) and a now-discontinued Massapequa Park circulator (old N53)
• Hempstead Bus Corporation (N35, N36, N37 [merged into N35], N40, N41, N45, N47, N48, N49)
• Roosevelt Bus Line (N62)
• Branch Bus Corporation (N69; transferred to Long Beach in 1984)
• Hendrickson Bus Corporation (N67, discontinued January 1975)

1973–2010

In the 1980s, the N28 (now discontinued), N46, N50, and N70 (as an N72 branch) were instituted as new routes, with the N20 extended to Hicksville. The 1990s saw the creation of a shuttle around Roosevelt Field (N93, now discontinued), two shuttles designed to take customers from train stations to work sites (the N94 and N95, both discontinued), and a service connecting Nassau County to JFK Airport (the N91, now discontinued), with the 2000s seeing a Merrick shuttle (now discontinued) and the N8 and N43 routes being created.

In 2007, Long Island Bus averaged over 109,000 weekday riders, many of which include customers connecting to other MTA services in the region.

2010–present

Further information: Ed Mangano#Long Island Bus controversy

In 2010, the future of MTA Long Island Bus became uncertain, as the MTA threatened drastic cuts due to Nassau County's disproportionately small contributions to the operation. By March 2011, the MTA proposed a set of major service reductions which will eliminate over half of the routes, with the greatest impact on southeastern Nassau County, eliminating all routes operating south of Hempstead Turnpike and east of the Meadowbrook State Parkway (except for the N71), citing Nassau's refusal to pay its contracted amount. After reviewing the service cut plans, County Executive Ed Mangano considered severing ties with the MTA and privatizing the Long Island Bus system.. A temporary reprieve, via additional state funding, would sustain service through the end of 2011. However, on April 27, 2011, the MTA voted to cease all bus service in Nassau County after the end of 2011, at which point the system will be operated by Veolia Transportation in a public-private partnership pending legislative approval. On 10 November, 2011, Veolia and Mangano announced that the service was going to be renamed "NICE", an acronym for "Nassau Inter-County Express", when Veolia takes over the system. All buses, including Able-Ride vehicles, will be painted into a new paint scheme to reflect the change. On December 12, 2011, the legislature unanimously approved the Veolia contract, which was subsequently approved by the state-controlled Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) on December 22, 2011. Veolia began operations January 1, 2012.

Fare

The current fare is $2.25 ($1.10 for seniors and disabled customers). Students with ID receive a discount of $0.25 from the base fare. Dollar bills are not accepted on any NICE fixed-route buses. Transfers are available upon request with coins, and are included automatically with MetroCard. The transfers are valid for two hours and can be used on two connecting NICE routes. They are also valid on Suffolk County Transit, Long Beach Bus, or Huntington Area Rapid Transit (HART) with the following restrictions:

• Transfers to non-MetroCard buses are with coins only.
• Transfers to the New York City Subway, or New York City Bus or MTA Bus express service, are available with MetroCard only (express buses require additional fare).
• Transfers from Suffolk Transit/HART or Long Beach Bus require payment of a "step-up" fare, which is the difference between the base fares of the systems.

The Able-Ride paratransit fare is $3.75, payable in Able-Ride tickets or exact fare.

Bus depots

Nassau Inter-County Express operates from three garages in Nassau County, as listed below. Also below are the former depot logos that were used by the MTA.

Rockville Centre Depot

The Rockville Centre Bus Depot is located on 50 Banks Avenue in Rockville Centre. This garage, originally the home of Bee Line, Inc., houses the following routes: N1, N2, N4, N8, N14, N15, N19, N25, N31, N32, N33, N35 (some service), N36, N40 (some service), N41 (some service), N62, and N88 Jones Beach(summer service only).

Mitchel Field Depot

The Mitchel Field Depot (marked Senator Norman J. Levy Transit Facility on older buses and on the building itself, pictured in the background at the top of this page) is located on 700 Commercial Avenue in Uniondale, and is the headquarters and central garage for Nassau Inter-County Express. The garage is named after the Mitchel Air Force Base that operated there from 1918 until 1961. All routes not operated from the Rockville Centre garage are dispatched from this garage.

Stewart Avenue Depot (Able-Ride)

The Stewart Avenue Depot is located on 947 Stewart Avenue in East Garden City. All Able-Ride Nassau County shared-ride ADA paratransit service is dispatched from this garage.

Bus stop signage

NICE stops are signed as follows.

Sign color	Type of service
Blue	Pick-up points in Queens (pickup and drop-off within Far Rockaway).
Purple	N6 Limited pickup points in Queens.
Black	Late night NICE pickup points in Queens.
Orange	N6 Limited stops within Nassau County.
White	All other NICE stops in Nassau County.

Fleet

Current

Nassau Inter-County Express runs a 100% Orion CNG bus fleet for fixed route service. All of the buses below are 102 inches (2.59 meters) wide and are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Pictures shown are of the fleet in the Long Island Bus livery; repainting into the NICE livery will occur during 2012.

Photo	Builder and model name	Year	Length	Numbers (Total ordered)	Powertrain (Engine and transmission or propulsion system)	Notes
	Orion Bus Industries Orion V (05.501 CNG)	2000	40 ft (12.19 m)	1526-1632 (107 buses)	Detroit Diesel series 50G (CNG fuel) Allison B-400R WTEC	91 buses active from this fleet.
	DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses Orion V (05.501 CNG)	2004		1633–1635, 1637-1699 (66 buses)	Detroit Diesel series 50G EGR (CNG fuel) Allison B-400R WTEC	As delivered, all buses had a Detroit Diesel series 50G EGR engines; 1636 was repowered with a Deere engine in 2007. All 67 buses from this fleet are active.
				1636 (1 bus)	Deere 6081 (CNG fuel) Allison B-400R WTEC
	Daimler Commercial Buses Orion VII Next Generation (07.501) (semi-low floor, CNG)	2008	41.2 ft (12.56 m)	1700 (1 bus)	Cummins Westport ISL G (CNG fuel) Allison B-400R WTEC	All of the 1700s are active. 38 of the 40 1800s are active. 1816 is painted in NICE livery
		2009		1701-1799 (99 buses)
		2010- 2011		1800-1839 (40 buses)

Retired

Built before 1966

Year	Builder and model name	Length and Width	Numbers	Previous operator(s)
1960	General Motors New Look TDH-4517	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.4 m)	306, 316, 565	306: Schenck Transportation 316: Utility Lines 565: Bee Line
1960	General Motors New Look TDH-5302	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	457-466	Schenck Transportation (originally 410-419)
1961	General Motors New Look TDH-4517	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	123-126, 207-211, 307, 318, 408-411, 566-570	123-126: Rockville Centre 207-211: Stage Coach 307: Schenck Transportation 318: Utility Lines 408-411: Hempstead Transportation 566-570: Bee Line
1961	General Motors New Look TDH-5301	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	571-580	NYC Transit (formerly 1093, 1059, 1086, 1017, 1057, 1070, 1081, 1055, 1023, and 1108)
1961	General Motors New Look TDH-5302	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	150, 404-407, 467-470, 626-634	150: Rockville Centre 404-407: Hempstead Transportation 467-470: Schenck Transportation (originally 420-423) 626-634: Bee Line
1962	General Motors New Look TDH-4517	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	322-323	Utility Lines
1962	General Motors New Look TDH-5302	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	72-74, 321, 414-415, 456, 471-474, 600-602, 635-644	72-74: Jerusalem Avenue Bus 321: Utility Lines 414-415: Hempstead Transportation 456, 471-474, 600-602: Schenck Transportation (originally 408, 424, and 426-428) NOTE: 474 became 1000 after cut down to 30 feet. 635-644: Bee Line
1963	General Motors New Look TDH-4519	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	325	Utility Lines
1963	General Motors New Look TDH-5302	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	158-159	Schenck Transportation (originally 150 and 152)
1963	General Motors New Look TDH-5304	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	75-78, 416-419, 475-478, 496, 645-649	75-78: Jerusalem Avenue Bus 416-419: Hempstead Transportation 475-478, 496: Schenck Transportation (originally 429-432 and 151) 645-649: Bee Line
1964	Flxible New Look FD6V-401-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	700-701	Bee-Line
1964	General Motors New Look TDH-4519	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	300-305	Schenck Transportation
1964	General Motors New Look TDH-5304	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	420-423, 494-495, 603-605, 620-621, 650-659	420-423: Hempstead Transportation 494-495, 603-605, 620-621: Schenck Transportation (494-495 originally 409 and 606; 620-621 originally 607-608) 650-659: Bee Line
1965	General Motors New Look TDH-4519	35 ft (10.67 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	127-128, 327	127-128: Rockville Centre 327: Utility Lines
1965	General Motors New Look TDH-5303	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	500-506	MaBSTOA (originally 6483, 6485-6486, 6493, 6582, and 6688-6689)
1965	General Motors New Look TDH-5304	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	660-668	Bee Line

Built between 1966-1979

Year	Builder and model name	Length and Width	Numbers	Previous operator(s) (if not MSBA/Long Island Bus)
1966	General Motors New Look TDH-5304	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	151-154, 157, 160-162, 424-427, 670-674	151-154, 157: Rockville Centre 160-162: Schenck Transportation (originally 153-155) 424-427: Hempstead Transportation 670-674: Bee Line
1966	General Motors New Look SDM-5302 suburban	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	703	Bee Line
1967	General Motors New Look TDH-5304	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	82-83, 479-488, 675-684	82-83: Jerusalem Avenue Bus 479-488: Schenck Transportation (originally 433-442) 675-684: Bee Line
1967	General Motors New Look SDM-5302 suburban	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	702	Bee Line
1968	General Motors New Look T6H-5306A	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	100-102, 428-431, 622-625, 694-698	100-102, 622-625: Schenck Transportation (622-625 originally 609-612) 428-431: Hempstead Transportation 694-698: Bee Line
1968	General Motors New Look T6H-5306N	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	214, 328-329, 685-693	214: Stage Coach 328-329: Utility Lines 685-693: Bee Line
1969	General Motors New Look T6H-5306N	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	215, 330-331, 489-493	215: Stage Coach 330-331: Utility Lines 489-493: Schenck Transportation (originally 443-447)
1970	Flxible New Look 111CC-D5-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	507-511	MaBSTOA (originally 4600, 4688, 4670, 4606-4607)
1970	Flxible New Look 111CD-D5-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	432-451, 669, 699, 704-705, 712-718	432-451: Hempstead Transportation 669, 699, 704-705: Stage Coach (originally 665-668) 712-718: Schenck Transportation (718 originally 711)
1969	General Motors New Look T6H-5308A	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	155-156, 332-333	155-156: Rockville Centre 332-333: Utility Lines
1973	General Motors New Look T6H-5310A	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	105-112
1973	General Motors New Look S8H-5304A suburban	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	113-120
1973	General Motors New Look S8M-5304A suburban	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	121-122
1973–1977	Flxible New Look 53102-6-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	350-399	NYC Transit (see note 1 below)
1974	General Motors New Look T6H-5308A	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	800-849
1978	Flxible New Look 53096-8-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	850-902
NOTE: The original numbers for this order were (in order): 7325, 7188, 7160, 7036, 7914, 7707, 7314, 7358, 7313, 7173, 7030, 7130, 7789, 7348, 7844, 7026, 7830, 7193, 7861, 7328, 7137, 7187, 7886, 7151, 7194, 7733, 7902, 7903, 7712, 7872, 7883, 7538, 7593, 7882, 7574, 7888, 7524, 7038, 7881, 7916, 7934, 7318, 7168, 7892, 7190, 7104, 7066, 7890, 7569, and 7062.

Built 1980 and later

From 1981 on, all buses for Long Island Bus were equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Year	Builder and model name	Length and Width	Numbers	Original operators (if not MSBA/Long Island Bus)
1981	Grumman Flxible 870-A 53102-8-1	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	750-799, 925-999
1984	Flxible Metro-A 40102-6T	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	PA1000-PA1033
1985–1986	Neoplan USA Lit'l Bus	30 ft (9.14 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	300-305	Avis Rent-a-Car
1988	Gillig Phantom 35TB102	35 ft (10.67 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	500-519
1988	Gillig Phantom 40TB102	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	520-561
1990	Ontario Bus Industries Orion V 05.501	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	579-599
1991	Ontario Bus Industries Orion V 05.501	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	600-655 (see note 1 below)
1992	Bus Industries of America Orion V 05.501 CNG	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	656-666 (retired in 2004)
1995–1996	Orion Bus Industries Orion II 02.501 CNG	25.92 ft (7.90 m) • 96 in (2.44 m)	701, 704-706, 711
1995–1996	Thomas school bus	Unknown	707-710, 713
1996	Orion Bus Industries Orion V 05.501 CNG	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	100-105, 109-113, 115-117, and 121-141 (see note 2 below)
1997-1998	Orion Bus Industries Orion V 05.501 CNG	40 ft (12.19 m) • 102 in (2.59 m)	1405-1525 (see note 3 below)
2002	Coach and Equipment Phoenix (Ford E450 chassis)	25 ft (7.62 m) • 91 in (2.31 m)	1800-1801 (see note 4 below)
2004	Coach and Equipment Condor (International 3200 chassis)	25 ft (7.62 m) • 91 in (2.31 m)	1800-1801 (see note 5 below)
Notes: Four units (601, 607, 617, and 653) were renumbered 1802-1805 in March 2009, but were retired soon after. 21 units were renumbered 1400-1404 and 1806-1821 in March 2009, but were retired following the delivery of newer buses. All units except for 221 were renumbered to 1405-1525 in March 2009 and were retired following the delivery of newer buses. These buses were renumbered 1800-1801 in March 2009, but were retired early in 2010. The replacement buses for these two units also carried the same numbers. Purchased used to replace the Phoenix vans. Removed from fixed-route service following the discontinuation of the N53.

Also, a few models were used as demonstrators for future purchases:

Year	Builder and model name	Length (feet)	Powertrain (Engine and transmission or propulsion system)	Numbers	Total
1982	DAC 117 UD (articulated)	55.77 ft (17.00 m)	N/A	1301	1
2006	ElDorado National Transmark RE PHEV	30 ft (9.14 m)	Unknown powertrain systems	1822	1

Routes

The Hempstead Transit Center sees service from 19 different routes.

Main article: List of bus routes in Nassau County, New York

NICE runs fixed-route service on 48 routes, servicing the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead, and the southern part of Oyster Bay, along with parts of the cities of Long Beach and Glen Cove. Routes are designated "N" for Nassau County, with service provided daily (although not all routes operate 7 days a week), and 24-hour service provided on the N4 Merrick Road and N6 Hempstead Turnpike routes.

NICE routes operating to Jamaica and Flushing, Queens operate closed-door service in Queens (that is, local service is not provided solely for travel within Queens; appropriate NYC Transit or MTA Bus services must be used instead). The exception is the N24, where one side of Jericho Turnpike/Jamaica Avenue is in New York City, but the other side of the street is in the Town of Hempstead. Eastbound drop-off begins at 225 Street, where state maintenance of Jamaica Avenue begins, and westbound pickups occur as far west as 239 Street. In addition, the N33 operates closed-door within the City of Long Beach, where local service is provided by Long Beach Bus.

External links

• Nassau Inter-County Express