RSS 2.0 FeedMarch 10, 2011, Merrick Life
Bye-bye to Merrick and Bellmore’s bus routes?
Money at the root of elimination issues.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to cut 25 of its 48 Long Island Bus routes in Nassau County, including the N19, N45, N47, N51, N54 and the N55 lines in Merrick.
The N19 provides bus service along Merrick Road from Freeport through Merrick to Babylon. The N45 provides service between Bellmore and Roosevelt Field along Camp Avenue in Merrick.
The N51 provides transportation between Merrick and Roosevelt Field, along Merrick Avenue. The N54 and N55 provide local service between Hempstead and the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, running along Jerusalem Avenue through Merrick and Bellmore. There are no alternatives for individuals using these buses.
These cuts will affect 5,590 riders at a savings of $2,290,000, according to the MTA.
The MTA announced the cuts as part of its Financial Plan for 2011-2014. All the cuts would affect 16,000 out of 100,000 daily bus riders, including 18% of Able-Ride users, the MTA proposal stated. The proposal also eliminates 200 Long Island Bus employees.
Money at root of eliminations
In its proposal, the MTA stated that it can no longer afford to subsidize the Long Island Bus. The MTA and Nassau County have an agreement to provide bus services to residents. Since 2000, the MTA had agreed to help subsidize Long Island Bus in order to bridge budget gaps, but the county has not increased its contribution, the MTA said.
The county pays $9.1 million a year for bus service. It is the only suburban county that has subsidized bus service. Both Suffolk and Westchester Counties have private bus service that costs the counties $20-$30 million, respectively.
“This year Nassau County’s funding will fall $24 million short of what is needed to operate the current local bus and Able-Ride networks,” stated the MTA proposal.
“While in the past MTA filled funding gaps caused by Nassau County’s underfunding – contributing over $140 million since 2000 – today, given the MTA’s fragile fiscal condition, we can no longer afford to do so,” that statement continues.
“This is devastating,” said Ryan Lynch, Long Island coordinator of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a watchdog group that studies public transportation. “Long Island Bus helps to support businesses and gets people to and from work. It also helps to eliminate some congestion on our roads. What alternatives will people have?”
County Legislator David Denenberg, Democrat of Merrick, said, “The MTA and the county executive are playing chicken over the bus lines and who will suffer – the young and the working poor as well as seniors and those who are physically disabled.”
The MTA acknowledges the difficulty, stating it “...recognizes that these service reductions would be extremely difficult for thousands of people who work and live in Nassau County and depend on the local bus and Able-Ride networks – many of whom have no alternatives,” the proposal stated.
“The MTA is acting rashly in eliminating these routes overnight,” said Mr. Lynch, but added that “Nassau County is also at fault. The county has refused [to date] to increase its contribution to Long Island Bus even though it is the only suburban county to receive MTA funding for its bus system.”
However, it is the state that provides the largest portion of funding – $52.4 million for Long Island Bus, said state Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr., Republican of Merrick, who is chairman of the state Senate’s Transportation Committee. “I’m disappointed and hopeful that Nassau County and the MTA will resolve their differences,” he said.
“The MTA has had no problem cutting its expenses at the expense of Nassau County residents,” said Brian Nevin, communications director for County Executive Edward Mangano.
“The MTA forgets that Nassau County residents pay $10 million a year in MTA payroll taxes and they don’t credit us a dime. All that money goes to subsidize New York City transit.”
Mr. Nevin added that the county has been in negotiations with the MTA and has offered to increase its share. “We have made a good-faith effort but the MTA has been unresponsive. They want an additional $26 million and we can’t do that in a single year, not with the kind of budget crunch that Nassau County is facing,” he said. “They need to make cuts and that’s the bottom line.”
Legislator Denenberg added that he would “like to see what is included in that $26 million. I believe the MTA is including legal, administrative and accounting costs that were never included before.”
Mr. Denenberg suggested that the county might be able to find additional revenue for Long Island Bus from the “doubling of the red light [traffic camera] program,” he said.
“It’s shameful that the MTA plans to eliminate service for our disabled and most vulnerable residents,” said County Executive Edward Mangano in a prepared statement.
When the county executive learned about the proposal late last year, the county issued an Request For Proposals “for a public/private partnership with a bus operator. Three operators responded,” Mr. Nevin said.
“When we learned the MTA plans on cutting 56% of its routes we went back to these companies and asked them how they could provide better service. They have until March 23 to respond.”
The MTA would be willing to work with the new bus operator for a smooth transition, said Mr. Nevin. The $52.4 million from the state would still be available for bus operation in Nassau County.
But Legislator Denenberg believes that “Nassau County has a good deal with the MTA. Suffolk and Westchester [Counties] have private bus service that is not as good as what we have,” he said. “I’ve seen some of the initial proposals and there will still be fewer lines and reduced service.”
Mr. Lynch agrees. “Privatization is not a viable plan. Our position is that the MTA and the county must work together and put the riders first,” said Mr. Lynch. “You need to find a balanced approach so that everyone benefits.”
Mr. Lynch urges residents to contact Senator Fuschillo as well as Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office to resolve the matter.
A public hearing will be held regarding the proposed elimination of the Long Island Bus routes on Wednesday, March 23, at 3 p.m. at Hofstra University’s Adams Playhouse. Residents are invited to attend.
