Suffolk bus needs state help

Residents, politicians and transit advocates have been fighting for decades to increase funding for Suffolk County's bus system. In the 1990s, the region's system was called Long Island Bus but Suffolk didn't get an equal slice of the pie partly because its population was lower than Nassau's. Suffolk's population has increased since then, and now surpasses Nassau's, but its transit funding never caught up.

Now, Suffolk's advocates are fighting for their piece again.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine is leading the latest push for a fair share of the fare, writing in a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul last month that state and federal aid make up just 37% of Suffolk County's transit system budget, compared with 77% of Nassau's and 68% of Westchester's. Nassau received $103 million in state funding to Suffolk's $40 million, according to Romaine.

Such disparities don't make sense. Yes, Nassau County's bus system has a larger ridership than Suffolk's. But Suffolk's routes have to cover much more territory to establish a workable network. That's a tall order — and requires state assistance.

Two years ago, former County Executive Steve Bellone's Reimagine Transit initiative proposed eliminating some routes while increasing the frequency of others, a direct response to rider input that sought such a strategy. That change has met with a mixed reaction so far, but Romaine says there's more to do to improve the system. That includes sensible plans such as micro-transit vans and efforts to better connect bus routes to Long Island Rail Road train stations. Many of Romaine's priorities dovetail directly with the priorities of Gov. Kathy Hochul, including efforts to get cars off the streets, electrify buses and expand transit-oriented development and housing construction.

Romaine will need the state's help to get any transit initiatives rolling. But Suffolk must assess its current system to understand riders' needs in a post-pandemic world, and to determine which routes should receive the most attention and what modifications should be made.

State officials point out that as a percentage, the state's funding increase was the same across the three suburban counties. But Suffolk is starting from a disadvantage — and never had the boost it needed to catch up. The state has yet to fix that. The other state concern focuses on Suffolk's lower ridership, compared with Nassau and Westchester. But that may be the quintessential chicken-and-egg scenario. Could ridership rise as service improves or expands? Sure. But service can only improve or expand with additional state funds.

Until now, Suffolk has lost this fight every time. But Hochul and Romaine shouldn't have to battle. They share many goals and have agreed to try to work collaboratively. Together, they can drive this bus in the same direction, so Suffolk and its residents might finally reach the right destination.