After Suffolk bus revamp, mixed reviews as county asks state for more funding
A Suffolk County bus makes a stop in Riverhead on May 1. Suffolk received roughly $40 million in state transit aid in 2022, compared with $103 million for Nassau and $85 million for Westchester. Credit: Randee Daddona
Six months after Suffolk County Transit underwent a drastic redesign that eliminated several routes but expanded service on the remaining lines, riders are delivering mixed reviews and the county’s top official says he needs more state funding to upgrade the bus system.
On Oct. 29, after years of planning, Suffolk pulled the trigger on the plan that eliminated 14 of the county’s 41 bus routes and redesigned other routes, including the elimination of some stops. At the time, county officials said the changes were an improvement for most bus riders, because they increased frequency on the busiest lines, as well as expanded evening and weekend hours.
Although Patchogue resident Deborah Moore said the altered stopping patterns have caused confusion and frustration among some bus riders and bus drivers, she feels “blessed” because of the expanded hours, which have allowed her to participate in evening activities at her local library. Previously, “6:30 was like my curfew,” Moore said.
“When they changed the time to 9:30, it was Christmas for me, because I could go down to the library,” said Moore, a retired nurse who said she's “very independent” but doesn't drive.
Others are less bullish about the changes. West Babylon resident Corey Gilliam lost the N25 bus route he often used. Gilliam said he's gotten by fine using the newly created 4 route, but knows of many other riders who have not fared as well, including seniors and people who worked at South Shore Mall, where some routes were eliminated.
“A lot of people lost their jobs,” Gilliam, 34, said. “The old way was better … They should reverse it back to the way it was.”
In an interview Friday, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine agreed the redesigned bus system that he inherited from the previous county administration, is “struggling,” and blamed inadequate funding. He believes the changes, which were spearheaded by former County Executive Steve Bellone, were an attempt to “do more with less.”
“I've been in government a long time. The only thing you do with less is less,” said Romaine, who believes the county should be getting twice as much state aid as it currently does. “If I got the funding, we would redesign this in a way that would be far more effective.”
In an April 24 letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Romaine made his case for a big boost in state aid, noting that, although they have smaller populations and higher per capita incomes than Suffolk, both Nassau County and Westchester County receive significantly higher government subsidies than his county does.
According to his letter, Suffolk received roughly $40 million in state transit aid in 2022, compared with $103 million for Nassau and $85 million for Westchester. Meanwhile, Romaine said, the $48.6 million that Suffolk puts in toward its bus budget is about twice what Westchester does, and nearly nine times as much as Nassau, which puts in about $5.5 million.
“Despite being the most populous suburban county in the downstate region, with a population of approximately 1.48 million, and having the largest geographic area, Suffolk County’s transit system receives the least state funding,” Romaine wrote. “Suffolk County’s current funding constraints limit the ability to effectively serve our residents.”
State transit aid allocations are based on ridership and state officials pointed out that Suffolk County Transit carries far less riders than bus systems in Nassau and Westchester. Nassau's NICE carries about 59,000 riders each weekday, according to federal statistics — about six times as many as Suffolk. Westchester transports about 60,000 daily.
Hochul's office did not respond to requests for comment on Romaine's letter, but in an email to Newsday pointed out Suffolk, like other New York counties, will get a 5.6% bump in transit operating aid in the recently adopted state budget, to $46,076,300.
Romaine called Suffolk's relatively low ridership, compared to other counties in the region, “a self-fulfilling prophecy.” If Suffolk had the means to adequately expand and promote bus service, ridership would grow, Romaine said.
With increased state aid, Romaine said the county would put back some of the eliminated routes and improve connectivity to the LIRR. In his letter to Hochul, Romaine said the county would also add 50 “micro-transit vans” to its fleet, enhance accessibility, build bus shelters, improve security and upgrade to electric buses.
Charlton D'souza, president of Passengers United, a nonprofit rider advocacy group, said there's another reason the state should step up its funding of Suffolk County Transit — the forthcoming congestion pricing plan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Central Business District Tolling Program aims to get commuters out of cars by charging most vehicles an additional $15 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan during peak hours. If state officials, who passed congestion pricing into law, want commuters to choose transit over driving, they need to improve access to public transportation in the suburbs, D'souza said.
“You're going to have a lot of residents who use the LIRR, but they're going to want bus service that connects [to the railroad], more morning service, more evening service,” D'souza said. “So I think the state budget should have included more funding for Suffolk County Transit. I think that that's a necessity.”
D'souza said his organization has heard mixed reviews since the system was overhauled, with some bus riders praising the addition of Saturday and Sunday service on routes that previously only operated on weekdays, and others unhappy their bus route was among those eliminated.
“A lot of riders have reached out to us and they're telling us that they basically lost transportation service in areas where they used to have it, especially the seniors,” D'souza. “It's basically a longer walk to get to their bus stops and that's an issue.”
Six months after Suffolk County Transit underwent a drastic redesign that eliminated several routes but expanded service on the remaining lines, riders are delivering mixed reviews and the county’s top official says he needs more state funding to upgrade the bus system.
On Oct. 29, after years of planning, Suffolk pulled the trigger on the plan that eliminated 14 of the county’s 41 bus routes and redesigned other routes, including the elimination of some stops. At the time, county officials said the changes were an improvement for most bus riders, because they increased frequency on the busiest lines, as well as expanded evening and weekend hours.
Although Patchogue resident Deborah Moore said the altered stopping patterns have caused confusion and frustration among some bus riders and bus drivers, she feels “blessed” because of the expanded hours, which have allowed her to participate in evening activities at her local library. Previously, “6:30 was like my curfew,” Moore said.
“When they changed the time to 9:30, it was Christmas for me, because I could go down to the library,” said Moore, a retired nurse who said she's “very independent” but doesn't drive.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Suffolk County Transit, which underwent a major redesign six months ago, is getting mixed reviews from bus riders, with some praising the changes and other lamenting the loss of more than a dozen routes.
- Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine in a recent letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul requesting increased transit aid, said the county's funding constraints are limiting its ability to “effectively service residents.”
- Romaine noted that despite having a greater population and covering a larger geographical area, Suffolk County receives far less state funding for its bus system than Nassau or Westchester counties. However, transit systems in those counties carry about six times as many riders as Suffolk's does, according to federal data.
Others are less bullish about the changes. West Babylon resident Corey Gilliam lost the N25 bus route he often used. Gilliam said he's gotten by fine using the newly created 4 route, but knows of many other riders who have not fared as well, including seniors and people who worked at South Shore Mall, where some routes were eliminated.
“A lot of people lost their jobs,” Gilliam, 34, said. “The old way was better … They should reverse it back to the way it was.”
In an interview Friday, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine agreed the redesigned bus system that he inherited from the previous county administration, is “struggling,” and blamed inadequate funding. He believes the changes, which were spearheaded by former County Executive Steve Bellone, were an attempt to “do more with less.”
“I've been in government a long time. The only thing you do with less is less,” said Romaine, who believes the county should be getting twice as much state aid as it currently does. “If I got the funding, we would redesign this in a way that would be far more effective.”
Suffolk: NYS funding limits service
In an April 24 letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Romaine made his case for a big boost in state aid, noting that, although they have smaller populations and higher per capita incomes than Suffolk, both Nassau County and Westchester County receive significantly higher government subsidies than his county does.
According to his letter, Suffolk received roughly $40 million in state transit aid in 2022, compared with $103 million for Nassau and $85 million for Westchester. Meanwhile, Romaine said, the $48.6 million that Suffolk puts in toward its bus budget is about twice what Westchester does, and nearly nine times as much as Nassau, which puts in about $5.5 million.
“Despite being the most populous suburban county in the downstate region, with a population of approximately 1.48 million, and having the largest geographic area, Suffolk County’s transit system receives the least state funding,” Romaine wrote. “Suffolk County’s current funding constraints limit the ability to effectively serve our residents.”
State transit aid allocations are based on ridership and state officials pointed out that Suffolk County Transit carries far less riders than bus systems in Nassau and Westchester. Nassau's NICE carries about 59,000 riders each weekday, according to federal statistics — about six times as many as Suffolk. Westchester transports about 60,000 daily.
Hochul's office did not respond to requests for comment on Romaine's letter, but in an email to Newsday pointed out Suffolk, like other New York counties, will get a 5.6% bump in transit operating aid in the recently adopted state budget, to $46,076,300.
Romaine called Suffolk's relatively low ridership, compared to other counties in the region, “a self-fulfilling prophecy.” If Suffolk had the means to adequately expand and promote bus service, ridership would grow, Romaine said.
With increased state aid, Romaine said the county would put back some of the eliminated routes and improve connectivity to the LIRR. In his letter to Hochul, Romaine said the county would also add 50 “micro-transit vans” to its fleet, enhance accessibility, build bus shelters, improve security and upgrade to electric buses.
Charlton D'souza, president of Passengers United, a nonprofit rider advocacy group, said there's another reason the state should step up its funding of Suffolk County Transit — the forthcoming congestion pricing plan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Central Business District Tolling Program aims to get commuters out of cars by charging most vehicles an additional $15 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan during peak hours. If state officials, who passed congestion pricing into law, want commuters to choose transit over driving, they need to improve access to public transportation in the suburbs, D'souza said.
“You're going to have a lot of residents who use the LIRR, but they're going to want bus service that connects [to the railroad], more morning service, more evening service,” D'souza said. “So I think the state budget should have included more funding for Suffolk County Transit. I think that that's a necessity.”
D'souza said his organization has heard mixed reviews since the system was overhauled, with some bus riders praising the addition of Saturday and Sunday service on routes that previously only operated on weekdays, and others unhappy their bus route was among those eliminated.
“A lot of riders have reached out to us and they're telling us that they basically lost transportation service in areas where they used to have it, especially the seniors,” D'souza. “It's basically a longer walk to get to their bus stops and that's an issue.”
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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