Nassau Unveils New Transit Center, Crowding Feature On Bus App

HEMPSTEAD, NY — On Tuesday, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran unveiled the renovations of Rosa Parks Transit Center in Hempstead, which is the main transit hub for the county's NICE Bus system. In addition, the county also unveiled a new feature on the NICE Bus's app that shows how crowded buses are.

The renovations improved the security, look and function of the hub, which is the busiest transit hub on Long Island. $4.5 million of the $6.2 million renovation came from a state grant, with the rest of the money being supplied by the state.

Curran also showed off the new real-time crowding feature of the NICE Bus's GoMobile app. It shows the capacity available on each bus and their arrival times. Nassau County is one of just 38 agencies word-wide that has real-time bus capacity information for riders.

“When I took office, there were leaks in the building’s roof, outdated facilities and security issues. This much needed overhaul of Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center secures a vibrant, reliable and efficient transit system that our communities need and deserve," Curran said. “Public transit plays a major role in the revival of our region’s economy. Now more than ever, we need to restore confidence in riders and get people more comfortable returning to work via mass transit — and now, we have an app for that. NICE has been at the forefront of innovative transit technology and I am proud to introduce this new app feature that will seamlessly provide the kind of real-time capacity data our riders need to feel safe.”

The renovations on the complex were carried out in phases, and included refurbishing the bathrooms and the drivers' break room, interior and exterior reconstruction and new measures to stop birds from nesting.

Phase three is still underway, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. It includes replacing the floor and walls inside the center, new doors, new exterior concrete and new curbing.

The upgraded GoMobile app allows riders to see where their bus is currently running on the route, and receive information on how full it is. Those waiting for a bus can get data showing whether that particular bus is "not crowded" (25 percent of seats taken), "crowded" (75 percent of seats taken), or "some crowding" (about half of seats taken), as the bus approaches their location. This lets riders know if the bus that's coming has room, or if they should wait for the next bus. The app is available for free.

The county is also purchasing 115 new vehicles next year to support service reliability, enhance the fleet and retire current vehicles that are past their 12-year lifespan.