Amid Talk of Bus Cuts, N23 Line Already Altered

In Nassau County, cuts, rerouting and even possibly an entire elimination of Long Island Bus threatens to impact commuters. But in Port Washington, peak period service on the N23 bus line, which serves an average of 2,058 weekday riders from Manorhaven to Mineola, was already cut, on June 27.

Since then Harbor Road branch service was discontinued, and all trips began operating via the travel path on Main Street in Port Washington. And while service still connects to the Long Island Rail Road, Port Washington resident Michael Wolff wonders if the reduction foreshadows bigger commuting troubles ahead. 

"I take the N23 line almost every day and even though the Harbor Road cut doesn't affect me, [other cuts] possibly can in the future," Wolff said, referring to talk of future service reductions. "How can I be happy about any of these cuts?"

Service reduction in Port Washington preceded the announcement by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) that it planned to eliminate $26 million in funding for Long Island Bus. By Sept. 7, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's (R-Bethpage) called for MTA Chairman and CEO Jay Walder's resignation. The MTA, however, says it can no longer afford to subsidize the county's financial responsibilities.

Yet in Port, bus riders rely on the N23 to commute to school and work, and to travel about town, alleviating congestion in a community already burdened with too few parking spots where traffic sometimes comes to a crawl. 

"By omitting Harbor Road, the MTA is turning its back on a community that fought for years to get public transportation it can rely on," Councilman Fred L. Pollacks (D - North Hempstead) said.  "It is difficult, if not impossible to believe that any significant savings will result from this decision."  

But MTA Spokesman for Long Island Bus Jerry Mikoronda said the N23 had low ridership, and its rerouting brings savings at a time of budget woes. 

"We were 'surgical' in our approach to removing the most underused elements of the LI Bus network," Mikoronda said. "By pruning 20 percent of our least productive routes, we affected less than 2 percent of our ridership while saving more than $1.6 million." Now, the MTA can focus on improving service on the route's main corridor that connects with the LIRR, he noted.

Annual savings of the N23 rerouting totals $10,000, while passengers per trip were only three, Mikoronda added. He said less than 10 weekday customers on this peak period are required to walk to their destination from the N23, up to three-quarters of a mile and approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Still, further cuts threaten wider impact. At Port Washington Public Library, for instance, there's a bus stop near the main entrance. "We do have a couple of staff members who rely on the bus to get to and from work," said Jackie Kelly, the library's director of community relations. "In their cases, eliminating the bus would make it nearly impossible for them to get to work."

That kind of scenario concerns Sen. Craig Johnson (D - Port Washington).

"The MTA should not be threatening people's livelihoods, which is what they are doing by holding LI Bus funding hostage, and Nassau County should be more willing to come to the table and do its part to save this vital part of our mass transit system," Johnson said.  

"The state has been consistent in its funding for the bus system, and I am committed to make sure it stays that way," he added. "What we need is a long-term plan that will not only save Nassau's bus service, but also leads to a strong, congestion-reducing regional bus system that will provide a real mass transit option for North-South travel." 

MTA spokesperson for Long Island Bus Kevin Ortiz said the situation is more complex than some realize.

"The MTA operates Nassau County's bus system, which the county owns and is responsible for funding operations," Ortiz said.  "This year alone, Nassau County underpaid its obligation by $26 million.  This cost has fallen on the MTA's shoulders.  In fact since 2000, the MTA has absorbed $140 million.  Given our current finances, the MTA can no longer afford to subsidize Nassau County's funding responsibility so our 2011 preliminary Financial Plan assumes Nassau County resumes full funding of its bus operations."

The MTA's proposed budget assumes that Nassau County will fully fund its obligation to support Long Island Bus, Ortiz added. Under a 1973 lease agreement, the MTA operates the system as a contractor working on behalf of the county, which owns the bus system.

Meanwhile Mangano has not changed course since calling for Walder's resignation.

"When it comes to managing the MTA, Jay Walder has been a train wreck," Mangano said Sunday evening. "At a time when Nassau residents are paying more than ever in taxes and fares to the MTA, Walder is threatening to eliminate LI Bus service. Should Chairman Walder eliminate this vital funding, I will explore privatizing the system to ensure Nassau's 100,000 riders are not stranded by the MTA." 

Adina Genn contributed to the reporting.