Residents to Speak Out Against Proposed Suffolk County Bus Route Cuts

Residents who rely upon bus routes facing the chopping block in Suffolk County are set to make their voices heard Thursday at a public hearing.

"Given the current budgetary conditions, Suffolk County is proposing the elimination of eight under-used Suffolk County Transit bus routes. Three of these routes will impact the East End, which includes the S90, 10A and 10D/E," Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said in a release.

The 10A takes riders from Southampton to Sag Harbor and North Haven and the 10D/E brings riders from Hampton Bays to East Quogue, while the s90 transports passengers from Center Moriches to the Riverhead County Center.

The county has said it aims to cut the bus routes as a $78 million budget gap.

But some residents in Riverside are devastated by the news. Without the 10A, one man, who asked not to be identified, said, he will be unable to get to his job and won't even be able to ride a bicycle when snow and inclement weather make it impossible.

A hearing will be heard Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Riverhead Legislative Auditorium, Evans K Griffing Building, 300 Center Drive in Riverside.

The second hearing will be held on Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hauppauge Legislative Auditorium, W.H. Rogers Legislative Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown.

Fleming and her staff will attend the public hearing in Riverside to voice the concerns of her constituents regarding the proposed cuts, she said.

“These service changes will seriously impact some of the most vulnerable residents in my district. Great care must be taken to ensure that members of our community experience the least possible impacts of any service changes," she said.

Fleming added that she is committed to long-term solutions to address "inefficiencies in our public transportation system.”

Members of the public, she said, are encouraged to attend the hearings or submit written testimony to Suffolk County Transit, 335 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980.

The S90 goes from Center Moriches to the Riverhead County Center, the 10A goes from Southampton to Sag Harbor and North Haven and the 10D/E goes from Hampton Bays to East Quogue.