Interview with John C. Michno, Long Island Bus video project
1) Why does the Long Island Bus have a history of service cut threats?
Michno: Because many of the people who use the buses are of lower income. Tom Suozzi, and the previous administration regard the bus system as a “welfare” service, instead of a public transportation system. However, it is the higher income folks, particularly in the Roslyn area, that make the buses more crowded by hiring immigrants, many of whom are here illegally, for landscaping and construction.
2) How does the funding for the LI Bus work? How much goes toward drivers, new buses, maintenance, etc?
Michno: The buses are owned by Nassau county. The MTA is a “contract” carrier. Nassau is supposed to supply an adequate subsidy each year for the budget, but they have not, and the state and the federal government has had to chip in. The employees (drivers,mechanics,etc) are employees of the MTA.
3) Riders complain the buses are overcrowded. On the local level, what can Nassau County officials do to fix overcrowding?
Michno: Nassau county needs to increase it’s subsidy for LI Bus, so service can be improved. In addition to more frequent service, new routes need to be made to go to areas not currently served by LI Bus. A bus system no longer “bursting at the seams” will have room for people that usually do not take the bus, such as commuters.
4) Do the buses benefit the environment in any way?
Michno: All the buses use Compressed Natural Gas. It is still a fossil fuel, but burns much cleaner than diesel. A bus can take over 40 cars off the road. That means less air pollution from vehicular sources, as well as less greenhouse gases.
5) On Long Island, many depend on their cars. In your personal experience, how can the LI Bus help the community?
Michno: LI Bus can take cars off the road, by several ways. Bus routes need to run more often and connect with the LIRR, so commuters can use the bus instead of clogging the roads by driving their cars to the train station. Improved headways and longer running hours can encourage people to use the bus for travel to work or shopping within Long Island.
6) Lastly, what was your worst LI Bus experience from your hometown? How can the LI Bus (as a whole) improve?
Michno: Well my worst experiences are on the N27 bus route, which runs between Hempstead and Glen Cove. I’ve had times where 3 buses in a row didn’t show. In summer, the buses are crush loaded with day laborers. Headways are once an hour most of the time, and half hourly in rush hours. It is clearly not often enough. When coming back from the Roslyn area, I often have to wait till 7pm or later before I can get on a bus that is not jam packed. LI Bus needs to improve headways on routes that are crowded. The N27 needs to run every 30 minutes off peak, but in rush hours, service needs to run every 15 minutes. Saturday service is abysmal with headways of 70 minutes. Needless to say, heading south in the afternoon, the buses are full by the time they get to Roslyn. Saturdays need 30 min headways. The system as a whole needs to have headways more similar to those routes in Queens. This can be done by increasing the county suibsidy, or, having LI Bus merge into the MTA Bus system that operates in Queens.
