Nassau County Deputy Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello joined with Vision Long Island and leaders from government, business, labor, and transit advocates in a bipartisan call for New York State to increase funding for bus transportation on Long Island.
Recognizing the importance of a strong bus system for Long Island's economy, the regional leaders called for increase state and federal funding. Among the suggested actions were allocating a portion of the MTA payroll tax to bus transportation and dedicating a proposed ride-sharing surcharge to bus service as opposed to having the funds go to the MTA.
“Many individuals on Long Island either cannot afford or are unable to use other forms of transportation. Many rely on bus service to get to jobs, medical appointments, college, grocery shopping, and other vital aspects of their daily lives,” said Deputy Presiding Officer Nicolello. “New York is spending billions for projects, that may be of benefit years down the road. Using a fraction of these funds for our bus systems would have a tremendous impact right now”
Without state funding, Nassau's bus service will be facing route cuts or service interruption.