(MINEOLA, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) thanked Nassau County’s federal and state partners for funding the lion’s share of a $7.54 million investment in the first environmentally-friendly electric buses for the Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) fleet.
Funding will be dedicated to purchasing pieces of battery-electric rolling stock (vehicles) and invest in infrastructure and associated capital items. Eighty percent of the cost will be covered through a grant program administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These federal grants require a 10 percent match from both New York State and Nassau County ($754,000 each).
The full Nassau County Legislature is expected to sign off on allocating the funding during its Monday, March 21 meeting.
This marks the latest investment in NICE Bus, which is operated by Transdev Services, Inc. and serves Nassau County and portions of western Suffolk and eastern Queens counties. Previously, on Monday, Feb. 28, the Nassau County Legislature appropriated $4,397,974 in funding received through the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to purchase of rolling stock and associated capital items; capital bus-related systems and equipment; and facility support items for the County’s paratransit and fixed-route transit systems.
“In every corner of Nassau County, commuters depend upon NICE bus service to get to work, buy groceries, access medical care and visit with friends and family,” Legislator Drucker said. “I applaud our federal partners for securing millions that will make our fleet more reliable and more environmentally friendly in its operations. Likewise, I commend Nassau County’s delegation in the State Legislature for delivering millions more to modernize and strengthen mass transit in Nassau County.”