My letter to Newsday citing Suffolk County's pathetic bus system

July 13, 2009

Dear Editor,

As I read your article, LI Bus rolls out fleet of 100 greener vehicles, I seethed in anger being a resident of Suffolk County, NY. While Nassau County will get this new fleet of buses, the bus system in Suffolk County is one of the most pathetic bus systems going. While money was doled out for these buses, very little has been done to solve our transportation problem here in Suffolk County. If you are not a driver for any number of reasons, try getting from point A to point B. You can’t with a bus system where one has to wait and wait for a bus.

Our buses do not even run on Sundays, and don’t people shop and work on that day? If one cannot afford a car due to this abysmal economy, those living in Suffolk are at the mercy of cabs whose rates are through the roof as opposed to the $1.50 fare. I have spoken out of this over a number of years, yet NOTHING has been done. Over the years, I have read of road expansion projects being approved, yet no funds allocated for improving our bus system? If one can call it a bus system. So, I am at the mercy of cabs. Not being able to go where you want is akin to being a prisoner in one’s own home or apartment.

To those politicos who have the power of the purse, here is an experiment to try. Pretend you do not drive or have a car, and figure out how in the world you are going to get to work, shopping, a doctor’s appointment for one day. This has been my life living here in Suffolk County since 1991. While I love where I live, life was easier for me when I lived in Nassau County. At least I could go to any corner, board a bus that could take me where I wanted to go, and even on Sundays. While I have used myself as an example, I am speaking out for the countless citizens who deserve a first-rate bus system like Nassau County’s.

Sincerely,
Mary MacElveen