Lawmakers call for MTA to take over Suffolk's bus system

Suffolk lawmakers vehemently opposed to the new payroll tax that is part of Albany's MTA bailout called upon the transit agency Tuesday to take over the county's bus system.

[NO-Bama]

Brian Foley voted for this bailout and SOLD OUT LONG ISLANDERS!!!!!!!!!!

[Ridiculous]

Ok, so let's let the MTA take over Suffolk County buses so they can screw that up and mismanage it too? are these guys kidding?

[Another Pay More For Less]

I'm a Nassau resident. But I do beleive the MTA should take-over Suffolk County bus system. I have taken its buses, and the suffolk buses run very limited services. And with no Sunday/Holiday service at all. Buses stop running early, and no Sunday buses. Suffolk County should not have to pay for services they don't get. Even though the biggest fare hike in history has been avoided, we all (including Nassau County residents), are going to pay with higher taxes, surchargers on cars (gas, registration, insurance, etc.), so on. How about the payroll tax? Who is going to pay for this?

[Fact or Fiction]

The $500 Million is to bail out the MTA not to provide bus service for Long Islanders. Its to provide money for the MTA projects (in NYC of course) the purchase of new subway cars, and of course to pay the mortgages of many of the MTA officials. Once again those of us who require NO services from the MTA nor do we cost NYC any money now have to pay. Well not this guy, I have just purchansed property out of state and Im in the process of getting a new license and registering my cars there. Hey Patterson and crew, you will get nothing from me and I hope all you s/c/u/m/b/a/g/s who voted for this garbage all choke on your dinner tonight and every night while you are alone.

[Another Pay More For Less]

Being a Nassau resident, I do have to rely on pulbic transportation to get to work. However, transportation outside of New York area are much, much better run then here. I don't really know if it's good, or bad idea for the MTA to take-over the Suffolk Transit. But their bus services really suck. The railroad hardly runs east of Patchouge, and forget the weekends services. Forget the MTA bailout, we need new managers to run it. But with all these new taxes and surcharges, a lot more poeple will be leaving Long Island soon.

[really]

Most people in Suffolk County do not use any bus at all. Why are we paying so much for this "service"? Who's serving whom?

[ttt]

Can we get bus service down wellwood/ pinelawn ave please?

I would take the bus to work if they offered this service. I cant get from the babylon town hall area to huntington village area by public transportation. all the buses stop at newsday wich does not help me.

Nobody uses the buses because they have horrible routes.

[Pfluger the Union Monkey]

LMAO!!!!

This is great. The county wants the broke MTA to take over the big money losing Suffolk Bus system?? HAHAHA.

Usually, financially stronger outfits take over weaker, failing ones. I guess the Suffolk County Legislature doesn't know, or doesn't care that the MTA has its own little budget problem at the moment.

Of course, the REAL reason is so that Suffolk can then spend the tax support that goes to the busses to fund its other union contracts. They want to TRANSFER their problem to another government. LOL.

The Suffolk Legislature is less professional than the Iraqi Parliment.

[Pfluger the Union Monkey]

I say dismantle suffolk. The sheriffs can patrol the roads, the MTA can run the busses, and the local towns can do what the county does. Disband the Legislature. Get rid of the County. Let the towns do what the county does.

[PCJ_Pete]

While it is a bad idea to have the inept MTA control Suffolk buses, they have a good point. As long as Suffolk County is supporting the MTA but receiving no benefit, why not let the MTA use the money they're getting from the county to run the buses instead of the county paying for it in addition to funding the MTA.

[true]

did anyone see the higher up's offer a paycut or any of there members oh no
just raise the fees and make a payroll tax that will never go away.
thanks patterson

[Loud pipes save lives]

Governor Patterson sold us out.

[john schettino]

Brian Foley is just another example of how the NY City Working Families Party (Socialist Farrakan Party) rules the Democrat Party on Long Island...Brian Foley is nothing more than a puppet of the NY City Working Families Party...

Throw this spoiled second generation political hack out of office in 2010...

Wake up Long Islanders...

[Fluk D Mta]

really wrote:

Most people in Suffolk County do not use any bus at all. Why are we paying so much for this "service"? Who's serving whom?

We (Tax payers) are serving NYC - I hate it dry up the azzz!

[John]

Suffolk should get more funding from the state for their transportation. Suffolk does get the raw end of this deal. The lack of Sunday service in Suffolk in this day and age is a travesty.
I really do not think an MTA takeover of Suffolk Transit is a good idea, but perhaps Suffolk needs to follow what Westchester has done. The county still owns the bus system but accepts Metrocards and connects to the Metro-North. Suffolk Transit buses often pull out before trains arrive, or arrive after the trains leave. Some small adjustments in schedules could make the service more appealing to commuters. Consider Ronkonkoma LIRR, it only has 4 bus lines serving it, and only 2 run hourly (the others are every 2 hours or so). There's no direct bus service from many parts of Brookhaven to Ronkonkoma. Someone from say, Centereach, would have to take 2 buses just to get to the LIRR at Ronkonkoma. With poor connections they'd rather drive, costing them more money for parking and clogging the roads.
Suffolk Transit needs to have more buses serving hubs like Ronkonkoma. Suffolk Transit still thinks run down community centers, such as Coram Plaza, Brentwood,etc are hubs. No one wants to travel to a ghetto. Make the buses appealing to commuters by connecting with hubs like Ronkonkoma. This is what Westchester's Bee Line bus has done and it has been a huge success.

[LI Alumni]

Pfluger the Union Monkey wrote:

I say dismantle suffolk. The sheriffs can patrol the roads, the MTA can run the busses, and the local towns can do what the county does. Disband the Legislature. Get rid of the County. Let the towns do what the county does.

The Sheriff's Deputies are Suffolk County employees too. Get your facts straight. If you disband the county, the deputies will be let go just like all the other employees you want to get rid of.

[mebe]

This is a double edged sword.
On one hand if the MTA takes over, it means the much needed Sunday service and possibility of additional runs to cover more areas of Suffolk County.
On the other hand we are talking about the MTA who couldn't manage a little league baseball game if they tried.
Top that off with higher bus fares.
I am not 100% sure that this is right for Suffolk County

[Dana]

I use the public transportation to get to and from work.
I find it completely ridiculous how limited Suffolk county bus systems are. I have to get up at the crack of dawn (6am) just to get to my scheduled shift (10am) on time!?!?!? Since I just relocated here I'm not sure what can be done, I just know it needs to be fixed and pronto!!!
What needs to be done, is more buses, at different routes paced closer together. 1) It will look more appealing to the masses as they have an alternate route to take instead of wasting money, gas, and time sitting in the atrocious traffic. 2) You'll see that bus pass sales with go through the roof as people take to public transportation. The reason why no one is using it now, is because it's a JOKE!!! Fix the problem, and I gaurantee you, you'll see a promising outcome!!!

[Long Islander]

If you want to use public transportation, then move back to the city.....

[get out now]

Long Islander wrote:

If you want to use public transportation, then move back to the city.....

Perfect...then can LI not pay for the MTA??? How about I don't have to pay the nonsensical MTA tax on my cell phone bill?

As soon as the MTA stops sticking taxes and surcharges on those on LI, they can not provide service.

On the other hand, I've found a loophole to avoid the MTA tax on my cell phone bill, in fact I'll avoid all NYS taxes (the highest in the country) via the loophole.

You suckers can pay the highest cell phone tax in the country, I'll go with the loophole.