The Governor also helped plug holes that County Executive Thomas Gulotta opened up in the Long Island Bus budget earlier this year, though it's unclear whether additional cuts discussed last month by Gulotta still threaten Long Island Bus service.

In any event, the fiscal plan the state and county work out should ensure that bus service in Nassau County is able to maintain current levels of service, and indeed add service on routes that are over-crowded now.

If LI Bus is forced to make cuts, many riders forced to find other means of travel will not come back even after the County gets back on its feet.

Long Island Bus has seen ridership increase over 15% in the past three years, underscoring the importance of mass transit in today's robust economy. Long Island Bus' "no more diesels" bus purchase policy also makes it a national environmental leader. Long Island Bus is an important asset Nassau County that the state should seek to preserve and enhance.