"Mass transit in Nassau County again faces a serious threat," said Chris Hewitt of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "Legislators can either support the LI Bus success story or send it in down a spiral of declining service, riders and revenue. We urge the county legislature to reverse the cuts."

When County Executive Gulotta withdrew $7 million of county support for LI Bus in FY2000, the transit agency was forced to prepare to stop service on almost half its routes and substantially reduce service on 24 others. Overall service would have been cut by 35%. These severe cuts were forestalled this year by the ability of Long Island State legislators to win further state funds for LI Bus.

The cuts would come at a time when LI Bus officials report that bus use is climbing steadily and has reached an all-time high. Ridership in July and August averaged 108,000 passengers per day and 110,000 people have taken the buses every day for the past week.

The list of groups with representatives that attended the conference or sent statements in support included the Transport Workers Union local 252, Long Island ACORN, the Long Island Neighborhood Network, Sustainable Long Island, the LI Progressive Coalition, NY League of Conservation Voters, NYPIRG/Straphangers, and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, as well as the Mayor of the village of Hempstead. The event was covered in Newsday, the New York Times, and several LI cable and radio stations.
 

Without consistent funding from Nassau County LI Bus could disappear....