Long Island Bus announced in August that it was again breaking ridership records. "The average weekday ridership in June 2001 was 108,100," the highest for any June since the beginning of Long Island Bus in 1973," Neil Yellin, the agency president, said in a release.

On July 16, Long Island Bus reached a daily record of 110,365 customers. Sunday and Saturday rider records were also set July 15 and July 21.

Ridership may surge past these levels this fall, since summer is generally a time of slower rather than higher transit demand.

Candidates to succeed Thomas Gulotta as Nassau county executive have pledged stronger support from the county for mass transit. However, Gulotta and the county legislature will pass their 2002 budget this fall, before the new government takes office. The multi-year plan that Gulotta and the legislature developed during 2000 called for zeroing out county support for LI Bus this year. If they stick with the plan, another crisis season for Nassau's steadily increasing bus riding population may be upon us. Earlier this year, state legislative leaders like Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos warned that Albany would not come to Long Island Bus' rescue every year. 

Nassau Recovery Shouldn't Sacrifice Long Island Bus - May 22, 2000

Nassau Throws Transit to the Wolves - December 4, 2000

New Service for Crowded LI Bus Routes - April 9, 2001

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