Yesterday afternoon/evening NICE bus left busloads of people stranded for 90+ minutes at Jones Beach. I saw buses short-turning at Central Bathhouse due to immense crowds since they couldn't pick up any more passengers at East Bathhouse. Someone I knew waited 90+ minutes at East Bathhouse since buses were not stopping there. He said tons of people were calling cabs and hitchhiking to get back to Freeport. A TOTAL TOTAL DISGRACE ON NICE'S PART!!!! AND COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE!
Meanwhile, they continue to run empty N87 buses to Hicksville. (Buses range from completely empty by the time they drop off in Freeport from the beach, to at most 3 people.) Who in their right mind would run an empty bus all the way to Hicksville when you are stranding hundreds and hundreds at the beach? That Hicksville bus could have made 4 or 5 round trips (or more) to Jones Beach in the time it took to go all the way to Hicksville and back. So NICE lost tons of fare money from passengers. And I know I'm not going back next weekend and face that complete INCOMPETENCE again.
It's very simple: Jones Beach to Freeport. Freeport to Jones Beach. That's where the ridership wants to go. Provide a shuttle every 10 to 15 minutes for the hundreds and hundreds of people.
The 2 or 3 people who need mid/north shore service are going to have to take either N40/41 to Hempstead for N70/71/72 along Hempstead Tpke east, or N40/41 to Mineola for N22/24 along Old Country Road to Hicksville.