Long Island, NY – My name is Cameron Elwell. I recently graduated from Hofstra University, and am originally from Boston, Massachusetts. While I lived on campus at Hofstra, I used public transit extensively to travel around Long Island and visit New York City. One major way I used the Nice Bus was to travel to downtown Hempstead to visit a pharmacy. For most of my time at Hofstra, I did not have a car. While I occasionally borrowed my roommate’s vehicle, I used transit so as not to be asking too much. I generally limited my bus trips to when there was a direct route, as transferring made the trip much longer. The Long Island Railroad was extremely helpful for traveling to and from Manhattan. The one time I rode along with a friend who chose to drive to Manhattan, we had a very rough time; driving in Manhattan is very inconvenient, and the event further cemented to me how convenient the LIRR is for trips to the city. This experience made me very grateful that the railroad runs at almost all hours at a decent schedule.
Compared to suburban Boston, Long Island has quite good public transit. The corridors the bus serves have decent speed and frequency. However, there are a number of places it doesn’t serve at all, and I was forced to drive. Traveling north or south from Hofstra was also quite difficult, as nearly all nearby bus lines traveled east or west. This may also be caused by the road layout, but it remains a challenge. Where I wish there was improvement was the stops. Most bus stops don’t have heat or lighting, and many don’t have shelters. With Long Island’s weather, this can make using the bus very challenging.
Having driven around Long Island, I think drivers are extremely aggressive and have little respect for other road users, let alone pedestrians. Two major roads run through Hofstra. While one has bridges constructed over it, the other does not. I have always been nervous crossing this road as it is wide and straight, encouraging drivers to go way faster than the posted speed limit and often ignoring pedestrians trying to cross. Long Island highways are often very poorly designed with sharp turns and quick merges, which combined with New York’s aggressive driving makes me feel unsafe while driving. In addition, large pot holes permeate much of the island, which makes it difficult to own a small, low car.
I studied abroad in Amsterdam which has a much better public transit system, with frequent service to even suburban and rural communities. The number one thing from Amsterdam that I wish Long Island had was better station amenities, particularly bus station lighting. I never felt unsafe even in remote areas of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. While I have always felt safe riding Nice buses, waiting for them is different. The transit centers on Long Island, particularly in Hempstead, could use some clean up and care. Although most issues were cosmetic rather than functional, I believe that this may be a detractor for most students riding public transit. Most other students at Hofstra use the LIRR as the main way of traveling to Manhattan, but I don’t know anyone else who also used the NICE Bus.
I wish public transit had better advertising. While most people know the LIRR exists, there is not much promotion of it. For example, I am aware that Toronto has ads on bridges for trains across the highway saying that those who are tired of sitting in traffic should take this train. I wish Long Island and New York would do that.
I believe Long Island has the potential for a much better bus system than it currently has if it received more funding. I believe that public transit could help revitalize many of Long Island’s small, historic downtowns. It could incentivize people to visit these places and walk around, taking advantage of local businesses—especially ones not seen from the highway—and give a boost to the economy.