Long Beach Bus

Summary

Long Beach Bus is a public transportation system serving Greater Long Beach on the Long Beach Barrier Island of Long Island, New York. The service operates twenty-four hours a day, with six different routes connecting to one another and to Nassau Inter-County Express and Long Island Rail Road at Long Beach station in the city center.

Long Beach Bus
Now-retired Gillig Phantom bus #175 leaves the railroad station, preparing to serve the East Loop route
ParentCity of Long Beach Department of Transportation
Commenced operationc. 1950
Headquarters1 West Chester Street
Long Beach, NY 11561
LocaleSouthern Nassau County
Service areaLong Beach, Lido Beach, and Point Lookout
Service typeLocal bus service
Routes6
Stops~70
HubsLong Beach LIRR station
Fleet10 (fixed route)
4 (paratransit)[1]
(2013 figures)
Daily ridership1,469 (weekday)
827 (Saturday)
550 (Sunday)[1]
OperatorCity of Long Beach Department of Transportation
Chief executiveBrendan T. Costello
WebsiteLong Beach Bus

Although Long Beach Bus is designed to complement county bus and commuter rail service, it is run independently by the Long Beach Department of Transportation.

Service overview edit

The service operates 24-hours a day, except early Monday mornings. The service operates six routes, with two regular services within the city, one extended route to the Long Beach's eastern suburbs, two midday routes on weekdays, and one overnight circulator; tourist trolleys are used during the summer months.[2] Viability of such an extensive service in a suburban setting is made possible by Long Beach's high-density layout: due to the limited supply of land on the island, fewer than 40% of homes are detached houses, making Long Beach one of the fifty densest cities in the country.[3] The service also plays an important role in transporting the many tourists who arrive in the summer by train from New York City, and a tourist trolley route is operated during the summer months.[2]

Because it is owned and operated independently by the City of Long Beach, and not by Nassau County, Long Beach Bus was unaffected by the 2012 privatization of Long Island Bus.

Most service information is provided bilingually in both English and American Spanish.[2]

History edit

Much of what now constitutes the Long Beach Bus network originally was operated privately.[4][5][6] It was taken over by the City of Long Beach in the mid-20th century, following the 1947 bankruptcy of the Long Beach Bus Company and subsequent legal issues with the Beach Transit Corporation, which operated the system under a franchise for the city from 1947 until the early 1950s.[7][8]

In 1973, the City of Long Beach considered possibly having the system taken over by the then-new Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority.[9] The plans were ultimately called off, with the system remaining in the city's control.[9]

Fare edit

The fare for all routes is $2.25, except for the Point Lookout service, which has a $2.75 base fare.[10]

Long Beach Bus Pass edit

Bus passes, known as the Long Beach Bus Pass, are also available for purchase.[2][11][12] The passes, introduced on October 1, 2022, come in two variants: 10-trip passes and 20-trip passes. The standard fare for a 10-trip pass is $22.50, while the standard fare for a 20-trip pass is $45.00.[2][11][12]

Bus routes edit

 
A map of the Long Beach Bus routes and select stations, as of 2024.

Long Beach Bus operates six bus routes within the City and to Lido Beach and Point Lookout, all originating from the system's hub: the bus terminal at the Long Beach station on the Long Island Rail Road's Long Beach Branch, adjacent to City Hall.[2][13][14] The network consists of approximately 70 bus stops.[14]

Route Terminal Major streets History and notes
East Loop
Maple Boulevard and East Broadway Edwards Boulevard
Broadway
Maple Boulevard
East Park Avenue
Counter-clockwise loop.
West End
West Beech Street and Nevada Avenue West Park Avenue and West Beech Street Counter-clockwise loop.
Shoppers' Special East
Maple Boulevard and East Broadway East Park Avenue
Maple Boulevard
Broadway
Edwards Boulevard
  • Weekday middays only.
  • Clockwise loop. Reverse of East Loop route.
Shoppers' Special West
West Beech Street and Nevada Avenue Edwards Boulevard
Broadway
Maple Boulevard
East Park Avenue
  • Weekday middays only.
  • Clockwise loop. Reverse of West End route.
Point Lookout Line
Point Lookout Lido Boulevard
East Park Avenue
  • Branch Bus Corp at 1973 MSBA takeover; route transferred to Long Beach in 1984
  • Weekday rush hour service only.
  • No passengers carried within Long Beach on this route.
  • Formerly N69
Late Night Express
West End service first, then East Loop service West Beech Street
Nevada Avenue
Edwards Boulevard
Broadway
Maple Boulevard
Park Avenue
  • Overnight service.
  • No late night Sunday/early Monday morning service.

Paratransit edit

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, paratransit service is offered by Long Beach Bus to those unable to utilize traditional buses.[2]

Fleet edit

 
A Gillig BRT bus running on the East Loop route in 2021.
 
The bus garage on Long Beach Boulevard and East Pine Street.

Mainline bus service is operated using Gillig Advantage buses. These are supplemented by Gillig Trolley Replicas on the tourist trolley line and Ford E-Series-based paratransit vehicles.[15]

All vehicles are wheelchair accessible. Mainline buses are equipped with bicycle racks and extensive bicycle parking is available at the bus terminal.

Long Beach Bus Fleet:[15][16]
Fleet

Number(s)

Photo Build

Date

Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
169-172   2013-2014 Gillig BRT 35' Cummins ISL9
176-178   2010 BRT HEV 29' Cummins ISB6.7 Allison H 40 EP hybrid system 176-177 retired
179   Trolley Replica 29'
180 2014 Classic Trolley California Street Built on a Freightliner XB-S chassis.
181   2015 Gillig Trolley Replica 29' Cummins ISL9
182-183   2021 Gillig BRT 29' Cummins L9

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b NTD Program filing for City of Long Beach, 2013
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Transportation". www.longbeachny.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  3. ^ US Census Bureau Factfinder. [1] Archived 2020-02-10 at archive.today
  4. ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (1947-12-10). "LONG BEACH BUSES FACE NEW BARRIER; Insurance Expiring Tonight Adds to the Woes of Drivers Operating Fleet of Six CITY COUNCIL PLANS MOVE Temporary Permit Is Forecast for One of the Four Bidders for 'Unprofitable' Line". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  5. ^ "LONG BEACH BUS CASE HEARD BY THE P.S.C." The New York Times. 1950-01-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  6. ^ Frankel, Art (November 6, 1947). "LONG BEACH FACES BUS SERVICE LOSS: L. Beach Bus Co. to Quit Nov. 15; Employees Act to Protect Jobs". Newsday. p. 1 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ "LONG BEACH BUS CASE HEARD BY THE P.S.C." The New York Times. 1950-01-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  8. ^ "Resort Bus Fares Co Up Nickel for Summer". Newsday. June 4, 1952. p. 43 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ a b Mollison, Andrew (June 3, 1973). "Nassau Negotiates for Long Beach Buses". Newsday. p. 19 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ "Fares (Pasajes)". www.longbeachny.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ^ a b "Long Beach Bus Pass". www.longbeachny.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  12. ^ a b Barmash, Jerry (2022-10-09). "ICYMI: Long Beach Offers Convenience Of Bus Pass Package Purchasing". Long Beach, NY Patch. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  13. ^ "#89—Take A Ride on Long Beach's Eco-Friendly Buses". Long Beach, NY Patch. 2011-04-17. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  14. ^ a b "Bus Stops in Long Beach (Paraderos en Long Beach)". www.longbeachny.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  15. ^ a b "Budget & Financial Information - Long Beach, NY". www.longbeachny.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  16. ^ "Long Beach Bus". cptdb.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-05.

External links edit

  • Official website (Long Beach Department of Transportation)
  • Schedule