Listen to this articleNICE (Nassau Inter-County Express) Bus is introducing a new rideshare program that serves Syosset, East Norwich, and parts of Woodbury, north Plainview and Hicksville.
The program is designed to provide a reliable, affordable way to connect from work or home to the public transportation network of bus and rail. The program does not implement surge pricing or increased fees during peak travel times.
“NICE Bus is always innovating to remain current with shifting models and trends in transportation,” Jack Khzouz, chief executive of NICE, said in a news release about the rideshare program, which is known as NICE Mini.
“With the advent of private ride services in our culture over the last few years, we challenged ourselves: ‘how can we provide a similar level of service, convenience and dependability in a public transportation mode?’ The answer was our shared ride service Mini, which has been hugely successful since its launch on the South Shore in 2022,” Khzouz said. “Now we are excited to be rolling out our second NICE MINI service for the greater Syosset community.”
To help the program gain traction, the Syosset service will be free of charge through Labor Day.
The service begins Monday, and runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The service uses smaller buses for the program, using a ride-share model to offer additional pickups and drop-offs.
NICE is also offering Able Ride paratransit service within the Syosset Mini zone for all certified Able Ride clients. All of the NICE Mini buses are ADA compliant and can accommodate wheelchair-bound riders.
Rides within the service zone can be reserved by calling 516-228-4173, or by downloading the NICE Mini app from the App Store or Google Play. As with other ride-share programs, customers will need to create an account and provide details of pickup and destination.
While the program is free throughout August, one-way charges for a ride will be $2.90, the same as a ride on any of the NICE routes. Fares can be paid by coin, MetroCard or NICE transfer on board, or by credit card in advance on the app.
