The oldest vehicles in the Able-Ride fleet of buses will soon be getting an upgrade.
Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE Bus) announced today that they will soon begin taking delivery on 28 new handicap-accessible paratransit vans that will replace Able-Ride’s oldest vehicles.
The new wheelchair accessible modified Dodge vans will offer Able-Ride greater flexibility in how it serves customers, reduce fuel and maintenance costs, and provide a more comfortable ride for passengers.
“We are pleased to update the Able-Ride fleet and we’re doing it in a way that will improve the experience for NICE’s paratransit customers,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. “Along with the 45 new fixed route buses added to the NICE fleet recently, we are continuing to update the equipment without placing the cost on taxpayers. We are especially pleased that Veolia Transportation is making investments in the system.”
The cost of the 28-vehicle purchase is approximately $1.2 million. Of that, the entire cost of 18 vehicles, approximately $780,000, is being paid for by Veolia at no cost to Nassau County taxpayers.
Another 10 vehicles -costing approximately $435,000- are being funded through state-administered Federal Transportation Administration grants earmarked for capital purchases for mass transit. The first of the vans are expected to be delivered in late October.
“NICE is continuously looking for ways to improve our service and reduce our costs. Using a mix of vehicles for Able-Ride is something we have considered for a long time and Veolia’s investment is helping make that possible,” said NICE Chief Executive Officer Mike Setzer. “We think passenger vans, as opposed to the larger truck chassis mini-buses, will serve customers’ needs better in many instances with a noticeably smoother ride.”
Rather than replace the older vehicles with the current “mini-bus” style vehicles that now comprise most of the 95-vehicle Able-Ride fleet, NICE will begin using a mix of vehicles that will help it provide better service and reduce costs.
As opposed to the current vehicles the vans will use regular gasoline, offer improved gas mileage and are able to travel on parkways. They are built on a car chassis as opposed to a truck chassis, which has a rougher ride.
The new vans can comfortably and safely handle two customers in wheelchairs and two seated customers. While their overall capacity is smaller than the current mini-buses it is sufficient to meet actual demand. The vehicles being replaced are all seven years old.
