NICE Bus riders preparing for fare hikes and the end of the MetroCard
NICE Bus fare hikes and the start of the OMNY payment system both begin on Sunday, Jan. 4.
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Two changes are taking place this weekend that will impact tens of thousands of people who use the Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) Bus system every day.
Starting Sunday, Jan. 4, one-way fares will increase from $2.90 to $3.00 for regular tickets and from $1.45 to $1.50 for reduced riders. Student fares and ABLE-Ride fares will remain unchanged.
Some said the increase isn't big enough to worry about.
"Not too bad," Hempstead resident Cynthia Lovelace said. "Five cents for me, so it's good."
Others said every penny counts.
"Things are up in price, and people can't afford it," Merrick resident Donald Leitenis said. "I think the prices should be down."
Riders will also have to transition from using a MetroCard to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's tap-to-pay OMNY system starting Sunday.
"I like it," one NICE Bus rider told News 12, "No contact, you know. I like that."
Historically, about 45% of riders have relied on the MetroCard, NICE Bus officials said. While NICE will continue to accept existing MetroCards as payment, riders are unable to refill or purchase new ones.
In addition to the contactless OMNY, the system will also accept payment with coins or through the NICE GoMobile app.
"To ensure riders were well informed, information about the transition has been widely communicated since the beginning of October through multiple channels," NICE Bus officials said in a statement. "This included on-board notices on buses, updates on the NICE Bus website, social media outreach, signage posted at major bus stops, the use of OMNY street teams and transit hubs throughout our service areas."
OMNY includes a fare cap of 12 trips within a week at $35 for full fare riders and $17 for reduced fare riders.
Commuters can either tap with a credit card on their phone, the digital ONMY card, or a physical card that, according to officials are available at thousands of retailers across Nassau County and New York City, including 7-11 and CVS stores, as well as the Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center.
Payment with the new OMNY system includes two free transfers to NICE, MTA buses and subways -- allowing seamless travel between the two systems.
About 85,000 people ride the NICE Bus each day, officials said.
