For months, Nassau County has planned to privatize its Long Island Bus system, handing it over to international firm Veolia Transportation at the start of next year. The county has promised that fares and service levels will stay the same through 2012. But what about afterwards? The public has received virtually no information on what the deal will mean for riders, and the county has held no public hearings on the issue. This lack of transparency caused advocates to hold a hearing themselves — a “People’s Hearing,” held Wednesday night, where 200 bus riders, residents, and transit workers packed the Ethical Humanist Society in Garden City to voice their concerns. Elected officials from both parties were on hand to listen and respond — although County Executive Mangano didn’t show.

Advocates who organized the event called on the county to commit to keeping existing fares and service levels for 5 years. Attendees wrote handwritten letters to County Executive Mangano and other officials, and also sent e-mails through TSTC’s website.

Riders and members of the public spoke eloquently about what the LI Bus system meant to them. Jeannine Maynard of Hempstead cited one of her daughters, who takes the bus to work but has to take a $14.50 cab ride when the schedule doesn’t work out — a ride she might have to take more often if privatization leads to service cuts. Karyn Carlo, the interim pastor of Church-in-the-Garden, warned that “When people can’t get to work, they have to rely on public assistance… In the long run it will cost more in terms of morals, ethics, and the financial bottom line.”

Businesses were also concerned. “We need to get resources that allow people to get where they need to go at a decent price they can afford,” said Lionel Chitty, president of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce. Vision Long Island’s Eric Alexander said several other Chambers of Commerce had contacted his organization and were worried about the impact that privatization would have on their members (many had planned to attend the hearing but had to focus on Hurricane Irene-related issues).

Elected officials who attended the event seemed in agreement that the privatization process had not been conducted with enough transparency, and pledged to stand up for Long Island Bus riders and seek answers. State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) said he was concerned that Nassau County could lose up to $54 million in state transit funding if it slashed support for the bus system. County Legislators Judi Bosworth, David Denenberg, Denise Ford, Judith Jacobs, Robert Troiano, and Wayne Wink said they had been entirely left out of the process. A representative from County Comptroller George Maragos’s office said that the comptroller was still trying to obtain details of the Veolia contract. Also attending were representatives of State Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel and County Legislators Kevan Abrahams and Joseph Scannell.

The event was organized by TSTC, Vision Long Island, the LI Progressive Coalition, LI Jobs With Justice, and New York Communities for Change.

Photo: Tri-State Transportation Campaign.