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. 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

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. 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. 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. 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.

History

Much of what now constitutes the Long Beach Bus network originally was operated privately. 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. In 1973, the City of Long Beach considered possibly having the system taken over by the then-new Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority. The plans were ultimately called off, with the system remaining in the city's control.

Fare

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

Long Beach Bus Pass

Bus passes, known as the Long Beach Bus Pass, are also available for purchase. 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.

Bus routes

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. The network consists of approximately 70 bus stops.

Paratransit

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

Fleet

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