Suffolk County Transit
Suffolk County Transit #7026 on the 66
Founded1980–1981
HeadquartersYaphank
Service areaSuffolk County
Service typeLocal bus service
Routes27
DestinationsFull county-wide service with major hubs at Amityville LIRR station, Bay Shore, Brentwood LIRR station, Central Islip LIRR station, Patchogue LIRR station, Riverhead LIRR station and the Smith Haven Mall.
Depots6
Fleet157 fixed-route, 147 SCAT[1]
(2013 figures)
Fuel typeGasoline, Diesel, Hybrid-Electric
OperatorSee operator list below
Websitesctbus.org

Suffolk County Transit is the provider of bus services in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island and is an agency of the Suffolk County government. It was founded in 1980 as a county-run oversight and funding agency for a group of private contract operators which had previously provided such services on their own. While the physical maintenance and operation of the buses continue to be provided by these providers, other matters ranging from bus purchases to route and schedule planning to fare rules are set by Suffolk Transit itself.

Though serving the entirety of Suffolk County, the one exception is in Huntington, located in the northwestern part of the county, where that town's private operator declined to join Suffolk Transit. Instead, Huntington took over that town's system which became Huntington Area Rapid Transit, or HART. Most of HART's routes do connect to both Suffolk Transit and Nassau Inter-County Express and one can transfer between HART and Suffolk Transit fairly easily.[2] In addition, the village of Patchogue previously had its own local bus service, but discontinued it[3]

History

Suffolk County Transit began as the consolidation of numerous private bus companies, many of which became contractors for the county. These included the Bornscheuer Bus Company which served Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, West Babylon, and Babylon. Affiliated company EBT, Inc. (an affiliate of School Bus Company Educational Bus Transportation, Incorporated), continues in existence under contract with Suffolk County Transit.

In Central Suffolk, the East Patchogue-based Louis A. Fuoco Bus Line (1962-1992) served Patchogue, East Patchogue, Hagerman, Bellport, South Haven, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Port Jefferson, Medford, Coram, Ridge, Calverton, and Riverhead. Continued to exist during early years of Suffolk County Transit. Also, Coram Bus Service (1958-1992) primarily operated school buses, but also began serving mass transit routes in the Town of Brookhaven towards locations as far west as Commack and East Northport, and as far east as Riverhead.

On the North Shore, Huntington Coach Corporation (1927–present)[4] served Huntington, Farmingdale, Melville, and Halesite. Quinn's Bus Lines, and later Coram Bus Service after the two were merged in 1969,[5] mainly served the area between Port Jefferson and Wading River; especially after the demise of the Wading River Extension of the Port Jefferson Branch.[6]

In the western Town of Islip, Suffolk Bus Corporation (1946–present), which served Bay Shore, Brentwood, West Brentwood, Central Islip, Islip, and Babylon, continues in existence under contract with Suffolk County Transit.[7]

On the east end, Sunrise Coach Lines (1946–present), which served Greenport, Riverhead, Southampton, Sag Harbor, and Easthampton, began operations in 1946, continued in existence under contract with joint venture Twin Forks Transit for the routes they originally operated for Suffolk County Transit. In 2006 Sunrise Coaches EXPRESS Routes were bought by Hampton Jitney.[8]

Utility Lines, a Bee Line Incorporated subsidiary, ran from Patchogue along Montauk Highway into Merrick Road in Nassau County. This line was merged into the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority in 1973, but funding and service disputes lead to the splitting of that route between the N19 west of Babylon and S40 east of Babylon.

Inter-County Motor Coach Incorporated,[9] which is still based in the Village of Babylon has been operating since 1922. Affiliated companies included Babylon Transit[10] operating from 1937 until around 1986,[11] and Lindenhurst Bus Company, which operated from 1952 to 1986,[12] both companies running in their final years under contract with Suffolk County Transit.

Alert Coach, an affiliate of Baumann & Sons Buses, Incorporated, and Acme Bus Corporation began on November 30, 1966, and had at least four lines within the county, which included a troubled history with the Suffolk portion of the old Utility Lines bus.[13]

During his tenure as Suffolk County executive, Steve Levy proposed a takeover of Suffolk County Transit by the MTA.[14]

In 2011, the Suffolk County Legislature authorized a fare hike from $1.50 to $2.00 on the S92 and 10C routes only. In return, service on those two routes was expanded to Sunday during the summer months. The fare hike took place on June 17, 2011, with Sunday service operating from July until September.[15][16]

In 2023, Suffolk County Transit released their redesign plan for routes. This redesign was supposed to go into effect on October 1, 2023, but was postponed until October 29, 2023.[17] Because of this, NICE bus made a change to weekend service on the n71 bus route in September 2023 to provide a connection to the timed transfer point at Amityville from the Sunrise Mall in Nassau County, where both the n71 and S20 (now route 2) previously terminated.

As of October 29, 2023, the New Suffolk County Transit Redesign has taken effect, with the new routes outlined below and new maps and schedules posted on the website at sctbus.org, with all routes no longer being designated with an "S".

Fare

The current Suffolk County Transit base fare for most one-way local bus travel is $2.25.[18] For seniors, veterans and the disabled, the base fare is $0.75; personal care attendants (PCA) may ride for free when traveling with seniors or the disabled. Students with school-issued identification pay a reduced fare of $1.25. Undergraduate students of Stony Brook University (which prepays for the rides at the start of the school year so that it does not have to run its own buses) may ride to Smith Haven Mall on route 51 for free, with a valid SBU ID, on weekends. Children under five years of age are free, with a limit of three children for every paying adult.

Fare payment is conducted with Suffolk Transit bus tokens, coins or paper currency, or via the FastFare app. If excess fare is paid, a paper card is issued with the difference in balance. Bus transfers cost an additional $0.25, and must be requested and paid for upon boarding the bus. These transfers are valid for two hours after issue and can be used on Suffolk County Transit connecting routes, or to Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) connecting routes with a special transfer request slip (transfers to NICE require payment of a "step-up" fare). You can use transfers from MTA NYC Bus, NICE Bus, HART, other Long Island/NYC area bus companies. Metro Cards are also allowed with dispatch notice.[18]

Bus service hours

Suffolk Transit bus service operates seven days a week. All routes run Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a few exceptions on weekdays where some routes start around 5 a.m. and others end service right before 12 midnight.

On weekdays, routes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 17, 51, 52 (between Central Islip and Selden, and at the Gordon Heights terminus), and 66 operate every 30 minutes on weekdays until 6 p.m., with route 17 until 7 p.m., and route 1 until 8 p.m. When both are running, route 77 (regular daily service), combined with the 77Y (weekday peak hours) operate alternately every 30 minutes between Patchogue and Sunshine Square. Past Sunshine Square, there is 60 minute service on both the 77 and the 77Y. Routes 3, 10, 53, 55, 58, 62, 80, and 92 operate every 60 minutes on weekdays at all times. Routes 10B and 10C run every 90–120 minutes. Route 110 operates in directional 60-minute peak service only, and routes 52A/B run every 60 minutes on weekdays between Selden and Gordon Heights.

On weekends and holidays, all routes operate every 60 minutes.

Routes 52B, 77Y, 10B and 110 operate weekdays only.

Bus Routes 77Y and 110 operate during peak hours only.

SCT now runs on all 365 days of the year, including holidays.

Routes

Effective October 29, 2023, the Suffolk County Transit Redesign removed the "S" prefix from all routes.

Bus route assignments

Rather than operate its services in-house like most transit agencies, Suffolk County Transit contracts all their routes to private contractors. The table below lists the private contractors hired to provide fixed-route services. It does not include Suffolk County Accessible Transportation paratransit service, which is solely operated by Suffolk Bus Corporation.

The assignments in this table are as of October 29, 2023.

Company Routes
Suffolk Bus Corporation[19] 2, 11, 15 (Summer only), 17, 51, 52A, 52B, 53, 55, 58, 62, 66, 77, 77Y, 110
EBT Inc.[20] 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12
Twin Forks Transit [21] 10B, 10C, 80, 92

Note: EBT Inc. is the operator of Suffolk County Transit Buses, EBT Inc. is the sister company of Educational Bus Transportation (a school bus company).

Note: Twin Forks Transit is a joint venture of Hampton Jitney and Sunrise Coach Lines.

Suffolk County Accessible Transportation

Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT) is Suffolk Transit's federally mandated paratransit service for ADA-eligible passengers with disabilities. SCAT service is available Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Saturday 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The fare for an ADA eligible rider is $4.00. When that rider is accompanied by a personal care attendant (PCA), that PCA does not pay a fare, but must have the same origin and destination as the rider. If riders choose to travel with companions not a PCA, that person must pay the fare of $4.00.[22]

Fleet

Current bus fleet

Photo Year Builder Model Name Length Powertrain Fleet number Number in service Notes
2010 DaimlerChrysler North America Orion VII Next Generation
07.501
40.5 ft Cummins ISL

Allison B400R6

1001-1011 11

  • 1001-1009 Operated By EBT, Inc
  • 1010 operated by Sunrise Coach Lines
  • 1011 operated by Hampton Jitney
  • 40 Foot Units
Orion VII Next Generation
07.502
35 ft 1016, 1018, 1020–1022, 1024–1027, 1037–1053, 1055, 1056, 1058-1062 33
  • 1016-1038 operated by Suffolk Bus Corp
  • 1039-1056 Operated By EBT, Inc
Orion VII Next Generation
07.503
32.5 ft 1067, 1070, 1071, 1073 4
  • Assigned to Suffolk Bus Corp

2017 New Flyer Xcelsior
XDE40
40 ft Cummins L9
(Allison H40 EP hybrid propulsion system)
7001-7010
(10 buses)
10
  • Assigned to Twin Forks Transit/Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc
Xcelsior
XDE35
35 ft 7011-7030
(20 buses)
20
  • 7011-7020 assigned to EBT, Inc
  • 7021-7030 assigned to Suffolk Bus Corp
  • 7021 out of service due to an accident in Medford on 11/10/21
ARBOC SPIRIT OF MOBILITY 29 ft 7101-7140 40
  • Multiple retired
2019 New Flyer Xcelsior
XDE35
35 ft 7031-7046
(15 buses)
20
  • 7031-7033 assigned to Twin Forks Transit/Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc
  • 7042 Out of Service after crashing on 10/18/2023 on the S40
Xcelsior
XDE40
40 ft 7047-7052
(5 buses)
5
  • 7047-7048 assigned to Twin Forks Transit/Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc
  • 7049-7052 assigned to Suffolk Bus Corp
7060 s1 xcelsior 2020 Xcelsior
XDE35
35 ft 7053-7056,7061-7071
(15 buses)
15
  • 7053-7056 assigned to EBT, Inc.
Xcelsior
XDE40
40 ft 7057-7060, 7072-7073
(6 buses)
6
  • 7057-7060 assigned to EBT, Inc.
  • 7072-7073 assigned to Twin Forks Transit/Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc

Retired fleet

All retired buses prior to 1981 were brought either secondhand by Suffolk County or the bus companies that operated for the county or brought by the operators and then by Suffolk County when they took over bus operations in 1980–1981. Some buses were renumbered after entering service; all fleet numbers listed are the numbers the buses were when they entered service.

Year Model Length Width Engine Fleet number Total number Year retired
1959 GM TDH5106 40 ft 96in Detroit Diesel 6-71 617 1 1982
19xx GM TDHxxxx 92,395,435-436 4
GM TDH4517 35 ft 96 in Detroit Diesel 6V71 330,340 2 1987/1995
1960 420 1
GM TDH5302 40 ft 371 2

86

1961 GM TDH4517 35 ft 106 1
1962 GM TDH5301 40 ft 102 in 409 1
1963 GM TDH4519 35 ft 96 in 527 1 1987
1964 GM TDH5304 40 ft 158 1
GM TDH4519 35 ft 837 1 1987
1965 292-294,840 4 1987/1995
1966 108,111,700 3 1982/
1967 104-105 6 1995
1969 GMC T6H4521 517,528 2 1986/1995
1973 GMC T6H4523A 904,909,917,921,924 5
1974 124 1
1975 Flxible 45096-6-1 14-15,828-829,836 5 1986/1993/1995
1981 New Flyer D901A 10235C 102 in Detroit Diesel Series ?? 108-115,119-120,550-557,800-806 25
1982 Gillig Phantom 3596T6V92 96 in Detroit Diesel 6V71 5,7-13,118-125,125-127,209,558-562,815-820 31 1986/1993
Chance RT-52 25.11 ft 1-4,4-6,20-22,113-117,121-124,210-214,807-814,810-812,814-815 37 1986/1993/1995
1987 Gillig Phantom 35102TB6V92 35 ft 102 in Detroit Diesel Series 6V92TA 701-704,710,720-733,740-742,750-760 33 1995/1999/2005
1988 Chance RT-52 25.11 ft 96 in Detroit Diesel Series ?? 300-303,320-321,340-341,350-352,880-884 16 1997
1991 Gillig Phantom 40102TB6V92TA 40 ft 102 in Detroit Diesel Series 6V92TA 900,910-916 9 2005
Gillig Phantom 35102TB6V92TA 35 ft 901-908,920,930-934,940-941 16
1993 Flxible Metro D 30096-6-T 30 ft 96 in 9301-9303,9311-9316,9321-9326,9331-9342 27
1996 Gillig Phantom 35102TBS50 35 ft 102 in Detroit Diesel Series 50 9600-9617,9620,9630-9636,9641-9655,9660-9661 43 1999/2010
1997 Gillig Phantom 30096TBS50 30 ft 96 in 9701-9702,9711-9714,9721-9726,9731-9734 16 2010
1999 Orion V 05.503 35 ft 9901-9942 42 2010/2017
2000 Gillig Phantom C20B102N4 Suburban 102 in 2000-2005 6 2011/2014/2017
2005 Gillig Phantom
C21B102N4
35 ft Cummins ISM

Allison B400R

5001-5096
51 2017-2019
2010 Orion VII Next Generation
07.501
40.5 ft Cummins ISL

Allison B400R6

1012-1015
4 2017
2010 Orion VII Next Generation
07.502
35 ft 1034,1054
2 Buses burned down prior to 2017
2008 Gillig BRT 41 ft Cummins ISB
(GM-Allison EP-40 hybrid propulsion system)
8001-8004 4 2020-2021

See also

References

  1. NTD Program filing for Suffolk Transit, 2013
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2011-03-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. transportation Archived 2014-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Huntington Coach Corporation; About Us (Official Site)
  5. Minutes from the Town of Riverhead; February 4, 1969
  6. The Forgotten Spur: The Chronicle of the Long Island Rail Road Wading River Extension and the Adjoining Communities (Derek Stadler)
  7. History of Suffolk Bus Corporation
  8. History of Sunrise Coach Lines
  9. Inter-County Motor Coach (Buses - NYCSubway.org)
  10. Babylon Transit (Buses - NYCSubway.org)
  11. Babylon Transit
  12. Lindenhurst Bus Company
  13. History of Alert Coach Lines
  14. Reich-Hale, David (May 17, 2009). "Mr. Levy goes to Albany". Long Island Business News. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  15. Gannon, Tim (March 18, 2011). "Officials rally Friday to bring Sunday buses to the East End". Riverhead News-Review. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  16. "Resolution No. 1238-2010" (PDF). Suffolk County Legislator. February 1, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  17. "Suffolk Transit Redesign". www.sct-bus.org. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  18. 1 2 "Suffolk County Transit Fares".
  19. Suffolk Bus Corporation
  20. "About the Trans Group Bus Company".
  21. "History of Twin Forks Transit, Inc".
  22. SCAT - Suffolk County Accessible Transportation. SCT Users Guide for the disabled
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