Nassau Notebook: MetroCard Use on NICE Buses, Enhanced STAR Exemption

MetroCard to Be Allowed on NICE Buses

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has announced that the county and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) have reached an agreement to allow usage of the MetroCard for riders who are transferring between Nassau Inter-County Express buses and MTA buses, or between a NICE bus and the subway.

The agreement has designated Veolia Transportation, which is managing the Nassau's bus and paratransit system under a public-private operating partnership, to assume all the county’s rights and responsibilities for use of the swipe MetroCards, the farebox equipment on NICE Buses and transfer policies. 

Beginning Jan. 1, NICE Buses will no longer be operated by the MTA as Long Island Bus.

The MetroCard will continue to be available through vending machines, at subway stations and through designated neighborhood merchants. It offers reduced fares, as well as free transfer between subway and bus, or between buses.

Enhanced STAR Exemption for Seniors Turning 65 in 2012

Mangano would also like to remind seniors who turn 65 in 2012 that they can apply for Enhanced STAR benefits before the Jan. 3 deadline for submitting property tax exemptions for the 2012-2013 school and general fund tax year.

To receive the Enhanced STAR property tax exemption for the 2012-2013 tax year, the applicant must be 65-years old as of Dec. 31 of the year in which the exemption will begin with an annual household income in 2010 of $79,050 or less. 

To learn more about Nassau County's property tax relief programs or to obtain an exemption application, Mangano urges homeowners to contact the Department of Assessment at (516) 571-1500 or download forms and information from its website.