We’re just a few weeks away from Memorial Day, a holiday that many associate with the kickoff of summer. This all means the beaches will get busier as the weeks go by, and the restoration of public bus service to Jones Beach by the Nassau Inter-county Express (NICE) makes it that much easier to get to and fro the popular spot on Long Island.
While superstorm Sandy greatly impacted Jones Beach State park, bringing back NICE bus service to the location is another sign of progress in restoration.
Beginning May 25 and through the summer, NICE’s N88 non-stop bus line from Freeport and N87 bus line from Hicksville (with stops at Newbridge Road, East Meadow and Wantagh) will be up and running with half-hourly and hourly service respectively. Service will be available at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station of the towns.
It will start with weekend service only and begin daily service from June 24 to Labor Day. The buses will stop at the bath houses at Jones Beach and Central Mall. There’s also service on the N88 bus line back to Freeport after major concerts at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater.
Anyone coming in from LIRR can purchase a discounted travel package at $18.50 from Penn Station and Brooklyn’s Atlantic Station or $15.25 package from Jamaica. The package includes a round trip LIRR ticket to Freeport and a round trip NICE bus ticket to Jones Beach.
For NICE one-way fare, it’s $2.25 cash and the MetroCard fee is $2.50.
You can bet that summer on Long Island at Jones Beach continues with fun, with swimming pools, miniature golf, the beach, the boardwalk and more!