Access-A-Ride to go to Nassau

Some Queens Access-A-Ride (AAR) customers will soon be able to get to doctors’ appointments in Nassau County without having to switch carriers during their trip.
Beginning as early as next week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) AAR vehicles will soon travel to certain locations across the city line into Nassau County, including North Shore University-LIJ Medical Center in Manhasset and other areas in Great Neck and Lake Success.
“With this expansion of Access-A-Ride service, we are fixing a major inconvenience for local paratransit riders by making public bus transportation more accessible and affordable for seniors and disabled riders,” said State Senator Frank Padavan, who along with Queens Assemblymember Mark Weprin have been negotiating with the MTA to change AAR’s policy.
Currently, AAR vehicles only transport passengers to the Nassau County line where the passengers have to get off the vehicle and wait for an Able-Ride vehicle - the equivalent of AAR for Nassau County - to transport them the rest of the way.
“We kept the pressure on,” Weprin said. “We figured we were in the right, and it seemed arbitrary and detrimental to a lot of people.”
For the last two years, Weprin and State Senator Frank Padavan have passed legislation calling for AAR vehicles to travel five miles over the county line to transport customers, but then Governors George Pataki and Eliot Spitzer both vetoed the legislation. Although the agreement does not extend the service the same distance the prior legislation called for, Padavan was still pleased.
“After sustaining two consecutive vetoes on state legislation by two different governors that would have made the necessary changes, I am very pleased today that we are moving forward with a new plan for residents of Queens who rely on Access-A-Ride to travel just over the border into Nassau County for doctor visits and medical care,” Padavan said.
During the last few months, Padavan and Weprin have engaged in extensive dialogue with representatives from the MTA, and the authority has agreed to make changes to the areas it serves. Weprin credited MTA CEO Elliot Sander for his willingness to negotiate this critical change.
Soon, Access-A-Ride will serve the following streets in Nassau County: Middle Neck Road in Great Neck south to Lakeville Road, east along the service road of the Long Island Expressway to New Hyde Park Road, south on New Hyde Park Road to Jericho Turnpike, West on Jericho Turnpike to Covert Avenue, south to Covert Avenue to Meacham Ave, south on Meacham Ave to Dutch Broadway, west on Dutch Broadway to N. Fletcher Ave., south on N. Fletcher Ave. to W. Merrick Road, west on W. Merrick Road to S. Central Ave, South on Mill Road to Peninsula Blvd., southwest Peninsula Blvd. to Franklin Ave., south on Franklin Ave. to Broadway, southwest on Broadway to Auerbach Lane, south on Auerbach Lane to Hollywood Crossing, southeast on Hollywood Crossing to Ocean Ave., southwest on Ocean Ave. to Tanglewood Crossing, southeast on Tanglewood Crossing to Willow Way, south on Willow Way to Causeway, south on Causeway to Beach Road, and Vernon Blvd. from Bay Blvd. to Ocean Blvd in Atlantic Beach.