City of Glen Cove to get new loop bus this fall

A new local bus will be coming to Glen Cove’s streets this fall, Glen Cove Mayor Tim Tenke said at the May 12 Glen Cove City Council meeting. 

The city will be purchasing the $64,036 bus from Shepard Brothers Inc., a coach and equipment bus distributor based in Canandaigua, New York. A grant from the Federal Transit Administration will be covering 85 percent of the cost, with the local cost coming to $10,500 or less. 

The former loop bus broke down approximately two-and-a-half years ago after 12 years of service, with repairs too expensive to make. The city has since been using a Youth Bureau van, along with Glen Cove’s Senior Center fleet. 

Unlike the former loop bus, this new bus will be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. According to Emanuel Grella, the general foreman for the Department of Public Works, this new bus will have 16 passenger seats and two wheelchair lifts. 

The loop bus’s ridership, Grella said, is mostly made up of elderly residents who take the bus to the grocery stores, pharmacies and Glen Cove Hospital. The bus will wraps around its route every 15 minutes, with rides costing $1.  

At the pre-council meeting, Councilwoman Marsha Silverman asked if the bus would be retrofitted with protections that could stop the spread of Covid-19, such as plexiglass to protect the driver. 

At this time, Grella said that he does not see any additions to the bus regarding Covid-19, adding that since the loop bus has a small ridership, passengers should be able to social distance and wear masks if needed.