The suburban counties were developed later than the actual New York City. Thus, streetcars were a less significant part of the history of public transportation in Nassau County. Many of the electric railways were actually feeder lines to the Long Island Rail Road, the main commuter railroad serving the area. The Long Island Rail Road controlled most of these electric railways and was officially a "steam" railroad, though many of the commuter lines are electrified with a third rail system.
Electric Railways Replaced With Buses
These are the most significant electric railways operating in Nassau County, with lines evolving to the bus network.
Glen Cove Railroad Co. - ceased operations in 1924, operated the following line:
Glen Cove-Sea Cliff, replacement bus route N78, originally operated by Glen Cove-Sea Cliff Bus Line
New York & Long Island Traction Co. - ceased operations in 1926, operated the following lines:
Jamaica-Freeport, replacement bus route N4, operated by Bee Line
Jamaica-Hempstead, replacement bus route N6, operated by Bee Line
Jamaica-Mineola, replacement bus route N22, operated by Schenck Transportation Co.
Mineola-Hempstead-Freeport, replacement bus route N40, operated by Hempstead Bus Corp.
New York & North Shore Traction Co. - ceased operations in 1920, operated the following lines:
Flushing-Whitestone (existed in Queens/New York City only)
Flushing-Roslyn, replacement route N20, operated by North Shore Bus Co.
Port Washington-Roslyn-Mineola, replacement route N23, originally operated by William A. Eaton
Mineola-Hicksville, replacement route N22, originally operated by William A. Eaton
Replacement bus service was not introduced immediately after discontinuance of electric railway service.
In 1973 the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (MSBA) was formed, acquiring eleven private bus companies in Nassau County. In 2012, the bus service in Nassau County was replaced by NICE (Nassau Inter-County Express).
Discontinued routes are in parentheses. Where no route number is listed, that route was discontinued prior to the adoption of route numbers.
Route Number Route 1973 Original Date
NICE Former Company Company Introduced
N 1 Jamaica-Elmont-Hewlett Bee 1947
(N 2) Floral Park-Green Acres Mall Bee 9/ 2/30 disc. 1/17/2016
(N 3) Franklin Square-Green Acres Mall Bee 7/14/26 disc. 6/27/2010
N 4 Jamaica-Freeport Bee 12/29/25
(N 5) Jamaica-Grant Park Bee 7/14/26 disc. 1989
N 6 Jamaica-Hempstead Bee 4/ 4/26
(N 7) Freeport-Green Acres Mall Bee 6/ /69
(N 8) Franklin Square-Green Acres Mall MSBA disc. 1/17/2016
Rockville Centre-Valley Stream Rockv. 1931 disc. around 1948
(N14) Rockville Centre Shuttle Loop Rockv. 1953 disc. 1/17/2016
N15 Roosevelt Field-Long Beach Rockv. 1928
N16 N46 Roosevelt Field-Hempstead Hempst. Semke 1940's
N16 N46 Hempstead-Rockville Centre Rockv. Semke 1922
(N17) (N47) Hempstead-Rockville Centre Rockv. 1922 disc. 1/17/2016
N19 Freeport-Sunrise Mall Utility 1923
N20 Flushing-Great Neck-Hicksville Schenck NS Bus 12/11/26
N21 Great Neck-Glen Cove Schenck NS Auto 6/ /24
N22 Jamaica-Mineola Schenck 4/15/26
N22 Mineola-Hicksville Schenck W Eaton 1920's
N23 Mineola-Manorhaven Schenck W Eaton 10/ /23
N24 Jamaica-Roosevelt Field Schenck 1930's
N24 N79 Roosevelt Field-Hicksville Stage Star 1960's
N25 Lynbrook-Great Neck Schenck 1930's
N26 Great Neck-Jamaica MSBA
N27 N77 Hempstead-Glen Cove Schenck Hendri. 5/ 2/27
(N28) Roslyn Station-Industrial Park MSBA disc. 6/27/2010
N31 Hempstead-Far Rockaway Schenck Nassau 1959
N32 N36 Hempstead-Lynbrook Hempst. 1922
N32 Lynbrook-Far Rockaway Schenck Nassau 1912
N33 Far Rockaway-Long Beach Schenck Nassau 1920's
N35 Baldwin Harbor-Hempstead-Westbury Hempst. 1940's
(N36) Lynbrook-Baldwin Hempst. 1940's disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N36) Baldwin-Freeport Hempst. Dileo 1932 disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N37) Hempstead-Baldwin Harbor Hempst. Baldwin 1920's disc. 4/25/2009
(N38) Hempstead-East Meadow Loop Hempst. Steiner 1923
(N39) Hempstead-Hicksville-Mid Island Hempst. Steiner 1923
N40 Mineola-Hempstead-Freeport Hempst. 1926
N41 Mineola-Hempstead-Freeport Hempst.
N43 Roosevelt Field-Freeport MSBA
(N45) (N80) Roosevelt Field-Bellmore Hempst. Star disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N46) Hempstead-Bellmore MSBA 1982 disc. 1/17/2016
(N47) Hempstead-Bellmore MSBA disc. 4/ 9/2017
N48 N39 Hempstead-Hicksville via Carman Hempst. 1953
N49 N39 Hempstead-Hicksville via Newbridge Hempst. Steiner 1923
(N50) Hicksville-Bellmore MSBA disc. 1/17/2016
(N51) Roosevelt Field-Merrick Jerus. 1950's disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N52) Hempstead-Merrick Jerus. 1940's
(N52) Merrick-Seaford-Amityville Jerus. Dileo 1932
(N53) Massapequa Park Loop Jerus. 5/ /62
N54 N52 Hempstead-Sunrise Mall Jerus. E. End 1920's
N55 Hempstead-Sunrise Mall MSBA
(N56) Great Neck-Kings Point Schenck Univ. 1920's
N57 Great Neck Loop Schenck Univ. 1920's
N58 Great Neck-Kings Point Schenck Univ. 1920's
(N62) Freeport Shuttle Roosev. 1931 disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N64) Farmingdale-Amityville Alert 7/ /22
(N64A) (N84) Massapequa-Plainview Alert Star
(N64A) (N85) Massapequa-South Huntington Alert Star
(N67) Oyster Bay-Glen Cove Hendri. 7/11/22 disc. 1/ /1975
(N69) Long Beach-Point Lookout Branch disc. 1984
N70 Hempstead-Farmingdale St Co MSBA
N71 (N83) Hempstead-Sunrise Mall Alert Star 1960's
N72 Hempstead-Farmingdale Stage Purint. 1948
(N73) Hicksville-Wantagh Stage Purint. 1948 disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N74) Hicksville-Wantagh Stage disc. 4/ 9/2017
Farmingdale-Babylon Stage 1960's
(N78) Glen Cove-Sea Cliff Stage GC-SC 1924
N78 N79 Hicksville-Plainview Stage Star 1950's
N79 Hicksville-South Huntington Stage Star
N80 N87 Hicksville-Sunrise Mall Stage Star 1950's
(N81) (N83) Hicksville-Sunrise Mall Stage Star 1950's disc. 4/ 9/2017
(N81) Hicksville-Syosset Stage Star 1950's
(N82) Bellmore-Levittown Loop Schenck Steiner 1923
Bellmore-Hempstead-Roosevelt Field Star 1940's
Bellmore-Levittown Star 1940's
Bus Companies Acquired by MSBA in 1973In 1973 the Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority acquired the following eleven private bus companies in Nassau County.
Alert Coach Lines (formed 1969 acquiring Leigh's Transportation of Suffolk County, formed 1922)
Bee Line (formed 1922)
Branch Bus Corp. (formed 1929)
Hempstead Bus Corp. (formed 1926 acquiring Peoples Bus Line, formed 1922)
Hendrickson Bus Co. (formed 1922, 1960 mostly to Star Bus Lines)
Jerusalem Avenue Bus Line (formed 1926 acquiring East End Bus Line, formed 1923)
Rockville Centre Bus Corp. (formed 1927, affiliated with Bee Line)
Roosevelt Bus Line (formed 1931 acquiring Gus Simone bus route)
Schenck Transportation Co. (formed 1925)
Stage Coach Lines (formed 1964 as subsidiary of Bee Line, acquiring Checker Bus Corp.)
Utility Lines (formed 1929, affiliated with Bee Line)
Bus Companies With 1949 Franchises
As of 1949, the following additional companies had franchises to operate buses in Nassau County.
Bay Park-East Rockaway Bus Line (formed 1926, abandoned around 1953)
Dileo Bus Line (formed 1932, 1951 to Hempstead Bus Corp. and Star Bus Lines and Jerusalem Avenue Bus Line)
Levitttown Bus Corp. (formed 1949 acquiring Purinton Coach Lines, 1951 to Checker Bus Corp.)
Mack Brothers Transportation Co. (formed 1924, abandoned 1952)
Joseph F. Maranta (formed acquiring Farmingdale-Massapequa Omnibus Corp., formed 1928, abandoned 1950's)
Nassau Bus Line (formed 1912, 1969 to Schenck Transportation Co.)
Purinton Coach Lines (formed around 1948, 1949 mostly to Levitttown Bus Corp., 1950's remainder to Star Bus Lines)
Semke Bus Line (formed 1922, 1970 to Hempstead Bus Corp.)
Star Bus Lines (formed 1941 acquiring Gus Simone bus route, 1964 to Mid Island Transit System, 1970 mostly to Stage Coach Lines)
Universal Auto Bus Service (formed 1907, 1970 to Schenck Transportation Co.)
In addition, Jamaica Buses had a franchise, but primarily operated in the New York City Borough of Queens.
Earlier Bus Companies
Baldwin Harbor Bus & Taxi Co. (formed 1919, 1937 to Mack Brothers Transportation Co.)
William A. Eaton (formed 1923, 1928 to North Shore Bus Co.)
Glen Cove & New York Coach Corp. (1928 to North Shore Bus Co., abandoned 1935)
Glen Cove-Sea Cliff Bus Line (formed 1924, 1927 to William A. Eaton, 1935 to Hendrickson Bus Co.)
North Shore Auto Co. (formed 1924, 1926 to North Shore Bus Co.)
North Shore Bus Co. (formed 1926, 1936 Manorhaven line/1947 remainder to Schenck Transportation Co.)
L. J. Steiner (formed 1923, 1929 to George Regan, 1929 one route to Hempstead Bus Corp., 1931 one route to Gus Simone)
Long Beach
The City of Long Beach has a long history of independent bus operation. Operated by Long Beach Bus Co. 1924-1947, Beach Transit 1947-1949, Nassau Bus Line 1949-1952, City of Long Beach after 1952. A route from Long Beach to Point Lookout was sold by 1957 from the City to Branch Bus Corp., assumed 1973 by MSBA (route N69), returned to City 1984.