Dedicated Freeport-Jones Beach concert bus returns

On Monday, August 2, at a news conference at the Northwell Health Jones Beach Theater, County Executive Laura Curran announced that the n88 bus service from the Freeport Long Island Railroad Station to the theater has resumed.

Joining Curran were Ron Delsener, chairman of the New York Market for Live Nation Entertainment, and Jack Khzouz, CEO of NICE.

 The n88 is a Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus line dedicated specifically to the Tri-State Cadillac Concert Series at the theater. The bus starts running from the Freeport LIRR station to the East Bathhouse 90 minutes before each show, and continues until 90 minutes after the show ends.

 “You’ll have plenty of time to get here,” said Curran, “you can hang out for a little while after, and you’ll have plenty of time to get back. So this is another step in our path back to normal.”

 The first of the buses ran on Friday, July 30, for the concert featuring Lady A. The n88 is sponsored by Live Nation Entertainment to increase access to Jones Beach Theater from outside Nassau County.

“The NICE bus for the concerts is safe, it’s reliable, it’s convenient, and you can leave the driving to someone else, which is the best part of it,” Curran said. “And of course the Freeport train station is a real hub, easy to get to from the city, easy to get to from points east as well, from Suffolk County.”

 Ron Delsener, chairman of the New York Market for Live Nation Entertainment, thanked Curran and Khzouz for the partnership that created the n88, which carried 8,700 people to and from concerts in 2019.

 “We got a lot of people coming from the New York - Brooklyn area to take the Long Island Railroad, which was a coup,” Delsener said. “But they would  get off at Freeport, and they’d be in Never Never Land until we got the bus service. There’d be Ubers out there, and taxis, taking advantage of the people who get off the train, charging $50 to come here. But now it’s only two dollars and seventy-five cents each way.”

Bus fare can be paid with MTA MetroCards, on the NICE GoMobile payment app, or with coins.

 "We’re very proud to be part of the service again to the Jones Beach theater,” said Khzouz. “This is an iconic location, and it’s natural to come up with an innovative solution to traffic, helping support everybody getting back out and enjoying everything that Long Island has to offer.”

 Masks are required for riding the N88, as on all public transportation. Proof of vaccination is not required. Masks will be provided for riders who did not bring their own.

“[The n88] is going to run for all Live Nation - Jones Beach concert series shows,” said Curran, “right up to the October 2 closing show featuring the Jonas Brothers.”

 Tickets for the 2021 concert series can be purchased at http://www.jonesbeach.com/.