The long-running Glen Cove loop bus is getting renewed attention, new riders, and new tools meant to make it easier — and less intimidating — to use, thanks to a series of accessibility and outreach initiatives led by the Nassau County Age-Friendly Center of Excellence.
A.J. Kuhr, director of the center, said 2025 marked a turning point.
“I think 2025 was a big year for the loop bus in various ways,” Kuhr said. “We have a new driver. His name is Leonard. And with it, we thought about rethinking the loop bus service to make it more accessible and to make it more exciting for people to ride.”
The bus, Kuhr explained, has existed in some form since at least the 1950s. The first loop bus was donated by a group of philanthropic Glen Covers, including members of the Pratt family, with the intention that it would serve low-income residents. Over time, however, ridership dwindled — in part because even longtime residents didn’t know how to ride it or where it went.
The service remains inexpensive. “It’s just a dollar to ride,” Kuhr said. Stops include Stop & Shop, North Shore Farms and the Foot of Ten Medical complex.
One major barrier, Kuhr said, wasn’t the route itself — it was the information. The old timetable existed as a difficult-to-read image on the city website. “It was under-publicized, and it was very difficult to read,” Kuhr said.
The first improvement was a redesigned brochure: larger font, pocket-sized, visually clearer, and now in English and Spanish. Equally important, the brochure includes something missing for years — a map of the full route.
Working with the Community Development Agency, Age-Friendly Glen Cove, and the Glen Cove Disability Task Force, the map was created and added to the material. Templates are now available on the City of Glen Cove Transportation website, and printed brochures can be found at the Glen Cove Senior Center, La Fuerza Unida, the Glen Cove Library, and City Hall.
The largest innovation, Kuhr said, is the creation of free loop bus passes through the AARP Community Challenge Grant. Normally the service is cash-only, and even a dollar each way can add up for riders traveling regularly to grocery stores, food pantries, or medical appointments. “Making free passes available to the community, our neediest folks, I think is a move in the right direction,” Kuhr said. Passes do not expire and are valid for one trip.
To help new riders feel confident, the team also launched “Loop and Lunch” outings in 2025 — group trips, primarily for seniors, that combine an instructional ride with a social lunch downtown.
On these trips, Kuhr said, participants ride the full loop. “It’s also sort of a tour bus,” Kuhr said, explaining that riders often recount Glen Cove memories along the way. One trip even included a tour of City Hall with Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck.
For residents like 80-year-old Senior Center member Cathy Bicofsky, the experience was transformative. Bicofsky moved from New Jersey four years ago and had never used Long Island buses. She admitted she would have been “so afraid to get on a bus,” but said the new map and guided ride changed that.
“When spring and summer come, I will be able to follow the map and find out where I’m going,” she said. “It only costs one dollar. So easy to follow and understand. It tells you where you’re going, what time to get on the bus, where is the bus stop.”
Panzenbeck praised the initiative. “We are happy to provide this service for our residents,” she said. “The improved routes and service is appreciated by the riders. We thank AJ, our Age-Friendly director, for taking our seniors around and showing them how to navigate the system.”
Loop and Lunch trips are anticipated to return in the spring.
