B44 +SelectBusService+

[BrooklynIRT]

It's really not the residents' fault what PAM does, so they should not be punished. You're sounding like a teacher who punishes te whole class because one student did something wrong.

that may be true, but I think that the PAM issue should be resolved before putting a bus stop back at "L".

 

do you also think it is not the residents' fault that nothing has been done about what PAM does? they live there, it is their neighborhood, they should have a say in something as basic as whether a business obeys traffic and parking laws so that near-accidents do not happen, especially to buses that they want to continue serving them. it may also be NYPD's fault, but the residents are definitely not without fault for not taking action against a problem that has been going on for decades!

[BrooklynIRT]

and yes, I do not like how MTA did not state in any meetings that they would not run most SBS buses from Wash Plaza all the way to Knapp St. that is annoying.

[E For Erica]

I'm honestly surprised the B44 got SBS before the B41. That route is really a trip. Plus it gets more overwhelmed than the B44 sometimes.

 

Also, I know this is a silly question but you guys think the B38 might get SBS eventually?

[BreeddekalbL]

Also, I know this is a silly question but you guys think the B38 might get SBS eventually?

 

WHAT DID YOU SAY?! knowing my home route i say NO NO NO NO AND NO!  it would not work in the northern parts of the route and bus lanes would NOT HELP!

[BrooklynBus]

and yes, I do not like how MTA did not state in any meetings that they would not run most SBS buses from Wash Plaza all the way to Knapp St. that is annoying.

Now they only run from WB to Knapp Street when the SBS is not running which is only during late night hours. I really don't think you need the SBS past 10 PM at the latest.

 

I'm honestly surprised the B44 got SBS before the B41. That route is really a trip. Plus it gets more overwhelmed than the B44 sometimes.

Also, I know this is a silly question but you guys think the B38 might get SBS eventually?

The B41 was studied and eliminated for whatever reasons. So it won't be done.

[Mysterious2train]

So I was out there today pretty much all day (knew a driver out there), and here's my w cents on it...

 

First off, its like they didn't have enough workers at the stops to show people how to use the SBS. On the Rogers Av stretch, there were workers only at St. Johns & Clarkson.

 

There was a worker at Rogers/Av D, at least around noon.

 

The B41 wasn't chosen yet, but it's listed as one of the many potential future routes. The MTA could go with it sometime down the line.

 

Also, the local has always only run all the way from WBP to Shore Pkwy at night.

[E For Erica]

WHAT DID YOU SAY?! knowing my home route i say NO NO NO NO AND NO! it would not work in the northern parts of the route and bus lanes would NOT HELP!

True the B38 runs down two one-way streets most of it's route and plus since FP can't fit artics, the B38 is gonna be all Next Gens like the S79 if that happens.

[BrooklynIRT]

I really don't think you need the SBS past 10 PM at the latest.

sure we do. do you know how crappily the train runs when the train does not run to Flatbush and how helpful the to B44 SBS connection is at those times (or to B44 local connection once traffic and local bus ridership on Nostrand thin out enough, later at night, so the local can move fast enough) so that people do not have to wait 16+ minutes for a delayed and crowded to go to stations along Nostrand? or get to any connecting buses at those stations along Nostrand?

[BrooklynBus]

Also, the local has always only run all the way from WBP to Shore Pkwy at night.

They only run to Nostrand and Emmons, not to Knapp. There is no change to overnight service.

 

sure we do. do you know how crappily the train runs when the train does not run to Flatbush and how helpful the to B44 SBS connection is at those times (or to B44 local connection once traffic and local bus ridership on Nostrand thin out enough, later at night, so the local can move fast enough) so that people do not have to wait 16+ minutes for a delayed and crowded to go to stations along Nostrand? or get to any connecting buses at those stations along Nostrand?

What about starting service at 6 AM on Sunday mornings? Why is that necessary? I think it's wasteful since you have to run more buses to provide two services instead of one. How many riders use the B44 so early on Sundays? Most routes don't get their service increased on Sundays until around 10 AM.

[BMTKateMeltonLine]

I'll tried 2 record inside the bus, by the future.

[Interested Rider]

It seems that I may have been wrong as to the first restored stop based on a politician and a camera. It seems that since the councilman won re-election by a  wide margin, he decided to do something for the community when he had ample opportunity to do prior to this date as there were two hearings in his district on the subject. I did not see his representative at either of the meetings (none of the other politicians representatives were there either) so now after all the construction is done and the service is implemented, we want this and put that in here  and there. Where were they when those of us who took the time to go to the meetings, wrote letters and offered suggestions, did any of them offer support to what we were doing publicly and privately so that if this was to come to fruition, it would be with community involvement. I forgot the cameras were not there and the mainstream media was nowhere to be seen so that it did not pay to be there.

 

This is what happens when people who know nothing about an area decide to plan something that is forced on a community that does not want it. My take from these meetings and my conversations with these individuals was that they knew nothing about Brooklyn or the B/44 prior to this project being proposed. It is quite possible that they never lived here or rode a bus here either. When I asked about the local service in a conversation a few days prior to the second meeting, I received the response of "Oh!" and the local schedule was not even available at that meeting. I thought that when something is planned every aspect of the plan is checked months in advance, so that not less than two weeks before its implementation it is discovered that one of the most important components was not even done.    

 

Even though the B/41 or the B/46 ware far better choices, their mission was to do something spectacular that would get attention and that has been accomplished in their eyes with the B/44. There were other ways to improve service that members of this forum and others have expressed over the years but since that would have involved local money which the MTA did not want to spend even though it was a better choice, The lure of federal money paid for the initial installation, not the upkeep influenced their decision. Unfortunately those of us who have to ride the route will have to pay the penalty for their desire to implement something that should have been done somewhere else.

[Mysterious2train]

Even though the B/41 or the B/46 ware far better choices, their mission was to do something spectacular that would get attention and that has been accomplished in their eyes with the B/44. There were other ways to improve service that members of this forum and others have expressed over the years but since that would have involved local money which the MTA did not want to spend even though it was a better choice, The lure of federal money paid for the initial installation, not the upkeep influenced their decision. Unfortunately those of us who have to ride the route will have to pay the penalty for their desire to implement something that should have been done somewhere else.

 

How is putting SBS on the B44 different than putting it on the B41 or B46? How does it receive more attention? If the folks from the MTA and DOT were being unhelpful/unresponsive/unreasonable in the process of putting SBS on the B44, why would it be any different when they're moving to put it on the B41 or B46? Also, you say that your community doesn't want SBS, but how do you know what B41 or B46 riders want, or even other B44 riders? The MTA/DOT would also get federal funding if they wanted to put SBS on the B41 or B46, so how exactly does that factor into their choice?

 

Also, it's not necessarily like the MTA has to pick and choose SBS routes. They're only going to add more as time goes on. That the B44 got SBS first in no way precludes the B41 or B46 from ever getting it. Both routes are potential candidates for getting SBS; the B46 is pretty much already set up to get it. More than likely, the B44 was chosen first because its route is relatively SBS friendly (moreso than the B41 and B46, anyway) and there's potential for lots of money-saving with faster trips (especially since the SBS runs on Rogers Av now.) 

[BrooklynBus]

Someone forwarded this e-mail to me of someone's first hand experience on Sunday with the B44. I do not recognize the email address. Here it is:

 

"An unmitigated disaster, but I am sure that the MTA will slant the stories in its favor.

 

Nostrand Avenue narrowed in its southern end along a shopping district.  Fortunately was traveling there early on a Sunday morning, but can imagine how bad it will be on workday.

 

This morning observed almost a dozen empty or nearly empty select bus service buses go by before a local bus came by.  The local bus became so crowded that the driver abandoned potential riders at the bus stops.  As one of the writers indicated, no SBS service stops at several interconnecting east/west bus routes.  Long stretches between the SBS stops.  Again, as one of the writers indicated, local ridership will suffer given the poor service with the result that the MTA will reduce the poor service even further.  The SBS buses were the double buses, while the local bus was a single.

 

Would not be so bad if the MTA cut the number of empty SBS buses and increased the number of local buses."

 

If you PM me, I will give you the e-mail address. I don't want to put it here in case he doesn't want it posted all over the Internet.

[FamousNYLover]

When i fast boarded Bx41 SBS on first weekday run on Monday, Eagle Team decided to take ride on it at end, so he was handing out Courtesy Notice SBS paper to riders who try to paid on bus, paid on farebox to warn riders have to get ready.

[dkupf]

How was the northbound B44 local today during the AM Rush?

[Interested Rider]

What I said was based on the two meetings that I attended and in my conversations with the MTA personnel. I stand by my statement about if the federal funds were not given, a better solution would have been found to the problem. The issue here is the federal funds dictates where monies should go, not to the best option but to something else that could have been better implemented with local funds. Does one honestly think that a person with young children will want to walk an extra two blocks just to get to New York Avenue for Kings County Hospital which requires a considerable walk afterwards just to be at the building? This is my point here that a far better solution could have been arrived at if the federal funds were not in play. If  the possibility of the B/44 local service being placed on Rogers Avenue in the next couple of years then what?

 

Every time a local governmental agency starts to receive federal funds, it comes with strings that actually make the problem worse. I can provide you with many examples besides the MTA to this statement. Local control goes out the window and everything is based on what a nameless bureaucrat in Washington who knows nothing about the system approving something that we "need". It is Washington that has to be pleased and the ideas and suggestions from the local residents and the people that will use the service therefore become totally irrelevant.  One of the major complaints about the MTA that was discussed in the last election was local control of the subways and buses. There was some local control after 1940 until a mayor by the name of John V. Lindsay decided to give up local control to the suburbs and the downward spiral began at that time as these individuals knew nothing about running this system. Then the city people had to answer to Albany for everything they wanted which means that their politicians and their friends got involved in the planning process. Now it is Washington with their ideas like "Ride Boeing" that are the norm for most agencies.

 

My point is if Washington was not in the picture (or for that matter Albany either), decisions would have been made on the local level where it should have been made in the first place. If the MTA wants to improve local bus service then start by asking the people that drive and ride the buses. Chances are our solutions would have been better and at far less cost as compared with the money spent on " B/44 SBS" 

 

 

[BrooklynBus]

Funny you mention this. I just came from a meeting where I accused the City of the same thing regarding the building of ridiculous bathrooms 20 feet in the air that cost $6 million each that no one wants instead of spending under $100,000 to repair existing bathrooms just because the $6 million was Federal, and tey had to abide by ridiculous FEMA standards to get the money and repair money would have been City money. I got 30 seconds of applause.

[Eric B]

I tried it today (WB-Jct and back). Still slowed down by all the people trying to pay the driver, or give him the receipt. They need better signs at the stops. A lot of school buses and other commercial vehicles using the lanes and some others otherwise "standing".The beginning stretch was slowed by the unpaved street. I wonder why they wouldn't get that finished before starting it.

 

People on Rogers seemed to be confused and not like it, saying it made their trip more difficult.

[B35 via Church]

After went to Nathan's a couple hrs ago, I took the 36 to the 44 (instead of dealing w/ the 68 or the 82)..... To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about the 44 SBS..... I looked at the schedule when I got off the 36 (thought I missed the 8:56pm (av z/nostrand), but luckily it was 2 mins late & I ended up boarding a (flushing av) local.... There were 3 ppl. at the projects that had POP in hand, the b/o just waved them on & that was that......

 

Buses heading back in the opposite direction (meaning, south), I saw about 4 or 5 SBS buses.... Two of them were literally empty south of nostrand.... An Av U bound local bus had the most people on it, of the 7 or 8 SB B44's I saw (b/w the time I boarded &  the turn onto farragut))....

[BrooklynIRT]

What about starting service at 6 AM on Sunday mornings? Why is that necessary? I think it's wasteful since you have to run more buses to provide two services instead of one.

you are probably right. if you are talking about anywhere south of "H", you are definitely right. if you are talking about anywhere north of "H", I am not so sure and would have to look into it more.

 

I could counter what you said by referring to instances in which southbound service is running like crap on a Saturday or Sunday morning and the B44 local is not fast enough for it to make sense (time-wise) for a person coming back from the city or any station between Clark St-Henry St and Franklin Ave-E Pkwy to instead take a or local (except the local never stops at Clark or Hoyt except during a GO in which it would go thru the South Ferry loop and then go to Brooklyn from Chambers St-West Broadway of course, similar to a recent GO in which the went thru the SF loop overnight and went to Brooklyn from Wall St-Broadway) to a local B44 because the local B44 is too slow because of too much traffic and ridership at B44 local stops along Nostrand, in which case the B44 SBS would be much appreciated (by me and anybody else who would prefer to use this option rather than wait for a delayed and crowded , and probably anybody who needs to get to any SBS stop south of "H" since they would have had to transfer to the B44 even if they took the ).

 

however I would not intend on using the B44 or the on a Saturday or Sunday between about 02:00 and 10:00, so for my sake (and the sake of anybody else doing the same thing) I would say just do not start SBS runs so late that a person cannot get on a southbound B44 SBS at St. John's or Empire at about 10:00.

The beginning stretch was slowed by the unpaved street. I wonder why they wouldn't get that finished before starting it.

because NYCDOT is doing utility work there that will not be done until next Fall (according to NYCDOT).

[BrooklynIRT]

What I said was based on the two meetings that I attended and in my conversations with the MTA personnel. I stand by my statement about if the federal funds were not given, a better solution would have been found to the problem.

 

well, the southbound B44 SBS helps anybody who needs to go from any West Side IRT, East Side IRT, or Brooklyn IRT station west of Franklin Ave-E Pkwy to any IRT Nostrand station south of Sterling St and probably any B44 SBS stop south of "H" circumvent the problems with delays and crowding that the   train experiences during the times that the   is not running to Flatbush/Nostrand Aves, which is a problem that absolutely will not be solved (check out the link: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/43163-can-they-change-the-weekend-headways-on-the-2345-and-possibly-the-6/<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<) unless either MTA gets more money to spend on these trains or people are willing to eliminate weekend subway service at W 148 St-7th Ave and W 145 St-Lenox Ave (which is about as likely to happen as a pot of gold falling from the sky) so that there can be more   service and the   might be made more reliable. not that this will fix the train problems that occur on weekdays after the stops running to Flatbush since this is only addressing weekends.

 

so one problem that everybody knows exists that MTA is trying to solve using the B44 SBS is slow bus speeds, but another problem for which the B44 SBS provides some relief is the crappiness of the   train on the weekends, which is a real catch-22. or should I say a catch- . especially for Bronx-Manhattan   riders. Oy vey.

 

the lack of a B44 SBS would not have provided any additional motivation for MTA to do anything about weekend IRT problems anytime soon. and from what I understand the   has been a terrible train during the times that the   has not run to Flatbush going back years or decades. that problem probably will not go away for another 20 to 30 years. and Bronx-Manhattan riders get the worst of it.

 

it also causes a problem for Nostrand Ave riders, although to a lesser extent once everybody gets used to the B44 SBS (so it does not get delayed at bus stops waiting for confused people and whatnot).

[FamousNYLover]

Have anyone seen this video?

                       Mayor Bloomberg helps debut Brooklyn's first Select Bus Service line                                  

[BrooklynIRT]

After went to Nathan's a couple hrs ago, I took the 36 to the 44 (instead of dealing w/ the 68 or the 82)..... To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about the 44 SBS..... I looked at the schedule when I got off the 36 (thought I missed the 8:56pm (av z/nostrand), but luckily it was 2 mins late & I ended up boarding a (flushing av) local.... There were 3 ppl. at the projects that had POP in hand, the b/o just waved them on & that was that......

 

Buses heading back in the opposite direction (meaning, south), I saw about 4 or 5 SBS buses.... Two of them were literally empty south of nostrand.... An Av U bound local bus had the most people on it, of the 7 or 8 SB B44's I saw (b/w the time I boarded &  the turn onto farragut))....

 

south of where?

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

Two questions..does the B44 SBS...

 

Accept student metrocards? Do you still get a ticket?

Can the B44 be your transfer bus? Or is it another whole fare?

[Q43LTD]

Yes to all of those.