120 replies to this topic

[DanTheTransitMan]

I have been wondering lately, should NICE purchase a very small fleet of articulated buses? Palm Tran a small transit operator in Florida has already purchased some articulated buses; why can't NICE do the same.

[Cait Sith]

I have been wondering lately, should NICE purchase a very small fleet of articulated buses? Palm Tran a small transit operator in Florida has already purchased some articulated buses; why can't NICE do the same.

They are still fairly new. It's also not about if they can or can't, its about if they want to or not and if they were, they'd have New Flyer & NABI CNG artics to look at.

[DanTheTransitMan]

They are still fairly new. It's also not about if they can or can't, its about if they want to or not and if they were, they'd have New Flyer & NABI CNG artics to look at.

Many I could write to them and figure out if they have any plans to order some artics, because the N6, N4, N20, and N22 definitely need some help.

Edited by DanTheTransitMan, 24 June 2012 - 08:55 PM.

[FamousNYLover]

If Artic was on N6, it has to layover side.

Artic might be difficult on N22 East going from Mineola Blvd bridge into Mineola Station.

[Novabus 5000]

TThey saw this earlier this year. (I was VERY VERY bored)

[Burrstone]

There's a thread here where someone (Brett?) asked NICE CEO Mike Setzer at one of the meetings if NICE was going to use Artics... I forget if the answer was they were going to look into it, or they looked into and would not use them.

There is a thread here talking NICE's interest in double deckers...

Some of the runs you would think could use them have tight turns, for instance the N4 has to make almost a u turn in Jamaica after it drops off and then pulls into the bus bay. Can an artic make that turn? Also in Freeport, would an artic be able to make the turn from where the buses layover to otherside of the lirr bridge where they pic passengers?

What about the N88? Could a artic be used on that, seems like one is needed.

Edited by Burrstone, 24 June 2012 - 09:49 PM.

[DanTheTransitMan]

There's a thread here where someone (Brett?) asked NICE CEO Mike Setzer at one of the meetings if NICE was going to use Artics... I forget if the answer was they were going to look into it, or they looked into and would not use them.

Some of the runs you would think could use them have tight turns, for instance the N4 has to make almost a u turn in Jamaica after it drops off and then pulls into the bus bay. Can an artic make that turn? Also in Freeport, would an artic be able to make the turn from where the buses layover to otherside of the lirr bridge where they pic passengers?

Couldn't you just move the terminal for the N4 in Jamaica across the street, as for Freeport I don't know what could be done about that.

[Brett]

Artics could work on the N6 (any route), the N22 Limited, the 20 Limited, the N4, the N88, the 40/41 or maybe some others. An Artic going into Hempstead Terminal could serve from one of those parking spots on the side. I would see New Flyer working on Long Island the best. Good design, good reputation, especially with the . I don't like the idea of Double Deckers on Long Island. They just wouldn't fit under the LIRR or highway bridges, and they do look kinda ugly.

There's a thread here where someone (Brett?) asked NICE CEO Mike Setzer at one of the meetings if NICE was going to use Artics... I forget if the answer was they were going to look into it, or they looked into and would not use them.

There is a thread here talking NICE's interest in double deckers...

Some of the runs you would think could use them have tight turns, for instance the N4 has to make almost a u turn in Jamaica after it drops off and then pulls into the bus bay. Can an artic make that turn? Also in Freeport, would an artic be able to make the turn from where the buses layover to otherside of the lirr bridge where they pic passengers?

Yes, I asked NICE about artics and they said they were looking into them, especially New Flyer. They said they were in talks with them. I didn't ask Mike Setzer, but I asked the indian guy.

Edited by Brett, 24 June 2012 - 10:03 PM.

[Cait Sith]

There's a thread here where someone (Brett?) asked NICE CEO Mike Setzer at one of the meetings if NICE was going to use Artics... I forget if the answer was they were going to look into it, or they looked into and would not use them.

There is a thread here talking NICE's interest in double deckers...

Some of the runs you would think could use them have tight turns, for instance the N4 has to make almost a u turn in Jamaica after it drops off and then pulls into the bus bay. Can an artic make that turn? Also in Freeport, would an artic be able to make the turn from where the buses layover to otherside of the lirr bridge where they pic passengers?

What about the N88? Could a artic be used on that, seems like one is needed.

Artics can make the same turns as 40ft buses so its no big deal.

[Joel Up Front]

Couldn't you just move the terminal for the N4 in Jamaica across the street, as for Freeport I don't know what could be done about that.

There's plenty of room along the tracks; it's that tight turn at Main Street and Merrick that it has to manage. Forty-foot buses can barely manage, unless the car waiting to make the left turn is kind enough to back up to give the buses room.

[lilbluefoxie]

Wouldn't it be better to order more standard size buses and just increase the headways on the really busy routes? If I remember correctly the 4 and 6 have headways that are almost city style, like about 8-10 minutes, a few more are pretty close to that at around 15-20 min headways. You can bump those up to like 5-6 min and 10-12 min frequencies.

What works better for passengers, more regular size buses or the same number of buses, just bigger ones?

[Cait Sith]

Wouldn't it be better to order more standard size buses and just increase the headways on the really busy routes? If I remember correctly the 4 and 6 have headways that are almost city style, like about 8-10 minutes, a few more are pretty close to that at around 15-20 min headways. You can bump those up to like 5-6 min and 10-12 min frequencies.

What works better for passengers, more regular size buses or the same number of buses, just bigger ones?

With that really cramped seating configuration they are known to have, you might as well get articulated buses.

[Burrstone]

Wouldn't it be better to order more standard size buses and just increase the headways on the really busy routes?

Obviously it would cost more to increase the number of 40 footers to accommodate the same number of passengers that you would with a artic or double decker.

The bigger the bus, the more passengers, it can accommodate... Using doubles and artics NCE is saving on driver pay! If you could take one driver off that line a day NICE would be saving over a grand a day just in driver pay (at top rate) over a 5 day period! Maybe that driver could be put on another line to cut down on headway there.

If I remember correctly the 4 and 6 have headways that are almost city style, like about 8-10 minutes, a few more are pretty close to that at around 15-20 min headways. You can bump those up to like 5-6 min and 10-12 min frequencies.

What works better for passengers, more regular size buses or the same number of buses, just bigger ones?

It's not a question of if passengers would enjoy less time until the next bus comes, of course they would. In a perfect world we could have every bus on every line come every 5 minutes. It's a question of what NICE can do with the little money they have and what is the best use for that money.for everyone uses the NICE system.

[lilbluefoxie]

It's not a question of if passengers would enjoy less time until the next bus comes, of course they would. In a perfect world we could have every bus on every line come every 5 minutes. It's a question of what NICE can do with the little money they have and what is the best use for that money.for everyone uses the NICE system.

This topic sounded more about fantasy bids rather than what NICE can actually afford, who knows if they even can afford to buy new buses without their parent companies help.

[Joel Up Front]

It'd help a lot more if the traffic lights had better timing. You don't need to hire engineers to see how FUBAR traffic can get with just one mistimed light.

[Burrstone]

This topic sounded more about fantasy bids rather than what NICE can actually afford, who knows if they even can afford to buy new buses without their parent companies help.

Oh jezzzus! I want a space ship picking me up then! ...and the parent company wouldn't be buying buses, grant money does that.

[FamousNYLover]

Artic might be perfect for n20l Limited, but not for local turn unless if artic N20 goes via Station Plaza North, then Station Plaza South.

I think Artic could handle NYIT because Bee-Line Naoplean artic can handle U-turn at Westchester Medical Center's Main Entrance, by hitting curb.

Edited by FamousNYLover, 25 June 2012 - 08:23 AM.

[VWM]

Artics can't fit into RF, so you could only put them on the n22L

But yes. Some routes are in desperate need of artics

[FamousNYLover]

I think Roosevelt Field Mall is almost same size of Westchester Medical Center
and I think it will fit in Bay 7 of Roosevelt Field Mall because Naopolean on Bee-Line #40/#41 handles narrow Westchester Medical Center very well.

[Novabus 5000]

Personally, I could see NICE demoing an XN40/XN60 soon, considering that Orion is now out of the run.