The Service restorations & investments for Jan. 2013 Thread!

[Gotham Bus Co.]

Q30: Is there a frequency reduction east of Springfield Blvd? If so, can the reduced service handle the ridership?

 

The new public timetable is already on the MTA's web site. It looks like they added service overall (i.e. west of Springfield got a nice increase) and then split it between the branches.

 

BTW... QCC's web site already has a full description of the Q30, including a photo of the new destination sign.

[Fresh Pond]

Now with the M9 going up to Bellevue, its pretty much doing exactly what the M21 used to do past Avenue C/14 St. Plus extending it past Park Row pretty much leaves the M103 down there by itself

 

...dont throw out the M22 since that line is a joke within its own or the M5 which is pretty worthless down there.

 

As for this new ENY-Spring Creek route, I really gotta see how this is gonna work since there's pretty much nowhere to turn buses around under the . The B6 barely does it now especially with that new "pedestrian plaza" they stuck in the middle of Ashford St which makes the buses use Cleveland St.

[B35 via Church]

You're right but I can assure you that folks on the South Shore have been asking for more service for a long time now.... I personally think the service can work, but it may need some tweaking... I also don't believe that they think they're going to see tons of riders, but you don't start up a service and then can it. This service was something that Staten Island representatives pushed for and I can assure you of that because it's something that a lot of Staten Islanders complain about... A lack of express bus service and in the case of the South Shore, they do have a gripe because of the long commute. This also lets them see how many much the South Shore really needs express bus service and I also think it helps them to get an idea of where X1 ridership is coming from because the one thing that they have clearly been trying to do is get people off of the X1, even though they've started it up 24/7. They want folks to use the variants as much as possible, which in most cases could be cheaper than running more X1s.

Again, I already know that they've been pressing for more exp. bus service down there....

 

Furthermore, you're making my point for me.... I (also) get the sense that they're doing this to see/gauge how many folks drive up from the south shore to ETC for the x1 or w/e... Rather than extend the x1 down to Tottenville on middays, they chose to do so on the x17.... I mean, you don't start up services on a trial & error basis like that either - especially on a route (17c) that already sees the usage that it does on the current portion of its route....

 

However most of the day Monday-Fridays and Most of Saturdays, it should be buses running every 15-20 minutes similar to pre June 2010.

I don't think the MTA should have even bothered to bring this route back.... I really do think this is more of gesture (towards Williamsburg patrons) than anything; to revert the B39 and have that new route running from WBP to LIC or w/e.....

 

As for this new ENY-Spring Creek route, I really gotta see how this is gonna work since there's pretty much nowhere to turn buses around under the . The B6 barely does it now especially with that new "pedestrian plaza" they stuck in the middle of Ashford St which makes the buses use Cleveland St.

Nowhere to turn em & nowhere really to have buses layover at either, with the current B6's that do so under the el.....

 

I just picked up on that (the spring creek route set to serve the ).... at least I know now where that new route is going on one of its ends....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Again, I already know that they've been pressing for more exp. bus service down there....

 

Furthermore, you're making my point for me.... I (also) get the sense that they're doing this to see/gauge how many folks drive up from the south shore to ETC for the x1 or w/e... Rather than extend the x1 down to Tottenville on middays, they chose to do so on the x17.... I mean, you don't start up services on a trial & error basis like that either - especially on a route (17c) that already sees the usage that it does on the current portion of its route....

 

Well it seems like you're almost saying that the service shouldn't be run... That's why I'm re-iterating what you say you already know. I mean there's no easy answer to the problem, but no service certainly isn't the answer. But isn't that how many services are started up?? By trial & error?? I can see why they chose the X17 also for several reasons... What would be your solution?? You've already said that they're won't be that much ridership down there, so X22s wouldn't be the answer either.

[B35 via Church]

Well it seems like you're almost saying that the service shouldn't be run... That's why I'm re-iterating what you say you already know. I mean there's no easy answer to the problem, but no service certainly isn't the answer. But isn't that how many services are started up?? By trial & error?? I can see why they chose the X17 also for several reasons... What would be your solution?? You've already said that they're won't be that much ridership down there, so X22s wouldn't be the answer either.

 

I don't see what you're getting all confused about..... That is what I'm insinuating; the service shouldn't be run/extended..... And I already said that I don't believe as many people will use the service to justify extending 17's (off peak) all the way out there..... You concurred to that point yourself - "I also don't believe that they think they're going to see tons of riders, but you don't start up a service and then can it." (so don't act like it's just me)....

 

Me saying I already know they've been asking for increased service does not mean I believe that they should be actually given said service... If we were to provide service to any group of people that clamor for it, we'd have service all over the place; locals or expresses.... The question is one of pure quantity; how many people will benefit (and actually use) the service.....Having x22's run off peak wasn't what I was gonna suggest anyway.... My "solution" is to have those people remaining to drive out to ETC for the x1 (or x17)....

 

Not sure what else you want me to tell you....

[qjtransitmaster]

I don't see what you're getting all confused about..... That is what I'm insinuating; the service shouldn't be run/extended..... And I already said that I don't believe as many people will use the service to justify extending 17's (off peak) all the way out there..... You concurred to that point yourself - "I also don't believe that they think they're going to see tons of riders, but you don't start up a service and then can it." (so don't act like it's just me)....

 

Me saying I already know they've been asking for increased service does not mean I believe that they should be actually given said service... If we were to provide service to any group of people that clamor for it, we'd have service all over the place; locals or expresses.... The question is one of pure quantity; how many people will benefit (and actually use) the service.....Having x22's run off peak wasn't what I was gonna suggest anyway.... My "solution" is to have those people remaining to drive out to ETC for the x1 (or x17)....

 

Not sure what else you want me to tell you....

 

mostly they would opt for faster x17. X1 is only useful to hylan blvd.

[B35 via Church]

mostly they would opt for faster x17. X1 is only useful to hylan blvd.

I just threw both options out there for the sake of discussion....

 

But yeah, x1 only useful to hylan blvd? You really should notice x1's out of ETC itself, never mind along richmond av......

[Far Rock Depot]

as far as the B39, yes, buses use to be crowded, but that was because most riders knew when it was showing up. And nowadays, it may be a while before folks realize the bus is back.

for the M9, most dont remember that according to what was stated via pdf's the MTA discovered that more riders utilized the Ave C-Bellvue portion from LES more that from the West Ville, hence the switch with the M21.

ANd im sure you remember my reasoning for weekend M21 service, which will also connects LES residents with the shopping districts on the West Side. It was really frustration using the M8 to the north. Although the M8 could use some weekend service too, but i see the weekend M21 used more.

[User]

Q30: Is there a frequency reduction east of Springfield Blvd? If so, can the reduced service handle the ridership? Eastern Queens is quite elastic, with many car-owners.

 

The new Q30 schedule:

 

http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/queens/q030cur.pdf

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I don't see what you're getting all confused about..... That is what I'm insinuating; the service shouldn't be run/extended..... And I already said that I don't believe as many people will use the service to justify extending 17's (off peak) all the way out there..... You concurred to that point yourself - "I also don't believe that they think they're going to see tons of riders, but you don't start up a service and then can it." (so don't act like it's just me)....

 

Me saying I already know they've been asking for increased service does not mean I believe that they should be actually given said service... If we were to provide service to any group of people that clamor for it, we'd have service all over the place; locals or expresses.... The question is one of pure quantity; how many people will benefit (and actually use) the service.....Having x22's run off peak wasn't what I was gonna suggest anyway.... My "solution" is to have those people remaining to drive out to ETC for the x1 (or x17)....

 

Not sure what else you want me to tell you....

 

I follow you... My reason for thinking that not a lot of folks will use it is simply because it will take time for the ridership to grow, but that doesn't mean that I don't think the service shouldn't be there. It isn't just about them clamoring for service or providing the service just because. I think it's because at this point and time, there is indeed a need for the service. Yes, I don't see folks taking to it immediately but over time I see ridership growing simply because there is nothing else down there #1 and #2 because of the population growth down there. There is a bunch of congestion on Hylan as it is, and if service can be provided to alleviate the amount of congestion due to folks driving to the X1 at the ETC then it should be done. This will also help to alleviate congestion from folks parking around the neigborhood surrounding Yukon Depot and the ETC which is something that folks there have complained about.

 

Adjustments can be made to the service or the routing over time ,but I don't think that extending some X17s runs is going to break the bank since those runs will more than likely be coming from Charleston anyway. It almost seems as if you're saying that because they drive to the X1 already that they should just be satisfied with that and move on when Hylan Blvd becomes more of a parking lot every day. When neighborhoods in the Bronx complained about pollution from buses they responded and in this case having the X17s extended alleviates two problems down in Tottenville and other neighborhoods in Staten Island... Excessive pollution from cars and congestion.

 

I just wonder if you have two sets of standards for suburban neighborhoods vs urban ones...

[B35 via Church]

I follow you... My reason for thinking that not a lot of folks will use it is simply because it will take time for the ridership to grow, but that doesn't mean that I don't think the service shouldn't be there. It isn't just about them clamoring for service or providing the service just because. I think it's because at this point and time, there is indeed a need for the service. Yes, I don't see folks taking to it immediately but over time I see ridership growing simply because there is nothing else down there #1 and #2 because of the population growth down there. There is a bunch of congestion on Hylan as it is, and if service can be provided to alleviate the amount of congestion due to folks driving to the X1 at the ETC then it should be done. This will also help to alleviate congestion from folks parking around the neigborhood surrounding Yukon Depot and the ETC which is something that folks there have complained about.

 

Adjustments can be made to the service or the routing over time ,but I don't think that extending some X17s runs is going to break the bank since those runs will more than likely be coming from Charleston anyway. It almost seems as if you're saying that because they drive to the X1 already that they should just be satisfied with that and move on when Hylan Blvd becomes more of a parking lot every day. When neighborhoods in the Bronx complained about pollution from buses they responded and in this case having the X17s extended alleviates two problems down in Tottenville and other neighborhoods in Staten Island... Excessive pollution from cars and congestion.

 

I just wonder if you have two sets of standards for suburban neighborhoods vs urban ones...

 

Just had to throw that shot in there didn't you..... You were fine with the first 2 paragraphs to make your argument or w/e.....

Why must you try to pull on that card whenever someone got something to say about an express bus you don't agree with.....

I could sit here & "wonder" that same thing about you, but quite frankly this isn't about any double standard....

 

Anyway, you bold "a need for the service".... As opposed to what, there wasn't as much a need for the service back then....

 

Yeah, that's what I'm saying in that last reply....

Alright, you talk about how much of a parking lot Hylan Blvd is; not disputing that..... However, the x1 isn't the only option those commuters have out of ETC.... Now if you wanna tell me the SIE is a parking lot too (which at times it is), then according to that logic, that would nullify your approval for sending either the x1 or the x17..... If I'm convinced that there'd be enough riders to support extending the 17 out there, I'd be just as much for it as you are.... Hell, I'm not even convinced that the people that currently make that commute (the drive to ETC for the express) would give up doing that in any significant number.....

 

You see usage growing over time, I just don't - especially during middays... That's all this little side discussion boils down to.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

 

Just had to throw that shot in there didn't you..... You were fine with the first 2 paragraphs to make your argument or w/e.....

Why must you try to pull on that card whenever someone got something to say about an express bus you don't agree with.....

I could sit here & "wonder" that same thing about you, but quite frankly this isn't about any double standard....

 

Anyway, you bold "a need for the service".... As opposed to what, there wasn't as much a need for the service back then....

 

Yeah, that's what I'm saying in that last reply....

Alright, you talk about how much of a parking lot Hylan Blvd is; not disputing that..... However, the x1 isn't the only option those commuters have out of ETC.... Now if you wanna tell me the SIE is a parking lot too (which at times it is), then according to that logic, that would nullify your approval for sending either the x1 or the x17..... If I'm convinced that there'd be enough riders to support extending the 17 out there, I'd be just as much for it as you are.... Hell, I'm not even convinced that the people that currently make that commute (the drive to ETC for the express) would give up doing that in any significant number.....

 

You see usage growing over time, I just don't - especially during middays... That's all this little side discussion boils down to.

 

Because it's true. There is an attitude that suburban areas don't need their service as much as urban ones because they can simply drive even if there is a ton of congestion. We need to get out of that notion. If the service doesn't work then fine, but to suggest that the status quo should continue isn't the answer either. I don't see why folks on the South Shore would clamor for express bus service just because when they've complained about the local buses down there unless they intended on using it, otherwise there is no point in extending the X17s there and I don't see the just wasting money on service like that just because.

 

And yes times change. The South Shore didn't have a need back then because they didn't have the population growth that they do now, nor the amount of congestion.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

...you don't start up a service and then can it.

 

 

Actually, that happened during the early 1990's with an earlier X30 (South Shore) and the M7 Limited. Both lasted only 6 months.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Q36 schedule is out http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/queens/q036cur.pdf

[checkmatechamp13]

Good question.

I don't know off-top; where is the 2nd to last stop on the current CSI bound S93 ?

 

The question I had/have regarding the S93 inside CSI is... will Brooklyn bound buses make that stop inside CSI (the current one, right as you're just inside the gate)?

 

 

The next-to-last stop is at Victory Blvd & Willow Road East, just before the expressway, next to a park, and across from the library.

 

As much as I hate the SI Advance, they did come in handy this time. They did say that they'll stop at the existing stop coming out of the college (see here). I mean, it makes sense because at that stop, you give everybody (both the riders and regular residents) the option of both routes.

 

I mean, eastbound, they have the stop just outside the gate, and then the stop under the expressway, and then the stop by the library, so logically, it doesn't make sense to have 3 stops in one direction, but only 1 in the other. But I'll keep my eye out for the new stop.

 

Yeah but I think they realize that possibility... That's why they're only doing a few runs to and from Tottenville... The compromise is having the X1 24/7 because most folks would just drive to Tottenville from the Eltingville Transit Center and vice versa when there is no X22 around. I think it's a good idea because Staten Island needs to have less cars on the road where possible, and this seems like a nice test. During the week I could see that service being used. There is no Tottenville service during the weekends when traffic is lighter and fewer people would need express bus service from Tottenville, so them driving to the X1 isn't a big deal... The reason for this I think is because the South Shore is one the fastest growing parts of Staten Island and they've been complaining about a lack of service down there for a while. The can say hey you asked for it and we gave it to you. The community can also come back and ask for the service to be tweaked where possible, but more importantly it's good that the is trying to meet a growing demand for once.

 

 

I swear, every time I propose an extension (or anything you think is an extension, even if it's not), you're ranting about how it's a terrible idea, and I'm obsessed with creating super-routes that are packed and all that crap. Hypocritical much? This is longer than pretty much any extension I've proposed, and this would make it one of the most circuitous routes in the city.

 

Anybody with a car is going to continue to drive to the Eltingville Transit Center. No way is this going to take any cars off the road. I can guarantee you that. From Tottenville to the Eltingville Transit Center is almost a full hour, and then another hour on top of that to reach Manhattan. You can jump on the Richmond Parkway and get to the ETC in about 10-15 minutes. Maybe 20 tops if you count the time needed to find a parking spot.

 

If they really wanted to test the demand, they would just expand the X22 service directly. Add a few later trips in the AM rush, a few earlier trips in the PM rush, and call it a day. Then if those trips fill up, go all-out with X22 midday service.

 

You're meandering, which results in potential for delays for riders further up the route, which make up the core X17 ridership. Why do you think you have a bunch of X17Js that start at the ETC?

 

I follow you... My reason for thinking that not a lot of folks will use it is simply because it will take time for the ridership to grow, but that doesn't mean that I don't think the service shouldn't be there. It isn't just about them clamoring for service or providing the service just because. I think it's because at this point and time, there is indeed a need for the service. Yes, I don't see folks taking to it immediately but over time I see ridership growing simply because there is nothing else down there #1 and #2 because of the population growth down there. There is a bunch of congestion on Hylan as it is, and if service can be provided to alleviate the amount of congestion due to folks driving to the X1 at the ETC then it should be done. This will also help to alleviate congestion from folks parking around the neigborhood surrounding Yukon Depot and the ETC which is something that folks there have complained about.

 

 

The route serves a bunch of neighborhoods that are already car-centric, and it meanders like anything. How much ridership is going to grow? I don't care how fast the growth is on the South Shore. That's just more people that this new route is not serving.

 

Adjustments can be made to the service or the routing over time ,but I don't think that extending some X17s runs is going to break the bank since those runs will more than likely be coming from Charleston anyway. It almost seems as if you're saying that because they drive to the X1 already that they should just be satisfied with that and move on when Hylan Blvd becomes more of a parking lot every day. When neighborhoods in the Bronx complained about pollution from buses they responded and in this case having the X17s extended alleviates two problems down in Tottenville and other neighborhoods in Staten Island... Excessive pollution from cars and congestion.

 

 

Those midday buses have to turn around, so no, there wouldn't be that much saved on deadheading. Aside from that, even if the bus is a put-in, you're talking about 5 minutes to the Tottenville terminal compared to 10 minutes to the Huguenot terminal.

 

I just wonder if you have two sets of standards for suburban neighborhoods vs urban ones...

 

 

That is so much bullshit it's not even funny. He's advocated for as many improvements in suburban areas as he has urban areas. I won't even bother listing the examples because there's just too many of them. Unless by "urban" you mean Black & Hispanic, in which case you'd still be wrong.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

 

 

Actually, that happened during the early 1990's with an earlier X30 (South Shore) and the M7 Limited. Both lasted only 6 months.

 

Completely different times.... They should try out the service and listen to the communities to see how to improve it. Allan Cappelli thinks the service improvements are great for Staten Island and I agree. For all of the shit people throw on Staten Island, they should take advantage of everything they can get.

[Shortline Bus]

Completely different times.... They should try out the service and listen to the communities to see how to improve it. Allan Cappelli thinks the service improvements are great for Staten Island and I agree. For all of the shit people throw on Staten Island, they should take advantage of everything they can get.

 

 

And what wrong with "trial service runs" VG8? MTA/NYCT is only major bus/subway mass transit agency in America that does not try TRIALS for new routes. For instance *cough cough* you can have a 6-month trial for following

 

1)Run the subway full service weekends between Metro Ave and Forest Hills appx. 6am-11pm.

 

2)Run the BXM7 overnights with 60-90 minute headways between 1-5am making Coop City/NW Bronx riders happy.

 

3)Run the S93 on Saturdays.

[Cait Sith]

Yeah they must've just put this up... The X1 service was a bit hard to follow at first, but I think I figured it out... This is the first time an express bus has had full overnight service so my eyes have to make an adjustment... Nevertheless, I like it! I think it could be the start of something... I think I'll put up my X1 sign in celebration.

 

 

What I mean by the x1 not being on the pick boards is that it wasn't for this pick....same with the S76 weekend service. Every other S.I extension/modification was at the pick boards at Charleston. I don't think those two will start on the 20th/22nd.

 

Now with the M9 going up to Bellevue, its pretty much doing exactly what the M21 used to do past Avenue C/14 St. Plus extending it past Park Row pretty much leaves the M103 down there by itself

 

...dont throw out the M22 since that line is a joke within its own or the M5 which is pretty worthless down there.

 

 

I wouldn't say that about the M103. After all, the M103 doesn't really pick up a lot at City Hall to begin with. As for the M22, that line is separate from those because it serves the far east side with the working class, hospital patients and BMCC students. It's definitely not a joke.

 

But the retarded reroutes they did with the route....so terrible smh.

[checkmatechamp13]

And what wrong with "trial service runs" VG8? MTA/NYCT is only major bus/subway mass transit agency in America that does not try TRIALS for new routes. For instance *cough cough* you can have a 6-month trial for following

 

1)Run the subway full service weekends between Metro Ave and Forest Hills appx. 6am-11pm.

 

2)Run the BXM7 overnights with 60-90 minute headways between 1-5am making Coop City/NW Bronx riders happy.

 

3)Run the S93 on Saturdays.

 

 

Well, to be fair, a 6 month trial might not necessarily be enough. You'd probably need at least a year to really build up that solid ridership base.

 

And going a little off-topic, but I was technically a CSI student when I took College Now. I can assure you that CSI itself wouldn't be a large enough ridership generator. Sure, there are a couple of classes in the morning, and their library sees somewhat decent usage, but it wouldn't be worth running the route. (Personally, I think those weekend short-turns would see more usage if they were extended to Richmond Avenue. There's definitely enough layover time for it). I think running the S83 on weekends and having everybody transfer to the S62 would benefit more people.

 

Now, getting back to the X17, if the MTA is really intent on serving that Pleasant Plains Park & Ride, what they could possibly do is just send alternate buses there during the midday. Half terminate at Huguenot & Woodrow, and half terminate at the park-and-ride (just go down Drumgoogle, get on the Richmond Parkway, and then make their way to the park-and-ride. They could even toss in a stop by Foster Road if they want).

 

But then again, there's a park-and-ride at the Huguenot SIR station anyway, so unless it's overcrowded, I think the MTA might just be better off encouraging use of the parking lot at Huguenot instead. That's it. The park-and-ride was a failure. They could run some sort of X17J service via the West Shore Expressway (I'd prefer it take the X19 route, though I can see the logic behind having it work backwards from the ETC). Then, you have your ready-built off-peak service with the regular X17Cs. You don't have to screw the X22 riders by having it serve Tottenville, and then loop in and out of the park-and-ride. (You could still keep the trips that go directly onto the WSE, though, via the park-and-ride).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

And what wrong with "trial service runs" VG8? MTA/NYCT is only major bus/subway mass transit agency in America that does not try TRIALS for new routes. For instance *cough cough* you can have a 6-month trial for following

 

1)Run the subway full service weekends between Metro Ave and Forest Hills appx. 6am-11pm.

 

2)Run the BXM7 overnights with 60-90 minute headways between 1-5am making Coop City/NW Bronx riders happy.

 

3)Run the S93 on Saturdays.

 

Six months would not be enough time to gauge whether the service would work or not and I also don't think that every void can be filled, but there are some instances where things should be tried out and not with the idea of it being a trial. The problem with trials is you don't want to get peoples' hopes up with service and then take it away so if it's going to be done, it needs to be for the long run and if every option is tried and nothing works then you pull the service. This whole BS about not extending service to an area because people drive to get it further up makes no sense because the idea is to get people out of their cars, not encourage them to keep driving to the bus and clogging up Hylan Blvd further unnecessarily. Now if they ran X22s down there during that time, that I would have a problem with because those buses would be not well used overall, but extending X17s down there is a whole different story. Even if you only get some riders, you know that service overall won't be wasted and over time it gives you a chance to tweak the service to better meet the needs of folks in Tottenville and also to see the ridership habits of Tottenville without burning tons of money running half empty X22s as opposed to fuller X17s. The gets it wrong sometimes and yes the route meanders, but they can fix that if it doesn't work. What's important here is that they're trying to do something with limited funds for an area that has historically been underserved and starved of transit. Now what I would do is if folks are still driving up to the ETC then you've got to find a way to work out the route and market it so that they actually use it because you already know that folks from Tottenville are driving to the ETC, so it's already known that there's a market for the bus because they're already driving to it. The BM3 used to spend a good 15 minutes just meandering about in Sheepshead, which was ridiculous, and then they straightened out the route so that it was more reasonable. That may make the difference here, but again time will tell.

 

As for your ideas above they're good ones, esp. the S93. I see plenty of CSI students piling on to the S53 on Saturdays and this would save them from making another transfer and certainly speed up their commutes.

 

The BxM7 I am not sure about because it has been losing ridership due to the recession, so I would wait a bit before committing to 24/7 service and maybe add a run or two more.

 

The could obviously use some improvements on weekends... Rather ridiculous the way the current set up is.

[bobtehpanda]

I like the new Q36 (although personally I would've extended the Q12 instead, but that's for another time and another place...).

 

Part of the reason why the Q79 was so poorly used was that it doesn't connect to anything. It was basically a glorified LIRR shuttle (and one that wasn't particularly frequent, nor timed with the train), and if you could afford a LIRR pass to the station, you could probably afford to drive in and park. Ridership should pick up once people find out about the service and realize that there's a new connection to Jamaica.

 

If the L is at capacity on weekends (which it usually is) the least they could do is run the M into Manhattan.

[Turbo19]

This whole BS about not extending service to an area because people drive to get it further up makes no sense because the idea is to get people out of their cars, not encourage them to keep driving to the bus

 

In retrospect, I'm somewhat shocked more don't share this viewpoint, but moving on...

[Threxx]

Looking at the new schedules, I like how the MTA executed these extensions/restored routes, especially the Q36. The current scheduling I find gives Little Neck Parkway quite a bit of service, so they aren't skimping out at all.

 

As for the whole trial thing, why wouldn't 6 months be enough time to test the route? New Yorkers are intuitive and would catch on to the change quickly. I find that 6 months might be TOO LONG of a timeframe to test a new route...

[User]

Looking at the new schedules, I like how the MTA executed these extensions/restored routes, especially the Q36. The current scheduling I find gives Little Neck Parkway quite a bit of service, so they aren't skimping out at all.

 

As for the whole trial thing, why wouldn't 6 months be enough time to test the route? New Yorkers are intuitive and would catch on to the change quickly. I find that 6 months might be TOO LONG of a timeframe to test a new route...

 

i think hourly service along Little Neck Pkwy would have cut it and the may be providing a bit too much service.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

In retrospect, I'm somewhat shocked more don't share this viewpoint, but moving on...

 

Shocked about what?

 

Looking at the new schedules, I like how the MTA executed these extensions/restored routes, especially the Q36. The current scheduling I find gives Little Neck Parkway quite a bit of service, so they aren't skimping out at all.

 

As for the whole trial thing, why wouldn't 6 months be enough time to test the route? New Yorkers are intuitive and would catch on to the change quickly. I find that 6 months might be TOO LONG of a timeframe to test a new route...

 

Simple... Travel patterns can change during parts of the year. For example, it's a known fact that during the summer months, ridership can be lower, so if the service was started in the summer, you'd be looking at say 2 months where you may not get a true indicator of the potential ridership on a route. Also, while New Yorkers are savvy, they're also creatures of habit so a new route takes time to get adjusted to and if what they use currently works it may take them a while to switch over to something that they're unfamiliar with, esp. if the route isn't that frequent. That's why I said in the case of the X17 being extended to Tottenville, initially folks may not gravitate to it because they're already used to driving, so they may have to adjust the routing to attract more folks to use the service to sell the idea of them leaving their cars at home. The other issue I just thought of with the X17 extension is you don't have any real late night service back to Tottenville, so if let's say I took the 15:15 out of Tottenville and I'm coming back late the only way I leave the car home is if I'm getting picked up, otherwise it's still better for me to drive. However, I still believe it's a start in the right direction for the reasons I mentioned previously. It has potential and you can't keep finding reasons not to run to service. Try it out and then adjust it as needed.

 

It's know that ridership overall during the day isn't that great in general, but that doesn't mean that you don't run any service at all. The is here to provide service and if there's a potential market (which in this case is already known) then they should try to fill that void, of course being as fiscally responsible as possible. I would have to imagine that the X17 extension would still be cheaper than running full X22s for those runs and because Charleston is closer than Yukon is for the extension, they save a bit there too since most X17s now run out of Charleston now anyway during the week.