news MTA seeks public input on West Side, Staten Island bus routes

[Harry]

 

The MTA wants the public’s input on two bus routes — one along Manhattan’s West Side, the other an express from Staten Island to Midtown — that it plans to add in September. A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Manhattan headquarters at 347 Madison Ave. The proposed M12 line would make local stops between Columbus Circle and the West Village seven days a week, with buses every 30 minutes between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The new X21 would be a rush-hour special running between Richmond Ave. at Hylan Blvd. in Eltingville, Staten Island, to First Ave. and 42nd St.

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[T J Trainman]

They SERIOUSLY need to kill the 30 min gap between buses or else it will never work 15-20 mins is more than enough time. Smh.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

They SERIOUSLY need to kill the 30 min gap between buses or else it will never work 15-20 mins is more than enough time. Smh.

Running a local bus every 30 minutes even with BusTime may not attract enough riders.  The perfect example is the M50.  I know the schedule by heart on the weekends, and track the buses on BusTime whenever I do need it on Saturday or Sunday, and it's a bus that I generally will not wait for unless I know one is coming soon or I have Whole Foods bags and don't feel like schlepping with them, otherwise, I just walk to where I'm going.  The gaps in between buses sometimes are more than 30 minutes if there's traffic, so it really isn't worth the wait unless I'm in the mood to stop at a café and have a macchiato or an espresso with a snack and lounge, but that's not something most people are going to do for a local bus but rather an express bus or a commuter train.  

 

With that said though, if this is really the service that the wants to provide on some of these new local bus routes and restored local bus routes, they really can't expect people to use these lines a lot.  I think they really need to do more to get buses on time because some lines just have insane gaps.  The one line that I think has some of the worst gaps is the M5.  I used it Sunday, and the bus I got was the ONLY bus anywhere near the Upper West Side.  The next bus was a good 40 minutes away based on its location.  Meanwhile, I counted a good 5 buses going Northbound running almost in a pack, not including any other Northbound buses.  Really ridiculous.  They have a market that they simple aren't doing anything to improve.  The M2's also bunch terribly. You have two or three of them running together and then nothing for almost 40 minutes.  

 

The only reason ridership is growing on the subways is because people either don't want to pay to sit in traffic in taxis, or they are just fed up with waiting for unreliable buses.  The subways quite frankly aren't that much better with the constant delays and signal problems.  

[B35 via Church]

The riders will utilize the x21 regardless, I wouldn't worry too much about that (garnering ridership)...

 

For anyone wishing to use the M12 though, the lot of them should bring up a southward extension past abingdon square... I'd say that's first & foremost.... Too many people would have to walk to utilize the route to get to columbus circle... That's kinda-sorta the problem w/ the M11 now....

[ACEVE14]

Is the MTA moving the public hearing to today or leaving it to next month?

[Q43LTD]

The riders will utilize the x21 regardless, I wouldn't worry too much about that (garnering ridership)...

 

For anyone wishing to use the M12 though, the lot of them should bring up a southward extension past abingdon square... I'd say that's first & foremost.... Too many people would have to walk to utilize the route to get to columbus circle... That's kinda-sorta the problem w/ the M11 now....

I've said it before and I'll say it again, 72 to Battery Park would be ideal. But they need to get rid of this 30 minute headway thing...

[qjtransitmaster]

Running a local bus every 30 minutes even with BusTime may not attract enough riders.  The perfect example is the M50.  I know the schedule by heart on the weekends, and track the buses on BusTime whenever I do need it on Saturday or Sunday, and it's a bus that I generally will not wait for unless I know one is coming soon or I have Whole Foods bags and don't feel like schlepping with them, otherwise, I just walk to where I'm going.  The gaps in between buses sometimes are more than 30 minutes if there's traffic, so it really isn't worth the wait unless I'm in the mood to stop at a café and have a macchiato or an espresso with a snack and lounge, but that's not something most people are going to do for a local bus but rather an express bus or a commuter train.  

 

With that said though, if this is really the service that the wants to provide on some of these new local bus routes and restored local bus routes, they really can't expect people to use these lines a lot.  I think they really need to do more to get buses on time because some lines just have insane gaps.  The one line that I think has some of the worst gaps is the M5.  I used it Sunday, and the bus I got was the ONLY bus anywhere near the Upper West Side.  The next bus was a good 40 minutes away based on its location.  Meanwhile, I counted a good 5 buses going Northbound running almost in a pack, not including any other Northbound buses.  Really ridiculous.  They have a market that they simple aren't doing anything to improve.  The M2's also bunch terribly. You have two or three of them running together and then nothing for almost 40 minutes.  

 

The only reason ridership is growing on the subways is because people either don't want to pay to sit in traffic in taxis, or they are just fed up with waiting for unreliable buses.  The subways quite frankly aren't that much better with the constant delays and signal problems.  

reliable buses simply are hard to come by in Manhattan unless they are express buses kinda sad actually.

The riders will utilize the x21 regardless, I wouldn't worry too much about that (garnering ridership)...

 

For anyone wishing to use the M12 though, the lot of them should bring up a southward extension past abingdon square... I'd say that's first & foremost.... Too many people would have to walk to utilize the route to get to columbus circle... That's kinda-sorta the problem w/ the M11 now....

5 trips at rush trust me that won't last long service will improve very quickly on it.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

reliable buses simply are hard to come by in Manhattan unless they are express buses kinda sad actually.

 

5 trips at rush trust me that won't last long service will improve very quickly on it.

Well, it's Staten Island. They'll use their express buses (they're very vocal anyways).

[B35 via Church]

5 trips at rush trust me that won't last long service will improve very quickly on it.

TBH, I'm not as worried about its service levels, as much as I am where the route is running to.....

(the proposal, as is.... they can easily justify 30 min headways)

 

While I'm not sayin run it to battery park city, I do think ending it w/ the M21 makes far more sense than ending it with/around the M11....

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, 72 to Battery Park would be ideal. But they need to get rid of this 30 minute headway thing...

I think the M6 should have done that, before that got discontinued.... Not this far west side route....

[aemoreira81]

The M12 really should be a southern extension of the M31 if you ask me. There is overlap on the 57 Street ends. One could do 20 minute headways for about the same cost. Also, the northbound bus should use 11 Avenue north of 44 Street.

 

As for the X21...I would say that it is long overdue after the 2010 cuts to the X1.

[B35 via Church]

The M12 really should be a southern extension of the M31 if you ask me. There is overlap on the 57 Street ends. One could do 20 minute headways for about the same cost. Also, the northbound bus should use 11 Avenue north of 44 Street.

 

As for the X21...I would say that it is long overdue after the 2010 cuts to the X1.

1) 57th street having the M57 & the M31 running along it has nothing to do with where the west side route should run....

This is segueing into that whole route consolidation bit along 57th st (yet again), which is an entirely different discussion.....

 

2) The M31 is slow as shit along York & along 57th, and you think sending it southward to abingdon square should really happen.... What did Yorkville & UES riders of that route ever do to you.....