We Still Need to Reinvent the MTA

[BrooklynBus]

http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2015/03/commute-still-need-reinvent-mta/

[MTA Dude]

It's getting really crazy now.

 

Fire everybody and hire more responsible people. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It's getting really crazy now.

 

Fire everybody and hire more responsible people. 

I've been saying forever that the standards need to be raised at the . I don't think passing a test should be enough. It creates an environment of a revolving door, which is precisely what you have at the .

[NewFlyer 230]

I totally agree on this article. The MTA's way of running service is dumb. The example I always bring up is the Q17's having many buses terminating at Fresh Meadows 188th street while buses going to Jamaica shows up late packed and bunched. Many people are looking for Jamaica not Fresh Meadows which is a frustration to many riders because they many a times have to wait up to twenty minutes for a Q17 to Jamaica which shows up crushed loaded and bunched. This usually happens between 2PM and 5PM.

 

I tracked the Q56 on bustime on Saturday at around 9PM. This route is suppose to run every 20 minutes at that time. There was no bus at all heading to Jamaica 170th street except for one that was one stop away from it's terminal. There was only on bus heading to East NY. Same pretty much happens with the Q24. I don't get why the MTA thinks they can cut so many corners with service. Then they have the nerve to charge an extra $.25 for the bus. $2.50 was perfect because I could have an even $5 $10 $15 and $20 without worrying about a quarter. If you are going to charge me more can you at least provide decent service. I've noticed lately that Queens service has gotten worst. The Q44 bunching up with 6 buses this past Saturday, the Q88 not showing up for 30 minutes during rush hour,even the Q26 which runs rush hour only failed to show up for close to an hour.

[BrooklynBus]

I've been saying forever that the standards need to be raised at the . I don't think passing a test should be enough. It creates an environment of a revolving door, which is precisely what you have at the .

Most analysts and managers don't take any tests. Civil service now only exists for unionized jobs.

[BrooklynBus]

I totally agree on this article. The MTA's way of running service is dumb. The example I always bring up is the Q17's having many buses terminating at Fresh Meadows 188th street while buses going to Jamaica shows up late packed and bunched. Many people are looking for Jamaica not Fresh Meadows which is a frustration to many riders because they many a times have to wait up to twenty minutes for a Q17 to Jamaica which shows up crushed loaded and bunched. This usually happens between 2PM and 5PM.

I tracked the Q56 on bustime on Saturday at around 9PM. This route is suppose to run every 20 minutes at that time. There was no bus at all heading to Jamaica 170th street except for one that was one stop away from it's terminal. There was only on bus heading to East NY. Same pretty much happens with the Q24. I don't get why the MTA thinks they can cut so many corners with service. Then they have the nerve to charge an extra $.25 for the bus. $2.50 was perfect because I could have an even $5 $10 $15 and $20 without worrying about a quarter. If you are going to charge me more can you at least provide decent service. I've noticed lately that Queens service has gotten worst. The Q44 bunching up with 6 buses this past Saturday, the Q88 not showing up for 30 minutes during rush hour,even the Q26 which runs rush hour only failed to show up for close to an hour.

What's even worse is how they resist improving service levels insisting no additional passengers would use the route if service were improved. A prime example are the 20 minute headways on the Q101 which operates on the major Steinway Street. The poor service s a big impediment to people wanting to ride the route so they choose longer trips on other routes. If this route were in Brooklyn, it would operate at every 10 minutes. It is operates at 20 minute headways only because it was inherited that way from Steinway Transit.

 

Funny how they don't use existing usage as a guide to determining bicycle paths. The assumption is if you build it they will come. Why doesn't that philosophy apply to bus routes? The MTA doesn't even make an estimate of potential ridership. They only consider operating costs and assume the buses will all run empty when they add or extend service because they never consider the relationship between ridership and revenue. The converse is also true. When they cut service in 2010, they just looked at operating cost savings and assume all riders will redistribute themselves among other routes, not that any woud switch to gypsy vans or stop making the trip.

[NewFlyer 230]

I hope this issue is brought to their attention and they listen to it. The QM3 is an infamous example of a route that should have gotten increased service but still continues to be looked over. It has had three trips for I believe 15+ years well into the Queens Surface days. It is also sad how the Q44 the highest used route in Queens a little behind the Q58 has 6 buses bunched with Q20's packed to the brim showing up late because they have to pick up people. It probably is because the whitestone bridge but when that happens a Q44 LTD should be ran from Flushing and to Jamaica and back. They don't think smart and therefore the routes lose ridership and they are quick to cut service.

[Cait Sith]

I totally agree on this article. The MTA's way of running service is dumb. The example I always bring up is the Q17's having many buses terminating at Fresh Meadows 188th street while buses going to Jamaica shows up late packed and bunched. Many people are looking for Jamaica not Fresh Meadows which is a frustration to many riders because they many a times have to wait up to twenty minutes for a Q17 to Jamaica which shows up crushed loaded and bunched. This usually happens between 2PM and 5PM.

 

That's not that big of a deal, that's the peak of the rush hour and that's exactly what that was designed for. Most Jamaica Bound buses empty out just before Union Turnpike. Most of the trips empty out between Sanford and Fresh Meadows. The blame also has to go to Kissena Blvd traffic because it's horrendous between 2 and 7PM, same goes for the HH Expressway Service Roads on some days. The Q25 and Q34 have it much worse than the Q17.

 

The one thing about those Q17s to 188th is that they get really packed....and most empty out just before 164th and HH Expressway. The amount of people that mistakenly take that and then have to wait for a Q17 to Jamaica is relatively small.

 

I hope this issue is brought to their attention and they listen to it. The QM3 is an infamous example of a route that should have gotten increased service but still continues to be looked over. It has had three trips for I believe 15+ years well into the Queens Surface days. It is also sad how the Q44 the highest used route in Queens a little behind the Q58 has 6 buses bunched with Q20's packed to the brim showing up late because they have to pick up people. It probably is because the whitestone bridge but when that happens a Q44 LTD should be ran from Flushing and to Jamaica and back. They don't think smart and therefore the routes lose ridership and they are quick to cut service.

Running Q44s from Flushing to Jamaica can pose problems, as you would have missing buses from The Bronx. The Bronx portion of the route is a pretty high ridership generator and by doing that, you're giving them a reason to cut service. It's a double-edged sword with the Q44.

 

Then you gotta remember on school days, it shows up both late and packed because the line does stop at 3 schools, causing delays and massive bunching, same goes for the Q20s. Those two lines are better in the summer than they are during school season and I avoid them like the plague.

 

At one point, I was thinking that the school trippers that they run should run to 14th Avenue in Whitestone as well as down to Merrick Blvd. There's not much they can really do with the Q44, more buses = more bunching, cutting service due to delays = missing buses and longer waits, changing schedules = more bunching and more packed buses. Things happen along the line that causes the delays, which the TA can't really be blamed for.

 

As for the QM3, if folks had been more vocal about service increases, service would be increased, but those Douglaston/Little Neck folk aren't as vocal as one would think.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

As for the QM3, if folks had been more vocal about service increases, service would be increased, but those Douglaston/Little Neck folk aren't as vocal as one would think.

I don't think that's the case at all.  It's a combination of the fact that the LIRR is nearby along with the QM5 and QM6.  Little Neck/Douglaston people are too busy taking the LIRR to worry about the QM3.  I get the impression that they alternate similar to way some folks do in Riverdale.  Where possible, they take MNRR, and where necessary, they'll use the BxM1, BxM2 or BxM18.

[NewFlyer 230]

That's not that big of a deal, that's the peak of the rush hour and that's exactly what that was designed for. Most Jamaica Bound buses empty out just before Union Turnpike. Most of the trips empty out between Sanford and Fresh Meadows. The blame also has to go to Kissena Blvd traffic because it's horrendous between 2 and 7PM, same goes for the HH Expressway Service Roads on some days. The Q25 and Q34 have it much worse than the Q17.

 

The one thing about those Q17s to 188th is that they get really packed....and most empty out just before 164th and HH Expressway. The amount of people that mistakenly take that and then have to wait for a Q17 to Jamaica is relatively small.

 

Running Q44s from Flushing to Jamaica can pose problems, as you would have missing buses from The Bronx. The Bronx portion of the route is a pretty high ridership generator and by doing that, you're giving them a reason to cut service. It's a double-edged sword with the Q44.

 

Then you gotta remember on school days, it shows up both late and packed because the line does stop at 3 schools, causing delays and massive bunching, same goes for the Q20s. Those two lines are better in the summer than they are during school season and I avoid them like the plague.

 

At one point, I was thinking that the school trippers that they run should run to 14th Avenue in Whitestone as well as down to Merrick Blvd. There's not much they can really do with the Q44, more buses = more bunching, cutting service due to delays = missing buses and longer waits, changing schedules = more bunching and more packed buses. Things happen along the line that causes the delays, which the TA can't really be blamed for.

 

As for the QM3, if folks had been more vocal about service increases, service would be increased, but those Douglaston/Little Neck folk aren't as vocal as one would think.

As far as the Q17's go I see them packed until Hillside Ave and they empty out along Hillside. Yes people are getting off but on a typical school day the Q17 is packed. Those short turn buses while I do see why they are there I think since most of the who get on at Utopia by mistake they should all run to Jamaica. Hillside is where the bus runs empty. Any other time yes they empty out on 188th street. I go to school not far from 188th street and Horace Harding and many people from the Middle the two High Schools and other schools wait there and sometimes there are big crowds waiting well over twenty minutes while we see those short turns buses ending there.

It's is a shame how Flushing traffic pretty much slows down any route going through there.

 

Referring to the Q44 I don't know if you understood what I was trying to say because I rushed the post. I was saying since the Whitestone bridge gets backed up causing delays on the Q44 there should be special Q44's starting at Flushing going to Jamaica and then perhaps to the Bronx and eventually back to the depot. The amount of traffic the Q44 encounters during its route slows it down heavily and the Q20 has to pick all those people up and that gets slowed down as well. I am not sure how it would work but it never hurts to try right?

 

I wonder what is the deal with that Q56 though. You said the Q56 is not as bad as the Q24/Q41 it's not that far away from them. Maybe the fact it parallel's the takes away the fact that it's sucks. Weekdays it is not bad but on the Weekends it's over. Buses don't show up they are bunched up and I see many walk up the stairs to the . It's crazy that I can see only one bus in each direction and the bus is scheduled to come every 20 minutes and it doesn't show up for 35+ minutes.

[limitednyc]

most of the stated problems are operational. The 17 is based on  ridership patterned as stated .

[B35 via Church]

What plagues the Q56, simply put, is slow movement/crawling along Jamaica av under the el, and the amt. of traffic along Jamaica beginning around the Van Wyck, en route to 170th (weekdays moreso than weekends).... On the weekends (well saturdays afternoons & evenings anyway), the stretch between Arlington av & the JRP (jackie robinson) entrance end up being chokepoints (B'way Junction bound)... This is the very source of what NewFlyer is talking about; I've been through that enough times this year alone on the Q56 to know that is the root cause of (Jamaica bound) Q56's arriving in bunches, or buses seeming like they went M.I. damn A.....

 

It's not about subpar service on the Q56 because of the existence of the .....

[B35 via Church]

As far as the Q101, that route has no business having hawk trips, for starters.... Also, they can get away with 20 min. headways on that route, due to the fact that shoppers are coming off the there, or coming off the & xferring to Q104's or Q18's for Steinway... That is the part of the problem with the Q101 - it doesn't bring in much of any residents of/from other areas to commercial Steinway st on its own merits.... Instead of people disembarking at Queensboro Plaza or Queens Plaza subway stations & xferring for the Q101, ppl. often do what I just described there in blue....

 

It doesn't do much for residents along/around Steinway either, because they too can (and do) take the 104 or the 18 (the 66, not so much, which has no business even running to QBP, but that's another topic for another time) to the almighty Astoria line.... Who the hell wants to get caught up in Queens Plaza north (which is really Queens Blvd/Van Dam) traffic down there where Northern begins/ends before you can even hit the QBP subway station.... Part of the reason the Astoria line is the sardine can that is it now....

 

I would have to agree with the MTA in this particular case, if it's about boosting headways [not] yielding increased ridership (it's not like the B25, for example, as far as increased service having a better chance at bringing in increased riders along commercial Fulton; but that's largely due to how the Fulton [subway] line runs, and folks becoming/are fed up with it).... Have this route (Q101) run on 10 min. headways for example & the only thing I'd have to conclude that would yield is emptier (and bunched) buses.... The route simply doesn't serve much of any communities...

 

And I've said this for years about the Q101.... It running to/from Manhattan is nothing more than supplementary service (to the Q32 & Q60, which are both far more sought after) to get over to QBP)... That's all it is, these days..... Steinway (the neighborhood) & others that live around Steinway st aren't the ones taking Q101's to Manhattan all that much..... It's those waiting along that Queens Plz. N. stop waiting for *a bus*, if they need that general area of Manhattan (East Midtown)...

 

....The Q101 happens to be 1 of 3 choices, and if it arrives first over the other 2, so be it.

 

 

I can break down routes like this all day.

[MTA Dude]

I got an idea for school trippers. Run them and pick up would only be areas around schools, then you drop them off and the run is over.

 

Really doubt this will work though.

[Cait Sith]

Referring to the Q44 I don't know if you understood what I was trying to say because I rushed the post. I was saying since the Whitestone bridge gets backed up causing delays on the Q44 there should be special Q44's starting at Flushing going to Jamaica and then perhaps to the Bronx and eventually back to the depot. The amount of traffic the Q44 encounters during its route slows it down heavily and the Q20 has to pick all those people up and that gets slowed down as well. I am not sure how it would work but it never hurts to try right?

 

Now I understand what you mean, but it still may cause issues because then, it'll be a matter of where those buses are going to come from, and that requires some proper planning in which you and I both know is not the strong suit of the agency. At times when the Q44 is severely delayed on the Whitestone, some take the Throgs Neck.

 

The whole Bronx portion of the 44 is a clusterf-ck as well considering that the Cross Bronx Service roads gets slammed pretty hard and the area around Parkchester is a hot mess in itself and they really gotta do something about that.