The Official Systematic Merger: NYCT/MTA Bus

[Q43LTD]

I believe the Q44MS was supposed to be the Q71 until it was eliminated

[NewFlyer 230]

I believe the Q44MS was supposed to be the Q71 until it was eliminated

Yes you are correct. It was eliminated in 1986. Those folks over there didn't want bus service and just had that one southbound Q44 stop which is gone now because people barely got off there.

[East New York]

 

On one of my regular trips to ENY a few days ago, I got a bit of an update on the new command center project. 

 

As of now things are on track for a timely completion, and MTA expects the facility to operational by 2018. The new East New York facility will now be complete by May/June 2017. 

 

Afther that, MTA will begin the process of merging they system operstions of the 2 bus divisions. Each and every bus throughout the entire MTA fleet will then be retrofitted with new radio systems which will all share the same frequency unlike now. The current MTAB headquarters is College Point Depot. Once the merger of systems is complete, central dispatch and command for all surface transit will be located with the ENY Command Ctr. 

 

With this merger, there will no longer be a need for dispatchers for both divisions. It is unlear at this time how MTA will merege dispatch operations, or how seniority will work

[East New York]

In accordance with what I previously posted, It is now official, and the preliminary details of the bus radio system are now confirmed!

 

The New York City Transit Authority of behalf of TA/OA and MTA Bus will award a contract for the new unified bus radio system. All systematic operations for MTA Bus Company will in fact fall under NYC Transit command. As expected, Bus Company will become the MaBSTOA of the 21st Century.

 

Will MTA Bus titles be dropped for NYC BUS in the future??? Only time will tell! 

 

Edited February 21, 2016 by East New York

[Daniel The Cool]

That's good.

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

Would it make sense to just hand the whole bus operation (both NYCT and MTAB) over to the DOT? Given they own the roads the buses run on and control stop placement they have more than enough skin in the game to be operating the buses on their own terms. It would also lower the need for MTA funding since the city would have to come up with the cash for the buses and the MTA would just have to worry about the subway, commuter rails and bridges and tunnels. The DOT is the major force behind the SBS push so instead of having to go through and work with the MTA they can just do their thing.

[NewFlyer 230]

Besides the radio system being merged together as well as buses saying "New York City Bus" or staying the same what else is this merger going to do.

Two things I can think of is those old metal signs being replaced in Queens with the modern ones and routes being able to swap between depots which might not happen because they are different unions. There are some routes that really should be moved to save money such as the Q112 to Jamaica and Q64 to Casey Stengel.

[RailBus63]

Would it make sense to just hand the whole bus operation (both NYCT and MTAB) over to the DOT? Given they own the roads the buses run on and control stop placement they have more than enough skin in the game to be operating the buses on their own terms. It would also lower the need for MTA funding since the city would have to come up with the cash for the buses and the MTA would just have to worry about the subway, commuter rails and bridges and tunnels. The DOT is the major force behind the SBS push so instead of having to go through and work with the MTA they can just do their thing.

 

No.  MTA RBO is not perfect (no government agency is) but it is one of the best-operated bus transit agencies in North America.  NYCDOT had their chance and let private lines like Triboro and Green Bus fall apart.  Why should they be given a chance to ruin the rest of the New York bus system?

Edited February 20, 2016 by RailBus63

[Blitz]

Would it make sense to just hand the whole bus operation (both NYCT and MTAB) over to the DOT? Given they own the roads the buses run on and control stop placement they have more than enough skin in the game to be operating the buses on their own terms. It would also lower the need for MTA funding since the city would have to come up with the cash for the buses and the MTA would just have to worry about the subway, commuter rails and bridges and tunnels. The DOT is the major force behind the SBS push so instead of having to go through and work with the MTA they can just do their thing.

If this really made any sense, MTAB would not exist. The private lines would have remained private and contacted by DOT.

[East New York]

Would it make sense to just hand the whole bus operation (both NYCT and MTAB) over to the DOT? Given they own the roads the buses run on and control stop placement they have more than enough skin in the game to be operating the buses on their own terms. It would also lower the need for MTA funding since the city would have to come up with the cash for the buses and the MTA would just have to worry about the subway, commuter rails and bridges and tunnels. The DOT is the major force behind the SBS push so instead of having to go through and work with the MTA they can just do their thing.

 

Blitz explained it much better than I would have! lol. Clearly if this made any since at all there would be no such agency as MTA Bus Company or New York City Transit for that matter. MaBSTOA would have never been created either. MTA is the most efficient agency for it's size, and runs thing much better than the city did alone. MTA was created for a reason. You just set us back 75 years! 

 

Besides the radio system being merged together as well as buses saying "New York City Bus" or staying the same what else is this merger going to do.

Two things I can think of is those old metal signs being replaced in Queens with the modern ones and routes being able to swap between depots which might not happen because they are different unions. There are some routes that really should be moved to save money such as the Q112 to Jamaica and Q64 to Casey Stengel.

 

All bus stop signs are the responsibility of the DOT. There are sill a few TA bus stops that have not been updated. As far as routes being shifted, those are all union Issues. TA Queens is all ATU, so a future swap between BP and JA could be possible. The Q64 however is a different story as CP is a TWU 100 depot. The only TA depots that are TWU 100 are Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan division. Lots of other legal issues would need to be worked out before routes can be swapped. 

 

For the time being this merger is only systematic. Radios, dispatch, bus command, fare-boxes, and management will all fall under NYCT classification now. It will legally continue to be a separate entity until the system is fully merged in a manner similar to that if MaBSTOA. Other than that, after 2020 MTAB will be fully integrated into NYCT and even though the buses may still read MTA Bus for legal reasons, the two will basically become one.

 

Other than that, we just have to take the wait and see approach. Eventually, I expect MTAB to disappear, everything become NYC Bus, and routes will be swapped for greater efficiency.

Edited February 21, 2016 by East New York

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

No.  MTA RBO is not perfect (no government agency is) but it is one of the best-operated bus transit agencies in North America.  NYCDOT had their chance and let private lines like Triboro and Green Bus fall apart.  Why should they be given a chance to ruin the rest of the New York bus system?

Transit standards in North America must be pretty low because it's obvious to any passenger with two eyes and places to go during rush hour that our system and efficient do not belong in the same sentence. The idea that I have is given the MTA is a state chartered agency the heads there don't have a direct connection to the local government and thus could care less how local buses within the city operate. That's a recipe for cost-cutting and mismanagement. When you have high-ridership routes being undercut by Uber and dollar vans the system is failing it's customers and it's just a matter of who would mismanage it less. I feel at this point the city would mismanage less given they have to be held directly accountable and they're getting a large pre-scaled operation to work with rather then a bunk of hinky-dinky private lines.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

Would it make sense to just hand the whole bus operation (both NYCT and MTAB) over to the DOT? Given they own the roads the buses run on and control stop placement they have more than enough skin in the game to be operating the buses on their own terms. It would also lower the need for MTA funding since the city would have to come up with the cash for the buses and the MTA would just have to worry about the subway, commuter rails and bridges and tunnels. The DOT is the major force behind the SBS push so instead of having to go through and work with the MTA they can just do their thing.

 

Yes, it might make sense. No, it will never actually happen because then the Mayor and the City Council would actually be fiscally responsible for the transit system (which the City actually owns, by the way). The whole point of a public authority was to shift legal and political liability away from elected officials.

[Ricky Coolan]

Do you think it's possible that the next Express bus order for bus company would be labeled NYCT?

Edited February 27, 2016 by Ricky Coolan

[East New York]

Do you think it's possible that the next Express bus order for bus company would be labeled NYCT?

 

At this time it will remain MTA Bus because the full system merger will not be complete until somewhere around 2019/2020.

[Missabassie]

See, I just KNEW it was gonna be 1000-1109...  Yet again.

[QM1to6Ave]

Will we be able to listen to the new bus radios online like with FDNY radios (assuming someone sets up a feed)?

[East New York]

Update:

 

Moving forward in the future, which just happens to be this month now, all new buses will just be . MTA Bus Operations is currently the classification for all buses. Officially there will still be three divisions as well. NYCTA, MaBSTOA, MTABC

 

NYCB and MTAB titles will be dropped for just the logo. It appears as the depot stickers will remain, however other than that, there will be no way to tell buses apart once the new scheme is introduced.

Edited March 9, 2016 by East New York

[MTA Bus]

Update:

 

Moving forward in the future, which just happens to be this month now, all new buses will just be . MTA Bus Operations is currently the classification for all buses. Officially there will still be three divisions as well. NYCTA, MaBSTOA, MTABC

 

NYCB and MTAB titles will be dropped for just the logo. It appears as the depot stickers will remain, however other than that, there will be no way to tell buses apart once the new scheme is introduced.

I wonder why they didn't do this sooner.

[FmrCUSAOp]

That may explain why I've seen 7000s fresh from 3 year upgrade with just the MTA logo on them.

[NewFlyer 230]

Oh I was hoping they would all be called New York City Bus. Could also be a move to save money. No need to put the stickers on the buses anymore.

[MTARegional Bus]

Oh I was hoping they would all be called New York City Bus. Could also be a move to save money. No need to put the stickers on the buses anymore

 

 

I hope not, I like the depot sticker Art, specially the kingsbridge logo with a RTS bus coming out of the caste, as well we know which depot maintains them. this is just my opinion but the Quill Depot Maintain there buses very well. very clean...by NYC standards.

 

[SoSpectacular]

 

I hope not, I like the depot sticker Art, specially the kingsbridge logo with a RTS bus coming out of the caste, as well we know which depot maintains them. this is just my opinion but the Quill Depot Maintain there buses very well. very clean...by NYC standards.

 

 

Quill is a Manhattan depot. Manhattan is the borough most tourists come to New York for. Of course they have to keep the buses looking ship-shape!

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

Quill is a Manhattan depot. Manhattan is the borough most tourists come to New York for. Of course they have to keep the buses looking ship-shape!

 

Not to mention that half their routes run through the most tourist-populated areas of the city lmao

[Rick44]

I don't feel Quill is king of Manhattan anymore. I'm looking at Manhattanville moreso now. They seem to be doing better work overall. That's my opinion based on me seeing Manhattan buses and noticing the appearance of both Quill and MV.

[limitednyc]

I don't feel Quill is king of Manhattan anymore. I'm looking at Manhattanville moreso now. They seem to be doing better work overall. That's my opinion based on me seeing Manhattan buses and noticing the appearance of both Quill and MV.

Could this be because mv fleet is basically one type of bus.