Do you commute? Final MTA bus study workshop set for Feb. 9

[Q113 LTD]

 

Staten Island officials gathered Tuesday on Victory Boulevard to urge the public to attend the Metropolitan Transit Authority's final Comprehensive Bus study public workshop next week. The last meeting on Feb. 9 will begin at 7:30 p.m., inside Staten Island Technical High School, 485 Clawson St., in New Dorp. MTA officials will be on hand to listen as Mid-Island residents make suggestions and voice their concerns on the current status of the borough's antiquated bus routes. Two workshops were previously held for South Shore residents at the CYO-MIV Community Center in Pleasant Plains and North Shore residents at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in December.

 

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[checkmatechamp13]

I think you (or a mod) need to mention Staten Island in the title. The newspaper is mostly intended for Staten Island residents, so it assumes the people reading it are from Staten Island.

 

In any case, I hope it turns out better than the Queens study is all I'm going to say.

[JerBear]

I think it was great that Tony Avella forced the MTA into doing the North East Queens Comprehensive Bus Study because at least we can see some attention paid to the area, and we got to push them on some things. But, otoh I think they probably got reflexively conservative because of it. Their heart wasn't in it. They put on a show. If instead of telling the MTA to focus on the services that had been cut (because they were able to just say "Oh we've already restored most of them" and not address the others like the 75) and emphasizing improved service (by which locals mean "give us more buses"), the directive should have focused on operations. "MTA, your buses don't show up when they're supposed to, drivers leave stops early, bunching is horrible, some drivers don't seem to know their routes. Fix this stuff." I went to a civic meeting with a friend in southeast Queens where the MTA came to listen to community issues, and there were people from Headquarters, from Communications, from Service Planning, and from Operations (I may be butchering these division names, but anyway all parts of the organization). They could address all the issues. At the North East Queens Comprehensive Bus Study Public Workshop there were only kids from Service Planning. None of the Operations people were there. I am going to go ahead and guess that the same is true at the Staten Island Comprehensive Bus Study Public Workshops, right? Bus drivers I have talked to don't even know these Service Planners like BrooklynBus because they sit in some office in one of the depots and draw lines on a map and have nothing to do with the people actually out running the buses. "Ooh, did we not give you the lines on the map you wanted? Maybe next time we do a study of your area 40 years from now we can draw better lines on a map for you."

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I'll be very interested to see how this turns out.  It's also interesting that as usual, folks from the Mid-Island and South Shore have the (MTA)'s ear, while those on the North Shore clearly don't.  The people being the most vocal are represented in that photo.  Of course Debi Rose couldn't be there personally because she doesn't give a damn about folks on the North Shore and their commutes, because if she did, she would've made it her business to be there and take a similar stance that other elected officials have taken from the Mid-Island and South Shore, who the ones doing the true work and getting results.

[checkmatechamp13]

I think it was great that Tony Avella forced the MTA into doing the North East Queens Comprehensive Bus Study because at least we can see some attention paid to the area, and we got to push them on some things. But, otoh I think they probably got reflexively conservative because of it. Their heart wasn't in it. They put on a show. If instead of telling the MTA to focus on the services that had been cut (because they were able to just say "Oh we've already restored most of them" and not address the others like the 75) and emphasizing improved service (by which locals mean "give us more buses"), the directive should have focused on operations. "MTA, your buses don't show up when they're supposed to, drivers leave stops early, bunching is horrible, some drivers don't seem to know their routes. Fix this stuff." I went to a civic meeting with a friend in southeast Queens where the MTA came to listen to community issues, and there were people from Headquarters, from Communications, from Service Planning, and from Operations (I may be butchering these division names, but anyway all parts of the organization). They could address all the issues. At the North East Queens Comprehensive Bus Study Public Workshop there were only kids from Service Planning. None of the Operations people were there. I am going to go ahead and guess that the same is true at the Staten Island Comprehensive Bus Study Public Workshops, right? Bus drivers I have talked to don't even know these Service Planners like BrooklynBus because they sit in some office in one of the depots and draw lines on a map and have nothing to do with the people actually out running the buses. "Ooh, did we not give you the lines on the map you wanted? Maybe next time we do a study of your area 40 years from now we can draw better lines on a map for you."

 

At the Staten Island meeting, they had people from Road Operations (basically, the dispatching department)

 

I'll be very interested to see how this turns out.  It's also interesting that as usual, folks from the Mid-Island and South Shore have the (MTA)'s ear, while those on the North Shore clearly don't.  The people being the most vocal are represented in that photo.  Of course Debi Rose couldn't be there personally because she doesn't give a damn about folks on the North Shore and their commutes, because if she did, she would've made it her business to be there and take a similar stance that other elected officials have taken from the Mid-Island and South Shore, who the ones doing the true work and getting results.

 

The elected officials come and take credit, but it's the local residents who did (and continue to do) the "true work". That includes local residents from the North Shore. The offices of the elected officials don't have the knowledge of the routes (or the willingness to acquire that knowledge) that the riders do. Hopefully, that'll make the difference (and I suspect that was part of the reason the NE Queens study turned out so poorly: The riders didn't have the statistical background to dispute the MTA's decisions). 

[Cait Sith]

If what I heard is true, a lot of express bus routes will be modified on the island.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

If what I heard is true, a lot of express bus routes will be modified on the island.

That's a good thing because a lot of them should be modified.

[S78 via Hylan]

If what I heard is true, a lot of express bus routes will be modified on the island.

Anything about the local buses?

[checkmatechamp13]

Anything about the local buses?

 

   officials will be on hand to listen as Mid-Island residents make suggestions and voice their concerns on the current status of the borough's antiquated bus routes. 

 

The North Shore meeting was at Snug Harbor, an area served purely by local buses. It would make sense that "bus routes" includes local buses, wouldn't it? 

[Around the Horn]

If what I heard is true, a lot of express bus routes will be modified on the island.

Are we talking route changes or frequency changes?

[Union Tpke]

If what I heard is true, a lot of express bus routes will be modified on the island.

 

Do you know anything other then just the fact that a lot of express bus routes will be modified?

[checkmatechamp13]

Are we talking route changes or frequency changes?

 

Route changes.

 

Do you know anything other then just the fact that a lot of express bus routes will be modified?

 

It's a comprehensive study, so they're studying everything. Placement of bus stops, structure of the routes, etc

 

Offhand, they mentioned one of the things they're looking into is the length of the S74/84 and S78, which causes a lot of reliability problems. Another thing they mentioned was that they were looking into having more express buses terminate Downtown, or do more Downtown-only & Midtown-only routes. 

[S78 via Hylan]

One operator from Castleton that I often ride with voiced to me about giving extra layover time at terminals which maybe they'll take into consideration too.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

One operator from Castleton that I often ride with voiced to me about giving extra layover time at terminals which maybe they'll take into consideration too.

That they need to look at too, and that could be possible (I suppose) if they add more service.  Currently they have a lot of local routes tied to the ferry which doesn't leave much time for layovers, so if a bus is late for one trip, the B/O has a hard time getting back on schedule for all subsequent ones.

[Cait Sith]

Are we talking route changes or frequency changes?

 

Route changes, word is that the Eltingville/New Dorp branch lines (x2-9) are going to get heavily modified. There may be trips that only picks up and departs at Park & Rides and Transit Centers and head straight to Manhattan due to high and very heavy demand. This would affect a lot of routes.

 

One operator from Castleton that I often ride with voiced to me about giving extra layover time at terminals which maybe they'll take into consideration too.

 

Heard the same thing.

 

Do you know anything other then just the fact that a lot of express bus routes will be modified?

Express buses were the talk around the depots. Haven't heard too much about local buses other than better frequencies.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Route changes, word is that the Eltingville/New Dorp branch lines (x2-9) are going to get heavily modified. There may be trips that only picks up and departs at Park & Rides and Transit Centers and head straight to Manhattan due to high and very heavy demand. This would affect a lot of routes.

 

That's all fine and good, but the real elephant in the room is the Gowanus.  Even with an express bus that just makes one stop, how do they plan on addressing the backups on the Gowanus?   In fact our expressways have to be looked at and modified when talking about why express bus service is suffering so much in the city. Just throwing HOV lanes on them is not the answer.  As it currently stands, every express bus that I take now from Riverdale no longer uses the Deegan and instead takes the Harlem River Drive because I'm sure many rides complained about being stuck on the Deegan.  I have been in talks with my local elected officials about the need for modifications to be the Deegan and Harlem River Drive, but especially the Deegan.

[Around the Horn]

That's all fine and good, but the real elephant in the room is the Gowanus.  Even with an express bus that just makes one stop, how do they plan on addressing the backups on the Gowanus?   In fact our expressways have to be looked at and modified when talking about why express bus service is suffering so much in the city. Just throwing HOV lanes on them is not the answer.  As it currently stands, every express bus that I take now from Riverdale no longer uses the Deegan and instead takes the Harlem River Drive because I'm sure many rides complained about being stuck on the Deegan.  I have been in talks with my local elected officials about the need for modifications to be the Deegan and Harlem River Drive, but especially the Deegan.

If affordable housing is dead in Riverdale, so is extra lanes or any sort of Gowanus expansion on 278.

Bay Ridge, Sunset and Dyker will blow a gasket (and rightfully so- Its clear that the expressway over 3rd Av destroyed the neighborhood)

so don't even start...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

If affordable housing is dead in Riverdale, so is extra lanes or any sort of Gowanus expansion on 278.

Bay Ridge, Sunset and Dyker will blow a gasket (and rightfully so- Its clear that the expressway over 3rd Av destroyed the neighborhood)

so don't even start...

What does any of that have to do with affordable housing?  I never said anything about extra lanes either.  You're making conclusions based off of information or arguments that haven't been presented.

[Cait Sith]

That's all fine and good, but the real elephant in the room is the Gowanus.  Even with an express bus that just makes one stop, how do they plan on addressing the backups on the Gowanus?   In fact our expressways have to be looked at and modified when talking about why express bus service is suffering so much in the city. Just throwing HOV lanes on them is not the answer. 

I think that's both on the MTA and the DOT to explain. There's also not that many alternatives they can take. Going through Jersey can also be a risk considering you can hit an even higher amount of traffic than on the Gowanus with the Helix all backed up along with parts of the turnpike. The HOV lanes should be a lane for buses only during the rush hour in my opinion. There's hardly much more they can do with the Gowanus really.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I think that's both on the MTA and the DOT to explain. There's also not that many alternatives they can take. Going through Jersey can also be a risk considering you can hit an even higher amount of traffic than on the Gowanus with the Helix all backed up along with parts of the turnpike. The HOV lanes should be a lane for buses only during the rush hour in my opinion. There's hardly much more they can do with the Gowanus really.

True... The "alternative" to the Gowanus is just painful.  Going under the Gowanus and taking the local streets take FOREVER.

[checkmatechamp13]

That's all fine and good, but the real elephant in the room is the Gowanus.  Even with an express bus that just makes one stop, how do they plan on addressing the backups on the Gowanus?   In fact our expressways have to be looked at and modified when talking about why express bus service is suffering so much in the city. Just throwing HOV lanes on them is not the answer.  As it currently stands, every express bus that I take now from Riverdale no longer uses the Deegan and instead takes the Harlem River Drive because I'm sure many rides complained about being stuck on the Deegan.  I have been in talks with my local elected officials about the need for modifications to be the Deegan and Harlem River Drive, but especially the Deegan.

 

They're building an HOV lane on the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge. so it'll be one continuous lane from Staten Island to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. The lane itself generally moves fairly well. The problem for now is that they don't let vehicles in the lane after 10AM.

 

I think that's both on the MTA and the DOT to explain. There's also not that many alternatives they can take. Going through Jersey can also be a risk considering you can hit an even higher amount of traffic than on the Gowanus with the Helix all backed up along with parts of the turnpike. The HOV lanes should be a lane for buses only during the rush hour in my opinion. There's hardly much more they can do with the Gowanus really.

 

Yeah, going through NJ can be faster on a good day, but much worse on a bad day.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

They're building an HOV lane on the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge. so it'll be one continuous lane from Staten Island to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. The lane itself generally moves fairly well. The problem for now is that they don't let vehicles in the lane after 10AM.

I thought it was already a continuous HOV lane... Pathetic that it has taken this long...

[checkmatechamp13]

I thought it was already a continuous HOV lane... Pathetic that it has taken this long...

 

Nope, they're still doing the construction on the bridge now. I think they said it would finish by 2017 or 2018.

 

Right now, there's just the lane from Victory to Lily Pond, and then the one in Brooklyn from Bay Ridge up to the BBT. 

[Around the Horn]

What does any of that have to do with affordable housing?  I never said anything about extra lanes either.  You're making conclusions based off of information or arguments that haven't been presented.

Less to do with affordable housing and more to do with the communities' responses. However I now see that you wern't suggesting more lanes so my point is moot.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Less to do with affordable housing and more to do with the communities' responses. However I now see that you wern't suggesting more lanes so my point is moot.

Expressways can sometimes have a good impact on a neighborhood, though overall they usually aren't good.  In this case though, I think what should be studied is traffic flow and if anything else can be done to make things more efficient.  I personally think that one more lane could be used for traffic towards Manhattan in the mornings and taken away from the Staten Island bound side of the Gowanus.