July 2, 2017 Bus Service and Schedule Changes

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To bolster a few points on here:

 

--The whole argument about putting the local buses on EXP lines is idiotic, and has been discussed so many times before. The MCI's and Prevosts cost the same as local buses, they are made for the highway runs, and get better gas mileage than locals. There is zero reason to put locals on there, other than reducing the latent jealousy of people that don't like the difference in comfort level. Having WiFi and USB ports makes the $6.50 price much better to me, as I use both every time I ride them...but even the local buses are getting them too! My complaint is that it is annoying having the high-floor on the MCI and Prevosts, as the storage areas are pointless. But, other than that low-floor Millenium bus that never materialized, there just isn't another good option that gives the same level of comfort. 

 

--The EXP runs absolutely need to be better advertised, especially for off-peak runs when they are more reliable than subway/local bus combos from the outer boroughs. 

 

--I can't speak to reorganizing the lines, but the QMs that I use are fine in terms of the places they go. It is the schedule that can use some re-vamping.

 

--In my experiencee, the QM1/5/6 have been more reliable as of late, but there is still much to be desired, especially on the QM1 where many runs suspiciously never materialize. The QM31/35/36 reliability has been pretty bad, with runs showing up 40 minutes late heading to Manhattan.

I agree. The areas that the QM1, QM5, QM6, QM7 and QM8 serve are pretty well-to-do, so those folks can certainly afford it. Kew Gardens Hills, Kew Gardens, Glen Oaks, Fresh Meadows, Little Neck and Douglaston are certainly upper middle class areas, and The North Shore Towers (Lake Success/Floral Park area) already advertises the QM6 and a shuttle bus to the LIRR Little Neck station that the complex provides, so there is some marketing to the clientele that would regularly use the express bus, but not nearly enough.

[MikeC]

I have to agree with you. In my neighborhood, I have met several people that don't know where the express buses run. I know a lady who works very close to the BxM18. For years she was walking over to the BxM2 at night to get home and taking the BxM1 in. Then one day, she told me she was walking along Madison Avenue during her lunch break and saw a BxM18 bus stop, and couldn't believe that the bus stopped there. She now uses the BxM18 at night for that reason only. I met another lady that used the BxM2. Told her about the BxM18... She had no idea it ran and stopped in Midtown.

 

I also know of a couple that takes Metro-North. They have no idea where any of the express buses go. I told them as well and they were shocked to hear where the buses go and to have such options. Since I've been living here, the marketed Metro-North at numerous bus stops both in Spuyten Duyvil and Central Riverdale. Meanwhile, I've suggested that they market the BxM18 as not just "the Downtown" bus since many people work in Midtown and the bus makes several pick-ups and drop-offs in Midtown, and nothing has changed, likely because they don't want to provide more BxM18 service.

 

Additionally, regarding the use of those Orion buses, I don't know about you, but I remember the notices on the BM express buses letting passengers know that they were putting MCI's on the entire fleet to make for a more comfortable ride. Those buses were horrible. The seats were like bricks, and the leg room in the two seaters... Forget it. There were times when I would pass up those buses for an MCI. I am certainly glad those buses are gone, as they were not worth the fare.

At the end of the day, I really don't mind what the fleet just as long as I have a seat. But, the MCIs are obviously more favorable. I never minded the Orion's tbh. Now I'm thinking back to when Triboro would use RTS on express routes. Imagine the complaints today! 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

At the end of the day, I really don't mind what the fleet just as long as I have a seat. But, the MCIs are obviously more favorable. I never minded the Orion's tbh. Now I'm thinking back to when Triboro would use RTS on express routes. Imagine the complaints today! 

The RTS buses had seats similar to what is used on the MCI's and those were fairly comfy. When they put those buses on the local lines, those seats were destroyed. Remember using them on the B4... Coils coming out of the seats because people were literally tearing up the seats. People don't want to admit it, but the lower the fare, the lower the clientele tends to be. You already have some of those types as it is. On the Riverdale buses, the females for some reason can't keep their damn feet on the floor. Dirty shoes all on the seats. You lower the fare and you'll have even worse than that riding the buses looking to destroy everything and anything, just like they do on the subway and local buses.

[B35 via Church]

I have to agree with you. In my neighborhood, I have met several people that don't know where the express buses run. I know a lady who works very close to the BxM18. For years she was walking over to the BxM2 at night to get home and taking the BxM1 in. Then one day, she told me she was walking along Madison Avenue during her lunch break and saw a BxM18 bus stop, and couldn't believe that the bus stopped there. She now uses the BxM18 at night for that reason only. I met another lady that used the BxM2. Told her about the BxM18... She had no idea it ran and stopped in Midtown.

 

I also know of a couple that takes Metro-North. They have no idea where any of the express buses go. I told them as well and they were shocked to hear where the buses go and to have such options. Since I've been living here, the marketed Metro-North at numerous bus stops both in Spuyten Duyvil and Central Riverdale. Meanwhile, I've suggested that they market the BxM18 as not just "the Downtown" bus since many people work in Midtown and the bus makes several pick-ups and drop-offs in Midtown, and nothing has changed, likely because they don't want to provide more BxM18 service.

 

Additionally, regarding the use of those Orion buses, I don't know about you, but I remember the notices on the BM express buses letting passengers know that they were putting MCI's on the entire fleet to make for a more comfortable ride. Those buses were horrible. The seats were like bricks, and the leg room in the two seaters... Forget it. There were times when I would pass up those buses for an MCI. I am certainly glad those buses are gone, as they were not worth the fare.

Not just with express buses, but it has always astounded me how little people know (or worse, want to know) what their transit options are.... Scurrying around like chickens with their heads cut off if their primary/sole commuting option is cut off at the neck (due to some serious delay or cancellation or something)....

I mean, us hobbyists, we come on here, we talk transit, we're more in tune/privy to the ins & outs of the system (having MTA employees come on here & clear up or expound on things definitely does not hurt)..... Your average commuter does not care about having that depth/knowledge of things.... You listen to what these people say in those transit hearings (whenever cuts arise & what not), what they say on television (again, once there's some emergency, serious delay or something) & their outcries & worries about just how the heck they're going to get to work/home.....

 

Many moons ago as a teenager, I used to believe my elders (familial or not) & other peers knew their transit alternatives also.... Then I came to some serious realizations when I started routefanning like crazy during the summers of my late HS/early college years.... Also, coming on to these transit forums & watching clips of those transit hearings...... Of course, nobody wants "their" route to get cut, but when it happens, you never know how people are going to respond.... What we've been seeing over the past decade or so with the state of the system, are the effects of said "responses".... What are you gonna do

 

As far as the non-MCI fleet on the BM's, I don't remember notices stating as such.... There was a point & time I stopped taking expresses & started doing the whole to chambers for the back to Brooklyn thing again.... When I had to work later (which meant putting up with those 20+ min delays on the ; back when the countdown clocks were in their infancy), I got fed up with that & started taking the express buses again.... Noticed I started getting MCI's more, so worrying about an O5 pulling up became less of a thing....

What I do remember are people kissing their teeth whenever buses would hit potholes & shit (which was a real problem in this city before they became proactive city-wide in patching them up) & eavesdropping in convo's b/w pax on the BM2 (which I used to specifically take with regularity back then), asking why the "driver have to pick this bus for"....

 

I would NEVER sit in those paired seaters on those things... Like you said, the seats were like cinder blocks & the legroom left nothing much to be desired for someone who's 6'3".... I would end up sitting on the seats facing the back door.....

All in all, I don't remotely miss those things..... Also don't miss those RTS' with the padded seats; those things used to stay FUBAR.... There were instances where I've been on buses that had more standees than people sitting! And I would say to myself, this don't make no f***in sense...... I remember them showing up on the B36, Q77, and Q79.....

 

--The EXP runs absolutely need to be better advertised, especially for off-peak runs when they are more reliable than subway/local bus combos from the outer boroughs.

Preach.

 

If I worked a swing shift & was still in Manhattan, I would not take the subway & I would do far less driving than I do now....

I would be an express bus plus metrocard every week buying MF-er....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not just with express buses, but it has always astounded me how little people know (or worse, want to know) what their transit options are.... Scurrying around like chickens with their heads cut off if their primary/sole commuting option is cut off at the neck (due to some serious delay or cancellation or something)....

I mean, us hobbyists, we come on here, we talk transit, we're more in tune/privy to the ins & outs of the system (having MTA employees come on here & clear up or expound on things definitely does not hurt)..... Your average commuter does not care about having that depth/knowledge of things.... You listen to what these people say in those transit hearings (whenever cuts arise & what not), what they say on television (again, once there's some emergency, serious delay or something) & their outcries & worries about just how the heck they're going to get to work/home.....

 

Many moons ago as a teenager, I used to believe my elders (familial or not) & other peers knew their transit alternatives also.... Then I came to some serious realizations when I started routefanning like crazy during the summers of my late HS/early college years.... Also, coming on to these transit forums & watching clips of those transit hearings...... Of course, nobody wants "their" route to get cut, but when it happens, you never know how people are going to respond.... What we've been seeing over the past decade or so with the state of the system, are the effects of said "responses".... What are you gonna do

 

As far as the non-MCI fleet on the BM's, I don't remember notices stating as such.... There was a point & time I stopped taking expresses & started doing the whole to chambers for the back to Brooklyn thing again.... When I had to work later (which meant putting up with those 20+ min delays on the ; back when the countdown clocks were in their infancy), I got fed up with that & started taking the express buses again.... Noticed I started getting MCI's more, so worrying about an O5 pulling up became less of a thing....

What I do remember are people kissing their teeth whenever buses would hit potholes & shit (which was a real problem in this city before they became proactive city-wide in patching them up) & eavesdropping in convo's b/w pax on the BM2 (which I used to specifically take with regularity back then), asking why the "driver have to pick this bus for"....

 

I would NEVER sit in those paired seaters on those things... Like you said, the seats were like cinder blocks & the legroom left nothing much to be desired for someone who's 6'3".... I would end up sitting on the seats facing the back door.....

All in all, I don't remotely miss those things..... Also don't miss those RTS' with the padded seats; those things used to stay FUBAR.... There were instances where I've been on buses that had more standees than people sitting! And I would say to myself, this don't make no f***in sense...... I remember them showing up on the B36, Q77, and Q79.....

 

Preach.

 

If I worked a swing shift & was still in Manhattan, I would not take the subway & I would do far less driving than I do now....

I would be an express bus plus metrocard every week buying MF-er....

It's funny because I remember when I lived on Staten Island and we'd get the absolute worst buses. Standing online you would hear passengers saying that we're the stepchild of the because we got the worst run down buses possible (these were MCI buses, but in horrendous condition: i.e. no AC in the dead of summer and the last bus on that line for the evening, seats competely unusable - remember getting on an X14 that had the entire back row of seats that had collapsed somehow (the back parts) making it impossible to sit there) and a few other broken reclining chairs on other buses that just fell back into the next row of seats).  

 

Given what I know about how politicians in some cases have called for new buses, I don't doubt that passengers complained about those Orion buses, and despite how ignorant we tend to think the average passenger is, some of them do follow what buses run on what lines, which is why they complain when they get hand-me-down buses from other depots. lol

 

Passengers on the X27 and X28 would routinely complain about getting run down buses from Staten Island. 

 

As for passengers knowing their options, I would say that coming from Staten Island, just about every Staten Islander I knew could run off various back-ups in case their bus didn't show up. You had to, otherwise it was a long subway ride to the ferry, and given how many people I talked to hated taking the subway, they would do anything, including taking a taxi if need be to avoid the subway.  For me since I worked late often times and the closest buses to me stopped running early, I was pretty ignorant at first about my options. I first tried the X10 and then took a long walk home, then eventually became aware of other options over time to make my commutes as quick as possible, and since then that's always been my goal. I make a point to study routes in advance for this reason.  As you get older, you start to understand that time is money and you want to minimize commute times as much as possible, even if that means spending more to do so.

[B35 via Church]

It's funny because I remember when I lived on Staten Island and we'd get the absolute worst buses. Standing online you would hear passengers saying that we're the stepchild of the because we got the worst run down buses possible (these were MCI buses, but in horrendous condition: i.e. no AC in the dead of summer and the last bus on that line for the evening, seats competely unusable - remember getting on an X14 that had the entire back row of seats that had collapsed somehow (the back parts) making it impossible to sit there) and a few other broken reclining chairs on other buses that just fell back into the next row of seats).  

 

Given what I know about how politicians in some cases have called for new buses, I don't doubt that passengers complained about those Orion buses, and despite how ignorant we tend to think the average passenger is, some of them do follow what buses run on what lines, which is why they complain when they get hand-me-down buses from other depots. lol

 

Passengers on the X27 and X28 would routinely complain about getting run down buses from Staten Island. 

 

As for passengers knowing their options, I would say that coming from Staten Island, just about every Staten Islander I knew could run off various back-ups in case their bus didn't show up. You had to, otherwise it was a long subway ride to the ferry, and given how many people I talked to hated taking the subway, they would do anything, including taking a taxi if need be to avoid the subway.  For me since I worked late often times and the closest buses to me stopped running early, I was pretty ignorant at first about my options. I first tried the X10 and then took a long walk home, then eventually became aware of other options over time to make my commutes as quick as possible, and since then that's always been my goal. I make a point to study routes in advance for this reason.  As you get older, you start to understand that time is money and you want to minimize commute times as much as possible, even if that means spending more to do so.

I'm the type of person that takes the initiative to find out every commuting option available... If I put all my eggs in one basket (so to speak) & end up getting screwed over for some reason, it's my fault.... I don't blame the MTA for me not knowing my alternatives, but I find that there are too many folks that put too much stock in the same commute they've been banking on for the past 10, 20+ years (Lol) & wants to blame the MTA for any single/minor hiccup on/with that commute.... If I feel a bus or train has been sitting at one section/stop too long for my liking, it is second nature for me to want to get off & take some other mode/method of getting wherever I'm going.... I know I'm in the remote minority with that & am not suggesting that anyone subscribe to that way of doing things in the slightest....

 

When I had an assignment in Stony Brook, instead of relying on the bi-levels that came once every whenever the f*** on the Pt Jeff. line, I was no stranger to taking that hour long ride on Suffolk's 3d bus to get to the main line, to Central Islip or Brentwood (was usually the latter).... Either that, or disembark the 3d at the mall for the #57 or #59 (if it was at the stop) directly to Ronkonkoma.....

 

When I had an assignment in Woodside, it was either doing the or the for the , or doing the whole B46 - Q35 - Q53 thing (which I didn't really mind; as the B46 was always frequent, I would almost always catch a Q53 w/i a reasonable amt of time... the only real question mark was the Q35).... The to the B62 to the B46 was cool too.....

 

I can run off many different commutes & the different commuting patterns within them that I've literally taken over time, but what I'm ultimately getting at, is the knowledge of differing commuting options that SI-ers exude (which I was always impressed with, perusing those SILive transportation forums when they existed) should be commonplace in the rest of the boroughs.... I can't tolerate dumbfoundedness on any level; irks the shit out of me.....

 

As to your time is money comment.... Like I've said before, I don't want to be the guy driving everywhere, but going on 36, I'm finding that it's slowly coming to that (although I will never be the anti-transit, pro-car MF).... Congestion has decimated bus travel & system-wide delays have been steadily increasing on the subways to the point where I find them intolerable.... I cannot imagine the patience and/or stress levels of enduring a commute to Lower or Midtown Manhattan these days..... I feel for y'all.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I'm the type of person that takes the initiative to find out every commuting option available... If I put all my eggs in one basket (so to speak) & end up getting screwed over for some reason, it's my fault.... I don't blame the MTA for me not knowing my alternatives, but I find that there are too many folks that put too much stock in the same commute they've been banking on for the past 10, 20+ years (Lol) & wants to blame the MTA for any single/minor hiccup on/with that commute.... If I feel a bus or train has been sitting at one section/stop too long for my liking, it is second nature for me to want to get off & take some other mode/method of getting wherever I'm going.... I know I'm in the remote minority with that & am not suggesting that anyone subscribe to that way of doing things in the slightest....

 

When I had an assignment in Stony Brook, instead of relying on the bi-levels that came once every whenever the f*** on the Pt Jeff. line, I was no stranger to taking that hour long ride on Suffolk's 3d bus to get to the main line, to Central Islip or Brentwood (was usually the latter).... Either that, or disembark the 3d at the mall for the #57 or #59 (if it was at the stop) directly to Ronkonkoma.....

 

When I had an assignment in Woodside, it was either doing the or the for the , or doing the whole B46 - Q35 - Q53 thing (which I didn't really mind; as the B46 was always frequent, I would almost always catch a Q53 w/i a reasonable amt of time... the only real question mark was the Q35).... The to the B62 to the B46 was cool too.....

 

I can run off many different commutes & the different commuting patterns within them that I've literally taken over time, but what I'm ultimately getting at, is the knowledge of differing commuting options that SI-ers exude (which I was always impressed with, perusing those SILive transportation forums when they existed) should be commonplace in the rest of the boroughs.... I can't tolerate dumbfoundedness on any level; irks the shit out of me.....

 

As to your time is money comment.... Like I've said before, I don't want to be the guy driving everywhere, but going on 36, I'm finding that it's slowly coming to that (although I will never be the anti-transit, pro-car MF).... Congestion has decimated bus travel & system-wide delays have been steadily increasing on the subways to the point where I find them intolerable.... I cannot imagine the patience and/or stress levels of enduring a commute to Lower or Midtown Manhattan these days..... I feel for y'all.

Even with summertime here, I have my travel patterns down pat.  Monday's traffic generally isn't too bad into the city, so I may opt for the express bus that day depending on if I want to sleep in later or not and where I'm at, etc. Tuesday traffic is always much worse, so I get an earlier express bus or take Metro-North.  Wednesday varies, and Thursday is like Tuesday.  Friday I usually don't care since fewer people tend to travel anyway and I will leave whenever since my boss doesn't care anyway. lol

[checkmatechamp13]

As for passengers knowing their options, I would say that coming from Staten Island, just about every Staten Islander I knew could run off various back-ups in case their bus didn't show up. You had to, otherwise it was a long subway ride to the ferry, and given how many people I talked to hated taking the subway, they would do anything, including taking a taxi if need be to avoid the subway.  For me since I worked late often times and the closest buses to me stopped running early, I was pretty ignorant at first about my options. I first tried the X10 and then took a long walk home, then eventually became aware of other options over time to make my commutes as quick as possible, and since then that's always been my goal. I make a point to study routes in advance for this reason.  As you get older, you start to understand that time is money and you want to minimize commute times as much as possible, even if that means spending more to do so.

 

On Staten Island, it's the ferry that drives people nuts and they try to avoid, not the subway. You'll see crowds of people getting off the express bus at Bowling Green or Rector Street to catch the subway there. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On Staten Island, it's the ferry that drives people nuts and they try to avoid, not the subway. You'll see crowds of people getting off the express bus at Bowling Green or Rector Street to catch the subway there. 

That really depends.  If people need to get to the office, well they'll do what they have to.  Plenty of times I have gotten off Downtown and took the subway to wherever I was going uptown, but if I had the option, I generally would stay on the express bus.  There was a time when I worked uptown in a location that required a transfer from the express bus to the subway and I hated it.  Quit that job shortly after and moved on.

[Around the Horn]

Yeah I'd have to agree with what everyone else has said about knowing your commuting options...

 

That one morning DeKalb just went completely downhill, I couldn't believe how many people just blindly were staying on my via Sea Beach at 59th Street, instead of going upstairs and taking the B9 to the unaffected train at the next opportunity.

 

It was kind of funny to see some of them complaining about the 2+ hour commute on that particular train the next morning, when the B9 to the to Midtown comes in at about 1 hour 20 minutes.

[bobtehpanda]

I'm the type of person that takes the initiative to find out every commuting option available... If I put all my eggs in one basket (so to speak) & end up getting screwed over for some reason, it's my fault.... I don't blame the MTA for me not knowing my alternatives, but I find that there are too many folks that put too much stock in the same commute they've been banking on for the past 10, 20+ years (Lol) & wants to blame the MTA for any single/minor hiccup on/with that commute.... If I feel a bus or train has been sitting at one section/stop too long for my liking, it is second nature for me to want to get off & take some other mode/method of getting wherever I'm going.... I know I'm in the remote minority with that & am not suggesting that anyone subscribe to that way of doing things in the slightest....

 

When I had an assignment in Stony Brook, instead of relying on the bi-levels that came once every whenever the f*** on the Pt Jeff. line, I was no stranger to taking that hour long ride on Suffolk's 3d bus to get to the main line, to Central Islip or Brentwood (was usually the latter).... Either that, or disembark the 3d at the mall for the #57 or #59 (if it was at the stop) directly to Ronkonkoma.....

 

When I had an assignment in Woodside, it was either doing the or the for the , or doing the whole B46 - Q35 - Q53 thing (which I didn't really mind; as the B46 was always frequent, I would almost always catch a Q53 w/i a reasonable amt of time... the only real question mark was the Q35).... The to the B62 to the B46 was cool too.....

 

I can run off many different commutes & the different commuting patterns within them that I've literally taken over time, but what I'm ultimately getting at, is the knowledge of differing commuting options that SI-ers exude (which I was always impressed with, perusing those SILive transportation forums when they existed) should be commonplace in the rest of the boroughs.... I can't tolerate dumbfoundedness on any level; irks the shit out of me.....

 

As to your time is money comment.... Like I've said before, I don't want to be the guy driving everywhere, but going on 36, I'm finding that it's slowly coming to that (although I will never be the anti-transit, pro-car MF).... Congestion has decimated bus travel & system-wide delays have been steadily increasing on the subways to the point where I find them intolerable.... I cannot imagine the patience and/or stress levels of enduring a commute to Lower or Midtown Manhattan these days..... I feel for y'all.

 

A side note, I don't know how you managed to rely on Suffolk Transit, because their buses are always running late. At this point it's appalling that they can run so unreliably and yet be the only agency in the area without real-time tracking.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

At this point it's appalling that they can run so unreliably and yet be the only agency in the area without real-time tracking.

 

Maybe Suffolk County isn't willing to pay for tracking (or added running time).

[checkmatechamp13]

That really depends.  If people need to get to the office, well they'll do what they have to.  Plenty of times I have gotten off Downtown and took the subway to wherever I was going uptown, but if I had the option, I generally would stay on the express bus.  There was a time when I worked uptown in a location that required a transfer from the express bus to the subway and I hated it.  Quit that job shortly after and moved on.

 

Yeah, but I'm talking on a consistent basis those stops are busy drop-off points, not just after a delay. Saying that Staten Island express riders as a whole are adverse to taking the subway is like saying you don't have people getting off commuter rails and buses at the PABT, Penn Station, and Grand Central, and taking the subway from there (and those stations are some of the busiest in the whole system).

 

Yeah, if there's no traffic and your destination is served by that express bus, then sure why not stay on? But if you're going to have to end up walking further when the subway can leave you closer (e.g. Union Square on an uptown express bus), then it makes sense to just take the subway.

 

That one morning DeKalb just went completely downhill, I couldn't believe how many people just blindly were staying on my via Sea Beach at 59th Street, instead of going upstairs and taking the B9 to the unaffected train at the next opportunity.

 

To be fair, if they didn't want to waste another fare (and they didn't realize the delay was going to be that long), it's understandable what they were thinking. Of course, I'm sure they were giving out block tickets and such upstairs, but even then, people are lazy by nature. If they're going to Manhattan, the B9 to the is a backtrack east to head back west, and on top of that, the is all-local.

 

Also, FWIW, I remember reading some tweets from people who took alternate routes and one that stood out in my mind was from a B63 rider who said the trip took 2 hours (something like Sunset Park to Downtown Brooklyn or something). So the problem is, when everybody knows about the alternatives, those alternatives get overcrowded. For those who were smart enough to make their way to the train, it was good for them, but if you suddenly had masses of people coming out of trains and piling onto crosstown buses like the B9, B35, etc, those would've become overcrowded and slower (which would've also affected regular riders on those routes)

 

On a side note, the same thing applies when dealing with regular traffic on the roads. On some highways, when there's backups, you start seeing people exit to the service road, but usually there's alternate routes through residential streets. But do you really want a situation where you have tons of people coming off the highway onto residential streets? (Sometimes the volume is so high that it just spills everywhere, though. For example, my neighborhood is near the SIE, and when I start seeing mini-traffic jams on residential streets, I know it's going to be ridiculous traffic on the SIE) 

 

Maybe Suffolk County isn't willing to pay for tracking (or added running time).

 

The buses already have automated GPS-based announcements that tell you what the next stop is. It can't be that hard or expensive to make an app that gives you real-time bus tracking out of that (also, enabling users to see where the next bus is should increase ridership and revenue)

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah, but I'm talking on a consistent basis those stops are busy drop-off points, not just after a delay. Saying that Staten Island express riders as a whole are adverse to taking the subway is like saying you don't have people getting off commuter rails and buses at the PABT, Penn Station, and Grand Central, and taking the subway from there (and those stations are some of the busiest in the whole system).

 

Yeah, if there's no traffic and your destination is served by that express bus, then sure why not stay on? But if you're going to have to end up walking further when the subway can leave you closer (e.g. Union Square on an uptown express bus), then it makes sense to just take the subway.

That depends on the express bus.  The ones that serve Downtown naturally will have lots of people getting off.  Some prefer taking the subway to reach uptown and that's fine, but there are definitely plenty of Staten Islanders that don't like taking the subway and have said so point blank. For some depending on their location, they may not have much of a choice anyway.  If the express bus doesn't go where you're going then it doesn't matter. You have to get off and take the subway, but as I said before, I know of plenty of people that won't take it.

[bobtehpanda]

Maybe Suffolk County isn't willing to pay for tracking (or added running time).

 

IIRC, Suffolk County puts in something like $25M vs. Nassau's $6M, but due to the way the state bus funding formula is set up Nassau gets an outsized check for NICE and SCT gets dust. They're certainly moving in a more positive direction.

[NY1635]

IIRC, Suffolk County puts in something like $25M vs. Nassau's $6M, but due to the way the state bus funding formula is set up Nassau gets an outsized check for NICE and SCT gets dust. They're certainly moving in a more positive direction.

 

NICE has been getting less money from the state lately, and they don't usually know how much money they're getting from Albany until after state's budget has been approved. They've also made massive service reductions because Nassau reduced their budget to $2M and they're pretty much tired of being lied to by the county government about some hidden reserves of money that just happen to materialize a few days before service cuts take effect.

[FLX9304]

A lot of cities use either a mix of coach buses and transit buses, or coach only buses for the commuter/express bus service. Albany, White Plains, and Syracuse come into mind within NY State, as well as Boston, Hartford, Baltimore, DC, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Oakland, San Francisco, Austin, Cleveland, etc. There's probably several more cities which I feel I'm missing right now too.

Count Philadelphia in this thing. SEPTA has 5 Express routes but they do not have coaches

 

 

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[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Count Philadelphia in this thing. SEPTA has 5 Express routes but they do not have coaches

 

 

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Well then that means that it uses transit-only buses. When I mentioned a mix of coach and transit buses, I meant that both are used. However, given NJT commuter routes (not the all-local routes) do use coaches, that then falls under what I was saying before.

[FLX9304]

I agree with you on the NJT based buses. Several routes in Southern state is the same way

 

 

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[B35 via Church]

Well then that means that it uses transit-only buses. When I mentioned a mix of coach and transit buses, I meant that both are used.

However, given NJT commuter routes (not the all-local routes) do use coaches, that then falls under what I was saying before.

From what I recall, there were plans to use those Neoplan's on the #139 when they were the new kids on the block.... I would have loved to pay the price of admission to see those riots!!!

 

Worse than that, I couldn't imagine NJT's full service lines running all NABI's.... Matter fact, I'd probably SMH LMAO if I saw a conga line of NABI's lining up for blocks along 10th av tryna enter PABT in the early stages of the PM rush....

 

I went to Bridgewater Commons yesterday.... I'll be perfectly honest, if the #114 didn't use coach buses, I would've drove there.... The chick (b/o) I had on the way there, was more or less an average trip (2 hrs, 10 mins)..... On the way back though, my man made it in 2 hrs flat (and there were more total pax on it too; 57 going & 71 coming back).... He knew how to handle that MF-er, I tell ya.....

 

[Around the Horn]

Count Philadelphia in this thing. SEPTA has 5 Express routes but they do not have coaches

 

 

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LMAO Express in SEPTA parlance = Limited over here.

[S78 via Hylan]

Can we please get the thread back on topic?

[checkmatechamp13]

On a side note, I think the reason for that S40 adjustment is because they're doing construction by Forest & South that requires buses to run up Grandview to Netherlands back to South (in both directions). So I guess they added a bus and pushed the departure times from Goethals Homes back accordingly (which kind of sucks because the buses don't need a whole 10 extra minutes to reach the ferry. The passengers are going to just be sitting at the terminal for an extra 8-10 minutes). 

[S78 via Hylan]

On a side note, I think the reason for that S40 adjustment is because they're doing construction by Forest & South that requires buses to run up Grandview to Netherlands back to South (in both directions). So I guess they added a bus and pushed the departure times from Goethals Homes back accordingly (which kind of sucks because the buses don't need a whole 10 extra minutes to reach the ferry. The passengers are going to just be sitting at the terminal for an extra 8-10 minutes).

I'd rather them have a few extra minutes to spare in the event that the Ferry-bound S40 runs late.

[NY1635]

If the MTA can't bother to increase service on the B32, then can't they short turn some B62 at Court Square instead of going all the way to Queens Plaza?