Interested Rider

On 1/29/2024 at 4:47 PM, BrooklynBus said:

He would have everyone walk from Ave Z and E 15 Street. The walk would be slightly longer since accessing the Voorhies Ave end of the station would no longer be possible. (They already changed the B36 to make it less accessible to the station several years ago.) I am not sure if his proposed change would be any quicker since it is more indirect and traffic on Avenue Z is also heavy, although the street is not narrow. Guider, northbound would be a little shorter than Neptune to C I Ave. It could be investigated however to see if it’s any quicker. 

What Brooklyn Bus wrote as to "he" is not true. I decided not to get involved because the change in routing was directly connected to the accident where a person was killed by a bus turning at East 17th Street. and Avenue Z which led to the change. By going straight on Avenue Z from East 17th Street to East 15th Street, the B/36 would avoid the many turns which is in line with the proposed change for the B/49 from Sheepshead Bay Road. This change was also in line with former mayor Bill DeBlasio's Vision Zero which I believe played a role in the re-routing of the B/36

The reason that I proposed using Neptune, Coney Island and Avenue Z, it provides an alternative to the narrow streets that the B/49 operates on in Sheepshead Bay which you are proposing as an alternative to the routing that I have proposed. I sincerely doubt that Operations Planning would be interested in substituting one set of narrow streets for another.   In reading through the design, Operations Planning makes it quite clear that if there is an alternative that can be used, they will change the route. (see B/16 ((for example) rerouting from 56th and 57th Streets to 60th Street ire-routing n Borough Park and the routing in Kensington).

6 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

The B49 should stay on  Ocean to Empire and then turn east on Empire to Utica. I used to live near there and a route like that would have been very helpful. 

That is your opinion and in light of the information provided by operations planning concerning the proposed changes to the B/49, therefore it can be stated that your comment represents just one person's views: yours. The reason that I posted the Ocean - Flatbush terminal is there are three other bus routes that terminate there, the B/16, 43 and the B/48 and the B/48 on Franklin parallels the B/49 running southbound from Fulton Street to Empire Boulevard.  The fact that it terminates at the B, Q and S subway lines is extremely helpful in terms of a delay on the subway.

The question that I have is their supervision at that point that the fellow posters have raised about the B/49 that can help to make the service more reliable?  I am more interested in the views of those who live in the community where you want to extend the route and those of my fellow posters who ride the B/49 as it will enable operations planning to gauge whether your suggestion merits consideration if at all.

6 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

The B49 should stay on  Ocean to Empire and then turn east on Empire to Utica. I used to live near there and a route like that would have been very helpful. 

20 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I would only agree with rerouting the B49 like this if the route were to be truncated on the northern end.... Quite frankly, I've lon

On 1/29/2024 at 4:47 PM, BrooklynBus said:

He would have everyone walk from Ave Z and E 15 Street. The walk would be slightly longer since accessing the Voorhies Ave end of the station would no longer be possible. (They already changed the B36 to make it less accessible to the station several years ago.) I am not sure if his proposed change would be any quicker since it is more indirect and traffic on Avenue Z is also heavy, although the street is not narrow. Guider, northbound would be a little shorter than Neptune to C I Ave. It could be investigated however to see if it’s any quicker. 

g been sick & tired of the B49 crawling along Ocean the way it does.

I have to agree with you as to the service at the northern end. My reading on the proposed changes for the B/49 is that the MTA does not know what to do with it as it is too far from either the Ulmer Park or Flatbush garages and Operations Planning is looking for a place where there is supervision for the route. The problem is that the route has always been an outlier from trolley days when trolley ran empty from the barn on Hegeman and Rockaway Avenues to Rogers Avenue was where it went into service. When it was converted to a bus route, it ran out of the West 5th Street garage which closed on 7/26/60 with the opening of the Fresh Pond garage when it was transferred to Flatbush In the 1960'she change to one way streets from two way streets did not help the route.  There is a picture in one of the books on Brooklyn trolleys that I own which shows three Ocean Avenue trolleys going in the same direction at Rogers and Flatbush  Avenues in the 1940's.

I usually do not like to propose route changes on routes that I really do not ride but I it is my opinion that the B/49 should operate on Ocean Avenue to Avenue J and then follow the B/11 route to the junction and terminate there.  My reasoning is based on that it will provide riders with transfers to the B/44 local and select bus routes which it is my opinion which is what operations planning wants to do anyway. 

Another alternative is to keep the B/49 on Ocean Avenue to the Prospect Park B,Q, Station and terminate it there. The B/48 starts there and it could provide alternative service.

On 1/12/2024 at 6:12 PM, BrooklynBus said:

The B9 needs to be rerouted to serve Avenue N to Bergen Beach. The B40 is only necessary during rush hours and overnight hours. It is empty during the day along Avenue N 

Back with the B/9 to Bergen Beach where after Flatbush Avenue, it would carry air?  There are two separate and totally different communities with Flatbush Avenue being the dividing line. The B/9 is fine as there are sufficient ridership to justify the service coming from Sunset Park, Borough Park and Midwood to Kings Plaza. there are some runs that terminate at Flatbush Avenue and Kings Highway on school days and late nights.

I would prefer that those who live in Bergen Beach determine as to what service should be provided.

On 1/29/2024 at 2:56 PM, Future ENY OP said:

So, how do you address the Sheepshead Bay Station stop for the B49?  Personally, the B49 really needs to be left alone.

The re-routing of the B/49 to Avenue Z has an impact on just the southbound stop in Sheepshead Bay as the B/49 will stop at the westbound B/36 stop at East 15th Street. Northbound B/49 buses already stop at Avenue Z and East 15th Street where the eastbound B4 and B/36 stops as well. The difference is that instead of the B/49 using the cowpath known as Sheepshead Bay Road, it substitutes Avenue Z, Coney Island Avenue and Neptune Avenue which are wider streets. In reading the section on the B/49, it seems that this would be a better alternative for service from Manhattan Beach and provide service to the Coney Island Avenue Z shopping area for many in the community.

1 hour ago, Future ENY OP said:

So, how do you address the Sheepshead Bay Station stop for the B49?  Personally, the B49 really needs to be left alone.

The B/49 would operate on Avenue Z in both directions from Ocean Avenue to Coney Island Avenue. The stop for the Sheepshead Bay Station going toward Bedford-Stuyvesant would be the existing stop at East 15th Street. The stop toward Manhattan Beach would be where the B/36 stops at East 15th Street.  The re-routing was in response to operations planning proposal to send the B/49 to Coney Island and it basically keeps the route intact but eliminates  the portion on the narrow streets in Sheepshead Bay.   

It takes a lot for me to respond to some of these posts but reading some of the posts today, got up my dander. The focus should be on how the bus service will help the population in that community year round. This is why I have to go back and start work on how operations planning proposal   with the elimination of the bus stops on the B/3 and the B/9 which will negatively impact upon the senior population in the Midwood and Sheepshead Bay communities. 

I have submitted the proposal about the changes to the B/36 and the B/44 select bus and would like to update the proposed change for the B/44 local and select bus terminal from Avenue U to Avenue X. When I proposed this change earlier last year, we did not have the problems with the illegals being housed in the Emmons Avenue motels. As many of you know, I travel just the three blocks and the change that was proposed is needed more than ever as trying to board either a B/44 local or select bus at Avenue U and to get off at Avenue X has become a virtual war getting on and off.

As far as the B/49 limited to Kingsborough Community College, let the college provide the service, not the MTA. Everything depends upon the enrollment and based on my readings, indicates their enrollment is declining, so let it die. This is not to say that college service should be discontinued, it would be more effective if it was based on need, not involve the college.

 The B/49 should continue to Manhattan Beach but continue on Avenue Z to Coney Island Avenue then south on Coney Island Avenue to Neptune Avenue and  then east on Neptune to Shore Boulevard then resume regular route to Manhattan Beach. This change will eliminate the routing through the narrow streets and provide access to the Coney Island Avenue - Avenue Z shopping center. This would eliminate the problems with the narrow streets in Sheepshead Bay

9 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

I agree. It’s a horrible proposal. The B36 is greatly underserved in rush hours east of Sheepshead Bay Station. This proposal allows for increased service without adding buses which is why the MTA wants it. But there are just too many negatives with this proposal. We don’t need a fourth bus route on Ave Z, especially articulated buses. When I advised the MTA of this, their solution was to ban parking and eliminating some bus stops, in a neighborhood where parking is very scarce. This is bad for local businesses and for the bus passengers since they will have to walk much further to a bus stop and wait longer if their extra walk causes them to miss a bus, adding to their trip time. My proposal for the B44 SBS to go to Kingsborough when school is in session makes a lot more sense. 

You are the one who proposed this sometime ago and when it was proposed originally, I said it was unworkable and your data was flawed. It seems that Operations Planning adopted your proposal and they included it in the redesign. Now you are back with the Kingsborough proposal which I also said was unworkable and would make the situation worse but you keep bringing  it up on this forum. Leave the B/44 select bus alone as the route is long enough. 

There is a need for a change on the B/44 local and select bus terminals from Avenue U to Avenue X especially during the weekday select bus midday hours. This will help the B/44 local and select bus and the B/36 as well.

I have looked at the re=routing of the B/49 from Manhattan Beach to Coney Island and the B/4 via Neptune Avenue ,and Coney Island Hospital and take the position both routes remain as is. In reading your posts on these two routes here you agree with operations planning that changes must be made.  What you and operations panning  forget the key here that connects the routes and the reason that remain as is that both routes serve the main 11235 post office on Avenue Z that would not available.

Operations planning is proposing that the B/68 replace the B/49 in Manhattan Beach. Another thing that should be buried.

The changes that were made in November 1978 were needed and are still working quite well.  

12 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

I have a feeling there must have been a change of shift at the nursing home when you saw more people than you expected. The MTA needs to do micro planning when redesigning routes taking things like change of shifts into consideration. When I was a kid I remember 50 people getting on at one stop on the B35 on Thursday at 10 PM severely overcrowding the bus. Why? A bingo game just finished at a church. 

For the record, I live nowhere near the nursing homes as you are well aware. The time that I was looking out my window at 4:15 AM on a Saturday morning, the temperature was in the mid 50's and the persons were wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts which was not typical for that time of persons going to work..  

On 7/31/2023 at 11:44 AM, BrooklynBus said:

If it’s once an hour, that doesn’t mean much. Those buses mostly either run empty or have one or two passengers the entire trip 

Sometime at the end of June, I looked out of my window at 4:15 AM on a Saturday morning, I observed ten (yes ten) individuals who were looking at the post board as to when the next B/44 bus would arrive. Before this happened, I always observed 2-3 riders boarding at this stop and this is with a schedule of 60 minutes. This means that there are more people riding for the entire route. While I cannot pinpoint where they are coming from, it seems that there has been a large increase in the number of B/44 riders at all times coming from during the Knapp Street portion of the route. In fact, it was next to the impossible to board a Knapp Street select bus during the midday period at Avenue U one day. The B/44 locals are just as crowded going to Knapp Street during the midday period.

Bus service is a variable thing as one day the bus would have 2 people boarding at the same time as the next day when you have 10 people. This is why I try not to make generalizations as to the number of passengers at different times of the day if I do not ride the bus at that time.

On 7/31/2023 at 12:38 PM, Interested Rider said:

Yes! The route is Nostrand Avenue, Avenue Y, Batchelder Street, Avenue Z and regular. Reverse is just the opposite as it is Avenue Z, Batchelder Street, Batchelder Street, Avenue Y, Nostrand Avenue and regular to Avenue U terminal. The number of stops to be added toward Coney Island are three East side of Avenue Y at Nostrand Avenue, Southwest corner of Batchelder Street and Avenue Y and Haring Street at Avenue Z before the cut for the parking lot. Eastbound the stops would be at Nostrand Avenue, Northeast corner of Batchelder Street at Avenue Z. The existing BM3 stop according to the BM3 stop list is to be moved from the south side of Avenue Z to the northside of Avenue Z and be a shared stop. The next stop would be in the existing stop located at Avenue Y and Nostrand Avenue.

On 7/31/2023 at 8:10 AM, Ex696 said:

You mean, it would serve Kings Bay Co-op Houses then go to Avenue U, right? I think the connection to Avenue U should be kept.

The only change is that instead of using Nostrand Avenue from Avenue Y to Avenue Z, it would go via Avenue Y to Batchelder Street the south on Batchelder Street to Avenue Z then via Avenue Z and regular routing. It will retain its regular routing to the Avenue U terminal. The goal is  to connect the cooperative with the Nostrand Avenue Shopping Center, the library, the Y and the Senior Centers

4 hours ago, Ex696 said:

You mean, it would serve Kings Bay Co-op Houses then go to Avenue U, right? I think the connection to Avenue U should be kept.

Yes! The route is Nostrand Avenue, Avenue Y, Batchelder Street, Avenue Z and regular. Reverse is just the opposite as it is Avenue Z, Batchelder Street, Batchelder Street, Avenue Y, Nostrand Avenue and regular to Avenue U terminal. The number of stops to be added toward Coney Island are three East side of Avenue Y at Nostrand Avenue, Southwest corner of Batchelder Street and Avenue Y  and  

On 7/29/2023 at 11:21 PM, Ex696 said:

And any opinions about the shifting of the B44 SBS from Knapp Street to Coney Island Hospital?

Yes! Kill it! and keep the B/36 with a modification to serve the Kings Bay Cooperative at Batchelder Street.

MTA website is reporting delays on B/6,B/44,B/44 SBS are being delayed due to an MTA accident at Glenwood Road and Nostrand Avenue.

I seem to remember many years ago, a reporter checking on how many times did MTA board members use the free Metro card that was given to them. I think that the answer was close to zero. 

MTA board members are not expected to know anything abou the system as after all, they were chosen by their political benefactor to what he says. 

The problem here is if he phony media ever did their job, we would not be in this mess in first place.

7 hours ago, aemoreira81 said:

Cash is still okay at the vending machines.

Thank you for the information as I was so used to going to the station agent and giving the person the money and the card.

I have to go to Manhattan and plan to use the express bus so I have to put additional funds on my card . 

I have a problem as I do not like to use  credit card for adding money to my Metrocard and when I tried to refill it using cash at the subway a couple of weeks ago, I was told by the agent  it could only be refilled using a credit card. 

Will the station agents be able to refill the card using cash again when the buses start charging fares?

It seems that Ms. Feinberg'scomments have been picked up by the dailycaller.com which means that it is now national.

On the site scroll down to the second part about midway through, it is  there. 

2 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

@Interested Rider The MTA has devolved into a total dumpster fire at this point; good for Byford that he got out when he did.  As for Cuomo's lackeys, no point in counting on them to right the ship... I have a bent Philips-head screwdriver in my closet that's sharper than that tool Feinberg.

Andy Byford was chosen based on being the best candidate for the job but being the best candidate without having the political support that is everything for a job like the one that he held here. His big mistake was Cuomo's ego in other words, Byford was doomed from the start. Think of this way, Byford got out of the MTA just at the right time before Andrew and his syncophants in the media would have blamed him for everything that he had nothing to do with in the transit system including the closing of the subway from 1 AM - 5 AM. Even if Andy Byford had any political support from the beginning of his tenure, the emperor Cuomo would pulled the strings like he did with having the legislature giving him dictatorial powers during this year's session which he used to dictate to us over the last couple of months unchallenged.

As far as Feinberg is concerned, it  seems she found an issue where she would not get under Cuomo's skin but give it time, she will be gone and the phony media that is love with him will not even report it.

This just proves what I have been thinking all  heset years that everything when you reach out of the civil service is political and who is responsible to wohom is based on political loyalties.

I was taught in te myriad of managemtn courses that there were two organization charts with the official being the one which shows who reports to whom and the unofficial which was who really has the power and who does not even though they are in a high position. The latter are the people who have the position because of their political connections and most of the time not based on merit. Those are the ones who keep their jobs as long as their politicial person is either in office or when he leaves office still retains power through friendships and favors. What  usually happens when the political support is withdrawn for some reason then the person either finds another person politically or leaves the job.

What has happened here is I presume is when this happened  the person still kept his job and they hired someone else to do the work at a higher salary with allegiance to another poliitical person  to do the other persons work. In the meantime, the first person remained on the payroll until retirement  esentially doing nothing but still getting paid at the salary level that was set along with all the raises that came with the job.

On 7/3/2020 at 11:19 PM, Around the Horn said:

The B70 loop was honestly more useful than the current B37 and more frequent.

Before I retired (it is 10 years ago this September), I had a medical appointment on 64th street and 8th Avenue in the early afternoon and I decided to try out the B/70 routing instead of taking the subway. It was for the most part interesting and what I learned at that time still applies with a modification.

The B/70 should be left alone, however, service imust be reatined on 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge.. It should be a stand alone route beginning at 59th street and 4th avenue then via 60th street, 3rd avenue inread of Bay Ridge Avenue like the B/70 rerouting was in 2010.  This keeps the portion south of the expressway where there is significant ridership and retains the connections with the staten Island routes without having the traffic problems of  Bay Ridge Avenue.

Quite honestly, I do not trust Cuomo or Deblasio on ths question as all appointments to the MTA board has to go through Cuomo's office before they will be approved by the legislature including Deblasio's appointments to the MTA Board. Cuomo is looking for Congress to come to his rescue even though I sincerely doubt that the president will sign it .  Cuomo will blame him for the termination of service between 1 am and 5 am as it is all about him.

As far as both Cuomo and .DeBlasio are concerned, they both achieved their goals. Cuomo with having his face in  front in  the media  for three months. Cuomo has been lucky as the phony media never asked him the key questions about why he acted in the way he did with the nursing home patients even though it was known as early as March 25. DeBlasio has got  his wish of destroying his predecessor's legacy which is what was his goal ever since he was elected.

4/10/20 1:14 AM 2 and 3 service  delayed as weremove 2 suitcases from the tracks at 125th Street (MTA Info)

The MTA website is reporting now that there is no B/16 or B/37 service.