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161 New York

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Everything posted by 161 New York

  1. How do you know "college dropouts" are driving buses?
  2. If you want to pick Queens Division or Staten Island Division, I would accept the transfer. Waiting to finish probation under OA to switch to TA would cost a year's loss of seniority in those divisions. Otherwise, I personally think if you want to got to TA accept the transfer (you fill out more forms and do another urine test), you already completed the 10 Day Bus Operator Qualification Period - Congratulations! (you do not have to do it again if you transfer)...
  3. The official list is out: Various Bus Routes: Port Authority Bus Terminal: Gate Reassignments – Beginning Saturday, June 25, 2022
  4. I wasn't aware of both the 10 and 119 coming to NJT: I guess artic buses coming soon.
  5. Leave the 161 alone, the route works as intended, but 24/7 service is warranted (the service span was creeping in that direction pre-corona). Service on weekends (and off peak to NY on weekdays) is barely sufficient as is. The riders to and from industrial areas of Carlstadt, Moonachie, Little Ferry and Teterboro to North Bergen/Union City make up a significant number of riders on that stretch. Adding shoppers/tourists (and bags/purchases) to the 161 on heavy or even moderately busy days will unacceptably delay service to those going to NY from Paterson, Elmwood Park etc... as a large number of passengers will to have to exit and re-enter, especially at Bergenline to accommodate those alighting who may be seated towards the rear in addition to the dwell time in American Dream. Those originating from Route 46 (west of Teterboro) have the option of transferring to the 772. The 356 is temporarily discontinued. The 772 should resume travel to Secaucus, even before corona (as it did previously) but with very limited stops between East Rutherford and SEC. Disagree. This would lead to favourtism. I work out of Staten Island (TA) and I actually (think) I drive an express bus (Prevost) better than a local bus (Nova Bus), but I choose local work because of how the schedules (paddle) are structured and my work is relatively "easy".
  6. I haven't tried asking on the Rail as I usually have to transfer at SEC for Main/Bergen or PVL Lines. On the bus side, many operators are cool, though some I have had to explain my pass. I usually pay on CUSA-operated routes like the 10/88.
  7. Congratulations on completing the bus operator training program at Zerega. There has not been any new bus operators for quite some time here on Staten Island. Whenever the DOB decides that Staten Island needs bus operators, then they will send over transfers. No-one aside from them knows. As a transfer you will likely do the following - 1) Ride the local lines of all three depots (there are four, but Merideth Ave is an express depot). 2) Do the express bus training where you will go through the HLC/BBT Tunnel and maybe the Lincoln Tunnel as well as some of the routes. This has changed since I completed it in 2016 so I cannot provide you with the details.
  8. Congratulations on passing bus operator training and the road test! For the school bus endorsement, you have to take the road test in a school bus. If you get called for track worker, you can resign bus operator position, but you will likely have to do the Zerega training all over again since you neither "graduated" or completed the one-year probation period. However, if you decline (which you may up to three times so long as the list is active) the track worker position and complete the one-year probation in the bus operator title, you can reinstate your name on the track worker list and accept the call for the track worker. You should have the option of returning to the bus operator title within one year if for whatever reason being a track worker does not work out. Good Luck!
  9. Passport Control at EWR is nice when you fly in on UA and use United's dedicated immigration and customs lanes in Terminal C. Last year my flight on a UA 777 from NRT, it took me less than 15 minutes to get through and I was sitting in the very last row. Otherwise I have spent about an hour in several instances in the past five years in Terminal B. At JFK it is hit or miss, coming in a flight on AY from HEL it took me over an hour to get through at T8, then again on IB from MAD took me less than 10 minutes. Bus related, we can forget any interstate expansion for the forseeable future.
  10. I doubt it. It is no secret that Buses have faced a high number of retirements and unfortunately the operators lost due to the coronavirus. On SI for example, there is over supply on the express-side. The SIM4X & SIM8X should have been temporarily discontinued for the time being as both the ETC and SI Mall P&R lots are ghost towns, routes like the SIM 7 & SIM9 should have wider headways. That should have freed up some operators to maintain core routes like the SIM1c and SIM 4c as well as the locals. Very few if any are uncapped. The "newer" Cuomo buses have a better pick-up than the regular white and blue buses.
  11. It makes too much sense. It's logical. It actually helps people. So therefore it can't be done, or can it? A re-imagined s48, s48 +SBS+ or s98 +SBS+ In my opinion, the s48 would be the best candidate for an articulated bus +SBS+ or +SBS+ Lite or a perma-super Limited. First and foremost it connects with almost every local route in the Staten Island Division. It is straight and flat with the notable exception of the 1/3 portion between the S I Ferry and the western portion of Silver Lake Park. This will definitely be an issue during inclement winter weather. My revised s48 +SBS+ or s98 Super Limited would have the route going straight down Forest and take the straight and logical route to Amazon/Matrix Park. Concurrent legacy s48 will "fill in the gaps" and would trail behind the artic bus and will remain unchanged. Schedules to be mindful of employer start/end times. The existing s40/s90 A ridership survey should be done to determine if ridership is coming from the 1/4 to 1/3 mile of the s40/s90 service (excluding 1/4 mile of the SI Ferry) area to determine what level of ridership is originating from these areas. Using the ridership data the s40/s90 could revert back to its original terminal at the Howland Hook Container Terminal (or whatever they are calling it these days) if in fact ridership is indeed originating from Ferry or riders transferring from other buses. We can safely bet that the busway along Richmond Terrace or any capital project is delayed indefinitely given the delays. Just my personal thoughts. I have another idea that Uncle Jeff could possibly entertain, but I will hold back for now.
  12. -How a spring pick will be done will be interesting since ridership has collapsed. There will be no spring pick for the foreseeable future. - S44 and S59: the northern stop at Staten Island Mall (Macy's) will be skipped. The southern stop will be made as that services Lidl, a supermarket. Makes no sense, we do have people that walk from that stop towards residences on Richmond Hill Road and beyond. -S55 and S56: service into SI Mall starts and ends at Lidl. Makes no sense, this would screw anyone that is coming out of Stop & Shop on Platinum Ave, a significantly larger supermarket (by leaps and bounds) than Lidl. - S62 and S93: Alternate trips to and from Travis, and all S93 service, will start and terminate at Jewett Avenue. (The CSI campus is currently sealed off.) I agree with the concept of alternate trips with Travis being a terminal for both the s62 and s93. S62 trips that are scheduled to meet the ferry will leave Travis at that time and will alternate with the s93. -S79 SBS: One fewer bus per hour. Additionally, all trips will start and end at the Lidl bus stop at Staten Island Mall. No Marsh Avenue service or Macy's stop. No need, we have to turn around and start somewhere. There needs to be something done with the s40/s90 for Amazon workers. I am hearing reports that ridership is still heavy due to the operations at Matrix Park.
  13. Speaking only from a Staten Island Division perspective: - School "pieces" are incorporated into someone's picked run as part of their run line. They appear a lot in express runs, but can be found in local runs and interlined runs. - Each pick that has school pieces haves two lines; lets say run 5/SIM1. There would be 5/SIM1 S and 5/SIM1 C. S = School Open and C = School Closed. Bus Operators will simply adhere to that schedule when we are either school open or school closed. So no "redesign" or intervention by management is needed. - Downsides: Extra service from these school runs means less options at those times for people and bus operators get a pay cut as the school closed runs have less run pay (example 5/SIM1 pays 10 hours School Open, now pays 8 hours School Closed).
  14. As of March 17 , 2020: "Effective immediately, all transportation picks that are being held, or are scheduled to be held, are postponed until further notice.No picking should be conducted until further notice."
  15. I have over three years on out of Yukon on Staten Island. From a SI Division observation: I could have had SS weekends off at the 2.5 year mark at both CA and YU (Extra List). For System Pick 2019 I could have had SS weekends off at CA, FS or SM at Yukon. For those on SI with less than 3-5 years, all SS work is PM work, FS had/has been both PM and hawk (overnight) and SM PM local work. SS almost always goes first, then FS and SM last.
  16. This is the quote on page 17 of the PDF: This almost certainly has absolutely nothing to do with the 10-Day Training program for new bus operators at Zerega. I work out of Yukon Depot on Staten Island and our union, ATU 726 has negotiated with DOB management to have two bi-annual classroom training for SI Division Bus Operators at Charleston Depot so we do not have to go either to Zerega or Spring Creek Depot. This was done for convenience, TWU-100 is likely seeking a similar accommodation for their members.
  17. There are so many rumours and misinformation, fake news, out there. Wait until the departamentals and MOU (Memorandums of Understanding) come out before flipping out. For those in Transit, you can read the contracts in NYCT Today under the Labor Relations in the internal portal.
  18. I have a a feeling if you show up at Zerega on Day 0 and you tell them this they will tell you resign and put your name back on the list when you are ready to commit to the full training. You are technically a student from Day 0 until you complete line training at your depot, a process of 6 weeks from Day 0 at Zerega. After you "graduate", will you have *some * limited, flexibility with your schedule.
  19. You will be fine. Don't worry about the E Endorsement.
  20. From post 29224 in BUS - Random Thoughts Thread: Congratulations on passing the 10 Day Training! If you are considering a transfer to Staten Island, you will be driving the 45' coach buses, likely the Prevosts or an MCI bus (Charleston/Castleton) for the first couple of years (after two, if you really dislike express you probably can *probably* pick straight local work). You will receive a separate express line training which will start off with driving through the HLC Tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan as well as doing some of the routes. They have changed the training since I completed it about three years ago, so I cannot accurately advise you of what to expect. There are differences, you have an additional five feet so you will have to take turns slightly differently, the bus is taller so you will have to take into consideration tree branches and signs. Driving express buses will be driving less people, but more distance.
  21. I am answering your questions here in the B/O 7612 Hiring Process topic in the Transit Employment section, where it is more appropriate. The BUS - Random Thoughts Thread is mainly to discuss bus service/random observations/detours or anything about NYCT/MTA Bus.
  22. It would be nice to see the 772 going back to the Secaucus Junction, but I guess it would make the route somewhat unreliable.
  23. Some agency/contractor was doing construction in the immediate area, the sidewalk appears to be new - perhaps they damaged the sign and it needs to be replaced? I continue to service the stop when I do the s57 and s59. FWIW, I await for them to fix the s62 sign at Victory Blvd/Alberta Ave that I suspect (but cannot prove) was deliberately vandalized (due to the tone it emitted (emphasis on the past tense)) and a sign for the SIM31 Drop Off on Bradley and N. Gannon Rd among other things that shouldn't be difficult to address. ICYMI, the Richmond Ave/Signs Road (S/B) stop for the s44/s94/s59/SIMxx buses was damaged, likely some accident (pole completely bent) and fully replaced with correct signage in less than five business days.
  24. My suggestion would be to revamp the SIM9 to provide the service, extended to Columbus Circle. The route will make limited stops to keep it reliable and operate in the peak period only. To compensate for the loss of service on 6th Ave to Union Square, additional SIM7 service would be added. Again, this is my personal proposal from a guy who does not even drive express (this pick) and absolutely nothing below, nada, is being considered by NYCT/Operations Planning to which I have ZERO involvement with: On Staten Island, the route would start at the Eltingville Transit Center and parallel the s79-SBS to Midland Ave making similar stops followed by a limited amount of stops on Midland and FR Cap including the South Beach P&R. In Manhattan it would make the following Columbus Circle-bound stops: 1) West/Carlisle (High Demand) 2) West/Warren (High Demand) 3) West/N. Moore (High Demand) The route would follow our existing Central Park South/6th Ave deadhead route up West St to 14th to 10th Ave and make the following stops: 4) 10th Ave / W. 16 St 5) 10th Ave / W. 23 St 6) 10th Ave / W. 34 St (High Demand) 7) 10th Ave / W. 42 St The route will continue to W. 50 St to 8th Avenue and make the following stops: 8.) 8th Ave / W. 52 St The route will take 8th Ave to the end terminate at Central Park South and Columbus Circle 9) Central Park South and Columbus Circle AM Peak service in Manhattan should be relatively reliable on this route and would satisfy anyone needing a one-seat ride from ETC/Hylan corridor to the far West side. Anyone needing Upper West Side/Washington Heights can get off at Columbus Circle and use the subway. PM service would have some issues that are inherent with the existing Midtown buses. The first stop would be the same AM-drop off. The route would go along Central Park South to 7th Avenue and make its way to 11th Ave via W. 49 St. and continue to West St where it would continue the existing SIM9 route: 1) Central Park South and Columbus Circle 2) 7th Ave and W. 53 St. (former x1 stop) (Possibly High Demand) 3) W. 49 St / 9th Ave 4) 11th Ave / W. 42 St 5) 11th Ave / W. 34 St (High Demand) 6) 11th Ave/ W. 23 St 7) West N. Moore St 8.) Vesey St/West St (WFC) (High Demand) The bike lane S/B on West Street prevents a bus stop near 14th St. Regular existing SIM9 route to Staten Island and extended to the Eltingville Transit Center making limited stops on FR Cap/Midland and similar s79-SBS stops to ETC.
  25. I am from Staten Island and take public transport to LGA, which I absolutely loathe flying out from but do so because of the significant price savings vs EWR and being with UA and DL FF (frequent flyer) programs. If I can get a direct connection from NYP to an AirTrain or a subway to AirTrain (and reverse) - I would absolutely take the LIRR or possibly the especially during certain times of the week or day over the bus. Taking the M60-SBS from the Main Terminal back to 125 for the by way of the Marine Terminal is not fun especially if you have to stand. The Q70 is an improvement, but if traffic is bad or there is a detour, I would prefer another option.
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