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I know, but try telling that to the service planners. They just care about the numbers.

The MTA service planners can eliminate Q67 weekend service tomorrow due to its low ridership. I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Good point.

That's a good idea. But I would have the Bx31 operate via Westchester Avenue, instead of Commerce Avenue, in order to get to Zerega Avenue. To start, every other bus would operate south of Westchester Square as a test case. I would make the span south of Westchester Square, to start, only when the frequency north of Westchester Square is every 15 minutes or less (every 30 minutes or less south of Westchester Square). As that the Bx31 currently operates every 20 minutes on Sunday, it would not operate on that day of the week, to start. As ridership builds up, the Bx31 would eventually operate every 15 minutes, and Sunday service south of Westchester Square (every 30 minutes) would be added.

I would leave the Q39 as is, unless the Q38 gets broken up. Instead, I would extend the Q18 via 69 St and Metropolitan Ave to Fresh Pond Rd, and cut back the Q67 to Grand Ave. This way, the Q67 would operate weekdays only.

I would have extended the Bx34 anyway just to be spiteful, i.e., to show them that if you think that way you belong in the gutter!!!

I hate their schedulers. My critique about their service planners is that they are extremely delusional to demand that new routes must have 100% cost recovery ratios and to claim that there is insufficient operational and/or financial resources to add new routes. And why not? Filling in service gaps, where feasible, will boost ridership and revenue. And that's a good thing.

You could use the Hudson Railink on weekdays; it has a stop at Fieldston Rd on Mosholu Ave.

Now I know what some of you are thinking: if the Bx5 goes to Wakefield, then Bx5 summer weekend Orchard Beach service would have to be discontinued. But try telling that to the people of southern Bronx. I wouldn't. Which is why the Bx29 extension to Wakefield is the superior choice.

I would also extend the S52 at its southern end, via SI University Hospital North, to Richmond Road via the Dongan Hills station.

If the Bx16 is sent via E 233 St between Webster and Baychester Avenues, another route MUST cover the Baychester Avenue/Nereid Avenue portion of the current Bx16. I chose the Bx29 over the Bx5, because I am concerned that it would make the Bx5 too long and unmanageable. Plus, it would be confusing for summer weekend riders, as that it would have double destinations. (This is the reason why the Bx12 SBS doesn't go to Orchard Beach.)

In my proposal, the Bx16 would simply operate via E 233 St between Webster and Baychester Avenues. Unfortunately, Bx29 buses traveling northbound would enter I-95 on the right side, but the Baychester Ave exit is in the same exact location on the left side. It is impossible for any vehicle to traverse, unless you wish to cause an accident. The Bx29 goes to the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, because it is an essential destination for City Island and Co-Op City Section 5 riders. Sorry, but the Bx29 routing between of Bay Plaza and City Island, as well as the Bx5 routing, must remain as is.

The path in which a Bx29 extension should take is somewhat complicated. The extension should encourage ridership, maintain the Baychester Ave/Nereid Ave portion of the current Bx16, serve the 2/5 trains well, develop a turnaround at White Plains Rd, create a transfer point with the Bx31, serve the Baychester Ave station, and go around the Gun Hill Depot. Using Edson Ave is out, as that it's a one-way street, southbound. The path that I would have the Bx29 use, from the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, is Bartow Ave, Ely Ave, Givan Ave, Baychester Ave, Boston Rd, Grace Ave, E 229 St, Schieffelin Ave, Baychester Ave, Pitman Ave, Mundy Lane, Nereid Ave, Baychester Ave, and E 241 St to White Plains Rd. It would return via White Plains Rd, and Nereid Ave. This loop would give Wakefield riders during the weekday AM rush a greater chance at a seat on the train, encouraging ridership, plus meet all of the other requirements. If any of you have a better idea, and meet all of the requirements, I would like to know.

...although Metro-North is the less expensive option. But there's a catch: a monthly Metro-North pass between Manhattan and the Bronx is $193. If one uses the Hudson Railink buses to/from Riverdale or Spuyten Duyvil, the monthly Bus/Rail Uniticket is $228.75. Whereas, the 7-Day Express Bus Plus Metrocard is $55.

But north of HHE, Kissena Blvd is only one lane in each direction with parking, making the Q17 journey slow and cumbersome. Sending the Q17 to operate via Northern Blvd, which is significantly wider, would make local and limited-stop service faster for Fresh Meadows riders. And national statistics show that if service is X percent faster, ridership will increase by 2X percent.

I forgot about two: Q30 - Operate only between Jamaica and QCC only weekdays only. Maintain service levels based on ridership counts. Q31 - Add evening and weekend service to compensate for the loss of the Q30. And from the above, add Q88 service to compensate for the loss of the Q30 east of QCC. Possible limited-stop service weekday rush hours. As that ridership is relatively low east of 188 St, Fresh Meadows riders to/from Jamaica could still use the Q17. And during the weekdays most current HHE riders east of 188 St would still have the Q30 to/from Jamaica. Yes, there are some losers. But many more riders, especially during the off peak, will benefit.

I know that there is latent demand between Fresh Meadows and Northern Blvd, as well as via Jewel Ave east of Utopia Pkwy. So, how about this: Q88 - Make it a true HHE route. Operate all times. Q75 - Restore route. Operate weekday rush only. Q64 - Extend via Jewel Ave and 73 Ave to Oakland Gardens. Implement limited-stop service west of Utopia Pkwy weekday rush only, with local short trips to/from Utopia Pkwy. Possible weekday extension to QCC. Q17 - Operate via 188 St, Utopia Pkwy, and Northern Blvd to Flushing. Q34 - Operate between Flushing and Fort Totten only via Willets Point Blvd. Operate all times. Q25 - Add daily service south of Flushing to compensate for the loss of the Q17 and the Q34. Q16 - Eliminate Francis Lewis Blvd branch. Operate Utopia Pkwy branch to Beechhurst instead of Fort Totten. This would close service gaps, and make eastern Queens more accessible by mass transit without unnecessarily duplicating other services.

No, I don't. But you can look on a bus map, and know that the next bus west of Francis Lewis Blvd that traverses Queens is Parsons Blvd/Main St.

The service planners deserve to be critiqued if they refuse to close service gaps, make service more difficult for the public, and refuse to analyze comprehensive service changes objectively. On January 13, 2010, I made a presentation to Manhattan Community Board 3's Transportation & Public Safety / Environment Committee to bring forth my plan to merge the M22 with Avenue C service as a counterproposal to NYCT's then-proposed M9/M21 changes. During the Q & A part of my presentation, I mentioned that Pitt Street would have to become a two-way street. The Committee was warm to the idea, but they refused to put this idea, as well as my counterproposal, to a vote, as that they demanded that the Cherry St Loop be included. NYCT's M9/M21 changes went through anyway. And the Lower East Side service gap remains.

If the Q88 would become a true HHE route, then the Q64 would have to be extended, the Q75 would have to be restored, and the Q30 would only operate weekdays and only between Jamaica and QCC. The Q64 would also have short trips that would operate to/from Utopia Pkwy. But, should there be a route that traverses Utopia Pkwy, and there is a demand for it, many structural changes would have to occur.

But the M12 would only go as far south as Spring St. My proposal, formally submitted to the MTA last year, would satisfy community concerns without unneccessary duplication of services. Yes, there would be two services via 9th Ave, but the M11 and the rerouted M20 serve different markets. So, I wouldn't consider these services duplicative.

But, if the S57 is realigned to operate via Jewett Ave during its hours of operation, replacing the S66, then the S67 would have to be restored, and operate daily. The service planners should do what's called the Comparative Evaluation and Community Benefit Analysis, like what is done in Philadelphia. (Go to www.septa.org Media section's Reports page, and click "Service Standards and Process" for details.) In this case, the planners would compare the current amount of riders on the S57 and S66 with the projected amount of riders on the S57 and S67, and the amount of riders that would have their transfers added/eliminated, travel times increased/decreased, and walking distance increased/decreased. If the planners conclude that the service change would yield an overall net negative community benefit, i.e., that the service should remain as is, then I would be satisfied.

Yes, the Bx50. It's been in the works since at least 2008.

The most important thing to do first is to close service gaps, not add layers of service, which would be a waste of our tax dollars. The M1 south of the Cooper Union should be restored all times except nights. And, there should also be a route that traverses Greenwich St. In order to do this, the M5 would have to be cut back to Houston St, and the M6 would be restored. The new M6 would operate northbound via 6th Ave, but southbound via 7th Av, 7th Ave South, West Broadway, Worth St, and Broadway to South Ferry. The M20 southbound would then be shifted to 9th Ave, Hudson St, Bethune St, Greenwich St, Chambers St, then back to its current routing to South Ferry. M9 service via Avenue B should also be restored. There should also be a route that traverses Avenue C/Pitt St. An extended M22 would be the likely choice (Cherry St Loop would be maintained). The only drawback is that Pitt St would have to become a two-way street. In order to do this, street parking would have to be removed from one side of the street. If this can't be done, then I don't see Avenue B service returning, and Lower East Side service would remain as is. Let's kill Operations Planning's notion that noone tells them how to plan.

Some want it, some don't.