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IAlam

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Everything posted by IAlam

  1. I'd rather the Q25 than the Q19. Whether from the east or west though I wouldn't say it matters too much. But I know people on 130th street would be very happy if the Q25 went that way. I fell the Q73 should remain is maybe with minor changes. Because of the Q26, the Q26 is already providing service to 73rd Ave and with the terminal at QCC allows for more local connects for people making trips not too and from the subway. The MTA is trying to make a hub at QCC which is great because hubs like can help boost connections to the Q78 and make the route more usable. Also as for QCM, I know people who live in that area and alwasy complain about how hard it is to get to Flushing. They would rather have a direct bus to Flushing over QCM any day of the week. QCM as a final destination as some demand yes, but it's also being used as a transfer point to the subway and serves as a terrible one. Under this plan people on 73rd now have 2 transfer points at Flushing an Forest Hills which are both express stations. That's a big win for them. If QCM is the final destination however it is still reachable with one ride either transfer to the Q88 at LIE or taking the or to Woodhaven. As for little neck, people in that area aren't gunning for the bus to go to Jamaica. A lot of them are just riding to travel to other parts of Queens more than the subway. The Q88 does seem more of a throw away route but I can't see that neighborhood too upset as all of the core routes in that area are still intact. I think making it easier for them to get to Bayside is more important that getting to Flushing. Yeah this is my big issue with the Q12 Sanford by Kissena and Main is a traffic nightmare often taking multiple lights to go one block throughout the day. It'd need to be at a better turn around point that's further away from the congestion. That's why I'd rather have it terminate near Queens College. Since i's a ridership generator, and it would make up for Kissena residents loosing the Q27.
  2. For the Q10 and Q23 proposal if it survived both redesigns the way it did, there a good chance regardless of how we feel the MTA won't budge. They were willing to make a lot of changes on a lot of lines but the fact they were still set on combining the Q10 and Q64 and the Q23 with Union Tpk is the second time around a good sign they might not budge at all. Honestly once people realize what the new Q14, Q19, and Q58 are doing the Q23 will become an afterthought in that area. I can't imagine the line getting much ridership north of the LIE in the long run. It'll become some combination of the northern part being over served and/or the southern part being underserved. I think most if not all of the rush routes should have some form of local version for late night and weekend service. It makes no sense to continue running express when demand is low.
  3. I tired again on my return trip it worked fine for both of us, so at that point I really didn't care anymore. As for speed that might have been the issue but who knows.
  4. Where is that being said? I haven't seen that anywhere.
  5. Ahh I had to tap in family and the 1st tap worked fine. But the second time I tapped for me it said the ride limit was exceeded. Definitely still needs to work out bugs.
  6. I still can't agree with ending the Q20 at Briarwood. Granted there isn't high usage to Jamaica like Flushing, but I ride the Q20 regularly enough on both ends of the line to know that people especially those getting on south of Union Tpk are going to Jamaica. The bus regularly dumps out at Sutphin Blvd. Especially with stops north of Sutphin on the Q44 being more spaced out the Q20 has it's own ridership albeit not as big as 44, but not enough where it's not useless. The only time I see empty Q20's going east/south are when they're in close proximity to the Q44. Going west/north the are usually people waiting for only the Q20 as well as those who just want whatever comes first the Q44 already suffers from reliability issues and the Q20 helps a lot to pick up the slack. Having the Q20 end at Briarwood will make it more of an afterthought that it already is. Also for Sutphin Blvd. on page 15/16 it is noted that it is one of the corridors that the DOT is looking to improve for buses. So I'd expect something is coming down the line to make the situation better there. For the north end the shopping center is a regular ridership generator for the Q20a with people going towards Flushing. Granted it's not a massive amount of people getting on or off there but there aren't really many buses line you'll see crowded as it get further from the subway. Granted the Q20 doesn't need to be the route that goes there as it not the most efficient route. But is should still have a line that goes to Flushing. IIRC someone here mentioned earlier that the Q25 should be extended to 20th Ave.
  7. I wouldn't say that a bad idea from a coverage stand point. But I can already see drivers struggling to cross over with Van Wyck traffic causing delays. This I was about to mention this, I can see seasonal rider ship on the Q16 with people using this to get from the park to Main St Sta. the current Q58 isn't very useful for people going to the park facilities and friends would constantly complain about the hike from Mets or Flushing when trying to go there. I told them about the proposed change and they already love it.
  8. I think Sutphin should just be another busy way like Jamaica and Archer. That would probably make it a lot more bearable to go down that street. Yeah I agree with you on the Q78 on top of that it would serve Queens Village and Bayside which are 2 LIRR station were people actually make LIRR to bus connections. With the added fact the Q31 isn't there anymore people from Bayside HS and LIRR will most likely shift to that route The MTA needs to make sure that they are timing the buses to meet with the LIRR. On top of that Springfield Blvd unlike Little Neck Pwky is a North South corridor that's actually well used. Buses going North South on Springfield Blvd aren't carrying air, and I can see it getting more usage than the Q45 and Q57. Although I wonder if it would be better if it went to Green Acres instead of terminating near JFK.
  9. Does anyone know where I can find out who my local community representatives are?
  10. For the Q25 now that I look at it again yeah it would make more sense to go past Whitestone and all the way to 20 Ave for the shopping center. For the Q20 I would rather have it terminate at the very least at Jamaica LIRR. For a couple of reasons being that first the old Q74 wasn't really popular route and people in that area will still have the Q73 and Q10 which will take them to Forest Hills. The only reason I'd even consider diverting the Q20 to Union Tpk is to make a connection with the Q10 which is now possible on Jewels Ave. As for why Jamaica LIRR as opposed to Briarwood is the , the LIRR, and AirTrain. The ride from Union Tpk to Briarwood to Archer doesn't take that long and people who are riding the Q20 from Jamaica usually fall under 2 camps. Either people who will take whatever comes first or deadset on the Q20 only. The people who would take whatever comes first wouldn't be happy if they have to figure out if they should get off at Union or Sutphin to catch the next bus. Also deadset Q20 riders who won't even consider using the Q44, even though these 2 buses go to the same place. This is because this route operates on some hills that people do not want to go up or down, particularly near Flushing and Briarwood (Even though some of this hills aren't even that big.). With the combined fact this route also appeal more to local students and seniors commuting usually traveling shorter distances not really for people going to the train (with the exception to Flushing of course.). Some of the Q44 stops can be far from the local stops and these people they would rather wait for the Q20. I usually switch between being on whatever comes first to deadset on the Q20, usually when I'm going home too. It's best to just keep it simple and have both routes go to Jamaica.
  11. Q25 is only a north south route that is not getting any major buff in service to account for the loss of all the other routes in the area. (Specifically referring to SOUTH of FLUSHING) Q27 was an east to west route that also served the south of Flushing but is now being diverted. To make up for the loss of frequency and a one seat ride, IMO the Q12 should go beyond Sanford and Terminate near Queens College. This also creates new connections for people that are traveling within the neighborhood as now you can go from and area like Kissena to Murray Hill without transferring.
  12. The more I look at the plan the more it' feels like the MTA took a hands off approach with the express buses really just minor adjustments with some service cuts slipped in to see if people will notice. Like the fact they still didn't match the stops on Linden Blvd with the QM21 and 63 and then decided to remove the Main St stop on the QM68 but not the QM21. They didn't put in the effort to make proper off peak express routes like the did with Staten Island and it shows. Putting all the buses on the LIE is just as bad as putting them on Queens Blvd. It seems they really didn't put as much effort on this part of the proposal as they did with the local buses.
  13. The depot swap would be unnecessary for the 25/65, as they still terminate/run near CP. Also, the 25 still runs to Linden and Whitestone. Also, I suppose they sent both the 17/27 up to CP for terminal feasibility. Flushing went from 13 buses terminating in the box to 9. The Q12 is coming down Main, so it wouldn’t need to turn off of Sanford. But you want the Q12 to run from Queens College to Little Neck? That’s bad. Ok so Even though the Q25/65 is the through route, the buses usually empties out in Flushing and you get a whole new batch of passengers. Routes like the Q17 and Q27 have more intermediate, from the Flushing Area (Not just station) to other parts of the neighborhood as well as Fresh Meadows. So now having them both express through the area makes it a more inconvenient for local travel. That being said, there isn't really any way of getting from the South part of Flushing to the east. Before you'd take the Q27 going via Holly, with the new route for the Q27 you'd have to go to Flushing Main st Sta and transfer. If the Q12 went to Queens College it would kill 2 birds with one stone. Lack of a south Flushing to point east connection and restore service that being gutted on Kissena from the Q17 no longer making any stops, Q27 which was diverted, and the Q34 which is eliminated. It wouldn't be for people going from Queens College to Little Neck but rather for people going to Flushing from Kissena, and for people going from points like Holly and Elder to destinations on Northern, as far as Utopia.
  14. OK after finally finishing reading the whole thing. some of my major takeaways: The Q4 being extended into Nassau to connect with the n1 is intresting. I still think it'd be better if the Q10 went to Fresh Meadows as it'd be faster than the Q23. I wonder why the MTA wanted to swap the Q25 and Q65 with the Q17 and Q27 in College Point? Other than frequency I can't see any good reason. I can also see these routes being swapped from CP to JA and QV. For the Q12, Id like to see it get extended to Queens college to make up for the express Q17 and lack of Q27 & Q34. Also idk if a bus can turn easily around on Sanford the corner is very sharp and street is usually congested anyways. Also would like to see it replace the n20G still but that's a pipe dream. The Q20 needs to go to Jamaica LIRR at the very least. Cutting it back before Jamaica just makes it inconvenient for everyone especially with the Q25/34/65 no longer going to Jamaica LIRR. I'm glad the Q32 is still going to Penn as it's still the only bus that does it atm. On the Q44 removing the stop on Kissena going northbound but not south bound confuses me. Also unless they move the 39th Ave stop to Roosevelt Ave I am against it. The Q50 Looks great on paper but they need to address reliability of that line. I can't see how that would be a reliable service. I am a big fan of the Q62 I think that route is going to be great. The Q73 I'd make a minor adjustment and have it use Kissena Blvd instead of Main St to get to 73rd Ave. Also for the 24/7 rush routes they need to be local during night hours and on weekends in some cases, when frequencies on their local counterparts are lower. Otherwise have long wait on routes that aren't even that crowded to begin with are just going to make the bus network seem more unappealing. For the Express buses we need better frequencies 10,12,15,20,30, or 60 none of this 23 min, 16 min, or 90 min off peak stuff. we also need double bus lanes on 6th Ave, maybe 57th St turned into a bus way?, and a bus lane on Van Dam St with a bus only signal for the left turn to the LIE. The cuts on QM3/4/20 are not gonna fly. For the QM2/3/20/32 I'd suggest the route change to LIE, BQE, to GCT on par with what the super express buses currently do. For the QM buses that get off Queens Blvd or Woodhaven, I'd suggest LIE to BQE to Queens Blvd FOR PEAK BUSES ONLY off peak buses can stay on the LIE. It seems according to the DOT Queens Blvd is already getting a bus priority project so that can probably help out. For the QM4 maybe during off peak hour the bus can use 108th St to provide off peak service to QM12 customers. I'd still in the camp it should be extended to Fresh Meadows during all hours. For the QM1/5/6 I think all off peak QM6 buses should still make pick ups and drop offs until Main St. The QM5 buses that are still running when the QM1 isn't should still run on Union to Main St. For the QM21/63/64/68: QM21: Should match stops of QM63/68 on Linden Blvd and Queens Blvd. Add a stop at Linden Blvd & Guy R Brewer Blvd to compliment QM63. Add a stop at Linden Blvd & VanWyck Expy to compliment QM63.. Add a stop at Queens Blvd & 78th Ave. QM63: Should bypass all stops on Queens Blvd and go to the LIE via VanWyck Expy. Adjust the location of the stop on Linden Blvd & Guy R Brewer Blvd to compliment QM21. Add a stop at Linden Blvd & 142nd St to compliment QM21. Remove stop at Queens Blvd & Hoover Av. Remove stop at Queens Blvd & 78th Ave. QM64: Should bypass all stops on Queens Blvd and go to the LIE via VanWyck Expy. Remove stop at Queens Blvd & Hoover Av. Remove stop at Queens Blvd & 78th Ave. QM68: Keep the stop at Queens Blvd & Main St to compliment the QM21. Maybe add a stop on Hillside Ave & Parsons Blvd. to help encourage ridership. (Area with new development occurring) For the QM65 I'm not sure how well this new route would do since SE Queens has the Atlantic ticket for a cheaper price with more itineraries for people going into Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. But in the end I don't live there so it'd really depend on the community and it they would utilize it. Also I'm still annoyed there is no replacement for the X51 or any new route the are of Queens below Northern and above the LIE. There is no LIRR or express buses in this area, and under this plan the people in this area are still being shoved down local buses into Flushing. Also NE Queens still lacking Downtown service. LIRR to Midtown only, bus to to Midtown only, or the existing express buses to Midtown only. It'd be nice if there was an express bus that served Fresh Meadows & Flushing, and then went to Lower Manhattan serving LES, Chinatown, and Downtown. Especially with many in the Asian community being afraid of the subway lately, It's show the MTA is listening to their concerns and provide service to an area that currently has no express bus service and is far from the LIRR.
  15. The PW line AM peak service is terrible if you're west of Bayside the QM3 provide an alternative to that. Still reading the plan but other than minor issues the plan on the local side so far looks a lot better.
  16. I remember back when I was in HS the G train after school would be slammed enough so that you could probably fill up an entire train just with kids going to Court Sq. The amount of kids that would commute 90+ min just to get to school was insane, and iirc I remember some people that had 2 hour commutes. That's was and probably still is common for some kids in Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Sci, or Staten Island Tech.
  17. Off peak QM ridership is poor because the routes themselves don't adjust for off peak ridership. There is no reason buses at 8-9AM should be using Northern Blvd and Queens Blvd to get to Queens. It's hard to find the appeal of a return QM bus when these buses are usually going no faster than the subway on their return trips. On top of that most off peak QM routes are run by CP which is by far the worst express bus operating depo in the city. This was the depo that was regularly kicking passengers off at Herald Sq so bus ops could take a longer layover. On top of that before the advocacy group, we'd regularly see buses no show for the trip. It was common to wait for a 10AM bus for it only to not show up and then have to wait an hour for the next bus. CP was (kinda still is) so bad at running their buses it's no surprise that no one want to rely on them anymore. Honestly only after the pandemic has things gotten somewhat better. Which were also, surprise surprise seeing, more ppl ride off peak. But some of the main issues that I see with the Queens express buses that isn't being addressed, is the fact Queens needs an off peak network similar to SI where the off peak routes are different than their peak counterparts. Additionally we need service in more areas that are lacking subway access. Since 2010 there has not really been any express bus to serve the area of Queens north of the L.I.E. and south of Northern Blvd. People in those areas are currently riding in packed buses into and out of Flushing, and the MTA wanted to remove service to and from Flushing and make those people go to stations further away. But at the same time they did not provide an express bus alternative. It also amazes me the DOT was able to spend the time and money to add a bike lane to Queens Blvd but not add any bus lanes. Granted there is more than enough space to reconfigure the street to add a proper bus way.
  18. I've seen the Q12 pool on the Q44 and the Q44 pool on the Q12 fairly regularly. At the end of the day as long as it's a 60ft bus I doubt the depo really cares.
  19. When it comes to any problem on express buses, College Point is always the worst offender. Luckily I haven't had any drivers kick me off the bus it's rare I ever go that far nowadays. But I know for a fact I would not put up with that today. If a BO tries to kick me off at Herald, I'm not walking off with out a badge number. I'm doing a some traveling outside of the city this week so I doubt I'll be on any express buses for a while, although I was always an occasional rider.
  20. I've been noticing that people have been spreading out more on QM trips. I used to remember late mornings and midday buses into the city being nearly empty and this week I'm seeing 2-3x the amount of passenger as I did pre pandemic. I really hope the MTA is keeping track of ridership in both peak and off peak periods because overall ridership doesn't alwasy paint a great picture of what's happening.
  21. Oh I wished I saw this earlier, because almost every single CP bus I was on this week had belonging on the front. With the only exception being on one trip where there was another employee on the route with the driver. I made some trips to Staten Island this week and some buses did have belongings on the front seats, but the rest we're fine It's funny you mentioned it because a lot of them aren't even wearing masks either. They're afraid of passengers sitting near them because of covid, but not enough to put on a mask.
  22. *sigh* That's what I was worried about just like the current unlimited you need to swipe on the subway or bus before hopping on the express.
  23. Ok so I'm guessing based on that first case from subway/bus to express only 2.75 would count towards the cap but if it's the other way around where I ride the express bus first and then transfer to the subway would the system still apply 2.75 towards the cap or would it be ignored solely for being a transfer?
  24. To clarify I'm speaking about how the combined trip with a local bus/subway and express bus works with fare capping. Your express fare doesn't count but you local fare does. So what happens if you transfer and ride both on the same trip what portion of the paid fare if any counts towards your cap?
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