IAlam

19 hours ago, KDGallagher said:

Shouldnt blame operators if you're not 100% sure how it works. Theres a climate control switch, we either flip it on or flip it off. We can't control any temp or make it "max out". Either the switch is on or off. We are supposed to always keep it on. Chances are if you guys want the "AC" on, we do as well and wont have it off. 

that's disappointing if I was a B/O I wouldn't wanna take a hot bus. 

10 minutes ago, BreeddekalbL said:

Yeah im basically saying its a waste, could have gotten more work done 

Maybe the scale of the work can allow for partial service. Only 1 track need to be operational for a shuttle.

49 minutes ago, BreeddekalbL said:

@RTOMan is there a reason why are they putting the shuttle train rather then just having the "q94" shuttle bus cover 21st street queensbridge - Roosevelt island? 

From the MTA Website

Quote

A special shuttle train will run every 20 minutes in each direction between Lexington Av/63 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, stopping at Roosevelt Island. The shuttle train will not run overnight.  

Free shuttle buses will run between 21 St-Queensbridge and Queens Plaza days and evenings, and between Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza overnight.

The train is so people can go directly to Manhattan. But during overnights, they are extending the shuttle to Roosevelt Island.

Like other people, I'm also disappointed they're not extending the  59th St is also very crowded, and having more trains run down there will just create more congestion. 

My biggest issue with A/C on MTA buses is when ops aren't turning them on or on high enough. I've been on a couple of buses where they max out the A/C and it's really nice even when the bus gets crowded. 

On 7/18/2023 at 8:59 PM, shiznit1987 said:

My two cents: 

• Breaking up the Q38 for no real reason doesn't make sense to me. 
• Removing Q47 from Calamus Ave pretty much kills any reason for the route to exist. All the ridership is on Calamus. Just keep the bus on Calamus until Grand then route it to 80th St from there. 
• Not feeling the Q21 extention. Leave the Q11/Q21 alone.  

The current Q38 is kind of just 2 routes wearing a trench coat I think the proposed Q14 actually does a better job serving the area and connecting places people are actually trying to go between compared to the existing and proposed Q23 which seems like it exists just for coverage. 

I feel like instead of the Q47 going down Calamus it should be the Q80 and have that route end at Woodside.

I feel conflicted about it, one one hand it will get bogged down but all the congestion around the 82nd St station, but on the other hand it's actually something I can see myself using as the neighborhood around the 82nd St station is just as busy as 74th St.

On 7/17/2023 at 8:29 PM, xD4nn said:

I disagree with the Q75 terminating at QCC. The other part I do agree with but ending it at QCC honestly doesn’t make sense. It would be better to end it at Little Neck.

I was looking at the plan the reason the Q88 goes to Little Neck over the Q75 is because the Q88 would be 24/7 while the Q75 is from 5:00 AM - 12:30 AM. 


The MTA really needs to reevaluate express vs local service, especially during different times of the day because some of these changes are absurd, especially with Kissena Blvd. The Q25 is supposed to be this godsend catch-all route, but it doesn't even get a service increase. So frequent corridors like Kissena and Merrick basically lose a significant amount of local service. In the case of Kissena towards Flushing the Q25 is the sole route as the proposed Q17 is 24/7 nonstop from the LIE to Flushing and the other nearby alternative the Q27/65 gets shifted over further east. 

Does anyone know anything about LGA units running on CP routes? I saw an NG on the Q65 today and an XD40 on the Q25 a couple of days ago

7 minutes ago, Q43LTD said:

I'm still trying to wonder why the Q19 needed to be extended east to Beechhurst too. 

The same reason it was combined with the Q48 and the Q10/64 combo was made, to cut costs.

But something I want to add to the convo is, the reason why a lot of the routes look a bit weird in this current draft is that they want to preserve every major point-to-point travel that can currently be made. If a standalone route gets eliminated then another route comes in to fill its place. I think the reason it was done this was as due to the backlash from the original proposal which basically gutted the entire system and changed where people's buses would go entirely. People making the same commute for years would now have to take a completely new route going to different neighborhoods and hubs. Additionally, a lot of their limited express and local bus-stopping patterns and frequencies didn't make any sense. In the end, they reverted a lot of those changes and now for the most part if the bus you normally ride goes to so and so hub, whatever new bus you get should do the same. Whether that's for better or worse is everyone's own opinion but that's why you get some of these weird combination routes.

Honestly, all that debate over the last couple of pages that I don't want to recap, is why NYC needs a regional bus transit agency like GO Transit or Sound Transit. That way we could have a bunch of routes that don't solely focus on getting people to and from the city. 

On 7/3/2023 at 6:59 PM, Jamall Hayden said:

2.) Is it possible for Metro North to Access Grand Central Madison from the Hell Gate Line once Penn station access opens? I know it would kinda defeat the purpose of Penn station Access but it still gives East Bronx residents quick and direct service into Midtown. If Grand Central Madison continues to be as underutilized as people say it is then maybe the M.T.A (if it’s possible) could send some Metro North trains to G.C.M and reroute more Lirr trains to Penn Station that way G.C.M gets utilized more and L.I residents can get more service to Penn station.

From Google Maps it appears that the tracks allow a train from GCM to go via Hells Gate. However, as also mentioned by @trainfan22 I highly doubt an M8 could fit in the tunnels due to additional clearance required by the equipment on top of those trains.

56 minutes ago, GojiMet86 said:

Haven't seen any video of the crash.

It looks like 2481 X38 was on 23rd Street heading towards the East River and the FDR to Brooklyn, and the Top View bus, Van Hool TD925 335 (a converted open-deck Coach USA Megabus), was on 1st Avenue heading north.

According to this map, the Night Tour (which starts at 6 PM) does indeed run up 1st Avenue.

335 probably T-boned 2481 as 2481 was running on 23rd Street. 2481 would then have dragged 335, and the front 335 would have scrapped along the side until reaching the rear of 2481.

 

MTA Flickr uploaded their photos:

MTA  X28 Bus Following Crash with NYC Tour Bus by Metropolitan Transportation Authority, on Flickr

MTA  X28 Bus Following Crash with NYC Tour Bus by Metropolitan Transportation Authority, on Flickr

 

You can see how 335 scrapped along the right rear of 2481.

I'm surprised the MTA-uploaded photos on Flicker aren't mainly used for promotional material.

4 minutes ago, NBTA said:

You can kiss 2481 away for a while, it got into a collision with a tour bus, leaving about 60 people injured. Hopefully everyone is okay.

It looks pretty bad from the comments someone said it was T-boned.

I'm surprised to see the MTA advertising this on socials, but it's good for regular people to see that new equipment is coming.

23 hours ago, xD4nn said:

Novabus will be officially leaving the American market by 2025. Novabus aims to close its Plattsburgh, New York plant and cease operations by 2025.
https://www.truckpartsandservice.com/business/article/15541016/nova-bus-ending-us-production-will-remain-in-canada 
https://novabus.com/blog/2023/06/21/nova-bus-changes-its-business-model-and-ends-bus-production-in-the-us/

This is really bad, there aren't many options for reputable bus builders in NA. This can basically turn NF into a monopoly.

Just now, Chris89292 said:

So you’re saying the R211’s should replace the R68/A’s from the  and place them on the  so they replace the R46’s? Replacing old with old doesn’t make sense to me, I doubt regular passengers will notice the differences from the 46’s to the 68’s

It doesn't really matter that passenger notice a difference, all that matters is a train shows up when scheduled. The MTA doesn't shift trains around so certain passengers can get newer or older trains. They shift them around based on the needs of the line, ie capacity, size, frequency (number of available trains), etc ...

1 hour ago, DCTransitFilms said:

So I aint sure where to put this but I see MTA are auctioning some bus seats. They're listed here:

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=949&acctid=17125

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=952&acctid=17125

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=951&acctid=17125

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=950&acctid=17125

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=948&acctid=17125

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=947&acctid=17125

I guess we now know what happened to those seats now. 

On 6/16/2023 at 5:00 AM, bobtehpanda said:

In addition to the other comments
 

• Siemens doesn't really make metro cars in the US. Their existing plants are pretty much at capacity because they handle nearly every light rail and Amtrak order in the US.
• CAF has had some reliability issues with their sets produced in the US
• Stadler in subway equipment is relatively new in the US, their first and only order so far has been MARTA in 2019, and those have not been delivered yet

Out of all those manufacturers if a new one were to enter the ring Stadler would make the most sense. Like Siemens, they're known to make decent rolling stock but as you mentioned they're still new on the subway side of things. Instead, I can see them trying for new commuter rail car orders for the MTA. 

But for anyone that hopes Siemens makes a bid, it's probably unlikely due to the fact that they're focusing on selling their charger/venture combos to replace most of the regional rolling stock in the US and Canada. 

Today’s CP story involves a trip with B/O doing everything in their power to avoid picking up passengers. I’m riding the Q65 LTD and this bus for some reason had its back door stuck. The driver spent a couple minutes trying to close the door which was ultimately achieved with restarting the bus. During that time 3 more people wanted to board and where waiting at the front door. As soon as the door closes the B/O just takes off without allowing the new passengers to board. Then later in the route there was a kid at a local stop where the bus obviously wouldn’t stop. But the kid ran all the way to next LTD stop the B/O sped up before the kid could make it to the pole. He was maybe about 20-30 ft away from it. The op did nothing wrong in the eyes of the MTA but still makes me double down on why I do not want CP near any of the routes I regularly rely on after the redesign. 

It seems like the MTA is now putting digital mirrors on buses. I found this video on TikTok 

Considering people are pushing the MTA to install platform screen doors there is no reason the MTA would deviate from the current design. A-division trains already have wider doors. For more capacity, platform extensions to 12 cars would be needed to make A-division trains about the same length as their B-division counterparts. 

2 hours ago, RSMG106 said:

Have you noticed that Ulmer Park is running more standards on the B1? It is possible that the XD60s at UP are suffering at this point. UP refused overhaul on the 2012-13 XD60s when they got theirs for the B1. Surprisingly, both Grand and Stengel got their 2012-13 XD60s when there were overhauled at Zerega. 

Q12 is fairly overrun with both 40ft and Blue and gold XD60's rarely even seen the intended fleet on it nowadays.

On 6/10/2023 at 12:50 PM, Lawrence St said:

From my experience, the mobile tickets & paper tickets will display the stations ONLY within the railroad your originating out of. meaning if you have a Belmont Park - GCM combo ticket, you need to show the ticket to the MNR conductor and tell them where your going. Although I personally feel like the paper tickets are a headache...

paper tickets might be the way to go if you're going long distance, I actually had my e-tix time out on me when I was coming back to the city from New Haven. I had to explain to the LIRR conductor my situation when leaving Grand Central. 

On 6/11/2023 at 12:26 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

Yup, I was thinking to addend my post that the people who benefit most are already inside the city zone and want a better way into Manhattan to catch MNRR or LIRR

Do you find that LIRR is frequent enough to match your schedule? That's always been the issue for me (and also the time it would take me to get to an LIRR station in Queens)

Yeah, a combo city ticket would be handy but I really doubt we'll see any functional changes to the fare policy until OMNY rolls out. The current $8 add-on seems like a last min slap-on because they weren't ready in time for the OMNY rollout. 

The current LIRR schedule is not really great for these trips since service is split between NYP and GCM with the exception of those who live near busier stations like Jamaica or Woodside. But if you can find a good itinerary it can save more than an hour compared to the express bus. 

16 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

VG8 has posted that the union boss at CP is a particularly nasty piece of sh*t and sets the tone of "these passengers should be lucky we show up at all, and keep their whiny mouths shut." With leadership like that, what else can you expect from the B/Os?

 

The dispatchers I've interacted with from CP are very nice, but then again, those are the ones who actually show up and choose to be in the public eye. Who knows what else goes on behind "closed doors"

This honestly with the MTA eager to use the redesign to cut most of their express runs they’ll be lucky if they have work to do. But alas I’m pretty sure the nastiest drivers have seniority and the newer ones will be affected. 
 

But honestly it’s this constant dilemma because the reason that NE. Queens express buses are suffering is because of how poor services from this Depo. Cutting it would show them the consequences of their actions. But at the same time that comes at our expense because we lose service. So we’re basically having to defend subpar service so that we’re not left stranded. But that’s why I said a while ago in the Queens redesign form. Regardless of what the routes look like in the end, whoever ends up with CP as their operator looses. 

1 hour ago, Calvin said:

6080 has Baisley Park stickers on both sides. Although, it still has the SBS readings on there. 

I saw that on the Q113 yesterday I was so confused for a bit. 

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I don’t condone what they do, but what do you expect when you deal with snotty passengers, traffic, and people who cuss you and your whole family out on a daily basis?

Passengers in most of NE Queens and most of CP's service area are far better behaved than passengers in other parts of Queens and the city. I see much nastier passengers in Southern Queens yet their B/O's are nowhere near as awful. CP bus ops are by no means operating in the worst parts of the city where that excuse would fly by me. CS share a lot of the same operating areas and their B/O's are far better, on the MTA Bus side I've never had any major issues with B/O even in the worst parts of Queens. Compared to CP bus ops on the regular playing games, avoiding passengers, and intentionally leaving terminals very late. (This is a well-known issue on the express side, I suspect it happens on the locals too but it's harder to verify.)

When it's a CP route don't get your hopes up some of these B/O's will get mad at you for expecting them to do their job. This depo whether local or express for some reason seems to have the most number of B/O's breaking rules and being extremely rude to customers, at least in my experience. 

IIRC there might be a CP B/O on this form, and if you read this please know that none of what I or others say is directed toward you, if CP management reads this on the other hand...

8 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Speaking of B/O f**Kerry, last week on an SI express bus the driver was promoting a rider's block party over the bus PA system 

For Staten Island that seems more normal, diver and passengers seem to know each other better and are more aware of their community.