MTADieselBuses

I rode the S79-SBS yesterday, I have to say it actually is pretty quick (though it can be busy depending on the time, PM rush hour is something you should avoid). Generally, it can take about 45 to 60 minutes from SI Mall to Bay Ridge 86th Street. Though, without a doubt, the fastest way to get to Brooklyn is the S93 but due the the pandemic it isn't running unfortunately. It leaves with me with either the S53, which is faster than the S79-SBS as I live closer to it but it is pretty boring to ride. Change of topic here; When I lived in Brooklyn, I lived close by the B35 which, before Jackie Gleason was bestowed the XN60 articulated buses, I'm pretty sure it only ran C40LF's. Even earlier, it had Orion VII's which operated both the local and limited B35. I never expected such an articulated bus to jump on this route, what a change of equipment. Though, it makes sense, this route always had high ridership, I can recall a time where a bus on the B35 was so packed that, per policy, it had to skip stops until the bus acquired some reasonable space. People stuck onto the doors of the bus just so they can get on, I think someone's face was even pushed onto the door, there was absolutely no space.

I'm a little more intrigued about the service changes within the Rockaway portion of Queens, here's my stance on that: Firstly, to make it clear, I believe the route reduction of the Q22 (QT22) service, where it would now terminate at the 116th station shouldn't be final terminus of this route, there should be another terminus at Jacob Riis Park served by the QT22. In whole, QT22 service from 116th to Jacob Riis shouldn't be terminated completely, it should remain during the Summer season seeing as there is a higher rate of ridership during that time, mostly consisting of beach-goers and vacationers. For instance, those would want to go to Jacob Riis for the beach etc. shouldn't have to wait for the QT35, the QT22 can follow the QT35 route to Jacob Riis to support service going there. The QT52-SBS should be extended to the terminus of the QT13 to provide better connection for passengers, though it can also be extended further to Mott Avenue station for further connection ( and the LIRR). It would continue down Rockaway Fwy then follow the QT13 to arrive at Mott Avenue.

Implementation of the S72/S82 bus service. S72 Saint George <-> Arden Heights S82 (Limited) Saint George <-> Arden Heights S72 would be a local bus route operating between St. George and Arden Heights. At this current time, Arden Heights is pretty under-served when it comes to local bus service (express bus presence is higher). Those who utilize local bus service, specifically to north-eastern parts of the island such as Grasmere, New Dorp, etc. would have to take the S56 and then transfer either to the S74 or S78. To solve this, it would be best to have a dedicated bus route running between Arden and St. George. The S82 would be the limited bus counterpart of the S72, making only limited stops along the route. It would operate during AM and PM respective peak hours, operating at a 20-30 minute interval within those hours for St. George bound buses, 25-30 minute interval for Arden Height bound buses. Here's the route that it would take: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1386RABCSDWilZQDsy86b8Cuulh5Q5yiA&usp=sharing For further clarification, let's assume a St. George bound S72 has entered service. It would begin at the intersection of Arthur Kill Rd and Arden Ave, running down Arden Ave until it reaches Amboy Road, where it turns left and runs down Amboy. It would continue down Richmond Rd, where Amboy Road ends, and divert to Targee Street when Richmond Rd becomes one-way only. When it reaches Narrows Rd North, it would turn left and briefly travel down that service road until it reaches Clove Road, turning onto Clove to then turn onto Howard Ave. It would cover the Grymes Hill neighborhood of the island to better local bus presence and give students of Wagner a more reliable bus service than simply the S66 (which does not run during weekends). It would run the entirety of Howard Ave, turning left onto Louis Street then right onto Victory Blvd to continue to St. George where it would terminate. This bus would utilize the LFS's from Yukon Depot, with additional LFS's from Charleston Depot to support both routes. What are your thoughts?