aemoreira81

Are any D60HFs remaining?

Curious: are any O7 CNGs still remaining, or are they all gone?

When did 4674 and 4675 get to Yukon?

Narrows Road service:

The SIM3C and SIM33 currently both serve Narrows Road. However, the SIM33C is a significantly longer route than the SIM3C, although the SIM33C has a longer span of service. Why can't the SIM33C be sped up so that the first dropoff/last pickup is at Slosson, at least until the early evening inbound when SIM3C service drops to hourly (that is, starting with the 5:15 PM departure from Mariners' Harbor until the last inbound departure of the service day)? The idea is to give each route a unique market.

Also, what about a SIM4J that would replicate the old Red and Tan Route 144 that used to run between Jersey City and Staten Island, albeit with MC-9s and later RTS buses? The S89 would have its frequency reduced, but its hours of service could be expanded as a result, not unlike how the S93 has gone to a veritable shuttle service (headways no worse than 12 minutes), making the S89 a full-time weekday service. I'd propose 4 trips each way operated by Academy.

7740 new to Fresh Pond. It doesn't have its permanent tags yet.

On 2/13/2019 at 8:35 AM, trainfan22 said:

It ran on a fan trip in the Rockaways a couple years ago

(Video removed for downloading ease)

 

These days, however, with possibly one exception, no one runs the Grumman 870/Flxible Metro in service anymore and except for those in museums or otherwise preserved, all have been scrapped. In fact, for the RTS, the MTA fleet probably constitutes about 80 percent of remaining RTS buses still in service in all of the USA. One has to remember though that 1201, the first RTS the MTA received, is 38 years old.

The story around 236, BTW: when the MTA retired the Grummans, most of them got sold (most to NJ Transit, which proceeded to run them into the ground, retiring them when the large batch of RTSs came in around 1999-2000 - 2089 is preserved under private ownership, and others to PVTA in Springfield/Amherst, MA), but 16 buses were held as evidence for the court case. After a settlement, the MTA took out the engines of the other 15 and scrapped the bodies. The other one was 236.

As for 5227's retirement (from regular revenue service), that was not without fanfare as it was the last non-ADA compliant bus on the NYCTA roster. Some got sent to Nassau County to run for a few more years.

On 1/20/2019 at 2:25 AM, paulrivera said:

Only ones I've heard about were a NYPD confrontation on the Bx12 and an Eagle confrontation on the Q44.

The Q44 incident was a typical, aggressive farebeater that IINM did strike at an Eagle officer, but the Bx12 incident was uncalled for because the NYPD went all ham for the arrest. Turned out they beat down and arrested a paying customer.

Maybe it's possible that after his name was run, it turned out he was wanted for something else? An erroneous stop done in good faith is protected under Herring v. US.

Now, back to the random thoughts...Castleton needs a maintenance shake-up, especially with respect to the Orion 7 3Gs. Twice in the past 2 weeks, I have had buses with windows swinging open on the S93 (7057 and 7073) and 7073 also had tape on the top of the windows that failed to keep the windows shut in temperatures this low. This is like the bad days when Staten Island Division's local buses were the worst in the city before a huge shakeup (and buses were often sent to Staten Island to die).

Also, more on the history of discontinued routes:

B33 Hamilton/Prospect - existed primarily for the Brooklyn Dodgers. How it survived so long after they left for LA is amazing.

I never understood why the B30 existed, especially given how it ended in the middle of nowhere.

25 minutes ago, R179 8258 said:

The B82 is nowhere near Flatbush depot. The B82 can go to Ulmer Park but it’s not arctic ready 

By actual distance, you're right. But by time traveled, if the Belt Parkway can be used, that's about the same amount of time. at 40 mph compared to Pennsylvania Avenue at 25 mph. It would be about 7-8 minutes on the Belt Parkway and another 6 minutes on southern Flatbush Avenue. The B44 from Sheepshead Bay could also use the same deadhead route instead of being on city streets (for trips not originating from Avenue U).

Regarding the SBS fleet, might it make more sense to move the B82 Select to Flatbush? With the replacement of all of the bridges between Exits 14 and 9, buses should be able to use the Belt Parkway to deadhead. Even capped at 40 mph, I would suspect that it would be a shorter deadhead to Flatbush Depot, and more importantly, the pooling of the fleet could mean needing only one batch for the B44, B46, and B82 SBS combined. If room is needed, the B46 Local could be split with Grand Avenue, which could probably handle more buses without needing to move another route.

In the Bronx, the Bx41 was moved to Gun Hill for a similar reason (multiple SBS from one garage)---and in Manhattan, all of the SBS routes except for the M15 (using the same fleet since it started) are assigned to Quill. (The Bx6, being in the southern Bronx, could not be so easily moved except perhaps to Mother Hale, but since the Bx6 uses primarily CNG artics, what newer diesel artics could be swapped for the Bx6, especially since there doesn't appear to be any obvious choice to replace the M15 SBS fleet?)

Returning to the Belt Parkway, Spring Creek Depot could also use the Belt Parkway to deadhead for the B100, BM3, and BM4, and JFK could use the Belt Parkway for a Q8 deadhead.

As for the Bronx, I have to wonder if it would be smarter to move the Bx39 to West Farms (less complex deadhead to and from Kingsbridge) and split the Bx36 between West Farms and Kingsbridge. For the Bx39, driver changes could be done at Tremont Avenue, which is just down the street from the garage, and southbound final trips could terminate at Morris Park Avenue, with at least some runs starting from Morris Park Avenue as well.

16 hours ago, The TransitMan said:

Well, the 40 footers are dominating artic routes today!

As we all know...due to the storm, lots of 40 ft buses are running on artic routes. Looks like the Brooklyn Division is in Manhattan...along with some Manhattan Division buses too (M15, M101, M102 and M103)

From what I saw, 6829 is on the M15 heading towards South Ferry and 6618 is on the M15 heading towards East Harlem.

Not a move post, BUT, in my opinion, this is why 7615-7684 should have MTA Bus SBS codes in them...especially 7663-7684. JFK Depot was very quick to pull the artics off the Q52 SBS; by 3 PM, all artics were off the road, but because the rigids had chains, buses were delayed only able to go 20-25 down Cross Bay (with a posted and governed speed limit of 40). 7663-84 could have had buses loaned to JFK today for use on the Q52 to start the day to keep the artics off the road.

(As of this post, there are still 3 artics out on the Q53 SBS - likely on their final trips of the night.) The Q44 has 2 artics right now on the road, likely also on their final trips. The Bx12 is all rigids, with GH and Queens stock, and SI Division is working Quill SBS routes right now. (The B44 is a mix of regular artics and B46 rigids, with 6117 and 6119 in service.)

On 1/16/2019 at 11:00 PM, lara8710 said:

If that's the case, it would be best to terminate the route at the current Q23 terminus at Crescent Apartments.

The problem with that is that one has to go the wrong way in a loop (remember, there is no left turn from Woodhaven Boulevard to Union Turnpike, which necessitated the reversal of the Q23 terminal loop from counter-clockwise to clockwise. That may be a justification to not terminate the route in Glendale by Metropolitan and Woodhaven. While the eastern part of Myrtle (beyond Cooper, and especially beyond 80/Dry Harbor) can be seen as being over-served, westward past Cooper is possibly under-served.

One doesn't have a really good list of ideal turn-around options in the area. Heck, if Dale Hemmerdinger (whose Atco Properties developed Atlas Park before it was sold to Macerich) wasn't the chairman of the MTA at the time, I doubt the Q47 extension would be possible since the Q47 uses mall property as a turnaround likely as a written agreement.

1 hour ago, lara8710 said:

Would like some feedback on this route I created, which operates between Flushing and Broadway Junction via Forest Hills: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1RtIKMyw0a0WjkrC5wJUbfL06KX1YphCg&ll=40.71850849025076%2C-73.87070879999999&z=12

 

I don't see much of a market for that on the southern end going to Broadway Junction, as I honestly can't see anyone from that area desiring to use Atlas Park Mall when Gateway Center Mall serves roughly the same purpose and has more big-box stores. Rather, I see Ridgewood Terminal as a more suitable western end, as Atlas Park Mall is better suited for the clientele in Glendale and Forest Hills, and I doubt that anyone would want to go so far down past Ridgewood to reach the subway when Myrtle/Wyckoff is ADA-compliant. I like that this introduces service along an express bus route section only with no local service (the southern part of Yellowstone Boulevard).

Now, as for the area along Austin Street, IMO, that should be made a one-way westbound street through the Forest Hills business district between Ascan Avenue and Yellowstone Boulevard (making Austin Street a continuous one-way westbound street from 77 Road to Yellowstone Boulevard).  This could be accommodated by a small signage change at 71 Road and Queens Boulevard, allowing a left turn through a current Do Not Enter zone for authorized (read: MTA) buses only, permitting a U turn across Queens Boulevard for this and the Q23 to reach 108 Street. (The Q60 stop for 71/Continental Jamaica-bound would be relocated to the near side of 71 Avenue.) Around Forest Hills (Q51 eastbound---I really prefer Q57 as this is a southerly Q58 route, Q23 northbound, a reroute would be as follows:

Via Yellowstone Boulevard, no right turn onto Austin. Instead, continue to Queens Boulevard eastbound service road, right turn onto Queens Boulevard eastbound service road, past 71 Avenue to 71 Road, U-turn at 71 Road to the westbound service road, right onto 108 Street, and northbound on 108. Traffic jams up way too much on that stretch of Austin Street between Ascan and Yellowstone.

A one-way routing pair would also introduce 71-Continental as a potential short-turn during the rush hours.

Curious: is there a comprehensive list of D60HF renumberings from the last batch (originally 5510-5769)? Specifically, what number was 138?

On 1/2/2019 at 10:50 AM, B35 via Church said:

That combination in question, gave that part of ENY (around the Boulevard Houses & those apts. due south towards Flatlands av.) access to the .....

The prior rendition of the B84 gave that same part of ENY access to the ....

Today's rendition of the B84 gave Spring Creek the same access to the  that the prior rendition never gave that aforementioned part of ENY....

Personally speaking, the network in that entire section of Brooklyn (East of Canarsie) should be re-drawn.... Unpopular opinion or not, but the B6 & the B82 does too much (esp. for a city that's becoming more congested).... People want one seat bus rides, but at the same time, are quick to complain when "their" route get significantly delayed.... Well, the longer the route, the more instances where it can get... delayed.

Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with giving Spring Creek bus service due westward towards the Junction (it's one reason the B6 is more popular than the B82 from eastern Brooklyn).... However, I wouldn't try to accomplish that with a branch of the current B6 (or the current B82, for that matter)....

 

The problem is turning it on its western end. I see two possibilities:

1. Coney Island Avenue, serving Midwood via Brooklyn College on Bedford Avenue.
2. Avenue H and Nostrand Avenue (Brooklyn College).
    

My plan presumed that operationally, it had to be Ulmer Park, since as currently configured, Spring Creek probably doesn't have room. But then one has to realize that how buses are parked at Spring Creek is an outlier at the MTA...with parking spaces like a typical parking lot, as opposed to tracks. This could be out of Spring Creek if the configuration is changed to a track configuration.

There might be a need for a connection to the Spring Creek Basin area from the west. An earlier plan, and an earlier iteration of the B84, which ran from Canarsie to Ashford Street, was ultimately combined with the B6 (which used to end at Ashford and Wortman). Then the B6 was extended up to the New Lots Avenue  station. Why do I bring this up? Might it be time to extend the B6 Local to Spring Creek basin as a branch of the B6, renumbered to B5?

The B5 would basically be an extension of the B6 Local. When the B6 Limited runs, the B5 would only run between Coney Island Avenue and Spring Creek Basin, except for pull-in and pull-out trips that would terminate/originate in Bensonhurst, since unlike the B84, this B5 would be out of Ulmer Park.

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Yeah, with the combination of [the current terminal having been carved, proximate to Gateway II] & [the closing of Brooklyn DDSO], there's no real point to having buses run down Fountain all the way to the end....

I say the B84 should get axed, regardless....

For what you're proposing here however, I'd have the Q8 running via Erskine & the B13 running via Vandalia....

The whole point of the Q8 extension was to serve Gateway, not to better serve Brooklyn neighborhoods..... That route is a PITA along 101st as it is; nevermind what it has to deal with within Jamaica proper.... With that said, I would not have Q8's making all those stops you list after the (current) Fountain/Flatlands stop..... After Flatlands, I'd only have it stopping by the eastern end of Gateway II (Buffalo Wild Wings), the current Site dr. stop, and the western end of Gateway II (current terminal)..... Leave Vandalia/Fountain & Erskine/Vandaila for the B13.... As for the Home depot stop (which was where they had B84's temporarily terminating at throughout most of this year), the problem I have with it is that it exacerbates traffic in the immediate area.... That right lane/curbside lane should be left for all the mall goers making that right turn inside the mall....

I think the B13 is underserved as it is, but (if one were to) have the B13 running via Vandalia (esp. during peak hours), you may end up needing short turns b/w the mall & Jamaica av. when Spring Creek gets fully developed down there.....

I intentionally didn't assign one route number to a plan since I couldn't decide which should go where. I agree that the B13 is likely more valid along Vandalia. The B13 short turns could come from Spring Creek Depot once everything is fully merged there.

---REPLY ENDS HERE---

While not a route proposal per se, is there any reason why, with the new bridges all open on Shore Parkway between Sheepshead Bay and Spring Creek (the last one was the former Mill Basin Draw), the BM routes, in particular the BM3/4 could not use Shore Parkway to deadhead at the flow of traffic (50-55 mph; I believe the capped top speed is 60 mph) instead of down city streets at 25 mph? One could reduce the run-on and run-offs to about 15 minutes. instead of the current Flatlands/Ralph/Mill/U/Knapp or Gerritsen deadhead. Right now, it's as inefficient as NJ Transit's Ironbound garage is (Ironbound is in Newark not too far from the Sims Metal scrapyard, but serves routes deep into Union County, NJ).

On the B84 issue---when the neighborhood is complete and Vandalia Avenue is re-opened between Gateway Drive (formerly the proposed Walker Street) and Elton Street), I see a better option...reroute the B13 and the Q8. Both routes would end at Gateway Mall via JC Penney, but take different routes there. Both would turn off Fountain at Vandalia Avenue. Then:

• One route would turn left onto Erskine Street, operate south on Erskine Street, and then along Gateway Drive.
  • New stops at: Vandalia & Fountain, Erskine/Vandalia, Erskine at Buffalo Wild Wings, Erskine at Home Depot, Gateway Drive at Site Drive (actually made a stop), and Gateway Drive at JC Penney.
• The other route would remain on Vandalia Avenue, making the following stops on Vandalia:
  • Fountain, Erskine, Essex, Elton, mid-way between Elton and Gateway Drive, and Gateway Drive at JC Penney

At that point, the B84 would be discontinued, with better connections and ADA access to the subway. The build-up of the neighborhood requires a rethinking of the routes in Spring Creek Basin.

I posted this in the Express Bus Advocacy Group thread, but in my opinion, one area that is underserved, and which could go a long way toward regional connectivity, is Staten Island toward New Jersey. Right now, it's limited to 34th Street (HBLR) on buses capped at 40 mph. What I propose would likely require about another 20-25 buses, but it would include full-time service to:

• Newark Airport (weekday only service)
• 34th Street HBLR (terminator service on weekdays)
• Newark Airport via 34th Street HBLR (weekends)
• The Mills at Jersey Gardens (weekends only with seasonal weekday service during the Christmas season)
• Metropark (peak service only via Richmond Avenue, Drumgoole Road, Outerbridge Park-Ride, 440 and the Garden State Parkway)
• Raritan Center (peak service only via Richmond Avenue, Drumgoole Road, Outerbridge Park-Ride, and 440)

I don't know if Newark Penn or Metropark (full-time) would be worth it to serve for Amtrak connections. The latter two are candidates to be contracted, although they could be operated from Castleton and parked midday at Charleston.

There are people who drive to work, or to EWR to fly out of EWR, who might consider mass transit if there was only a mass transit option.

51 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Wouldn't MJO being MaBstoa and SI being NYCT cause an issue? Also, aren't the unions different?

32 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Quill is only so big. Simply not enough space for all of that.  Aside from that there are already shuttle buses just for that where one B/O shuttles express bus drivers to that depot to get buses.  That depot is located all the way on the West Side, so you still have congestion problems. Not sure if this still happens but MJQ isn't the only depot where express bus lay over at.  I think OTH was used as well, at least in the past. Not sure about now though.

I believe that there may be an effort to bring all MTA bus operators under one union (or under a subsidiary of TWU 100; Spring Creek workers, after firing ATU 1181/1061, joined TWU 100 as TWU 100A. That said, I can't see a serious issue being raised if some buses are permanently assigned to MJQ. This may require legislation though, which unions would oppose, to require that all in a job title for an employer must be represented by a single bargaining agent (which would actually bring the state in line with federal law on interstate carriers - which is why ATU 1700 represents all Greyhound drivers).

As for where express buses layover, I know that NYCTA buses that remain in Manhattan during the midday only lay over at Quill/West Side (SI and Brooklyn Division) or the Arch Street Yard (QV Depot). MTA Bus buses that don't go all the way back go to Tuskegee Airmen/100 Street Depot or Mother Hale/146 Street Depot (before, it was 126 Street). The idea doesn't sound half bad though, to have some buses permanently assigned to Quill for off-peak express service on weekdays...probably about 20-25, which could also fill in in an emergency.

People underestimate the size of the Michael J. Quill Depot. It used to be a regional Greyhound Lines garage also used by Peter Pan Bus Lines with maintenance done there (Greyhound now parks and fuels on 30th Street near 12th Avenue, while Peter Pan is at 25 County Avenue in Secaucus, next door to Academy's facility at 57 County), and Greyhound still leases part of the facility for driver dormitories. It is the largest garage in the system.

---REPLY ENDS HERE---

Separately from this, I would also argue that the MTA should also operate some express bus routes into New Jersey to better serve Staten Islanders who work in NJ, as well as to serve Newark Airport full-time. I would propose:

SIM40: Eltingville Transit Center - Newark Liberty International Airport (weekdays) - weekdays, hourly service

SIM41: Eltingville Transit Center - 34 Street (HBLR), replacing the S89 with faster buses, weekdays

SIM40C:  Eltingville Transit Center - 34 Street (HBLR) - Newark Airport (weekends) - every 2 hours

* NOTE: if the Bayonne Bridge is closed, Newark Airport gets serviced first, then 34 Street HBLR

SIM42: Eltingville Transit Center to The Mills at Jersey Gardens 

SIM50: Castleton Depot to Metropark (to NJ AM, from NJ PM)

SIM51: Castleton Depot to Raritan Center (to NJ AM, from NJ PM)

For the latter two, a mini-bus would be sent to pick up drivers to bring them back to Staten Island.

2 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

There are also more people that go out to eat on holidays, etc. because more stores are open. The last few years I've been going to Whole Foods and cooking at home, but previously I have gone out to the City to eat and relax.  It used to be a ghost town, but with more people having to work because of how expensive rents are becoming, combined with tourism, there's people out and about regularly now.

Within the city is different from within the suburbs. Metro-North already goes into semi-hibernation on Christmas, with hourly local and hourly express trains.

13 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I hate to say it but some people who shall remain nameless are idiots. The irony that we’re in a transportation forum and we have a certain someone always advocating for cutting people’s service.

It would be just for Christmas, when ridership is significantly down compared to other holidays. Bee Line is closed on Christmas.

The MTA must have received a lot of complaints about the loss of stops on Richmond Avenue between the SIE and Victory outside of the AM rush, because they're basically admitting that reconfiguring the former X17C was a mistake. It's going to be restored next month, and Gannon and CSI will instead get the SIM33C, making Mariners' Harbor served full-time with express bus service. The SIM project was one big fustercluck.

The other problem is more DOT-related. That HOV lane needs to be extended to 12 PM to 1 PM operation on the Gowanus Expressway, because the Gowanus going towards Manhattan. Return trips are often late and overcrowded, especially on the SIM4C. Making downtown and midtown service separate all day on the SIM1/3/4/33 may not be a bad idea.

If anyone is familiar with the SEPTA Regional Rail system, one knows that it goes into semi-hibernation on Christmas, especially on the non-trunk lines (basically except to Glenside, Trenton, and PHL Airport) with service every 2-3 hours. Why is that not considered for the LIRR, where service on each is as follows?

South Shore service:

* Babylon trunk: Hourly (all stops Lynbrook-Babylon plus St. Albans, no express service)

* Extension to Speonk local: Every 2 hours, all stops from Babylon to Speonk (timed to meet the electric Babylon-Penn Station locals)

* Extension to Hamptons: Existing holiday schedule maintained

* Long Beach: every 2 hours

* West Hempstead: not running

* Far Rockaway: every 3 hours

Main Line service:

* Port Jefferson: every 2 hours (dual-mode service between Port Jefferson and Penn Station, no change in trains)

* Ronkonkoma: every 2 hours (existing Greenport scoots on existing schedule)

Hourly service between Hicksville and Jamaica...all trains stop at Hillside Facility, New Hyde Park, Merillon Ave., Mineola, Carle Place, and Westbury.

* Hempstead: every 3 hours

* Oyster Bay: every 3 hours to/from Mineola only

Port Washington service: Hourly service

City Terminal zone

* Main Line: Hourly service with Long Beach and Ronkonkoma trains

* Atlantic Avenue: Every 90 minutes with Far Rockaway and Hempstead trains

Is there an argument against this? Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas!

If the Q58 goes to Fresh Pond, there should be short-turns ending at 61 Street. I'm surprised about these moves given that the current assignments are more optimized for deadheads.

5545 is also at GH if not already mentioned. These assignments for the Xcelsiors are driving me bonkers; I'm surprised that more haven't been temporarily assigned to West Farms to push out the Orion 7s CNGs. The RTS retirements can be put on the back burner as diesel tanks don't expire, but CNG tanks do as they're pressurized.