aemoreira81

The S53/93 really needs bigger buses. Maybe when the LFS artics come in, they could be assigned to the S53/93? Then the S93 could operate in an SBS fashion, as its biggest issues are queues at both ends of the line. With SBS, loading would be much quicker. Now, as for your S83 idea...flip it with the S53 and you have an idea where the S83/93 could be a weekday and Saturday SBS with the savings allowing for Saturday S93 service and peak S93 service being slightly reduced to account for the bigger buses. (The CSI campus should be able to accommodate a 62-foot bus if the parking regulations are fully enforced.) Right now, however, one won't have more artics available unless hand-me-down D60HFs are transferred from the Bronx, West Farms and the B35, followed by the B82, are next in line for artics. As for the S53 part, I would actually have it run along Clove Road straight to Castleton Avenue, and run it to the Port Richmond terminus, for lack of any better place for a turn-around. As for the bus lane, unless this S53/93 sub-fleet is governed higher than 40 mph, it won't work in a bus lane no matter what.

Network coverage. However, it does end up missing Maimonides Hospital, which to me is a major miss. The problem is that you need to serve the business district on 13 Avenue as well, and there isn't any other possibility other than branching the B16 into a B16M (serving Maimonides and then 13/14) and a B16 regular.

Because you still have to contend with the 1-lane frontage road from 49 Street to 90 Street, and then again from the LIE to Union Turnpike, and then past Queens Borough Hall on weekdays, traffic averages about 10-15 mph, well below the 25 mph speed limit for Queens Boulevard. If the service road was made a Neighborhood Slow Zone, it would barely affect traffic.

Splitting the Q60? The Q60 is currently the Queens Boulevard local bus route, prone to traffic delays between Forest Hills and Rego Park, and again in Elmhurst as it travels along the 1-lane frontage road (in those sections). There is a need for the maximal service level between Forest Hills and Queens Place, the primary shopping area. The other major area for shoppers, in Sunnyside, is already covered by the Q32. As such, I would propose a severance into two routes: 1. Q61: East Midtown to Forest Hills-71 Avenue. After the last stop, buses would merge onto the main road to make a U-turn at Ascan Avenue/72 Drive and lay over there. The first pickup back to Manhattan would be at 72 Avenue (except as noted below). Operationally, 69 Street would be a last stop westbound for short-trip pull-ins, or 65 Place serving a similar purpose eastbound, which would then use the BQE for run-ons and run-offs. For trips starting from the eastern end, 108 Street (71-Continental) would be the first pickup, using the Grand Central for run-ons. The Q61 would be LGA-assigned. 2. Q60: South Jamaica to Grand Avenue/Broadway. After the last westbound drop-off, the Q60 would bypass the Van Loon Street stop and U-turn at 51 Avenue, laying over on the eastbound side. This would remain at JFK Depot.

Is there any schedule for 1016 to see service?

For that to work, there would have to be a subfleet speed-limited higher than 40 mph. As for what is contributing to increased S93 ridership, to the point where I would argue that Saturday service is warranted...less parking on campus because of carpark and road reconstruction by the state Dormitory Authority continuing through at least the end of November. Also on Saturdays, there are a significant number of people transferring at Clove and Victory. Part of my original post also had to do with the fact that some evening classes at CSI end after the last S93 has left for Brooklyn. On those occasions, I found myself taking the X10 instead to transfer to the BM5 to get home.

Not sure if it belongs here or in SI, but once the full Regional Bus scheme is in full effect, I would suggest that it seriously be considered whether or not the S93 should be moved from Staten Island Division to Brooklyn Division (Gleason being the obvious choice), possibly sharing an articulated fleet with the B35 (once that route is upgraded to artics). The rationale behind this is that the major traffic flow is to CSI in the AM and from CSI in the evening, but the runs start and end in the opposite fashion. The idea for artics on at least some runs, especially scheduled during class change times, is to handle the crowds.

Restore 8017 to the roster, as a Queens Village bus. (This was the bus that dragged a mattress across the Verrazano before catching fire in Bay Ridge.)

Someone posted a picture of an XD60 in the blue-and-yellow scheme testing on the B35, apparently looking for areas of tight clearance. As for the B84, I would re-structure the route and merge it with the Q7. The B84 (Q7) would be as follows: From the current stand, north on Erskine, LEFT at Vandalia, right on Elton, left on Cozine, right on Ashford, right at New Lots, left on Elton, right on Pitkin, past Euclid, and onward to JFK Cargo B. New stops added at: Vandalia and: Erskine and Essex, Elton and: Vandalia and Flatlands, Cozine and Elton, Elton and: Dumont, Blake, and Sutter, Pitkin and: Elton, Shepherd, Montauk, Logan (existing Q8 stop) and Crystal (new Q7/Q8 stop) To Gateway from JFK Cargo B: continue along Pitkin to Cleveland, left at Cleveland, right on New Lots, left on Ashford, left on Cozine, right on Elton, left on Vandalia, right on Fountain, right on Seaview, and stand. New stops added at: Pitkin and: Crystal, Fountain, Montauk, Shepherd, and Linwood, Cleveland and: Pitkin, Sutter, Blake, and Dumont, Ashford and Cozine (B6 stop moved to before the turn), Elton and: Cozine and Flatlands: Vandalia at: Elton, Essex, and Erskine There would be no need for the B84 to go to the B13/B83/Q8 terminus because one can walk into Gateway Mall North straight from Elton Street.(which ends inside the mall). The operation would naturally shift from East New York Depot to JFK Depot. However, interlines could be run where a Q8 bus deadheads to Erskine or vice versa to do the Q7, or a Q7 deadheads across to the other side to run a Q8 trip. As structured currently, the B84 is terribly run with too much reliance on O&D from a rather desloate area along Flatlands, as well as having a bus sit at Gateway for nearly 30 minutes making no revenue. This is completely unlike the B32, which will soon see service increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes. As for the B6 getting artics, if Ulmer Park can't fit them, it's really going to be hard to get them on without restructuring the B6 or splitting the upcoming B82 SBS into a north and south route (replacing the B6 LTD with a B82N SBS, which would see the B82 Local moved to Ulmer Park). The problem, however, is that the B6 Local becomes a long slow route, as nothing else is coverage within Bensonhurst.

For the B82 SBS, are any of the new buses planned to be that fleet? Or will 4700s be the B82 SBS fleet, taken from Bronx Division? As for the last stop, instead of being by the Ulmer Park Depot, I would propose to have it by Caesar's Bay Shopping Center instead at the end of Bay Parkway.

If not already noted, 4056 is assigned to Baisley Park (still with NYC Bus decals on the outside and a Staten Island bus map inside).

Operation-wise...for subway shuttles, why doesn't the MTA maintain a yard full of "hot spares" retired from active service that can be pressed into service as shuttles at one central location and have drivers volunteering to work a shuttle report to that yard and pick up a bus (or relieve another driver from that pool of buses)? Approximately 200 or so buses could be maintained this way.

This is why pretty much the entire local fleet is speed-limited to 40 mph (the minimum allowable speed on limited access highways), except for perhaps designated training buses.

On the Bx46 route...there is a serious proposal for the Bx6 to become an SBS route. Might be worth it to have two branches of the Bx46 with a west end at Yankee Stadium and an east end at Hunts Point Market? The A route would follow the current Bx6 east of Yankee Stadium, while the B route would separate from the A route at Prospect Avenue and head to Longwood to follow the Bx46 route as it is. I did float the idea in my head of a circular route, but threw it out as unwieldy. With SBS on the Bx6, one might not need as many buses on the local section anymore.

The DOT has also re-timed signals all over to prevent one from being able to do much faster than 25 mph. Queens Boulevard is a prime example of re-timed signals where the signals are timed for 25 mph. In the case of other streets, like Kings HIghway, the B82 SBS will likely reduce traffic to a 1 lane on the main road each way between Avenue K and Ocean Avenue, and Flatlands Avenue will also likely see traffic reduced to 1 lane (plus turn lanes) each way between Utica and Pennsylvania. BTW, has it been announced when the B82 SBS will start? I would expect that either Kingsbridge or Gun Hill will give up artics for this service. Since the topic also covers the Bx6 and an SBS corridor there, this would be a perfect opportunity to extend the Bx46 to Yankee Stadium so that the Bx46 is the local to the Bx6 SBS.

The problem with the D60HFs is that they have always been maintenance dogs for some reason. Are the XD60s and LFS articulated buses any better?

Not sure if noted already, but 9667 is out of retirement. I shot it this evening on the B13.

For Woodhaven/Metro as a Q47 terminus, that appears to be easy: last stop, Woodhaven and Metro, far side. Relay via Metro, Trotting Course Lane, and 73 Avenue. First stop is 73 and Woodhaven. Now, as for the M60 and Q70, might it be better to combine the routes into one? An advantage is that you have one set route servicing the airport as an SBS, and a set layover point in Queens. Additionally, buses are freed up on the LGA side. (This presumes that the suspension of M60 service from the Marine Air Terminal becomes permanent.)

CSI contracts with First Transit for shuttle bus service, which operates it from the same garage that Rutgers shuttle buses are operated from. I would also suggest that perhaps First Transit should transfer an articulated bus from the Rutgers fleet to the CSI fleet that runs only during peak hours (and is parked on campus at other times), running at approximately 9:00 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5:30 PM (CSI North Admin building departure); normally, First usually keeps 2 spares parked on campus at all times rather than at its garage in Union, NJ. What is really needed is additional capacity, and perhaps CUNY should perhaps look for 2 secondhand artics that would then be operated by First. On the MTA side, I will say that scheduling should be improved so that the layover at CSI is only 10 minutes, and shift midday departures from :00 and :30 to :15 and :45.

Service to the College of Staten Island: I am experiencing this firsthand, returning to school to pursue a Med Tech license. In the late morning and early afternoon, S93 buses can get crush-loaded and leave passengers trying to make classes behind at the stop because the bus fills up completely at Bay Ridge. I would propose these changes: 1. Increasing off-peak frequency from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. 2. Operating the route as closed-door between Bay Ridge and Targee Street in Staten Island in both directions (local passengers can be accommodated by the S79 SBS). Additionally, I would propose a new route, the S63, as a variant of the S62 service, to run from St. George Ferry to Eltingville Transit Center via Victory Boulevard, CSI, and New Springville. While run as one route, it would really provide better intra-island connections with the campus, especially from the south shore, as students could save money by parking their cars at ETC and then taking the bus to campus on the south shore, and it would also provide better access to the campus along Victory Boulevard (the school-contracted shuttle bus service is nonstop from the ferry to CSI). Additionally, there would be reduced deadhead distance, allowing for more revenue to be made per trip. The route would run as follows (eastbound - return via same route)L From ETC: north on Richmond Avenue Right on Platinum Avenue Left on Marsh Avenue Right on Richmond Hill Road Left on Kelly Boulevard Right on Rockland Avenue Left on Forest Hill Road Left on Jasper Street (onto D Street) Enter campus via Loop Road, with a stop on the south side (a return trip stop would be added at Executive Way) Right into the administration center (S93 stop) Follow S93 out of campus, and S62 to St. George I would propose to have this service run weekdays from 6:30 AM to 10 PM, every 30 minutes (more frequently during the AM rush) and Saturdays from 7 AM to 5 PM (hourly until 9 AM and then every 30 minutes after that), with no Sunday service. Current S62 trips that terminate at the main gate to CSI would be converted to S63 trips.

If the Q70 becomes SBS, I'd propose extending the Q52 to 74 Broadway and then having it change to a Q70 at 74/Broadway with no change in buses...there would be cuts to the Q53, but there would be 8-minute headways at least maintained on the trunk off-peak between Broad Channel and 74/Roosevelt (there would also be Q70 terminating trips alternating with Q52 frequencies that only run Victor Moore-KLGA.) LGA drivers would take over the Q52 service at 74/Broadway while the Q52 driver would then get a break until the bus returns from KLGA , I am aware that a change in contract terms may be needed to permit MTA Bus drivers to start their shifts relieving another driver. (Use of LGA and KLGA is to differentiate the depot from the airport, using the airport's ICAO identification.) As for the Q25 SBS concept, I would drop it as I don't really see any benefit from it.

On the BxM10, I have to ask: how is ridership between White Plains Road and Tremont Avenue along Morris Park Avenue? I ask because I offer this proposal: 1. BxM6: Reduce to rush hours only as a supplement to the new BxM5. 2. BxM5: New route that would operate along the BxM6 to Parkchester Circle, but then up Unionport and White Plains Road to Morris Park Avenue, where it would join the BxM10. Alternating BxM10 buses would be converted to BxM5 buses. Operationally, there would also be a routing change to the BxM5/6, with buses using White Plains Road to run to Manhattan straight from Bruckner Boulevard/Expressway instead of using the Cross Bronx, which is prone to delays. An additional stop would be added at Watson Avenue and White Plains Road.

Now that you have the B46 SBS, I would say yes. I would consider extending the B46 SBS to Woodhull Hospital and also terminate the B46 Local at DeKalb at all times (the B47 covers Broadway between Reid/Malcolm X and Woodhull). The B32 would then cover the B46 route between Washington Plaza and Woodhull, with headways increased to every 15 minutes. (This is also in conjunction with earlier proposals I have made to give the B32 its own unique market in Queens separate from the B62.) The B46 SBS would have two stops added: Myrtle Avenue and Woodhull. Late nights when the B32 doesn't run, the B47 would be extended to Washington Plaza.

What about having the Q39 cover the Summerfield/Decatur portion of the B20 and have it end at Broadway Junction, which would allow the B20 to be strictly an East New York route running from Broadway Junction to the Brooklyn GMF only (and paired with the B83 for scheduling purposes)? A connection to the M line would still be maintained at Forest Avenue, and there is very minimal ridership that needs access to Fresh Pond Road south of the M (and wouldn't need to transfer to the Q58). The walk along 75 Avenue for Q39 customers in Ridgewood would also be very short. Operationally, the Q39 could be then split between LaGuardia and East New York. From a neighborhood perspective, Ridgewood would also gain parking spaces since the Q39 would no longer terminate in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

B20 in Bushwick (southbound) Currently, the B20 runs on Schaefer Street, while south of Wilson Avenue, the B60 runs on Cooper Street, 2 blocks to the south. This creates 2 routes on separate streets. Proposal: Unify the service between Wilson Avenue and Broadway by routing the B20 to Cooper Street between Irving Avenue and Broadway. (The northbound service is already unified along Decatur Street.) New stops: Irving Avenue and Schaefer Street, Cooper Street and Irving Avenue, Cooper Street and Knickerbocker Avenue, Cooper Street and Wilson Avenue (existing B60 stop), Cooper Street and Central Avenue (existing B60 stop), Cooper Street and Evergreen Avenue (existing B60 stop), Cooper Street and Bushwick Avenue (existing B60 stop), and Cooper Street and Broadway (existing B60 stop). Discontinued stops: Schaefer Street and Irving Avenue, Schaefer Street and Knickerbocker Avenue, Schaefer Street and Wilson Avenue, Schaefer Street and Central Avenue, Schaefer Street and Evergreen Avenue, Schaefer Street and Bushwick Avenue, and Schaefer Street and Broadway.