aemoreira81

Old Look buses 3100 and 9098 were on 14 Street in a deadhead today---might they be headed to Quill>

Spring Creek is also doing at least one run on the Q35...yesterday, a 9800 and a 700/7200 were on the line and today, 604 was on the Q35.

When 15 buses got added to the MTA Bus batch, there was a 7/8 split (I forgot which way it was supposed to go). Instead of splitting the order 30/44/8/7, it's better to split it 37/50 or 38/49.

I know that it may sound insensitive for now, but should the S81 and S86 be discontinued for the winter pick, with only regular S51 and S76 run until most of the South Shore is rebuilt?

Proposal to alter the B2, B31, B41, B100, and BM1 routes, and create a new route, the B101 (Midwood, Bergen Beach, and Mill Basin) First, B2/31/100: Proposal to alter the B2 and B31 routes - this route is short, but to me it has potential that is untapped. I would make the following changes to the route, including branching the service at its eastern end in a move that would also result in a significant service reduction of the B100 route. There would also be a renumbering involved to avoid confusion. For the B31, I would propose rerouting it to Quentin Road with stops added at Ocean Avenue, East 22 Street, and East 28 Street to continue to provide service to James Madison High School; the B100 service east of Fillmore would be reduced. For the B2, keep the current route west of Flatbush Avenue, but at Avenue U, instead of continuing into the Kings Plaza terminal, the B2 would turn left onto Avenue U and serve Kings Plaza via Macy's, and then continue along Avenue U to East 66 street. One branch, the B21, would then turn right onto East 66 Street to serve and terminate in Mill Basin, and the other (in what would restore a 2010 service/coverage elimination), the B22, would serve Bergen Beach and terminate at Avenue Y instead of Avenue X (to put the terminal alongside parkland). The B100 would be renumbered B23 to be scheduled with the B21 and B22. This is how a B21/2/3 schedule would work on the eastern end: Weekdays and Saturdays, B21 and B22 buses alternate on what is now the B22 line, and B21 and B23 buses alternate from Mill Basin. (B100 service would end at about 9 PM on weekdays and 6 PM on Saturdays.) Saturday and midday headways would be 15 minutes from Mill Basin and 30 minutes from Bergen Beach. Evenings and Sundays: B21 and B22 buses alternate, no B23 service, 15-minute headways. (Remember, B21 is B2 to Mill Basin, B22 is B2 to Bergen Beach, and B23 is what is now the B100.) Savings would be in significantly reduced deadhead mileage and the ability to free up buses for the B103 which needs additional rush hour and midday service. There would also be heavy interlining between the B2 and B31 to maintain the headways. I also anticipate new ridership, especially from Mill Basin, with the addition of a one-seat ride to Kings Plaza, and Bergen Beach would not be overserved. B41 next: Northern Bergen Beach has seen significant housing development made, but the coverage footprint has not changed. To that end, I would alter the B41 route this way: Instead of traveling along Veterans Avenue, at East 64 Street, the B41 would instead make a slight left and remain on Avenue N. The B41 would then turn right on East 71 Street and reach its current Bergen Beach terminus. To downtown Brooklyn, the B41 would travel up East 70 Street to Avenue N, make a left on Avenue N, and continue past East 64 Street to the current route. BM1 last but not least (and B101): Instead of using its current circuitous route which takes the route east to East 70 Street and then sharply back west on Veterans Avenue to Ralph, I would make this alteration: Leaving Mill Basin, via Avenue U, make a left on East 69 Street, continue to Avenue M, make a right on Avenue M, then a left on East 72 Street, and then a left on Avenue K and follow it past Ralph Avenue; the aim here would be to capture as much of Bergen Beach with commuter service to Manhattan given the massive development there in the last 20 years that has completed what had heretofore been a very fragmented map. (These are all two-way streets.) There would be a complementary B101 route that would also operate daily into this area that would run to Nostrand Junction off-peak and weekends and be extended to Downtown Brooklyn via the B103 route. Into Mill Basin, this route would leave at 25 and 55 past the hour.

Bayswater's demographics appear to be similar to that of the rest of eastern Far Rockaway. I can't imagine that they wouldn't welcome transit service. The Q22 as it is takes the loop the other way,and the A almost bisects the area.

The Q22A is what one would call a "franchise-holder" to prevent a competing operator from running service. It ran only during the AM rush hour when it did run. The Q111 beyond Rosedale to Cedarhurst is the last remaining example of a "franchise-holder" route remaining. One has to understand that to realize that Bayswater has never had actual levels of transit service.

The Q52 is every 30 minutes, but the Q53 is every 10 still. On the northern end, it should be seen if Broadway can do with 20 minute headways so that the Q52 and Q53 can then alternate, especially outside the summer months. The saved Q53 trips can then be redeployed on other LGA routes. The Q62 would essentially introduce service to an area that has no transit service, however...Bayswater. I was thinking about ending the Q62 in Arverne or Hammels, but you'd have too big a gap in service between Hammels and Rockaway Park. I agree with @qjtrainmaster's post of perhaps having the Q35 closed-door in Brooklyn (first stop being the Marine Park golf course) and run it perhaps to Arverne...but not all the way to Far Rockaway. The aim is that the Rockaways need better inter-area service and service out of it.

Rockaways-related, even after the Rockaways have fully recovered: The Q22 is the only east-west route for all of the Rockaways, and that route tends to get bunched up very frequently and be unreliable. To that end, I would propose restructuring all of the Rockaways routes as follows: 1. Q22: Truncate the western end of the route to Beach 116 Street. Very few riders travel from east of Beach 116 Street to west of Beach 116 Street who are not transferring to the Q35 route. 2. Extend the Q52 full-time to Far Rockaway using the Q22 routing. Additional stops would be added at Beach Channel Drive and Beach 67, 60, 51, and 40 Streets, on Seagirt Boulevard and Beach 32 and Beach 21 (eastbound)/Beach 20 (westbound), and St. John's Episcopal Hospital. 3. Introduce a new route, the Q62, using the route between Rockaway Park and Beach 35 Street, but then utilizing this route: remain on Beach Channel Drive, left on Beach 32 Street, right on Bayswater Avenue follow to Mott Avenue, right on Beach 20 Street, right on Cornaga Avenue, right on Beach 21 Street, into terminal, and stand. Return via a left at Mott and reverse. The hope is that this will separate riders who get off before the Beach 41 Street Houses area. This route, like the Q22, would end at Beach 116 Street where the Q35 also ends.

Probably a relic of when the B14 used to terminate by Spring Creek Gardens at the end of Drew Street. Crescent Street is five blocks away from Lincoln Avenue (which abuts the west side of the Pitkin Yard and the Linden Plaza development built over it)...you still have adequate network coverage.

Speaking of the B14---I would propose one minor route change to it...on the westbound trip, buses should use Elderts Lane on the east side of the Pitkin Yard instead of Lincoln Avenue on the west side to maintain a uniform bidirectional service area. Also, the Q8 should remain on Pitkin to Fountain Avenue westbound to Gateway Mall, and then travel down Fountain Avenue, to maintain a uniform coverage area on that route. (The B13 covers the area in between.)

Also add 5280 and 5282 to Quill (spotted on the M14). 4705 and 4709 were also on the M14 today.

Someone on BusChat posted a pic of 1989 on the X7 tonight - this bus is now out of retirement.

On the B82, part of the problem is that the route is out of East New York Depot. Might it bbe relieved if the B64 is moved to Gleason, which would create room for a split of the route? This is also a case where a full integration of NYCT and MTA Bus could help to assign the B82 to Spring Creek. In addition, westbound, the first stop that should be where Limited service begins should be Williams Avenue...and by Flatbush Avenue, Limited-stop buses should bypass the Flatbush Avenue turns. BTW, speaking of the B43, there are interlines between the B43 and B16,

An alternative plan could be to have the route as a shuttle from Canarsie to Gateway via Cozine and Glenwood only, or to extend the route to terminate somewhere in the vicinity of Brookdale Hospital. The problem is finding a ridership generating area on the western end if not the B6 corridor.

Cannot agree - the B82 because of its length is too unreliable. A route that goes to Gateway should not be more than one hour in length. On B35 via Church's post---I probably should have been more clear: there would be B6 short turns between New Lots and Midwood now, but what I have as the B5 would only be a Gateway to Midwood line...and also provide service into a new housing tract.

The B6 route, except for the eastern end beyond Ashford Street. Call it the B5 if you want. Those Midwood short-turns on the B6 would be part of this route.

Not sure whether this belongs in Brooklyn or Queens, but a stop should be added at Cross Bay Boulevard to the B15 to improve connectivity. There should also be an added stop on the overpass for the Q52 and Q53 (southbound only for connections to the Rockaways) and Q21 and Q41 (bidirectional) to improve connections, and to provide a connection up the Woodhaven Boulevard Corridor (I know the Q41 goes to Jamaica, but you can't have only the Q21 servicing the stop).

8881 is also at Jamaica. See everyone, buses don't die at LaGuardia.

That reminds me---8785 is at East New York as well...it was on the B83 earlier this week.

On the B103, I feel that it should not go to Gateway, because buses run too far behind schedule as it is; that route has extremely tight schedules. Instead, I think that there should be a route that travels between Midwood and Gateway Mall, serving the new housing development via Elton Street and then looping around the DDSO...it would reduce service to New Lots Avenue, but customers for that section from the Linden Houses and other projects in the area could use the B20 or the B83 to access the subway.

On the Q64 idea - I agree that it should be extended eastward, but I'm not sure if Oakland Gardens only should be where the route should end. Instead, I would have alternate branches ending in Oakland Gardens and in Queensborough Community College . The Q64 would be the 73 Avenue bus after 164 Street, but would divert along 188 Street to serve Fresh Meadows. In addition, it should be studied as to whether a Q88 Limited is warranted. I would propose it as follows, with stops eastbound as follows (reverse for westbound): 1. Queens Center 2. Rego Center 3. 99 Street 4. 108 Street 5. College Point Boulevard 6. Main Street 7. Kissena Boulevard 8. 164 Street 9. Utopia Parkway. 10. 188 Street 11. 64 Avenue 12. 69 Avenue Then all stops to Queens Village. During this time, Q88 local trips would only operate between Fresh Meadows (188 Street and 69 Avenue) and Elmhurst. (Unrelated, the Q17 short turns should also be extended to 69 Avenue.) Filling in the gap on 73 Avenue would be the Q64. There should also be a potential Q64 Limited that would make Limited stops along Jewel Avenue and 73 Avenue before Fresh Meadows, which would be the rush-hour and weekend terminus of the Q64. Limited stops would work as follows going eastbound (reverse for westbound). 1. Queens Boulevard 2. 108 Street 3. 136 Street 4. Main Street 5. 150 Street (when CUNY is in session only) 6. Kissena Bolevard 7. 164 Street/Jewel 8. 164 Street/73 9. Utopia Parkway 10. All stops on 188 in Fresh Meadows Then all stops eastward on 73 to eastern termini For both the Q64 and Q88 routes, deadheads would be easy via the LIE in the reverse peak direction.

8794 at East NY (recently out of storage), 607 at College Point.

The 1800s were never put into LIB schemes; some were lettered Long Island Bus, but they still kept their blue stripe and were returned to NYC Transit in late 2010; the fleet was initially retired in late 2011. The 1800s that are in service now had sat in storage for about a year.

1883 and 1893 are also out of retirement - 1893 is assigned to Ulmer Park and 1883 is at Eastchester (all of these units were once assigned to the former Long Island Bus). Credit Nelson C. and Shane for this on FB.