aemoreira81

This one seems puzzling as they have to be high mileage and the Q44 is a high mileage route. At least with the B44 and B46 and intra-Manhattan SBS, mileage is kept down.

I have to wonder if the MTA plans to put driver shields on express buses. 1300 could be the test bus for it. As for the express buses, given that the Prevost fleet all have Wi-Fi and USB , why not wrap the Prevost fleet in the new livery? Unrelated to the above, the end of ABC World News had, on its ending: a day with an operator from CAS.

Bombardier is exiting the rail business. That division is pending sale to Alstom. (If the deal doesn't close, I would expect Bombardier Transportation's contracts to be sold piecemeal and the business closed.) The R46 early problems were mostly related to unfit trucks. Once the MTA got replacement trucks that could handle the R46 weight, they back...and that's why the R62 order was a "back to basics" order. The R44 end-of-life problems were mostly because of MTA specs of carbon steel, originally believed to be isolated to one car (5248)...but the fact is that a salt water environment and carbon steel just do not mix. By contrast, the R179 problems are also related to problems with the Toronto Flexity Outlook---which had the work done elsewhere for what was believed to be lower cost, but which would lead to problems elsewhere down the line on both contracts. (Like the R179 contract, the TTC Flexity Outlook contract was only fulfilled with final deliveries this year.) Quality control issues beset both contracts.

The BM3 is a TWU 100(A) route. Is there a reason why MJQ or FB couldn't operate the route?

On the B69, there is no route going north-south between Jay Street and Classon/Franklin Avenues. To that end, I have to wonder if at least Saturday service is warranted, along with a reroute on the north end, as a backdoor way into downtown Brooklyn. Instead of its current terminus, what about having the B69 and B62 share a route between Washington Avenue/Vanderbilt Avenue and the terminus in front of the downtown Brooklyn NYCTA building? The idea would be better connections instead of a destination in the middle of nowhere on Sands Street at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. In the meantime, in Park Slope, I have to wonder if the B69 could be modified to operate via Union Street instead of going all the way up to Flatbush Avenue before turning off (Union Street used to carry the B71 route before that was discontinued). It would also eliminate a problematic left turn from Flatbush Avenue to 7 Avenue (allowed only for the B69). Completely separate from that, and this includes the other boroughs as well, I have to wonder if the time has come for a night bus network that runs from 2300 to 0500(+1) x6, and 2300 to 0700(+1) on day 6 only. (Monday - Sunday - days 1 - 7.), which could allow the subways to be closed for cleaning from 0030 to 0500 (x7; 0030 to 0630 7). This night network would include express bus service at the local bus fare, open-door in outer boroughs.

Protests today are going up Flatbush between Grand Army Plaza (and through downtown Brooklyn to Cadman Plaza). There is also a separate one in East New York. Brooklyn Division truncations (inbound to downtown Brooklyn except B14): B14: Via Blake Avenue (eastbound) and Dumont Avenue (westtbound) instead of Sutter Avenue, between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Cypress Hills Houses B25: Last stop Washington Avenue B26 and B52: Last stop Greene/Carlton Avenues B37 and B103: Last stop Dean Street B38: Last stop Washington Avenue B41: Last stop Empire Boulevard B45: Last stop Vanderbilt Avenue B54: Last stop Vanderbilt Avenue B57/B62: Last stop Farragut Houses B63: Last stop 9 Street B65: Last stop Vanderbilt Avenue B67: Last stop Union Street B69: Suspended until Monday morning

Delivered in the old classic livery from the 1970s (with the updated MTA New York City Bus titles added in the 1990s), this was the last new local bus to arrive in this livery. However, 5439 already had Wi-Fi and USB ports installed as the blue and yellow buses had. Early 2017, assigned to Kingsbridge: 5439 by Adam E. Moreira, on Flickr After being sent back to Nova, it was re-delivered in the Select Bus Service livery, as the entire batch of 5439-5602 was assigned to Select Bus Service. Originally intended as 77 to Quill and 15 to Gun Hill on the original 92-bus batch, with the next 72-bus batch being split evenly 36 apiece, 11 examples eventually were transferred to Flatbush to push out third generation LFS buses off of SBS duty. Thus, here is 5439 in fall 2019, working the B44 Select. 5439 by Adam E. Moreira, on Flickr Earlier this year, 5439 was sent back to Kingsbridge for local service. This is 5439, now in local bus blue-yellow livery, on the Bx1 earlier today. 5439 by Adam E. Moreira, on Flickr

How does a drawbar break like that? This will really require bringing back the R32s again, as next week, the cars will be needed. These cars may well be needed until the R211s are finally in service, but these cars were supposed to be gone about 20 years ago.

I have to wonder what this means for essential workers relying on express buses.

Buses will not leave Staten Island. Instead, they will go up Bay Street (SIM3C/33C), Targee/Van Duzer (SIM1C), or the Terrace (SIM4C) to the ferry. In addition, in Brooklyn Division, there is no bus service into Downtown Brooklyn. B25, B26, B38, B45, B52, B54, and B65 westbound service terminates at Vanderbilt Avenue. (Not all listed on website) B41 northbound service terminates at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. B57 westbound and B62 southbound service terminate at the Farragut Houses. B63 northbound service terminates at 9th Street B67 northbound service terminates at Union Street (B69 service is unaffected, but the last northbound departure is 9 PM and return at 9:45 PM). In the Bronx Division: Bx12 SBS and Bx29...buses are not servicing Bay Plaza, and are instead terminating in Co-op City Section 5. Bx38: not servicing Bay Plaza, instead operating in Co-op City via 1-2-3-4-5, ending at Erskine Place. BxM4: detoured via Webster Avenue between Tremont Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard. Manhattan Division: too numerous to list. Queens Division: Spring Creek express routes: via Lexington Avenue College Point and JFK express routes: via Lexington Avenue Q22 and QM17: eastbound service starts and ends from St. John's Epi Q60: all service on the main road. Amazingly, the B103 is running on normal route. (I include the B103 here because Spring Creek is within Queens Division.)

The MTA should extend the Bx7 down to 168 Street as an alternative.

I'm in a situation where I need to go outside to get my license to start working in a hospital too. I feel for those people I have temporarily left (in between internship and work).

It's a true mess in lower Manhattan. In addition to SiM service not leaving Staten Island (besides buses already off the island) and X27/8 service suspended... Northbound B41 service ends at Grand Army Plaza. Westbound B45, B54, and B65 service ends at Vanderbilt Avenue. Westbound B54 service ends at Vanderbilt Avenue Westbound B60 service ends at Union Avenue Northbound B63 service ends at 9 Street Northbound B67 service ends at Union Street (B69 service is likely diverted to Union Street there) While not listed, I have to imagine that the B25, B26, B38. and B52 are ending at Vanderbilt as well, with westbound B57 and southbound B62 service ending at Sands Street (Farragut Houses). With the situation on Fordham Road, I cannot imagine that the Bx12 (and Bx12 SBS) is running west of the Fordham Metro-North station, and I would be surprised if these aren't also in effect: Bx1 and Bx2: operate via the main road from 188 Street to Kingsbridge Road (Fordham Road and 192 Street stops missed) Bx9: detoured to Bedford Park Boulevard (entering Southern Boulevard at Bedford Park), bypassing Fordham completely. Bx22: ends at Boston Road and Pelham Parkway Bx28: ends at Bedford Park Bx34: ends at Bedford Park Boulevard On the subway side, both the and are bypassing Fordham Road.

First generation. It was on his IG story.

It might not be a bad idea to print the old style livery on BUSMark also...if there's vandalism to it...one can just peel off the vandalized sticker, or apply a new sticker over it.

If anyone follows Mike (era__vulgaris) on IG, he posted a pic of a hybrid (probably a FP unit) that was hit with anti-MTA graffiti. (At least with the new buses, the side livery is shrink-wrap and could be peeled off and replaced.) Might it be time to go with BUSmark livery that could be replaced? That is, buses are only painted white (express and local without USB ports), or blue (local with USB ports), and then the appropriate livery is applied. If someone vandalizes the livery, it could simply be peeled off and replaced with fresh BUSmark.

Could this have been intentionally set?

At least they can keep up on the highway. That said, if only a TA bus is available, it should be a diesel or CNG articulated bus on standby for that purpose, using volunteer operators. I understand perfectly why a revenue operator in service wouldn't want to do this duty.

That bus is trending on Twitter, as the driver didn't want to be the one transporting arrestees (the bus was comandeered off its B41 run) (I'm tempted to say his own safety). The NYPD could easily have requested articulated buses from Flatbush or Gleason (under a police escort) which could better handle those being arrested from the riot at Barclays, to take them up to Rikers. (They do know that the top speed on these buses is 40 mph, right?) The NYPD knew this could happen...the NYPD could request 7 diesel articulated buses from Quill (for the Foley Square protests) and 7 articulated buses from Gleason and/or Grand Avenue on standby. Speaking of Grand Avenue... this happened to bus 4720: https://twitter.com/KatieVasquezTV/status/1266541252817948679

Wasn't 6803 also retired? Also, the oldest buses in this batch are 14 years old, about when retirement would begin. Separately, is there a plan for a summer pick, now that NYC is slated to move to Phase 1 on June 8, and likely will be at Phase 2 by summer pick or soon after? (I presume that the B1 articulated conversion would also be on line for summer pick.)

Would not be a bad idea for the entire fleet, TBH...done upon the next replacement of wheels or tires.

For the people in the IG post...would that be the worst thing to plow them over? It's clear that they're future delinquents.

All together now...more proof that...the craziest people in America come from the Bronx, and all of Florida! People will deny it, but this is proof of that and there is proof every day of it.

Fort Tilden and Jacob Riis Park in Queens, and the beach at Miller Field in SI, are federally owned. Along the Brooklyn waterfront, that is a state park north of the Williamsburg Bridge, and there are other state parks within city limits that likely will be open, including one in my backyard. Will the federally-owned parks be open?

Yes there were trainees sitting in the seats, all with PPE. NYC is likely on track to resume normal operations in early June.