SoSpectacular

8 hours ago, 7-express said:

WNBC has a longer video showing the driver getting up to adjust something.  I'm not sure what exactly might have gone on here but did he release the parking brake and put the vehicle into drive before he was fully situated?

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/disturbing-video-emerges-in-mta-bus-crash-into-brooklyn-building-case/3098159/

The newer Xcelsiors have a hill-hold feature which sets the brake after the pedal is held for about 3 seconds. It's a feature to allow you to rest your foot/leg during a red light and whatnot. It releases when the accelerator is pressed and the slightest pressure can release the hold. It's not uncommon for operators who are about to be relieved mid-route to set the run box for the next person. Some might do it just before or at some point during their layover before the trip. Unfortunately, the parking brake was not set when this all happened, and him having his tote bags on the ground instead of on the hooks behind him was just a recipe for disaster when he went back to sit.

I'm currently living near the depot and I haven't seen anything concerning the reconstruction yet. When I was there two years ago for equipment training that building was really screaming for a makeover... 

1 hour ago, WhattheF said:

Is there a particular reason the B9 on Avenue N and McDonald avenue has its stops at the wrong side of the street? The Bay Ridge bound one stops after the traffic light so passengers can end up missing the F train, and the same problem on the Kings Plaza bound side. 
 

Why can’t they make it like on Avenue X and the other stations where the bus stops before the traffic light?

You'll have to take that up with the DOT. They are the ones responsible for bus stop placement. 

To be honest with you, bus stops placed after the light (far side) are much more easier to pull the bus into than those placed before (near side). I haven't really done the 9 much but I never noticed that the stairs are across the street from the bus stops. You would think they'd be on both sides of the intersection like most elevated stations. Plus, the angle of that intersection may make it more difficult to get a bus into if there were cars parked on the far side and there is traffic on the opposite side so it's best to have those corners open. Same deal with the B11 going across to Ave I at McDonald.

12 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Not at all, but their data should reflect the issues you've mentioned. With all of the missing trips, the numbers cannot possibly be that high for things like trips completed/delivered, etc., yet somehow they are. As far as changing the schedules go, believe me, some schedules have been exactly the same for many years, perhaps even a decade, so with the real-time data they do have, they should be able to make some changes when new picks start up, something they agreed to do when they were last audited. On the bus side, the situation will only worsen unless they start making changes for the better. The train side isn't much better either though. They have a serious uphill battle. More people are driving now because they don't have faith in the  to deliver service consistently.

And that's the negative feedback loop we find ourselves stuck in today.

Transit workers want better peace of mind while on the road/tracks, riders want to feel safer on the buses and trains, and people are going to keep driving no matter how many speed cameras are placed, how many traffic signals get shortened, and reduced driving space.

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

All true, but that doesn't mean that their metrics aren't manipulated. The dashboard for most routes generally have numbers that are not in line with what passengers are experiencing in terms of how unreliable the service is. With all of the trips that aren't running, the numbers don't add up.  For some lines, they had no metrics at all until they were audited by the City Comptroller, so it's not like they've been so on it over these years. Worst off is with all of the data they have now, they are not addressing certain issues that they could, such as adjusting schedules, despite the ongoing complaints from customers for them to do so, so when the same lines have excess time over and over, and they promise to update the schedules, but don't, all of these things mean worst service for the riders. They could be doing a hell of a lot more than what they are.

You talk about things that could drastically affect the performance of some routes, yet their metrics don't reflect any of it. Performance wise, most lines look like they are stellar on paper, and that's the problem.

 

You're forgetting that with COVID the fears are very real, not to mention the uptick in assaults in employees that are causing the shortages- we've got people out on FMLA, those that call out sick, senior drivers retiring quicker, all that's going down faster then they can replace. We all know no one pays attention to things unless they become a problem since that's how things have worked for decades- imagine the surprise when Transit started putting down the number of riders on a given bus at any time along a route. Not even the operators knew that there were devices automatically tracking people getting on or off! 

People complain for changes in the schedule to account for all these variables but they don't usually change things in the middle of a pick- and even then that takes considerable time and effort to figure out where things need changing, adjusting runs to account for it (especially this because some operators don't like when runs change or get chopped) and making sure the buses can run as close to schedule as possible.

Since the pandemic the road conditions have gotten worse as more people have turned to driving cars adding to the usual traffic woes. Not much can be done there...

On 6/3/2021 at 8:44 AM, jammerbot said:

Is there some sort of record-keeping system for bus reliability? For example, I noticed that, anecdotally at least, the B1 is generally on or close to schedule, whereas the B3 is always a mess. The B3 often has busses bunched up in twos or threes, with 30 minute gaps in service and then two or three busses all at once. I wonder if there is a database that keeps track of this. 

All that information is tracked. Almost every operating parameter of the bus in question is being recorded by an internal system.

As for that other thing, some routes have problematic areas that will more often than not drastically affect performance- this could be things such as tight two-way streets, heavily trafficked areas, or simple obstructions like double parked vehicles blocking the way- some notable locations from personal experience can be Manhattan Avenue from Driggs to Greenpoint Avenues or 5th Avenue between Dean and Garfield Place which are pretty tight streets and double parked trucks/cars make it excruciatingly difficult to get ahead.

There's also Church Avenue, or Nostrand/Rogers where traffic can get pretty stupid, or on the B11 cutting through 49th or 50th streets or Avenue J where you'll barely get by at a snail's pace between Coney Island and Avenue J. Things always happen. The schedules aren't dynamic so there's no way to really adjust times on the fly. Some of us will likely blow the layover period and call a personal to get some recovery/bathroom time. All part of the job. Most won't really understand that.

Operators who really know their stuff will be able to anticipate these kinds of delays and adjust accordingly in  a safe manner, while others may just hang back until a suitable opportunity presents itself. Like the reports for the bus redesign mention, a lot of the slowdowns happened starting in 2014, when services like Uber and Lyft exploded in the cities and the start of Vision Zero (although that was late in the year, but the increased slowdown of traffic due to all the sweeping changes and people still refusing to give up on driving seem to make it all the more worse).

7 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

It actually made me wonder if B/Os are technically supposed to pull over when talking on the radio, but I didn't care lol, this guy was on the ball, and looked calm as hell the whole time. 

Yes. Current procedure is to pull over the bus at the nearest location/bus stop to use the radio. Not always feasible because no one wants a beeping radio with "CALL" flashing endlessly until you pick up...

6 hours ago, MTA MAC said:

So, after many unanswered calls and emails I got a call at 7:30am asking me to report for a drug test the same day which was yesterday 6/2/21. Fortunately I had a free day and was able to report. Then today at approximately 4:30pm I received another call to report to 180 Livingston for the medical part on Friday 8am. Now I know this is such short notice but I've been trying to get a response from them for months. Since I have a few days left on my vacation I will definitely be reporting. I was told a class is starting on Sunday.  Does anyone know if the first day is virtual or does it take place at Zerega? List #21xx.

You'll be going to Zerega. You have paperwork to fill out plus getting assigned a depot where you will do your 7 days at. Things should more or less be back to regular over there.

15 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

They may not the best to some but to others they are.

Personally, I don't care for any of Grand Avenue's lines and those artics were inherited from Gun Hill which has the worse maintenance if you ask me personally.

Grand Ave has a maintenance facility and they do very good job with their buses. If anything, the Brooklyn Division definitely needs another maintenance facility. Somewhere around Flatbush/Ulmer Park/Gleason territory so that buses aren't going all the way to East New York and Grand for major work.

I've done bus moves to Grand's CMF and it's not that bad a drive. A lot of our buses end up there for work.

21 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Not sure if sarcasm is being displayed here, but either way, Lol at "scenic"....

The thing that doesn't do it for the Q3 ride to/from JFK for me has less to do with how visually unappealing Farmers is & all to do with how that route crawls along Farmers.... I'm convinced JA depot b/o's are being told to do so... Even the overnight buses are slower than what they should be, getting from end to end....

 

 

Too much running time between the timepoints, I've taken the Q3 on occasion and yes it does move pretty slow, especially when there aren't a lot of people riding.

It's the same reason I'm regretting picking on the B63 this pick. Too much time and not a lot of people, especially during the later hours, end up 5-7 minutes hot. Literally have to crawl at 10-15 MPH because of it at times.

7 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Unions sure are great, aren't they....

Union politics at their finest lol

2 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

From what I've heard (I'll defer to the ops on here), if you have any kind of temperature they won't let you do your route out of an abundance of caution and that's why there's so many missing trips.

They do send people home if your temperature is elevated, and we're still required to quarantine if we come into contact with any infected people.

On 5/14/2021 at 7:02 PM, Lawrence St said:

Is the B35 not suppose to be a full articulated route? I saw 2 C40LF's in service on the B35 last week.

It is, but there's not always enough artics to go out, especially when a good number are OOS for routine maintenance. Not uncommon. It is something that's supposed to be brought up to the union when it does happen (primarily a busier time a day)... 

4 hours ago, Snorunts said:

Timetables are still being printed out. I don't see them too often, though.

We get them in every now and then, haven't seen a fresh order in a hot minute though...

22 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

So every EB B35 makes their last dropoffs at that B15 stop in question? Since when?

No, I was referring to your comment. We're technically supposed to use the Hegeman stop and turn around right there.

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

What you're speaking of isn't an official scenario.... On the Brownsville end of the route, the official last dropoff stop is still at Hegeman/Mother Gaston...

To answer your question though, how the b/o's that make that last EB dropoff stop on New Lots at Mother Gaston go about turning around, is by simply continuing EB on New Lots av, to hang a left on Christopher, a left on Lott, a left on Mother Gaston, a right back on New Lots av, to proceed WB towards the first pickup stop at Hegeman/Watkins in front the daycare center....

* You also have some b/o's that avert making that left turn off Mother Gaston to New Lots av. (after having made the last dropoff stop at Hegeman/Mother Gaston) by continuing NB on Mother Gaston to Lott, and then hanging a right onto Lott, a right onto Sackman, a right onto New Lots av., to proceed WB towards the first pickup stop at Hegeman/Watkins....

He's definitely correct.

And yes, I've also made the last stop at New Lots (we actually aren't supposed to even layover there because of the B15) and made the turnaround using Lott. It's amazing how well those artics handle those backstreets.

19 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

Question to express bus operators. Do yall get aggravated when people say hello/thank you when getting off the bus? 

 

I try to be polite and say good morning when getting on and thank you when getting off, but I'm tired of no acknowledgements back. Unfortunately my personality doesn't allow me to just walk pass and not say hello/thank you, so I have to force myself to just get off and not say anything if I haven't received any acknowledgement getting on.

 

We live in such a miserable world, especially a miserable city, and its just sad how being polite is not even accepted anymore. 

Not on the express bus side, but I had a fellow operator back during the fall pick who brought up that he got called into the office one day because a customer had complained that he wasn't "courteous" enough to say anything. He pretty much said the same thing where he does not say a word to people, even when spoken to. Someone just happened to complain about it.

Myself on the other hand, I'll respond if people greet me/thank me, but that's all they're going to get. You get on, pay your fare, sit down and shut up. I don't even get into it with people who get on my bus with the stink attitude because they had to wait longer for a bus due to missing runs or a leader who got placed for running late. I just stare at them until they finish ranting. No time for it.

At the end of the day, I'm trying to get back home to my family.

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I honestly don't think there's any rhyme or reason as to why routes with branches do or don't have route suffixes.....

Come to think of it, does "LTD" actually/officially qualify as a route suffix (same deal for the '+' sign with the SBS routes) ?

On our paddles they're one and the same. They just mark the trip as LTD with the proper sign code and timepoint(s) 

Well if you want something to really get done, by all means go on up to Albany and march right on up in their faces and keep screaming until you get what you all need. Otherwise, this whole thing falls on deaf ears.

A lot of drivers with the time and age are taking their pensions and running. You'd be surprised at how many guys there still are that have been with Transit for over 25 years.

Aside from some of the busier routes, ridership hasn't gotten back to previous levels at all since the cases have dwindled (or last summer when rides were free). But even with the busy routes aside, ridership drops off dramatically towards the end of rush hour (after 6PM I've noticed this large decrease). Buses really start carrying air then and some buses will start running early or have to drag out a trip by going even slower/waiting their time out at bus stops.

Really not much point in hiring more operators now until the numbers get better. There is a class currently in training still at my depot, they'll be thrown on the list once they're finished with the line training so that should help things. I'm currently on the B63 for the spring pick and it's actually not too bad traffic/ridership wise. Things do get extremely light towards the end of my runs, though.

14 hours ago, 7113 said:

I have a question about bus operators making ada announcements on buses without the automated system.

Do they have to make ada announcements at every stop? If so, that is a lot of stops to memorize!

Not every stop but major transfer points and any requested stops by customers.

Technically under the current law every stop would have to be mentioned for total compliance, but with all the stops our lines have it would be impractical. Another reason for the automated announcements.

2 hours ago, hh1a said:

Thank you for the responses everyone.

I have been working with the New Flyer Artic a few times, just wanted some advice on leaving a bus stop and not hitting the rear with something like a hydrant,

and also turning, it's totally different for turning and challenging

When I was line training, one of the operators gave me a pretty nice tip for dealing with things like hydrants in a bus stop- make sure the object is between your front and rear pivot point. That way when you pull off, you won't have to concern yourself with the tail swing when you pull off. For an artic, if you can, try to keep the object at or just behind the bellows and between the rear tires if possible.

23 hours ago, Ramirez1523 said:

I got my second probie ride on the B37 (I was still on the list at the time but now hold a run).  I made a road relief and he was already on the bus.  He didn't say anything when he got off either, he called me on the radio during my 2nd trip and told me I had a good ride, and asked for the F/B info.  It was my 6 month ride even though its almost my 8th month.  A few senior people I talked to said I might only get 1 more ride because there backed up, they said to expect it somewhere in the last two weeks of probation.  Either way I'm going to stay on my game and keep and eye out.  

 

I don't know how other people feel but I feel like my probation has gotten harder from like 6 months on.  Mostly costumer issues; sleeping passengers requiring supervision to come out, had a super elevated race issue another night between two pax, amongst other things, but hey all part of the job

 

Ah, a fellow Gleason op! 

Trust me when I say it was rougher before the pandemic and things were running as usual. I've had to call an ambulance on a homeless person, had to deal with a guy who blocked my bus cause he missed the stop all in my first year. I still can't believe I survived the last 7 months of probation on that B43.

You may or may not get a third ride, I got my first ride 3 months in to the date and my second during my eighth month. I was on the lookout during my eleventh month and before I knew it I'm signing the last evaluation form. Just watch yourself as usual.

On 4/2/2021 at 5:50 PM, Snorunts said:

327 - Version 2

-

Try to look out for these buses and see if anything is installed (I'll keep my eye out for #253): 

- 253, 320, 321, 323, 326, 329, 330, 331, 332, 334, 336, 337, 339, 341, 345, 346 (016)

- 7441, 7442, 7448, 7460, 7464 (005)

- 8005, 8006, 8007, 8008, 8019, 8021, 8027, 8028, 8034, 8035, 8037, 8039, 8041, 8042, 8043, 8044, 8046, 8047, 8050, 8051, 8053, 8054, 8055, 8056, 8057, 8059-8089 (056)

253 has screens

9 hours ago, Q43LTD said:

I just have a dumb question. If I get off at the last stop of a route, is it necessary for me to ring the bell? I had this driver blame me for not ringing the bell as she drove by the last stop assuming no one was left on the bus

While not necessary to ring the bell at the last stop, it's standard operating procedure for bus operators to check our buses at each terminal...

We get in trouble if we wind up bringing people into the depot on the bus and they get left behind unannounced... You know, safety hazard and all that.