BZGuy

I know Howell had AM trippers on the 116, I didn't think they had any PM trips

They go up and down the line in bunches playing games. The problem with that is the Brooklyn,Staten Island and Jersey guys have to try and cut through their BS. It used to irk me to no end.....if you're gonna play games pull over some where out of the way and let the guys who are tryibg to keep a schedule roll! And that little cute game they pull of swinging out the stand at the last minute when you try to pass is just pure a**hole behaviour.

Manhattanville is one of the depots where the driver group are just plain dicks. I hated having to fight with them on 5th Av in the evening because they don't knkw how to work together with other drivers and the way they drive and pull in and out of the stands creates more congestion. I know they work some miserable routes as far as ttaffic but they don't make it any better.

Its ridiculous down there. Myself and the 145am driver on the 139 tend to look out for each other and direct our passengers but some of the other guys will stop in alleyway, open the door and if nobody comes over will just take off. Its a hassle that isn't getting much better.

Is 21/166 the 130am 166? If so then I had just missed you as I pull into gate 80 after that schedule leaves.

The issun the basement isn't so much NJT but Greyhound leaving buses wherever they please. They know what gates NJT uses during the 1am-5am period and sometimes they choose to ignore it. I had a problem just last Sunday night, the 139 driver and I loaded in the alleyway and blocked everything up. Being an a**hole is the only way things gets fixed

Interesting alert on the NJT website. They are showing the 835p 166 to Cresskill as being 30 mins down due to heavy passenger volume. I've never seen them post and individual schedule like that and I'm kinda shocked they can't find somebody to cover that trip so it can leave the PABT ontime.

8272 to Ironbound also.

9051 at Howell explains why 7107 was on the 129 this morning.

7928 is at Ironbound

I don't know how much they really want those buses. The only reason Howell is running them as much as they are now is because they have no choice. They are going to be spares once the whole MCI order comes in. At the end of the day the EcoCoach is not a dependable piece of equipment......

Transit doesn't give a f*ck what the customer thinks. EPV has it in the bag..

 

Don't be so quick to think that. Here a big thing that people overlook with the intial CNG order........MCI didn't put in a bid!

The way that RFP was spec'd meant that MCI would have had to completely redesign the D series, something that they are not going to do for one customer. EPV won by default.......now we are talking about 1000+ diesel crusiers. MCI will bid as long as NJT doesn't go overboard with the spec's again. With that size of a order the cost per bus comes down.....meaning MCI can get very competitive with the bid.

And last but not least, you guys wanna know why MCI isn't cheap (at least in NJT's eyes)? The spec's they write........no other property in America is change happy as NJT. Even why the order is being built spec changes keep coming in. Don't believe me.....look at the NABIs and how many changes were made during the course of that order. NJT has been known to be difficult to work with in the industry, so thats why they get charged higher. The artic order is gonna be very telling because NF does not want anything to do with NJT, and Nova may not want to be bothered with another spec happy property after the SEPTA fiasco.

Cait Sith,

The rattling that you hear from the tag axle is when the bushings start to go bad. The problem is that because the TA tries to be cheap and stretch out the service schedule on the MCIs. You rarely if ever hear the bushings rattling of NJTs MCIs which to be honest, live much rougher lives.

As for the route variations, its more to spead out the passenger loads during rush hours. Take the 166, you'll have a 166T to Leonia, 166X to Bergenfield and a 166X to Dumont all leave within a couple minutes of each other, each taking the passengers to their respective parts of the line.

Rt.9 is its own animal due to those Park and Rides and the general ridership on Rt.9 itself. The branches (130,132,136) were always 139 trips they just did it to give those folks a quick way to ID what schedule is coming. Keeping the 139 desgination and adding "T,X,Ps" would not have worked as well. You gotta keep in mind that there are variations of the 130 and 132 within those designations.

Blvd East needs all the help it can get in the morning. Plus you have to remember the majority of the 165 and 166 (and all of the 168) services during the rush hours are Turnpike Expresses.
 

They have started hitting the road. 7283 was on the 128 this morning!

It's on priority. NJ Transit just retired about 6 or so CNGs this past week. And the company who is currently delivering the buses is the same company that delivered MTA's C40LFs.

 

My only hope is that these are not plagued with electrical issues.

That's my big worry. That new mutiplex system is not living up to its potential. We've had alot of problems with our 2014s and it seems to be a problem across the MCI product line. Everytime we get an update and we think everything is fixed, a new problem pops up.

Blank again. They really need to put the logo on the nose, it doesn't look right without it

7279 is at Howell

Why no 7100s on the 559? Isn't it gonna be hard to pull that off with it being interlined with the 553.

So there is a Ferguson protest that is blocking the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, buses affected

Yeah you know its messed up when there are 4 160s back to back heading to Garfield/Elmwood Park.

Howell has been covering alot of stuff. The 111,114,116 and now the 126. This summer they basically carried the 308 by themselves.......gotta give them credit, it's not much of a country club anymore.

I think Howell has at least one tripper on the 126. Saw 8277 arrive at the Port from Hoboken this morning.

Howell has A.M. trippers on the 114 and 116

So I wasn't seeing things....

 

I just gotta see folks' reaction when/if one shows up on that 114.

It'll be the same reaction that I had going to Jersey Gardens when one showed up.......Nope, I'll wait for the next one!

Ironbound tries to keep them on the 113 or 115 if they have to use a NABI on a MCI line but we all know that stranger things have happened. Like a NABI on the 166T to Leonia......now that's some old bullshit!

So NABIs on the 113......

That might just have been a breakdown swap. IIRC, 8316 is at Meadowlands and I did see it quite a bit on Meadowlands lines before I went on vacation last week

Last I knew 7781 was at Meadowlands that's why it threw me.