R188 7857

Speaking of those announcements and screens, they're starting to get messed up. 5911 had a frozen screen when I was on it today, and 5915 was just weird. It kept restarting every time it loads up, so it would completely blackout and then start up again and play the announcement. As soon as it plays the announcement, it goes black again and repeated the whole ride. Sometimes, instead of blacking out and restarting, the computer would blue screen (they had Windows 8 or 10 in German I'm pretty sure) and then start back up. Weird stuff. 

4677 maybe to CS. It had JA stickers but was on the Q16. 

So what explains why an artic would be on Northern Blvd and Francis Lewis Blvd? I've seen them a few times in the Northeastern Queens area and I have no clue why. There's no reason why someone deadheading from CS to Bronx Zoo would go all the way around when they can just hop on the Van Wyck and go on the Whitestone. 

Looking at the front page of this, does this mean that Stengel is going to be 100% Xcelsior in the future when the XD40s come? 

It's been a few months and 6013 still can't be tracked. That bus even went back to the vendor once if I recall correctly. Is there a reason why? It's annoying because sometimes I see that bus go by knowing that I would have taken it if it was trackable..

4176 repainted. Seems like they're finally ditching the "New York City Bus". That bus only has MTA logos. 

I have no clue what's happening on Main Street, but they moved the 44/20 stop one block back (btwn. 38th and 37th) and the machines as well. They moved the 17/27 stop all the way to where the buses stop for layover (the parking lot). They have MTA workers out there telling people now, but people are still getting confused (especially with the 17/27 stop). 

Saw a Stengel XD40 and a JA LFS with what looked to be a new speaker on the side of the bus. I'm guessing these are for turning announcements?

There are ads on The Bronx, Brooklyn & Queens SBS units.

The only ads on the Q44 LFSAs are either MTA ads (If you see something, say something). The only buses with actual advertisements (5822,23) were transferred from Manhattan. 

Our 'BRT' fleet surely needs a more streamlined look but to be fair flushed windows are probably more expensive to maintain and repair than traditional glazing windows. However slide-glide doors are definitely a plus for BRTs since they open and close faster than the push-out counterparts that are standard for almost every bus used that isn't an LFS.

If the MTA were to formally assign XD60s for SBS, Full-roof fairings should be an option to consider but not a must imo.

I've said in the past that the doors on the Novas suck, and I still stand by that point.  However, I do agree that those types of doors need to be used for SBS. They are faster not only when they are opening and closing, but for boarding too. People hold the door way to easily on 5987, it gets annoying after 4 minutes sitting at a stop waiting for the door to close. At least with the Novas the door actually forces people to get out because it closes on them. For the outward opening doors, they aren't even going to touch you. 

If they're gonna use the new XD60s for BRT (SBS), why couldn't they get them with inward doors, unframed windows, and the BRT roof fairings? Seeing that type of design on XD60s for other transit agencies really makes me wonder why the MTA sticks with this look.... It looks much cleaner and looks more fitting for a bus route designed to go at higher speeds (especially the wider doors). 

There is now a trivia question on the LCD signs for the Q44-SBS.

 

 

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There's two, that keep playing on and on...

One asks when the first bus ran, and the next one asks when the first bus w/ A/C ran.

They also got this new advertisement that tells you to give up your seat for the elderly and pregnant, stating "Not only is it being considerate, but you'll also make your grandmother proud."

A bus on 15 minute headways (just to give example) doesn't sound like a bus that has heavy crowding. If that were the case 10 minutes would be better. You shouldn't have two buses together on 15 minute hedways.

The sad part is that it happens all the time even with buses with 30 minute headways...

Avoid Flushing at all cost the fire @ Roosevelt made everything a mess.

I've never seen a bigger sh*tshow at Flushing. Took me 45 minutes on the Q44-SBS on a ride that would regularly take 15. Traffic on College Point Blvd and Northern Blvd was FUBAR. Buses were literally everywhere, you had Q65s on Union Street and NIS buses all over the place. It was definitely the worst rush hour I've ever seen/been through..

Anyone notice that no 4200 series hybrids ran on the SBS79 today? The 4200s were on all other Yukon routes. Trying to find out of this is a permanent or temporary change.

 

 

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Apparently, the new signs are causing electrical problems on the buses. The ones that were installed in the Bronx are generally off (according to someone). My guess is that these buses are hybrids, and from some of my experiences, you don't usually mess with the electrical system on a hybrid vehicle. It could mess up things with the battery and such. The signs on the XD40's and LFSA's in the other depots are working fine, so I'm suspecting that it's either a problem isolated to Clever Devices or the NG's themselves. 

I recall 7281 having a serious accident just a few weeks ago (seemed to have suffered much more damage than the LGA XD40 accidents), does anyone know what's up with that bus? Is it repaired? 

Those XD40s are already taking a beating. Was on one the other day (7366) with a squeaky door and a light that doesn't work. I was also on one today where the dude had to restart the bus b/c the rear door wouldn't unlock...

So I was on the first (NB) train, and it was stopped at Lex-63 for a few minutes (the 11:08 from CI was right behind, you could see it). As we were heading towards 96th, there were three (or two, I don't remember) trains heading South. The next train was then the one I was on, which didn't leave 96 for another 10 (I think) minutes. I don't really know what the hold up was. Kinda lead to a huge gap. The train was also really slow going North, but when I took the back down to 57th, the ride was much quicker. 

The one thing I can say just from what happened today is that it's definitely much better than taking the M15-SBS. 

5927 was heading East on Northern earlier tonight, don't know what it was doing there. Saw it when I was near Francis Lewis Blvd. 

The Q28 has short turns? Since when?

 

On a side note the Q12 has worse short turns only cover 1/4 of the route but most people are used to it because every other bus is a short turn. But that's also the reason why the route is very reliable between 165th and Main St.

Apparently, the bus was extremely late so it turned at F. Lewis and 35th, then deadheaded back to Flushing. 

So, a Q28 short-turned at F Lewis & 35th today (never seen or had that happen before). The bus pulls into the first stop saying "Francis Lewis Bl 35 Av" and the driver is there using the external speakers saying the last stop is 35th like 20 times. So, I wait for the next bus, and I realize the side sign says "Franics Lewis Bl." Guess it's good that they don't use that destination too much, lol. 

Everything on the Q44 was half assed. I got on the bus to realize there was only one screen at the front only. 

It's true. Sometimes, the stop request messes up (plays new "please exit through the rear door", then plays "through the rear door", so you hear "please exit through the rear door, through the rear door"). Sometimes, the announcements and next stop map turns off randomly in the middle of the route (had that happen). When the regular MTA announcements play, they have priority over the next stop announcements (which means that you can't hear the next stop, but you hear the MTA telling you to use BusTime). The stop for Booth Memorial is too far back, and for some reason there's a Main St/39 and a Main St/38 in the same direction. The women who says the announcements says "Next stop, Main Street and Kissena Boulevard. Transfer available to Twash, Q58 and Q58 Limited." Like, who is supposed to know that Ptwash is Port Washington? Some buses don't even have announcements working. 

Then again, the MTA is only testing these systems. They're gonna have flaws. 

Huh?

The programming on the advertisements on the Q44-SBS signs tell you to get off the bus at 42 St for UN, South Ferry for Statue of Liberty, and so on. 

I think the signs on the Q44 are still half programmed for the M15.... Why on earth would someone get off at 42 St for the United Stations on the Q44-SBS? 

We'll I guess I'll stay in on the 26th. Does the same apply to January 2nd this year?

 

 

5265 had working announcements, on the outside at least. 

The announcement system is glitchy. I managed to get 5903 (again) on the way back home, and the announcements just suddenly stopped working. Don't know what's up. I have a recording of it though, I'll probably post it.