The Express Bus: A Vital Service or an Unnecessary Luxury?

[w8Hou 64]

That's not true. In all the times I used the express bus that never happened.

 

You probably didnt even go to Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn to experience for yourself.

 

Re-read what I said again, I was explaining as to why some of those x90s had hard seats before the MCI transfer...We know the x90 is 100% MCI now....

 

Yet they were long gone..................................................... gone forever. No need to repeat myself.

[Cait Sith 6,653]

That's not true. In all the times I used the express bus that never happened.

 

That I have to agree with, though I've gotten occasional loudmouths & cell phone yappers once in a while.

[LRG 216]

I try to be reasonable and compromise and this is what I get. The B103 used to have cushioned seats.

 

Let's not get hasty now. I see where you are coming from, but not every bus route should have the cushioned seats, although it would be a step-up from the hard seats, but would cost more to maintain. How come some of the Jamaica routes have the suburban-style seating (whether with cushioned seats or hard seats) while other depots (that come to my head; there may be others) don't?

[Art Vandelay 783]

I think that the most sensible solution is to simply raise the fare to a sustainable level(something in the $10-15 range), and then cut service if ridership does not warrant it.

[Grand Concourse 2,690]

I try to be reasonable and compromise and this is what I get. The B103 used to have cushioned seats.

 

The B103 shares buses with the BM2 and other express bus lines because SC has limited a amount of buses. And don't forget they did have RTSs with hard seats as well, so it's not like everything was soft seats before the hybrids came in to retire the older buses. It is not by choice the B103 has soft seats. The Nova lfs have those velvet seats. This has nothing to do with 'compromise'.

I mean by your logic, wouldn't the artics on the SBS Bx12 have soft seats as well?

[LRG 216]

I think that the most sensible solution is to simply raise the fare to a sustainable level(something in the $10-15 range), and then cut service if ridership does not warrant it.

 

What in the world are you talking about???

[w8Hou 64]

If X90 was eliminating, it going to increase more crowd on and M15 buses.

X90 is useful because it is less crowded than M15 or subway.

 

No, those people who can afford taking x90, they can take subway or a taxi.

[Forest Glen 4]

I was just saying that if they were to replace certain express bus routes with super-limited then those new routes should have suburban seating. Even if they were low floor buses with cushioned seating that would be acceptable. Imagine a Q60 super express. It would start at its normal Queens terminal. The next stop would be Sutphin/Archer. It would stop at Union Turnpike, Continental, Queens Center Mall, 46 Street/Sunnyside, 33rd Street, and Queens Plaza. It would follow the Q32's route in Manhattan. There would be a special lane on Queens Blvd just for this route. The traffic islands on Queens Blvd would be the bus stops. If this route was successful then you could eliminate the QM10 and QM12. No one would complain. It would also alleviate crowding on the and

[Pablo M 201 35]

I think that the most sensible solution is to simply raise the fare to a sustainable level(something in the $10-15 range), and then cut service if ridership does not warrant it.

That would put everyone over the edge and no one would want to ride the express buses leading to cutting all of them while a private company restarts them and basically hit the lottery.

[Forest Glen 4]

I think that the most sensible solution is to simply raise the fare to a sustainable level(something in the $10-15 range), and then cut service if ridership does not warrant it.

 

So by that logic we should also raise local buses to their sustainable levels and have people pay $4 to ride.

[RTS CNG Command 297]

I try to be reasonable and compromise and this is what I get. The B103 used to have cushioned seats.

Glen is right here. The B103's low-fare express was a very good system while at Command. Although some B103 LTD buses offer cushion-seated Orion Vs today, it's not always guaranteed, unlike while at Command.

 

I, too, think that Super Limiteds can work to this day. Maybe in a structure similar to the pre-MTA B103 on some lines, like altering the X90 or X25 into the M90 and M25, perhaps?

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16 197]

If there is No EXP service I could tell you thier will be An (E)xplosion .

North Shore Towers /Glen Oaks/Eltingvil -AKrd/BX /Fresh Meadows/

Will go balistic plus all the other B/Ops that have to go back to local OMG

I don't wanna even think about this ....OUCH

[Pablo M 201 35]

I was just saying that if they were to replace certain express bus routes with super-limited then those new routes should have suburban seating. Even if they were low floor buses with cushioned seating that would be acceptable. Imagine a Q60 super express. It would start at its normal Queens terminal. The next stop would be Sutphin/Archer. It would stop at Union Turnpike, Continental, Queens Center Mall, 46 Street/Sunnyside, 33rd Street, and Queens Plaza. It would follow the Q32's route in Manhattan. There would be a special lane on Queens Blvd just for this route. The traffic islands on Queens Blvd would be the bus stops. If this route was successful then you could eliminate the QM10 and QM12. No one would complain. It would also alleviate crowding on the and

Basically proposing a BRT line, which is a really good idea for the Q60.

[LRG 216]

Basically proposing a BRT line, which is a really good idea for the Q60.

 

I'm surprised Queens Boulevard wasn't considered for possible Select Bus Service conversion.

[w8Hou 64]

Basically proposing a BRT line, which is a really good idea for the Q60.

 

Terrible idea due to competition on the Subways, Q60 just needs short turns and fixed its schedules.

[Art Vandelay 783]

Some subsidy is sustainable. $75 per rider certainly is not. $10 per rider is not either. Such is why I proposed something around $10-15. That fare would be roughly in line with the subsidy your average local bus gets.

[B35 via Church 7,119]

If people hate express buses, let them... You let these anti express bus folk get to you.

 

know what's funny about this thread to me... I remember when you made a snide remark at me for riding the express bus as often as I did... and now you're on here stating your case about saving the things... Oh, the irony....

 

On with the rest of the post... I suppose.

 

I ride the express bus at least 3 times a week on my way home now... reason why I do is, not only for R & R (rest & relaxation), but quite frankly, the is getting more crowded @ the time I get out, and I don't feel like walking 1/4 mile everyday to get to the 6th av. lines - to end up on a jampacked or ( back to Brooklyn.... I am in no rush to get home... for crying out loud, it was one week (all 5 days of the work week) where I took the QM16 to Beach 147th, for the Q35, to the B44.... very much out the way for someone living in East Flatbush... People have called me "stupid" for "wasting my money like that" (not on here.. people I actually know in-person), and I tell them every time - worry about your own pockets....

 

Furthermore, it's not about me hating the subway b/c it's filthy & subpar w/ other systems around the world... it's not about me hating local bus routes b/c they make quote-unquote every stop.... and it's not me glorifying the express bus & suggesting that people abandon their commute & try one out for size...

 

 

The MTA is facing a major budget deficit. The agency has proposed cutting or truncating several routes in order to save money. Many people feel that the express bus should be eliminated since all express bus routes have a low farebox recovery. I think that express buses are unfairly being scapegoated. EVEN IF EVERY EXPRESS BUS ROUTE WAS ELIMINATED THERE WOULD ONLY BE A MARGINAL SAVINGS. I started this thread in order to explain why it is beneficial to have express buses. I will be respectful to everyone who participates in this thread (meaning I won't say "incorrect", "nope", or "wrong").

Yes express buses are beneficial... however, there aren't too many remote areas in the five boroughs... for the areas that aren't a hop, skip, and a jump to the subway (or, an area where it takes more than an hour to get to Manhattan via subway)... they are beneficial....

 

On the other hand, there are a number of exp. routes that can get "t3h boot" in order to trim the fat... and as much as I state which local routes should get canned on here, can't no one say I'm unfairly targeting express buses that should go.... Whether it be a marginal savings or not, it isn't a reason alone to keep wasteful services running.... if you wanna talk about specific (routes), I'd be more than willing.

 

Local buses are too slow. Most of them make every stop. The subway is too crowded. If the X90 was eliminated then riders would have to walk from York Avenue all the way to Lexington for an overcrowded . The express bus is faster and more convenient than the subway and local bus (with a few exceptions like the X29). This is a video I made last summer. It is so scenic and relaxing. You'll never see this on a local bus:

...or take a crosstown bus for the subways on the west side... Manhattan isn't exactly hard pressed on subway and local bus service.... it's routes like the x90 why your perennial express bus hater hates on the things as a whole as they do....

 

In conclusion, express bus riders aren't evil elitists. We're simply people who want to relax while we commute from point A to point B. I have an aunt who lives in Parkchester and works on 23rd street. She used to take the train but switched to the BxM6 after she hurt her knee in an accident and couldn't deal with the overcrowding on the . If you actually tried an express bus then you would see why it is so cool. I suggest that all of the express bus haters take a ride on the X42.

Yeah, riders of the x-bus aren't filthy rich & swimming in their own money.. it would appear that way since a lot of the riders are dressed up... then again, you judge a man by his character, not by what he's wearing... I am far from upper class, yet I choose to ride them, for fanning & non-fanning purposes.... As far as it being "cool", guess I can agree to that... But man, ease up on the subway & local bus hate (and express bus over glorifying), and you wont catch near as much flack as you do....

 

 

....and as far as the question in the thread title goes... I don't think of it like that.... local buses connect communities to the subway, and express buses connect communities to the two respective CBD's in Manhattan (lower manhattan & midtown manhattan)...

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

OK GOOD COMMENTS B35. Now await your ideas to streamline and cut the fat on unneeded express bus routes both Bus and NYCT.:tup:

 

If people hate express buses, let them... You let these anti express bus folk get to you.

 

know what's funny about this thread to me... I remember when you made a snide remark at me for riding the express bus as often as I did... and now you're on here stating your case about saving the things... Oh, the irony....

 

On with the rest of the post... I suppose.

 

I ride the express bus at least 3 times a week on my way home now... reason why I do is, not only for R & R (rest & relaxation), but quite frankly, the is getting more crowded @ the time I get out, and I don't feel like walking 1/4 mile everyday to get to the 6th av. lines - to end up on a jampacked or ( back to Brooklyn.... I am in no rush to get home... for crying out loud, it was one week (all 5 days of the work week) where I took the QM16 to Beach 147th, for the Q35, to the B44.... very much out the way for someone living in East Flatbush... People have called me "stupid" for "wasting my money like that" (not on here.. people I actually know in-person), and I tell them every time - worry about your own pockets....

 

Furthermore, it's not about me hating the subway b/c it's filthy & subpar w/ other systems around the world... it's not about me hating local bus routes b/c they make quote-unquote every stop.... and it's not me glorifying the express bus & suggesting that people abandon their commute & try one out for size...

 

 

 

Yes express buses are beneficial... however, there aren't too many remote areas in the five boroughs... for the areas that aren't a hop, skip, and a jump to the subway (or, an area where it takes more than an hour to get to Manhattan via subway)... they are beneficial....

 

On the other hand, there are a number of exp. routes that can get "t3h boot" in order to trim the fat... and as much as I state which local routes should get canned on here, can't no one say I'm unfairly targeting express buses that should go.... Whether it be a marginal savings or not, it isn't a reason alone to keep wasteful services running.... if you wanna talk about specific (routes), I'd be more than willing.

 

 

...or take a crosstown bus for the subways on the west side... Manhattan isn't exactly hard pressed on subway and local bus service.... it's routes like the x90 why your perennial express bus hater hates on the things as a whole as they do....

 

 

Yeah, riders of the x-bus aren't filthy rich & swimming in their own money.. it would appear that way since a lot of the riders are dressed up... then again, you judge a man by his character, not by what he's wearing... I am far from upper class, yet I choose to ride them, for fanning & non-fanning purposes.... As far as it being "cool", guess I can agree to that... But man, ease up on the subway & local bus hate (and express bus over glorifying), and you wont catch near as much flack as you do....

 

 

....and as far as the question in the thread title goes... I don't think of it like that.... local buses connect communities to the subway, and express buses connect communities to the two respective CBD's in Manhattan (lower manhattan & midtown manhattan)...

[LRG 216]

If people hate express buses, let them... You let these anti express bus folk get to you.

 

know what's funny about this thread to me... I remember when you made a snide remark at me for riding the express bus as often as I did... and now you're on here stating your case about saving the things... Oh, the irony....

 

On with the rest of the post... I suppose.

 

I ride the express bus at least 3 times a week on my way home now... reason why I do is, not only for R & R (rest & relaxation), but quite frankly, the is getting more crowded @ the time I get out, and I don't feel like walking 1/4 mile everyday to get to the 6th av. lines - to end up on a jampacked or ( back to Brooklyn.... I am in no rush to get home... for crying out loud, it was one week (all 5 days of the work week) where I took the QM16 to Beach 147th, for the Q35, to the B44.... very much out the way for someone living in East Flatbush... People have called me "stupid" for "wasting my money like that" (not on here.. people I actually know in-person), and I tell them every time - worry about your own pockets....

 

Furthermore, it's not about me hating the subway b/c it's filthy & subpar w/ other systems around the world... it's not about me hating local bus routes b/c they make quote-unquote every stop.... and it's not me glorifying the express bus & suggesting that people abandon their commute & try one out for size...

 

 

 

Yes express buses are beneficial... however, there aren't too many remote areas in the five boroughs... for the areas that aren't a hop, skip, and a jump to the subway (or, an area where it takes more than an hour to get to Manhattan via subway)... they are beneficial....

 

On the other hand, there are a number of exp. routes that can get "t3h boot" in order to trim the fat... and as much as I state which local routes should get canned on here, can't no one say I'm unfairly targeting express buses that should go.... Whether it be a marginal savings or not, it isn't a reason alone to keep wasteful services running.... if you wanna talk about specific (routes), I'd be more than willing.

 

 

...or take a crosstown bus for the subways on the west side... Manhattan isn't exactly hard pressed on subway and local bus service.... it's routes like the x90 why your perennial express bus hater hates on the things as a whole as they do....

 

 

Yeah, riders of the x-bus aren't filthy rich & swimming in their own money.. it would appear that way since a lot of the riders are dressed up... then again, you judge a man by his character, not by what he's wearing... I am far from upper class, yet I choose to ride them, for fanning & non-fanning purposes.... As far as it being "cool", guess I can agree to that... But man, ease up on the subway & local bus hate (and express bus over glorifying), and you wont catch near as much flack as you do....

 

 

....and as far as the question in the thread title goes... I don't think of it like that.... local buses connect communities to the subway, and express buses connect communities to the two respective CBD's in Manhattan (lower manhattan & midtown manhattan)...

 

Good post. It's getting to the point where I may have to take an express bus to or from school on certain days because I may start working soon and I may need to hop on an express bus to get myself to my jobsite in SoHo (if I do get the job).

[B35 via Church 7,119]

I think that the most sensible solution is to simply raise the fare to a sustainable level(something in the $10-15 range), and then cut service if ridership does not warrant it.

 

Sensible?

 

That's an underhanded way of phasing out exp. buses...

 

I was just saying that if they were to replace certain express bus routes with super-limited then those new routes should have suburban seating.

Makes sense....

 

also wanna bring up that, someone else mentioned in another thread on here that express routes w/ the more heavier ridership levels should resort to using artics w/ suburban seating.... I suppose the point is, it's not (or shouldn't have to be) set in stone that NYC solely uses the D4500's... Yeah, it's nice to ride on 'em, but none of our express buses are really "long distance" routes..... there are other avenues of cutting costs... that I'll agree with....

[LRG 216]

Sensible?

 

That's an underhanded way of phasing out exp. buses...

 

 

Makes sense....

 

also wanna bring up that, someone else mentioned in another thread on here that express routes w/ the more heavier ridership levels should resort to using artics w/ suburban seating.... I suppose the point is, it's not (or shouldn't have to be) set in stone that NYC solely uses the D4500's... Yeah, it's nice to ride on 'em, but none of our express buses are really "long distance" routes..... there are other avenues of cutting costs... that I'll agree with....

 

I believe I was the one who mentioned that some of the heavy-used express routes, like the X1 and the X10 in particular, should have artics during their rush hour runs. The MTA should largely consider this, as Bee Line used artics on the BxM4C on many occasions. You are absolutely right that they shouldn't be restricted to just MCI coach buses for their express runs. In addition, if the MTA used artics during rush hour runs on the express routes in Staten Island, the nine routes could be consolidated into about five routes because the bus would handle larger passenger loads.

[BusOperator3319 4]

 

That I have to agree with, though I've gotten occasional loudmouths & cell phone yappers once in a while.

Lets talk about the people who swear they pay $5.50 for 2 seats and get an attitude when you ask them nicely to excuse their belongings

[Cait Sith 6,653]

Lets talk about the people who swear they pay $5.50 for 2 seats and get an attitude when you ask them nicely to excuse their belongings

 

I've seen a few people (mostly on the x1) that does that, its a real annoyance. Fortunately for me, I sit way to the back.

[BusOperator3319 4]

No, those people who can afford taking x90, they can take subway or a taxi.

The X90 should stay until the Second Avenue is up and running merge the X25 with the X90 reviving the X92

X92 serves Grand Central right on Madison Avenue & 42nd right on Madison & 57th to regular route

[Grand Concourse 2,690]

KR, not to worry. No one is saying get rid of ALL the routes, but again for those that are empty, gut those routes. I'd much rather a lower use local line be kept around be kept over a low use express bus route [assuming both have the same amount of riders like 20 people].

 

So by that logic we should also raise local buses to their sustainable levels and have people pay $4 to ride.

Perhaps, but express buses are a one way trip that returns empty and do not drop riders off within the same borough, meaning you don't have different riders hopping on and off the bus. They are the same people for the whole trip to/from Manhattan.

Local buses makes back the money because not every rider will stay one for the entire trip and you will always have a continuous flow of people. And the bus returns in the opposite direction picking up riders and dropping them off. That's the difference between the local and express buses.

 

I was just saying that if they were to replace certain express bus routes with super-limited then those new routes should have suburban seating. Even if they were low floor buses with cushioned seating that would be acceptable. Imagine a Q60 super express. It would start at its normal Queens terminal. The next stop would be Sutphin/Archer. It would stop at Union Turnpike, Continental, Queens Center Mall, 46 Street/Sunnyside, 33rd Street, and Queens Plaza. It would follow the Q32's route in Manhattan. There would be a special lane on Queens Blvd just for this route. The traffic islands on Queens Blvd would be the bus stops. If this route was successful then you could eliminate the QM10 and QM12. No one would complain. It would also alleviate crowding on the E and F

I don't see the need to have specialized buses just to appease some riders. A bus is a bus. You can either take it or you can find something else like the LIRR. A hard seater is not the end of the world. I rode the B103 hybrid from Utica to Downtown Brooklyn and the ride was fine.

But since the ex-Green line buses serves that area, they do have O5s that do have soft seats, so you'd probably get those.

=

Leroy, I agree with you about taking artics for some crowded express bus lines. For those, I would also think should be converted with suburban seats as those would be used for express bus service.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Grand Concourse