Riders Question No. of M15 Bus Stops/The Bus Debates

[checkmatechamp13]

I've experimented w/the majority of the express bus routes on Staten Island to see how I fare timewise and I messed around w/the X17 on Saturday afternoons to the city for a good little while. I'd get car service to take me over to the very last stop before it hops on to the SIE and I'd be in the city in 15-20 minutes. The car ride was maybe 10 minutes or so, so it wasn't bad at all. I would actually like to see the X17 extended to run later on Saturdays and also have service on Sundays, but I'm sure that would take away from the X10s ridership. Tonite after I came back from Sheepshead Bay on the BM3 and made my stop at Whole Foods, I decided to take the X1 home instead my regular planned X10 to Slosson for car service set up just because the X1 was there on 14th and it was empty, so I knew it would be a quick ride. I called to have car service pick me up in advance as I normally do, but for the first time I had them pick me up along Hylan and Clove and we basically took the S53 route home. I boarded the X1 around 21:48 or so and was home in about 45-50 minutes, even with my 5 minute or so wait for car service after I got off of the X1. The cost in the price was an extra $3 w/tip, but well worth it, as I value my time. I actually hung out in a Chase ATM since it was so windy outside until my cab came, so it's a nice safe alternative when it's late out, as Slosson Ave can be rather dark where I normally get off at.

 

On another note, the BM3 usually saves me about 10 minutes or so over the train when I take it to and from Sheepshead Bay... I'm not sure what rules MTA Bus has in place, but the B/O will ask if we're heading Downtown or to Midtown and we usually get to bypass Downtown completely, so we don't stop going to Manhattan until 23rd st usually. Since I get off at Emmons near Sheepshead Bay Rd, I am usually the last passenger on the bus and sometimes the B/O will actually bypass stops to save me a few minutes, so it's almost like personal car service. :cool:.

 

Damn. If it took you 15-20 minutes to get to Downtown, that B/O must've floored it. It normally takes around 30 minutes when I take it.

 

But as far as Sunday service goes, I'm not too sure about it. I wonder how many Sunday X10 riders live along Richmond Avenue and either drive or take the S44/S59 over to Victory Blvd for the X10. On the South Shore, I can't picture it doing them as much good because many riders drive to the Eltingville Transit Center and take the X1, which is very frequent (I think it runs every 15-20 minutes on Sundays). By driving, they avoid looping around Drumgoogle Road and Arden Avenue, which adds some time to the trip.

 

Maybe what can be done is to add hourly X17 service from 7AM-7PM (Manhattan-bound), and 9AM-9PM (Staten Island-bound). Trips would end at the Eltingville Transit Center, but would be extended to Huguenot if there is proof that there is demand for it.

 

If I recall correctly, the X25 ran out of Ulmer Park when I used it and I believe that those buses actually did those runs before turning into X27s or X28s to pick up the evening rush back to Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst. They actually do store a lot of express buses in Manhattan over at MJQ, this way they avoid the congestion to get back to the city, but I still do see a lot of express buses on the SIE and coming through NJ to do the evening rush as well.

 

I doubt the cost was very high for the X25. The times that I used it I was surprised to see that there was a decent crowd taking it up to Grand Central where I'd get off at since I work nearby. The X90 ran a bit later, so that one is a bit more difficult and could cost a bit more.

 

 

The X25 actually was very expensive, according to the MTA. It got 20 riders per day at a cost of around $42 per rider. The X90 actually did receive higher ridership (620 passengers at a cost of around $9 per person), but the reason why people here are saying that it was a good idea to eliminate because there were many alternatives (Lexington Avenue Line, M15 +SBS+, or even going to the UWS and taking the subway from there)

 

But I still don't get how they arrived at those figures. True, the ridership was low, but the marginal cost of the extra stops can't be that high. :confused:

 

Then again, I calculated that for every hour that the S60 ran, it cost $70-$90. A B/O makes around $30/hr, so I can't see how the cost is that high. (I would assume the most expensive cost is labor)

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Damn. If it took you 15-20 minutes to get to Downtown, that B/O must've floored it. It normally takes around 30 minutes when I take it.

 

But as far as Sunday service goes, I'm not too sure about it. I wonder how many Sunday X10 riders live along Richmond Avenue and either drive or take the S44/S59 over to Victory Blvd for the X10. On the South Shore, I can't picture it doing them as much good because many riders drive to the Eltingville Transit Center and take the X1, which is very frequent (I think it runs every 15-20 minutes on Sundays). By driving, they avoid looping around Drumgoogle Road and Arden Avenue, which adds some time to the trip.

 

Maybe what can be done is to add hourly X17 service from 7AM-7PM (Manhattan-bound), and 9AM-9PM (Staten Island-bound). Trips would end at the Eltingville Transit Center, but would be extended to Huguenot if there is proof that there is demand for it.

 

 

 

 

The X25 actually was very expensive, according to the MTA. It got 20 riders per day at a cost of around $42 per rider. The X90 actually did receive higher ridership (620 passengers at a cost of around $9 per person), but the reason why people here are saying that it was a good idea to eliminate because there were many alternatives (Lexington Avenue Line, M15 +SBS+, or even going to the UWS and taking the subway from there)

 

But I still don't get how they arrived at those figures. True, the ridership was low, but the marginal cost of the extra stops can't be that high. :confused:

 

Then again, I calculated that for every hour that the S60 ran, it cost $70-$90. A B/O makes around $30/hr, so I can't see how the cost is that high. (I would assume the most expensive cost is labor)

 

I find that the best time to go to the city on Saturdays is around 16:00 or so. The traffic on the SIE and the Gowanus usually isn't that bad. Take my X1 ride tonite... Boarded at about 21:48. We were already on the Gowanus near Bay Ride by 21:11 or so, which is when I called to arrange car service. We reached Hylan Blvd and Clove around 21:21, so yeah they can make good time...

 

I'm also surprised at the cost for the X25... Seems wayyy too high to me... :eek:

 

On Sundays, the X10 picks up pretty well along Richmond Ave, but also along Victory Blvd too, so it's hard to tell how many of those folks are X17 riders. I found the X17 to be rather dead by around 16:00 or so going to the city on Saturdays. I think the X17 runs to take a load off of the X10 because the X17 does get good usage in the Saturday PM runs and AM runs from my personal experiences and observations.

[checkmatechamp13]

I find that the best time to go to the city on Saturdays is around 16:00 or so. The traffic on the SIE and the Gowanus usually isn't that bad. Take my X1 ride tonite... Boarded at about 21:48. We were already on the Gowanus near Bay Ride by 21:11 or so, which is when I called to arrange car service. We reached Hylan Blvd and Clove around 21:21, so yeah they can make good time...

 

I'm also surprised at the cost for the X25... Seems wayyy too high to me... :eek:

 

On Sundays, the X10 picks up pretty well along Richmond Ave, but also along Victory Blvd too, so it's hard to tell how many of those folks are X17 riders. I found the X17 to be rather dead by around 16:00 or so going to the city on Saturdays. I think the X17 runs to take a load off of the X10 because the X17 does get good usage in the Saturday PM runs and AM runs from my personal experiences and observations.

 

Where did you board the X1? If that 32 minute trip was from Lower Manhattan, that isn't too impressive. If it was from Midtown, that would be a different story.

 

The X10 is actually surprisingly cost-efficient. Back in 2009, it cost $5.36 per passenger, which means it made back roughly 74% of its operating costs, which is pretty good for an express bus.

 

As far as ridership on the X17 goes, from my experience (seeing buses along Richmond Avenue, and occasionally riding them), most of the ridership comes from about 7AM-11AM Manhattan-bound, and 2PM-7PM Staten Island-bound. The trips in the evening and midday don't get that many riders (maybe 10-15 riders at most, and I'm right by the last stop before it goes on the SIE, so that's as full as they're going to get)

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Where did you board the X1? If that 32 minute trip was from Lower Manhattan, that isn't too impressive. If it was from Midtown, that would be a different story.

 

The X10 is actually surprisingly cost-efficient. Back in 2009, it cost $5.36 per passenger, which means it made back roughly 74% of its operating costs, which is pretty good for an express bus.

 

As far as ridership on the X17 goes, from my experience (seeing buses along Richmond Avenue, and occasionally riding them), most of the ridership comes from about 7AM-11AM Manhattan-bound, and 2PM-7PM Staten Island-bound. The trips in the evening and midday don't get that many riders (maybe 10-15 riders at most, and I'm right by the last stop before it goes on the SIE, so that's as full as they're going to get)

 

 

I boarded it at Broadway and 13th... I think it's pretty good... Think about it... If I had to take the or train, it would take 15-20 minutes from Union Square to Bowling Green. Then from there if you boarded the express bus, you'd normally give the express bus about 15-20 minutes on the Gowanus and maybe another few minutes on the Verrazano...

[Q101viaSteinway]

By the way, now that I think about it, since there are a lot of express buses that deadhead back to Lower Manhattan anyway, how much would it cost to keep the X25 and X90 around? You can just have a couple of express buses that end in Midtown (like the X10 and X17) do a trip on the X25 or X90 before they deadhead back to Staten Island (a policy I disagree with in the first place. I think they should be stored in Manhattan during the middays)

 

If I recall correctly, the X25 ran out of Ulmer Park when I used it and I believe that those buses actually did those runs before turning into X27s or X28s to pick up the evening rush back to Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst. They actually do store a lot of express buses in Manhattan over at MJQ, this way they avoid the congestion to get back to the city, but I still do see a lot of express buses on the SIE and coming through NJ to do the evening rush as well.

 

I doubt the cost was very high for the X25. The times that I used it I was surprised to see that there was a decent crowd taking it up to Grand Central where I'd get off at since I work nearby. The X90 ran a bit later, so that one is a bit more difficult and could cost a bit more.

 

x25 was interline with x29

[Via Garibaldi 8]

If I recall correctly, the X25 ran out of Ulmer Park when I used it and I believe that those buses actually did those runs before turning into X27s or X28s to pick up the evening rush back to Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst. They actually do store a lot of express buses in Manhattan over at MJQ, this way they avoid the congestion to get back to the city, but I still do see a lot of express buses on the SIE and coming through NJ to do the evening rush as well.

 

I doubt the cost was very high for the X25. The times that I used it I was surprised to see that there was a decent crowd taking it up to Grand Central where I'd get off at since I work nearby. The X90 ran a bit later, so that one is a bit more difficult and could cost a bit more.

 

x25 was interline with x29

 

That's interesting... I would've thought some would've done the X37 or X38 seeing their frequency back then. :confused:

[Q101viaSteinway]

x25 was interline with x29

 

That's interesting... I would've thought some would've done the X37 or X38 seeing their frequency back then. :confused:

 

 

It was x29 and those runs park at Quill which defeat purpose of the x25 as it was for driver to get people on deadhead trip from Ulmer Park Depot