MTA: Long Island Bus faces deepest cuts

[DOB2RTO]

The problem is that the MTA is run by idiots and Nassau County is run by idiots. Both are run by people who are concerned more about the people at the top than the people who ride or drive the buses! Nassau is concerned with pleasing the people who jump in their brand new Mercedes every morning parked at their million dollar house... "If they can only afford to take the bus they will have to deal with waiting in the cold for an hour or hour and 15 for the bus" or "If we keep on cutting service maybe those who can only afford public transportation will take the hint, move to the city and out of "our" county."

 

The MTA and Long Island Bus are only concerned about those at the top... The MTA is only to ensure great salaries, benefits, and pensions to workers at the top not about providing the service possible to riders, right?

 

What's in bold, is why I believe LIB has its problems, and the reason Nassau doesn't want to put up a fair percentage for the service.........

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To all those in Staten Island feeling shafted by Long Island..

 

I live on the Island and am going back to school in Manhattan... I'd kill to ride a ferry for free from Nassau County into Manhattan!

 

Instead I have to pay a ridiculous amount to ride the LIRR...

 

Yea boo hoo the MTA is handing $40 million to LIB, but how much is Staten Island being handed in the terms of free ferry service (by whoever) that (conveniently) no one seems to be mentioning in the Staten Island pitty party!?!

 

 

And if the overpriced LIRR is too expensive then maybe you should move elsewhere. Our express buses are expensive too and no one has any sympathy for us. They just tell us that we should move elsewhere or that we have the free ferry or other options, so I give the same advice in return, so in sum cry me a river. :cry:

[B35 via Church]

I'll bite...

 

I gotta side with Burrstone here....

 

the majority of LI complainers (Nassau County, in this case) tend to put the blame where it lies when it comes to transit - the MTA itself, along w/ the county itself...

 

whereas, the majority of SI complainers OTOH, tend to resort to excuses (the outerboroughs get THIS much service, while we only get this much service)... you only get the select few that put the blame where it lies (the MTA), WITHOUT mentioning another outerborough, or some other region.....

[checkmatechamp13]

To all those in Staten Island feeling shafted by Long Island..

 

I live on the Island and am going back to school in Manhattan... I'd kill to ride a ferry for free from Nassau County into Manhattan!

 

Instead I have to pay a ridiculous amount to ride the LIRR...

 

Yea boo hoo the MTA is handing $40 million to LIB, but how much is Staten Island being handed in the terms of free ferry service (by whoever) that (conveniently) no one seems to be mentioning in the Staten Island pitty party!?!

 

To be fair (for now at least), you have the option of taking LI Bus and eventually getting to the subway, if you want to avoid the high LIRR fares.

 

I'll bite...

 

I gotta side with Burrstone here....

 

the majority of LI complainers (Nassau County, in this case) tend to put the blame where it lies when it comes to transit - the MTA itself, along w/ the county itself...

 

whereas, the majority of SI complainers OTOH, tend to resort to excuses (the outerboroughs get THIS much service, while we only get this much service)... you only get the select few that put the blame where it lies (the MTA), WITHOUT mentioning another outerborough, or some other region.....

 

True, but I only see one SI person really complaining about LI Bus stealing funds from the MTA.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To be fair (for now at least), you have the option of taking LI Bus and eventually getting to the subway, if you want to avoid the high LIRR fares.

 

 

 

True, but I only see one SI person really complaining about LI Bus stealing funds from the MTA.

 

He's talking about Staten Islanders in general, not just here on the forum. I'm fine w/that. I'll say it again. Whenever the other folks b*tch they get sympathy and we on Staten Island are just supposed to shut up and keep paying up while we get shafted, so yeah... boo hoo... Poor Long Island. :cry:

[Joel Up Front]

He's talking about Staten Islanders in general, not just here on the forum. I'm fine w/that. I'll say it again. Whenever the other folks b*tch they get sympathy and we on Staten Island are just supposed to shut up and keep paying up while we get shafted, so yeah... boo hoo... Poor Long Island. :cry:

 

So the riders of LIB that have been complaining about the situation have been getting sympathy? Last I checked, Mangano telling us to **** ourselves wasn't sympathy.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

So the riders of LIB that have been complaining about the situation have been getting sympathy? Last I checked, Mangano telling us to **** ourselves wasn't sympathy.

 

Sure... Maybe Mangano doesn't feel sorry, but I'm sure there plenty of sympathizers here on the forum and outside of the forum as well. It's usually always that way when it comes to Long Island, but not Staten Island though. Long Island complains and people have sympathy. Meanwhile Staten Island complains and we're whiners. Makes me wonder why that is... I think I know why but that's another topic...

[checkmatechamp13]

We've never had the type of cuts that LI Bus had. True, we've had a couple of lines eliminated, but for the most part, every neighborhood on SI has a somewhat frequent bus.

 

You're comparing apples to oranges. If (hypothetically) the MTA said that every line on the South Shore (the S55 and S56, as well as the S74/S84 and S78) has ridership that is too low to justify its existance, I'm sure members on these forums would be furious as well.

[JAzumah]

Sure... Maybe Mangano doesn't feel sorry, but I'm sure there plenty of sympathizers here on the forum and outside of the forum as well. It's usually always that way when it comes to Long Island, but not Staten Island though. Long Island complains and people have sympathy. Meanwhile Staten Island complains and we're whiners. Makes me wonder why that is... I think I know why but that's another topic...

 

If all the express buses dried up on Staten Island tomorrow, you would still be able to get to work eventually.

 

In this situation, losing half of Long Island's bus system could actually create a situation where people cannot get to work at all. Up to 35,000 of LIB's 100,000 daily passengers would have a serious problem.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

We've never had the type of cuts that LI Bus had. True, we've had a couple of lines eliminated, but for the most part, every neighborhood on SI has a somewhat frequent bus.

 

You're comparing apples to oranges. If (hypothetically) the MTA said that every line on the South Shore (the S55 and S56, as well as the S74/S84 and S78) has ridership that is too low to justify its existance, I'm sure members on these forums would be furious as well.

 

There is a big difference here... LIBus may lose its service because Nassau County doesn't want to pay up and considering what Nassau County should be paying that $40 million could help out substantially on Staten Island OR any of the other boroughs for that matter. Long Island only looks to NYC when it benefits them. Folks have talked about elitists, just go to Long Island and you'll see some snobs. The reason they get such "sympathy" is because they're considered to be well off out there for the most part and meanwhile we're just looked at as the borough "over there" with the garbage dump (which by the way is no more) so we don't need anything here. That's all it is period, plain and simple, so no I don't feel sorry for them at all.

 

I think your view of transportation services on Staten Island is a rather narrow one because you're not traveling off of the island much and not traveling yet to get to work or school off of the island. When you do however, I think your view may change a bit.

[checkmatechamp13]

Who looks at us as "the borough over there"? Most of the people on these forums have been very understanding of whatever transportation problems we have.

 

IMO, the fact that most of my travels are within Staten Island actually gives me a better perspective of what the local transit is like over here.

 

Also, getting off Staten Island actually isn't that hard if you are willing to spend the extra money on the express bus. The problem is getting to Brooklyn if you don't live near the S53/S93 or S79.

[Burrstone]

To be fair (for now at least), you have the option of taking LI Bus and eventually getting to the subway, if you want to avoid the high LIRR fares.

 

This is true I do have the luxury of taking a 3 hour, 2 bus, and 1 subway ride into Manhattan when I'm broke.

 

It's not free though it costs me a whopping $2.25 in the morning and $4.75 for the same trip in the opposite direction.

 

Daily cost: $7

 

Total trip time: 7+ hours (depending on how long it takes to wait for the buses in Jamaica and Freeport on the return trip)

 

Riding the N4: PRICELE$$!

[Burrstone]

And if the overpriced LIRR is too expensive then maybe you should move elsewhere. Our express buses are expensive too and no one has any sympathy for us. They just tell us that we should move elsewhere or that we have the free ferry or other options, so I give the same advice in return, so in sum cry me a river. :cry:

 

Relax... That was mostly tongue in cheek anyway... Tell me what I said isn't true though!

 

I'm also working on moving... Leaving a decent paying job to return to school isn't exactly an easy transition, much less moving into the city on the drop of a dime to ease my commuting costs.

 

As for me I'm staying with family at the moment to ease my financial burden. For me returning to school, quitting my job to do so, and then coming up with the cash to move into a new place in the same month (even a month or two after) isn't possible.

 

I know many "average" people who commute into the city for work daily taking the LIRR, taking the bus to the LIRR, and even taking LIB to the subway, do you think any of most of them are in the position to move into the City because the MTA has made the cost of taking the LIRR a sick joke or because their bus route to work has been cut?

[Q101viaSteinway]

Who looks at us as "the borough over there"? Most of the people on these forums have been very understanding of whatever transportation problems we have.

 

IMO, the fact that most of my travels are within Staten Island actually gives me a better perspective of what the local transit is like over here.

 

Also, getting off Staten Island actually isn't that hard if you are willing to spend the extra money on the express bus. The problem is getting to Brooklyn if you don't live near the S53/S93 or S79.

 

Other non transit buff look at Staten Island as lower than other parts of the city.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Relax... That was mostly tongue in cheek anyway... Tell me what I said isn't true though!

 

I'm also working on moving... Leaving a decent paying job to return to school isn't exactly an easy transition, much less moving into the city on the drop of a dime to ease my commuting costs.

 

As for me I'm staying with family at the moment to ease my financial burden. For me returning to school, quitting my job to do so, and then coming up with the cash to move into a new place in the same month (even a month or two after) isn't possible.

 

I know many "average" people who commute into the city for work daily taking the LIRR, taking the bus to the LIRR, and even taking LIB to the subway, do you think any of most of them are in the position to move into the City because the MTA has made the cost of taking the LIRR a sick joke or because their bus route to work has been cut?

 

That was just me being a smart @ss and repeating something that was said to me here when I complained about transportation on Staten Island. I just put it out there to see what you would say. Personally I don't think you should have to move. You should be able to stay on Long Island if you so choose to and get better transportation services.

 

My personal honest opinion is that overall the suburbs always get shafted. Just because someone chooses to live far out doesn't mean that they shouldn't have access to decent transportation options.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Who looks at us as "the borough over there"? Most of the people on these forums have been very understanding of whatever transportation problems we have.

 

IMO, the fact that most of my travels are within Staten Island actually gives me a better perspective of what the local transit is like over here.

 

Also, getting off Staten Island actually isn't that hard if you are willing to spend the extra money on the express bus. The problem is getting to Brooklyn if you don't live near the S53/S93 or S79.

 

I just had to put that out there because it's the truth. The general overall consensus is that Staten Island is an undesirable place to commute to and to live in. The other boroughs generally look down on us and that is why we are referred to as the forgotten borough. Long Island on the other hand is held w/much higher regards because the general consensus is that they're rich out there and so it's usually "Oh poor Long Island" when they lose a train or lose some sort of transportation and meanwhile we're at the bottom of the barrow. A lot of Long Islanders don't care for New Yorkers either in general. They think they're better for whatever reason (mainly because of their economic standing) and there is this sense of snobbery with some of them.

 

When you start working in the city and go into an office and you tell folks that you live in Staten Island, watch the remarks that you'll get. Folks that are ignorant will say "You live in Staten Island?" like it's a piece of sh*t or something. The ones who know about the low crime rates, decent schools, nice homes and nice middle class neighborhoods will comment about nice areas that they know.

 

That's just how it is and so that's why I get irritated when I see those posts about poor Long Island. We are both islands with suburban life styles yet it's like they're the only ones who are underserved transit wise. Meanwhile if we complain about our sh*tty transit we're looked upon as whiners and as being "lucky" for what we have.

[aemoreira81]

The N16's nearest stop to Mitchel Field depot is a good 5 minute walk away. Never mind the lack of crosswalks on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard.

 

The N27 serves Mitchel Field Depot directly.

[checkmatechamp13]

That was just me being a smart @ss and repeating something that was said to me here when I complained about transportation on Staten Island. I just put it out there to see what you would say. Personally I don't think you should have to move. You should be able to stay on Long Island if you so choose to and get better transportation services.

 

My personal honest opinion is that overall the suburbs always get shafted. Just because someone chooses to live far out doesn't mean that they shouldn't have access to decent transportation options.

 

The transportation agency shouldn't go broke trying to support the low ridership services that are commonplace in the suburbs.

 

I just had to put that out there because it's the truth. The general overall consensus is that Staten Island is an undesirable place to commute to and to live in. The other boroughs generally look down on us and that is why we are referred to as the forgotten borough. Long Island on the other hand is held w/much higher regards because the general consensus is that they're rich out there and so it's usually "Oh poor Long Island" when they lose a train or lose some sort of transportation and meanwhile we're at the bottom of the barrow. A lot of Long Islanders don't care for New Yorkers either in general. They think they're better for whatever reason (mainly because of their economic standing) and there is this sense of snobbery with some of them.

 

When you start working in the city and go into an office and you tell folks that you live in Staten Island, watch the remarks that you'll get. Folks that are ignorant will say "You live in Staten Island?" like it's a piece of sh*t or something. The ones who know about the low crime rates, decent schools, nice homes and nice middle class neighborhoods will comment about nice areas that they know.

 

That's just how it is and so that's why I get irritated when I see those posts about poor Long Island. We are both islands with suburban life styles yet it's like they're the only ones who are underserved transit wise. Meanwhile if we complain about our sh*tty transit we're looked upon as whiners and as being "lucky" for what we have.

 

People feel sympathy for Long Island because they are getting much worse cuts than we are. Even now, their local bus system is much more skelatal than ours is. Just look at their map:

 

http://http://mta.info/libus/mapnassaubus.pdf

 

You'll see that there are whole swaths of Long Island (especially further east) where local bus service is non-existant. Places like North Hills, Port Washington North, Lattingtown, and Old Westbury have absolutely no service, and most places in eastern Long Island have very infrequent service, with many parts lacking Sunday service.

 

And look at the headways on some of these routes. Half the routes have 60 minute service on middays. Some even have 60 minute headways during rush hour:

 

http://http://mta.info/libus/mapnassaubus2.pdf

 

The point is that they do indeed have worse service than we do. The reason why everybody is upset is because their system will be reduced to a few major routes, with the rest being eliminated or reduced to almost nothing, leaving even larger parts uncovered.

 

Like I said, if Staten Island were to get those types of cuts, people on these forums (and people overall) would be much more upset. We just aren't experiencing those types of cuts.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The transportation agency shouldn't go broke trying to support the low ridership services that are commonplace in the suburbs.

 

 

You equate better service with more buses??? It's not about that per se. It's about how to make more w/less and if you're running efficient services then there's more money to do more.

[Joel Up Front]

Just the borough alone has more service area than all of Nassau County. We'd kill to have <20 minute headways on even the less busy routes. Those hourly routes run through neighborhoods that already have plenty of money to go around and licenses as well..

[B35 via Church]

Who looks at us as "the borough over there"? Most of the people on these forums have been very understanding of whatever transportation problems we have.

The general NYC public that don't live in SI.

 

Staten Island is viewed as the 5th borough.....

Some, ignorantly, refuse to consider it as a part of NY....

 

 

Garibaldi isn't off base w/ that at all....

[B35 via Church]

You equate better service with more buses??? It's not about that per se. It's about how to make more w/less and if you're running efficient services then there's more money to do more.

 

Not sure what you're trying to say with this.... and I'm taking this for face value....

 

If I live in an area which only sees 2 BPH.... and by some miracle, all of a sudden, I now see 10 BPH, you better believe I'm constituting that to be better service !!!!

 

 

 

and how to make more with less... dude, LIB's been doing that for YEARS......

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not sure what you're trying to say with this.... and I'm taking this for face value....

 

If I live in an area which only sees 2 BPH.... and by some miracle, all of a sudden, I now see 10 BPH, you better believe I'm constituting that to be better service !!!!

 

 

 

and how to make more with less... dude, LIB's been doing that for YEARS......

 

He was talking about Staten Island I believe in how we have decent service and such and how we can't just blow money on transit services in the suburbs to give us equal service that urban parts receive and I was saying in reference to Staten Island that it's not all about adding services per se. In some cases it's more about being more efficient w/the services (i.e. making connections actually work between buses). That sort of thing would help tremendously on some routes. That's actually where A LOT of time is spent by Staten Islanders.

[checkmatechamp13]

You do have a point there. On Richmond Avenue, where the S44 and S59 run every 15 minutes, there should be a way to coordinate the schedules so that the combined headway is 7-8 minutes, rather than 13 minutes followed by a bus 2 minute later (which is often the case).

 

Since the S74/S76 meet the ferry, I would imagine they have the same problem. I don't know about how the S79 interacts with the S78 and S59 in terms of combined headways.

 

The problem with holding connections is that the driver doesn't know if anybody is transferring from that bus. For example, when I transfer from the S44/S89 to the S46/S96, I'm often the only one making that transfer, and the people I see getting off the S46/S96 at Walker Street/Morningstar Road are generally heading south, so an S89 to Bayonne would probably be wasting its time trying to hold the bus.

 

But that is the problem. That one person who might want to make that transfer could miss it because the bus driver doesn't want to risk holding the bus when nobody is there. It would be nice if there was some kind of communications system where bus drivers could ask each other if anybody needs their bus.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You do have a point there. On Richmond Avenue, where the S44 and S59 run every 15 minutes, there should be a way to coordinate the schedules so that the combined headway is 7-8 minutes, rather than 13 minutes followed by a bus 2 minute later (which is often the case).

 

Since the S74/S76 meet the ferry, I would imagine they have the same problem. I don't know about how the S79 interacts with the S78 and S59 in terms of combined headways.

 

The problem with holding connections is that the driver doesn't know if anybody is transferring from that bus. For example, when I transfer from the S44/S89 to the S46/S96, I'm often the only one making that transfer, and the people I see getting off the S46/S96 at Walker Street/Morningstar Road are generally heading south, so an S89 to Bayonne would probably be wasting its time trying to hold the bus.

 

But that is the problem. That one person who might want to make that transfer could miss it because the bus driver doesn't want to risk holding the bus when nobody is there. It would be nice if there was some kind of communications system where bus drivers could ask each other if anybody needs their bus.

 

If they had the express buses link up w/the local buses. I think the X1s and (S53)s link up because both run so frequently, but that's the only express bus local bus combo that seems to work pretty good.