BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[SubBus]

Rode some 🚌 to/from the Auto show this weekend. 

: 3071 and 3352

: 5520

: 9448

 

3071 was much cleaner than 3352. 

9448 was decent ride.  Only if 42nd St was not congested...🙄

Had to wave down the going to the city.  The driver on the assisted as well in getting the driver to stop.  No more than 4 passengers on both trips on the as we were the last pickup both directions...

 

[MHV9218]

At what point are we accepting that the XDE40 and LFS HEV order assignments in Manhattan have changed and this isn't just a temporary re-arrangement for training crews?

[QM1to6Ave]

On 4/24/2022 at 1:42 AM, Mtatransit said:

Looks like Queens Blvd will now get the Woodhaven Blvd treatment https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/04/22/wait-for-it-city-to-move-buses-to-dedicated-lane-on-queens-boulevard-eventually/

I wish they would just replace the stupid bike lanes with the bus-only lane.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

Casey Stengal XD60s now have passenger counters. You can see all the buses with their displayed passenger loads. 

[Railfanner Mario]

Starting May 1st the Q70 Will be Free Permanently to riders 

 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

16 minutes ago, Railfanner Mario said:

Starting May 1st the Q70 Will be Free Permanently to riders 

 

This is great! Now...they need to modify the interior of these buses. They are not airport shuttle friendly at all! The Q70 is not like the M60 where they use the fleet on other routes. This fleet is solely dedicated for airport shuttle transport. They need to make the back section above the steps all longitudinal seating like the Orion VII NG Hybrids. The rear low floor section should be fold-able longitudinal seating on the left side of the bus, and the area right in front of the door should be a luggage rack. Then, the seats over the middle wheel axle should be removed and replaced with two luggage racks (one on each side). The section in front of the middle axle should also be fold-able longitudinal seating (like on the right side of the 1200 LFSAs). If crowds get excessive you can always fold up the seats (similar to the train project with the folding seats).

[Lex]

3 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

This is great! Now...they need to modify the interior of these buses. They are not airport shuttle friendly at all! The Q70 is not like the M60 where they use the fleet on other routes. This fleet is solely dedicated for airport shuttle transport. They need to make the back section above the steps all longitudinal seating like the Orion VII NG Hybrids. The rear low floor section should be fold-able longitudinal seating on the left side of the bus, and the area right in front of the door should be a luggage rack. Then, the seats over the middle wheel axle should be removed and replaced with two luggage racks (one on each side). The section in front of the middle axle should also be fold-able longitudinal seating (like on the right side of the 1200 LFSAs). If crowds get excessive you can always fold up the seats (similar to the train project with the folding seats).

[citation needed]

[Calvin]

4 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

This is great! Now...they need to modify the interior of these buses. They are not airport shuttle friendly at all! The Q70 is not like the M60 where they use the fleet on other routes. This fleet is solely dedicated for airport shuttle transport. They need to make the back section above the steps all longitudinal seating like the Orion VII NG Hybrids. The rear low floor section should be fold-able longitudinal seating on the left side of the bus, and the area right in front of the door should be a luggage rack. Then, the seats over the middle wheel axle should be removed and replaced with two luggage racks (one on each side). The section in front of the middle axle should also be fold-able longitudinal seating (like on the right side of the 1200 LFSAs). If crowds get excessive you can always fold up the seats (similar to the train project with the folding seats).

 

1 hour ago, Lex said:

[citation needed]

To that bold part, the Q70 buses can be used on the Q53-SBS (very rarely) only if the Q53 pool has select XD-60s in need of maintenance that they don't have any more to cover service. Otherwise, they stick to the uniformed units to assigned routes. 

 

Video link is reference if this is what's being asked:

 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

20 minutes ago, Calvin said:

 

To that bold part, the Q70 buses can be used on the Q53-SBS (very rarely) only if the Q53 pool has select XD-60s in need of maintenance that they don't have any more to cover service. Otherwise, they stick to the uniformed units to assigned routes. 

 

Video link is reference if this is what's being asked:

 

I am aware, but like I said its not a mixed pool. Obviously emergencies happen. A modified interior will work perfectly fine for the Q53 if service ever needed to be covered.

[NewFlyer 230]

I just saw 7703 from Jamaica on the Q31. Most likely a loan since I heard some of CS’s buses are out of service.

[IAlam]

1 hour ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I just saw 7703 from Jamaica on the Q31. Most likely a loan since I heard some of CS’s buses are out of service.

Yeah I was wondering I'm seeing blue and gold 40ft and 60ft buses on CS routes are these all just temp loans or are they just getting these for a while?

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

2 minutes ago, IAlam said:

Yeah I was wondering I'm seeing blue and gold 40ft and 60ft buses on CS routes are these all just temp loans or are they just getting these for a while?

Temporary loans when some of the Stengel XD40's are held for repairs.

[B35 via Church]

Some notables/takeaways from a small fantrip I did earlier:

- Rode the same bus (#7127) on the same route {B12} going to LIRR ENY earlier this morning & coming back from LIRR ENY earlier this afternoon... As I'm typing this, that bus is still out there (on the B12)...

- The Q25 in College Point terminates along the park (along Poppenhusen av) instead of on 119th, after the turn off Poppenhusen... The latter should've never been the case to begin with.

- around 10am, the n1 left Green Acres jampacked... Still can't figure this one out, that early in the morning... Went inside the mall to use the bathroom, came back, and there was a slew of people waiting at the bus stop (figured most of these people wanted the Q5 or the Q85)... There were 2 MTA buses on layover (the Q85 I eventually took, and the Q5 I took to get there)... n1 came out of nowhere (lol)... All 3 buses departed within 2-3 mins of each other (Q5 & n1 left simultaneously... the Q85 I boarded, pulled up right after both those buses left)...

- Apparently, Q60 short turns layover along 94th av... This is news to me, especially now that I look at the current bustime rendering of the Q60... Those short turns did not always take Archer to 150th, down to 94th... They used to turn off Archer at 147th, to shoot back WB along Jamaica av... Interesting...

- Those Queens College shuttles (at least the 2 I saw) need to be re-wrapped... The cheese is as conspicuous as anything (obviously they use school buses, but good lord.... lol)....

[trainfan22]

Wow, I found this gem of a video on my youtube subscriptions... Orion V CNG at MTV! Triboro Coach Fishbowl at MTV! And all sorts of RTS's, video was an bus fantrip taken in 1999 with depot tours of MTV, Triboro Coach (Today's LGA) and Queens Surface (today's CP). Tour was done by an busfan group.

 

 

Its about an half hour long

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by trainfan22

[N6 Limited]

On 4/30/2022 at 5:35 PM, B35 via Church said:

- around 10am, the n1 left Green Acres jampacked... Still can't figure this one out, that early in the morning... Went inside the mall to use the bathroom, came back, and there was a slew of people waiting at the bus stop (figured most of these people wanted the Q5 or the Q85)... There were 2 MTA buses on layover (the Q85 I eventually took, and the Q5 I took to get there)... n1 came out of nowhere (lol)... All 3 buses departed within 2-3 mins of each other (Q5 & n1 left simultaneously... the Q85 I boarded, pulled up right after both those buses left)...

Could be because Walmart opens early. Was it the n1 to Elmont or Hewlett?

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, N6 Limited said:

Could be because Walmart opens early. Was it the n1 to Elmont or Hewlett?

Not sure what it was due to, but to answer your question, it was an n1 to Elmont.

[N6 Limited]

43 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Not sure what it was due to, but to answer your question, it was an n1 to Elmont.

Interesting, I wonder what the ridership pattern was for that trip. 

[2exuber8]

From the first time I laid my eyes on the Brooklyn Bus Map, I haven't seen the purpose of justifying the existence of the B39. Not a temporary shuttle, but an official, permanent bus route that duplicates the  line between just two consecutive stations doesn't make sense to me. If I'm in the vicinity of the Marcy Avenue Station seeking a destination in Manhattan why would I take the B39 if I'd still have to transfer to the  train at Essex Street anyway?

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

14 minutes ago, 2exuber8 said:

From the first time I laid my eyes on the Brooklyn Bus Map, I haven't seen the purpose of justifying the existence of the B39. Not a temporary shuttle, but an official, permanent bus route that duplicates the  line between just two consecutive stations doesn't make sense to me. If I'm in the vicinity of the Marcy Avenue Station seeking a destination in Manhattan why would I take the B39 if I'd still have to transfer to the  train at Essex Street anyway?

Its mostly there for accessibility purposes as Essex Street is not ADA accessible. It does get decent ridership outside of the disabled so I wouldn’t assume the feasibility of a route by just looking at a map.

[Lil 57]

7 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

Its mostly there for accessibility purposes as Essex Street is not ADA accessible. It does get decent ridership outside of the disabled so I wouldn’t assume the feasibility of a route by just looking at a map.

Agreed, one Essex Street becomes ADA accessible you can say goodbye to the B39.

[N6 Limited]

On 4/24/2022 at 1:42 AM, Mtatransit said:

Looks like Queens Blvd will now get the Woodhaven Blvd treatment https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/04/22/wait-for-it-city-to-move-buses-to-dedicated-lane-on-queens-boulevard-eventually/

Who shovels the island bus stops when it snows?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, N6 Limited said:

Who shovels the island bus stops when it snows?

The same agency that shovels the others. DSNY, with hired help.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, Lil 57 said:

Agreed, one Essex Street becomes ADA accessible you can say goodbye to the B39.

That bus is popular outside of the ADA situation, so I wouldn't be so sure that it would be gone. Plenty of bus lines provide service along subway lines. With the crime situation, many people are taking the bus and others with mobility issues.

[N6 Limited]

Out of curiosity do MTA fare boxes accept dollar coins? For those paying in cash, dollar coins would be more manageable.

Also, with the bus redesigns introducing new transfer opportunities, with OMNY, should the MTA 

• Add a 2nd free transfer?
• Unlimited timed transfers (within 2 hours, etc)?
• Charge $0.25 per transfer after the first free transfer?
• (other) _________________________?

 

[Lil 57]

12 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

Out of curiosity do MTA fare boxes accept dollar coins? For those paying in cash, dollar coins would be more manageable.

Also, with the bus redesigns introducing new transfer opportunities, with OMNY, should the MTA 

• Add a 2nd free transfer?
• Unlimited timed transfers (within 2 hours, etc)?
• Charge $0.25 per transfer after the first free transfer?
• (other) _________________________?

 

I think unlimited free transfers within a time frame (2-3 hours) would be the best option, it allows people who take trips with multiple transfers to use one fare and not have to pay double the fare to get to where they need to go. 

IIRC MUNI allows unlimited free transfers if you tap once between 8:30 PM and 5 AM so that is something the  could look into as well so that people taking longer trips at night don’t have to pay another fare because the card transfer window timed out, especially with the long headways at night.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Lil 57