BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Is there a reason why Q52's are displaying the "B. 104 ST" sign? I understand that the B 54 ST sign is not available on all buses, but couldn't they at least keep the Arverne sign up?

Edited May 7, 2017 by BM5 via Woodhaven Bl

[B35 via Church]

Is there a reason why Q52's are displaying the "B. 104 ST" sign? I understand that the B 54 ST sign is not available on all buses, but couldn't they at least keep the Arverne sign up?

Maybe some b/o's don't know the code for the new sign? IDK....

But to have the school tripper signage (which is in the completely opposite direction of Arverne) up is beyond me.....

 

Are B82 Limited buses running today cuz I just saw one?

No clue... Didn't head in that direction at all today...

[S78 via Hylan]

Sure it is. That's why they were trying to force those other branches down riders' throats even though folks needed the X1. They added an X2 and not that many people would get on? Why? Because they neeeded the X1. Aside from that as much as they tried to curtail usage on the X1, they eventually had to expand service because that is still the line that people need.

Too add, even the X1 trips that start at 23 St get slammed which I made a post about it a few months ago. Edited May 7, 2017 by S78 via Hylan

[IAlam]

Asian girl just got on the Q44-SBS, didn't speak a word of english had earbuds on. The bus driver told her gotta get the receipt and she looked at him in confusion, proceeds to put the metrocard in the farebox. Then the bus driver repeats himself and she puts it in the farebox again. I'm done y'all[emoji23]

 

 

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Happens on the Q44 all the time some B/O's don't care others will give you a transfer and tell you to get a ticket outside. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Too add, even the X1 trips that start at 23 St get slammed which I made a post about it a few months ago.

The does NOT want to run service like it does on the X1, and his claim that they cut service for distribution purposes is purely BS. What express bus do you know of that runs every 4 minutes in some cases? There's only a few of them that come close.  The fact of the matter is MORE people need the X1 than the other branches so they don't have a choice but to run the service on the X1 despite them trying to curtail usage on the line.

[Future ENY OP]

Are B82 Limited buses running today cuz I just saw one?

 

 

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Very rare that you caught one today. Caught a similar situation like that earlier this year (January) bus was signed on for Spring Creek Towers (LIMITED) and this was also on a Sunday.

[S78 via Hylan]

Very rare that you caught one today. Caught a similar situation like that earlier this year (January) bus was signed on for Spring Creek Towers (LIMITED) and this was also on a Sunday.

I could be wrong, but maybe that operator might have been told to run limited or he or she was delayed.

[Future ENY OP]

I could be wrong, but maybe that operator might have been told to run limited or he or she was delayed.

 

Yes, that tends to happen at times. You may be right S78. Again, it's those an rare occurrence you will see the B82 run limited on a Sunday.

[FLX9304]

The does NOT want to run service like it does on the X1, and his claim that they cut service for distribution purposes is purely BS. What express bus do you know of that runs every 4 minutes in some cases? There's only a few of them that come close. The fact of the matter is MORE people need the X1 than the other branches so they don't have a choice but to run the service on the X1 despite them trying to curtail usage on the line.

Branches?

 

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

Branches?

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The X1 is the main branch. The X2-X9 are treated as branches of the X1, hence why they're all on one express bus schedule.

[FLX9304]

The X1 is the main branch. The X2-X9 are treated as branches of the X1, hence why they're all on one express bus schedule.

Here is what you don't know about the X1-9. The Hylan Blvd corridor is three old lines like I explained earlier if you wasn't paying attention. Never mind what they treat it in a booklet to save papers. The X1 is the old X13 West Midtown thru downtown route, in which you call the main route. X2/3/(9) are the old X9 main & branches X4/5/(sans X6) are X13 branches and X7/8 is X11 midtown & downtown with a minor change to the downtown route. The AM X8 (Dont get confused with the old downtown Bk to S) starts discharging at Trinity & Church Sts to Bowling Green. The PM starts its pickup from Pearl near the Brooklyn Bridge. X3/4 is far west Downtown at BPC while all others are midtown only express. No Hylan Blvd corridor uses the NJ Turnpike unless the boro lobbies one

 

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

Here is what you don't know about the X1-9. The Hylan Blvd corridor is three old lines like I explained earlier if you wasn't paying attention. Never mind what they treat it in a booklet to save papers. The X1 is the old X13 West Midtown thru downtown route, in which you call the main route. X2/3/(9) are the old X9 main & branches X4/5/(sans X6) are X13 branches and X7/8 is X11 midtown & downtown with a minor change to the downtown route. The AM X8 (Dont get confused with the old downtown Bk to S) starts discharging at Trinity & Church Sts to Bowling Green. The PM starts its pickup from Pearl near the Brooklyn Bridge. X3/4 is far west Downtown at BPC while all others are midtown only express. No Hylan Blvd corridor uses the NJ Turnpike unless the boro lobbies one

 

 

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And? Completely irrelevant to the conversation.  We're talking about now, not what it was before, and what you're talking about is a completely different matter.

[FLX9304]

And? Completely irrelevant to the conversation. We're talking about now, not what it was before, and what you're talking about is a completely different matter.

Learn your history before you talk. I'm done with you now. Next

 

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

Learn your history before you talk. I'm done with you now. Next

 

 

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Good to hear.... We all need lessons on these buses, including checkmatechamp since he brought it up, but nevertheless, neither of us know much.  We've only been riding the things for years now.

[IAlam]

 

Q70-SBS buses are detoured, due to traffic condition on the 94 St Bridge. 

 

Detour is as follows:

 

Woodside Bound: Via 102 St Bridge, right on 23 Av, left on 82 St, right on Astoria Blvd and regular route to the Brooklyn Queens Expy.

 

Allow additional travel time.

 

Good to see the MTA is finally taking the Q70 off of the GCP it's just a nightmare on most days. 

[B35 via Church]

No Hylan Blvd corridor uses the NJ Turnpike unless the boro lobbies one

No MTA one anyway... Atlantic Express' x24 had horrid usage along Hylan..... Now that Academy took it over, I can't fathom things being any better... Matter fact, the first day of the takeover, there were complaints of x23/24 service all over their FB page.....

[FLX9304]

No MTA one anyway... Atlantic Express' x24 had horrid usage along Hylan..... Now that Academy took it over, I can't fathom things being any better... Matter fact, the first day of the takeover, there were complaints of x23/24 service all over their FB page.....

I feel you on that one. And you're right. Academy needs to do a better job with the X23/24 since the takeover. There shouldn't be this much complaints from the islanders

 

 

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Edited May 8, 2017 by FLX9304

[checkmatechamp13]

Sure it is.  That's why they were trying to force those other branches down riders' throats even though folks needed the X1.  They added an X2 and not that many people would get on?  Why? Because they needed the X1. Aside from that as much as they tried to curtail usage on the X1, they eventually had to expand service because that is still the line that people need.

 

So it's a bad thing that they added a later bus on the X2 now? I guess you'd rather those people sit on the trip through Lower Manhattan, possibly having to transfer to the subway since the X2 serves East Midtown while the X1 serves West Midtown. 

 

Once any bus route runs below a certain frequency, they'll wait for buses to become (basically) completely full, before they add service. If that X2 trip prevented X1 trips around that time from becoming overcrowded (and allowed them to focus on Downtown & West Midtown passengers, while the X2 skimmed off the passengers who would've taken the X1 to the or otherwise used it to reach East Midtown) then it accomplished what was intended. Around that time (9AM coming up from New Dorp), X1 service used to run every 5 minutes, and now it runs every 8 minutes.

 

Yeah, they expanded the X1 on the weekends and overnight....when none of the other branches run. The only alternative would've been to run weekend service on one of the branches (maybe the X5 or possibly the X7)....but what would be the frequencies on that branch? One bus per hour? You might as well just add it to the X1 directly, since it's not as frequent as it is on the weekdays (so headways went from 15-20 minutes to 12-15 minutes on Saturdays, and 20-30 minutes down to an even 20 minutes on Sundays). And aside from that, they've added service to the X10 & X17 during that period, which do share some of the X1's ridership base (along Narrows Road for the X10 and at the ETC for the X17), so while it's definitely busy, it's not like the X1 is hogging all the ridership and service on Staten Island.

 

The does NOT want to run service like it does on the X1, and his claim that they cut service for distribution purposes is purely BS. What express bus do you know of that runs every 4 minutes in some cases? There's only a few of them that come close.  The fact of the matter is MORE people need the X1 than the other branches so they don't have a choice but to run the service on the X1 despite them trying to curtail usage on the line.

 

Funny we're talking about 4 minute headways....the X17J has those too (without counting the X17A, just the X17J by itself). Actually, for that matter, the X5 & X7 both have a period of 4 minute headways (meanwhile during that time period, the X1 is running every 8 minutes. Still frequent, but only half the frequency of those routes).

 

Here is what you don't know about the X1-9. The Hylan Blvd corridor is three old lines like I explained earlier if you wasn't paying attention. Never mind what they treat it in a booklet to save papers. The X1 is the old X13 West Midtown thru downtown route, in which you call the main route. X2/3/(9) are the old X9 main & branches X4/5/(sans X6) are X13 branches and X7/8 is X11 midtown & downtown with a minor change to the downtown route. The AM X8 (Dont get confused with the old downtown Bk to S) starts discharging at Trinity & Church Sts to Bowling Green. The PM starts its pickup from Pearl near the Brooklyn Bridge. X3/4 is far west Downtown at BPC while all others are midtown only express. No Hylan Blvd corridor uses the NJ Turnpike unless the boro lobbies one

 

You have it backwards. AM trips run up Battery Place and Water Street to end at Frankfort Street. PM buses start at Rector and run through the Downtown Loop.

[R32 3838]

Delete

Edited May 9, 2017 by R32 3671

[FLX9304]

So it's a bad thing that they added a later bus on the X2 now? I guess you'd rather those people sit on the trip through Lower Manhattan, possibly having to transfer to the subway since the X2 serves East Midtown while the X1 serves West Midtown.

 

Once any bus route runs below a certain frequency, they'll wait for buses to become (basically) completely full, before they add service. If that X2 trip prevented X1 trips around that time from becoming overcrowded (and allowed them to focus on Downtown & West Midtown passengers, while the X2 skimmed off the passengers who would've taken the X1 to the or otherwise used it to reach East Midtown) then it accomplished what was intended. Around that time (9AM coming up from New Dorp), X1 service used to run every 5 minutes, and now it runs every 8 minutes.

 

Yeah, they expanded the X1 on the weekends and overnight....when none of the other branches run. The only alternative would've been to run weekend service on one of the branches (maybe the X5 or possibly the X7)....but what would be the frequencies on that branch? One bus per hour? You might as well just add it to the X1 directly, since it's not as frequent as it is on the weekdays (so headways went from 15-20 minutes to 12-15 minutes on Saturdays, and 20-30 minutes down to an even 20 minutes on Sundays). And aside from that, they've added service to the X10 & X17 during that period, which do share some of the X1's ridership base (along Narrows Road for the X10 and at the ETC for the X17), so while it's definitely busy, it's not like the X1 is hogging all the ridership and service on Staten Island.

 

 

Funny we're talking about 4 minute headways....the X17J has those too (without counting the X17A, just the X17J by itself). Actually, for that matter, the X5 & X7 both have a period of 4 minute headways (meanwhile during that time period, the X1 is running every 8 minutes. Still frequent, but only half the frequency of those routes).

 

 

You have it backwards. AM trips run up Battery Place and Water Street to end at Frankfort Street. PM buses start at Rector and run through the Downtown Loop.

I would go with X7 since the X5 runs the same as the X1 in SI, minus Father Cap Blvd, since you do have two other routes serving the Midtown East mentioned by you. The X7 serves Nelson Ave and Giffords Lane before turning to Leverett and Armstrong before it hits Eltingville TC. Try Doing Saturday from 8:00A to 7:00P with 60 min headways first to see how many ride that. If it gets a good amount, then add limited Sunday service from 10A-6P. Expand the hours of service if needed

 

 

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[N6 Limited]

Good to see the MTA is finally taking the Q70 off of the GCP it's just a nightmare on most days. 

Why can't it be dynamic? There are no stops between the airport and 74th Street/Roosevelt Ave, why can't the B/O use the GCP when there is no traffic, and avoid it when there is traffic?

[Fresh Pond]

Why can't it be dynamic? There are no stops between the airport and 74th Street/Roosevelt Ave, why can't the B/O use the GCP when there is no traffic, and avoid it when there is traffic?

They almost always do that, even the M60 would. It depends on the day and how bad traffic is

[Via Garibaldi 8]

So it's a bad thing that they added a later bus on the X2 now? I guess you'd rather those people sit on the trip through Lower Manhattan, possibly having to transfer to the subway since the X2 serves East Midtown while the X1 serves West Midtown. 

It's bad to try to add service in a way to coach users to a route when they really want another one.  The is not stupid.  They pull the same stuff with the BxM1 and BxM2 as well.  I don't think it's a coincidence for example that the BxM2 also serves the Upper East Side, thus stealing BxM1 riders, because without the BxM2 making those stops, you would have even more BxM1 service as opposed to the BxM2, but the BxM2 has more capacity.  In this case I get that the X1 and X2 run to West and East Midtown respectively, but the question is where is what do passengers need more of?  They aren't going to add another X1 because they're already running them so close together during the time that that last X2 comes so that was a no brainer in an attempt to pull some of those X1 riders off.  

[S78 via Hylan]

They almost always do that, even the M60 would. It depends on the day and how bad traffic is

I wish my Q70 did that on Saturday morning when I came into LGA from Dallas.

[checkmatechamp13]

It's bad to try to add service in a way to coach users to a route when they really want another one.  The is not stupid.  They pull the same stuff with the BxM1 and BxM2 as well.  I don't think it's a coincidence for example that the BxM2 also serves the Upper East Side, thus stealing BxM1 riders, because without the BxM2 making those stops, you would have even more BxM1 service as opposed to the BxM2, but the BxM2 has more capacity.  In this case I get that the X1 and X2 run to West and East Midtown respectively, but the question is where is what do passengers need more of?  They aren't going to add another X1 because they're already running them so close together during the time that that last X2 comes so that was a no brainer in an attempt to pull some of those X1 riders off.  

 

The thing is that the X1 serves Downtown in addition to West Midtown.....and it's the only one to do so since the X3 & X4 stop running earlier than the other lines (I guess the X8 helps a little, but still). Around that timeframe, the X5 & X7 still run, and I guess the MTA figured they were helpful in skimming the Midtown riders off the X1 from points south of Midland, so they decided to try the same thing on the northern part of Hylan with the X2. 

 

I don't see any evidence that the MTA is doing anything more than dividing up the riders more efficiently. I worked at the Hylan Blvd overpass last year, and I don't recall seeing instances of X1s flagging people while X2s were empty during that timeframe. If I saw that happening, then I'd agree that they're trying to force the X2 down riders throats.