BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Around the Horn]

3 hours ago, lara8710 said:

My proposal to give the B31 more transfer links and greater ridership potential: 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1LMtSOTPHC8DnktyG50CQNzyOCFKC3APV&ll=40.634020457663496%2C-74.00130783283231&z=13

 

Not a bad idea...

I'd just note that 65th Street between 4th and 7th Avenues has no sidewalks, so you might want to move the route over to 66th Street heading west and 67th Street heading east.

[Armandito]

1 hour ago, Around the Horn said:

Not a bad idea...

I'd just note that 65th Street between 4th and 7th Avenues has no sidewalks, so you might want to move the route over to 66th Street heading west and 67th Street heading east.

Would routing it via 60th Street between 4th and 7th Avenues be OK as well?

Edited March 13, 2018 by lara8710

[checkmatechamp13]

So I found this set of service guidelines: http://web.mta.info/mta/compliance/titlevi-subway-bus-service.html

I believe there was a PDF document that also covered these, but I don't recall anything regarding coverage. Here are their official coverage guidelines:

NYCT measures Service Availability by the distance that a person must travel to gain access to its (Bus stop or Subway station) services. The distance to transit service is measured by the distance from the geographic center of a given Census tract to the closest available service. NYCT aims to provide transit service within ¼ mile from the geographic center of a given Census tract (or Centroid). Factors governing bus stop placement include route spacing, land use, population density and the location of major traffic generators, and type of bus service (local, limited or express).

It has been noted that there was an exception for lower-density parts of the city, but on these guidelines (which they use to conduct Title VI Analysis), they make no mention of allowing longer distances in lower-density parts of the city, likely because these lower-density parts of the city are still higher-density than most neighborhoods in other cities. Yet I've seen it mentioned often that the guideline was extended to 1/2 mile in lower-density areas (without any threshold for what "lower-density" means).

[mine248]

Any snow loans today?

[BreeddekalbL]

@EastFlatbushLarry

What are the runs that the senior drivers scoop up at flatbush and are the local 41 44 and 46 runs any good pay wise etc?

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, mine248 said:

Any snow loans today?

....negative.  It's wet snow outside and it's less than 3 inches. 

[FLX9304]

Let's just say that both the Nycta & BC merge. And they start reorganization of the bus routes, eliminating the borough prefixes, and just do the number series:

1-299 to Manhattan

300-399 Bronx

400-499 Brooklyn

500-549 Staten Island

550-699 Queens

700-749 Special 

750-899 Express

900-979 subway/commuter shuttles 

[Brillant93]

12 minutes ago, FLX9304 said:

Let's just say that both the Nycta & BC merge. And they start reorganization of the bus routes, eliminating the borough prefixes, and just do the number series:

1-299 to Manhattan

300-399 Bronx

400-499 Brooklyn

500-549 Staten Island

550-699 Queens

700-749 Special 

750-899 Express

900-979 subway/commuter shuttles 

That would be confusing to me. I don’t think they’ll ever do away with prefixes. Nyc is sort of good with organizing route labels. Especially the subways. 

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, FLX9304 said:

Let's just say that both the Nycta & BC merge. And they start reorganization of the bus routes, eliminating the borough prefixes, and just do the number series:

1-299 to Manhattan

300-399 Bronx

400-499 Brooklyn

500-549 Staten Island

550-699 Queens

700-749 Special 

750-899 Express

900-979 subway/commuter shuttles 

In this case. I could kinda see this working. However, the borough prefixes do work slightly better. It's all about re-arraignment of ALL routes and not leaving any blocks. Stop using A, B, C, D combinations. Especially in Manhattan, and Queens. 

[7-express]

Does anyone know what time of year picks take effect for MTAB?  I just wanted to know when I can expect my normal bus driver to change.  It last happened around the first week of January and I have a feeling the next one is coming soon.

[Dannny]

Proterra 0012 on the M50. First time I've seen it, not on the M42. Best pictures I could get of it was from across the street.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Dannny

[RTSTdrive]

19 minutes ago, Dannny said:

Proterra 0012 on the M50. First time I've seen it, not on the M42. Best pictures I could get of it was from across the street.

...That's an XE40

[Dannny]

25 minutes ago, RTSTdrive said:

...That's an XE40

^right, my bad

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Recently as I was passing by on the BxM2 along Columbus Avenue, I noticed that the bus shelter at Columbus and West 69th Street has a slight change. It appears as if the standard "bench" has been replaced by a HUGE colorful couch. At first I thought maybe it was garbage because I've never seen such a thing at any bus shelter, but a few days later it still remains.  As I imagined when I first saw the thing, this morning a homeless guy was camped up there just smiling as happy as can be with his personal belongings.  The couch is big enough to actually lay on and take a nap.  I'm just rather perplexed as to who put it there and why.  If it's still around on the weekend, I'm going to have a closer look since I'm in that area regularly.  

[Q64 To Forest Hills]

38 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Recently as I was passing by on the BxM2 along Columbus Avenue, I noticed that the bus shelter at Columbus and West 69th Street has a slight change. It appears as if the standard "bench" has been replaced by a HUGE colorful couch. At first I thought maybe it was garbage because I've never seen such a thing at any bus shelter, but a few days later it still remains.  As I imagined when I first saw the thing, this morning a homeless guy was camped up there just smiling as happy as can be with his personal belongings.  The couch is big enough to actually lay on and take a nap.  I'm just rather perplexed as to who put it there and why.  If it's still around on the weekend, I'm going to have a closer look since I'm in that area regularly.  

It’s a promotion for the TV show Roseanne

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, Q64 To Forest Hills said:

It’s a promotion for the TV show Roseanne

 

Is it a real couch though (it looks fake in the picture) and how long is it going to be there? The homeless are going to have a feast. 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[bobtehpanda]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Is it a real couch though (it looks fake in the picture) and how long is it going to be there? The homeless are going to have a feast. 

Imagine the bedbugs.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, bobtehpanda said:

Imagine the bedbugs.

I don't even want to.  As I said, that homeless I guy I saw this morning was grinning like he was in paradise on that couch. 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

On 3/13/2018 at 1:27 PM, FLX9304 said:

Let's just say that both the Nycta & BC merge. And they start reorganization of the bus routes, eliminating the borough prefixes, and just do the number series:

1-299 to Manhattan

300-399 Bronx

400-499 Brooklyn

500-549 Staten Island

550-699 Queens

700-749 Special 

750-899 Express

900-979 subway/commuter shuttles 

Similar to the line  designations in NJ Transit & CT Transit... Interesting. I've honestly thought transit would go this route, but I've also believed that they simply refuse to due to transit being a reactionary organization, as opposed to proactive. 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

20 hours ago, 7-express said:

Does anyone know what time of year picks take effect for MTAB?  I just wanted to know when I can expect my normal bus driver to change.  It last happened around the first week of January and I have a feeling the next one is coming soon.

NYCTA/MaBSTOA/Bus Company picks are the same. The system/General aka Winter pick starts in January, Spring pick starts in April, Summer pick starts in July & the school pick aka Fall pick starts in September (usually after labor day) some depots (Flatbush being one of them) still pick for certain holidays (x-mas, new years, Thanksgiving, etc) so your regular b/o would change on those days as well. 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

On 3/13/2018 at 6:07 AM, BreeddekalbL said:

@EastFlatbushLarry

What are the runs that the senior drivers scoop up at flatbush and are the local 41 44 and 46 runs any good pay wise etc?

I don't currently work out of FB, last year i was in East NY and the year prior, 100 street (last time I'm doing that) i do have an uncle that works out of FB, but he's out in comp.. He currently has 13 years on the job and he would know best what's what. When i worked there, the first line grabbed up by senior men/women were the 2/31 & 49, hands down. Seeing as the system changed, from having big money runs & the Saturday/Sunday RDO's being committed to hawk runs or early runs, now the big money runs with the S/S RDO's are late, pm runs on certain lines, with a clear time after 9pm. For example, what i do know for a fact about the current B46SBS, is that in order to get some Sat/Sun runs, you better be prepared to be in & around FB for a 15 hour work day with a 9 hour run pay... and you WILL work BOTH rush hours on that 46SBS. that's a fact. A potential double or triple swing also. I also know that the B41 & 46 local are rest havens for probie operators, seeing as not too many operators in their right minds would pick those lines for the run pay & RDO's offered for the headache of dealing with the 41 issues and possibly running to the bridge all day on the 46. If a senior operator is on either line, trust they picked for money or RDO's... Not both.

[Orion6025]

On 3/13/2018 at 1:27 PM, FLX9304 said:

Let's just say that both the Nycta & BC merge. And they start reorganization of the bus routes, eliminating the borough prefixes, and just do the number series:

1-299 to Manhattan

300-399 Bronx

400-499 Brooklyn

500-549 Staten Island

550-699 Queens

700-749 Special 

750-899 Express

900-979 subway/commuter shuttles 

The way I see it, it's so much easier to have the borough prefix before the route instead of having millions of people re-learning the bus system. I mean like it literally cannot be more simple: Manhattan-1, Bronx-36, Brooklyn-Manhattan-5. If it ain't broke don't fix it...

[trainfan22]

4 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

I don't currently work out of FB, last year i was in East NY and the year prior, 100 street (last time I'm doing that) i do have an uncle that works out of FB, but he's out in comp.. He currently has 13 years on the job and he would know best what's what. When i worked there, the first line grabbed up by senior men/women were the 2/31 & 49, hands down. Seeing as the system changed, from having big money runs & the Saturday/Sunday RDO's being committed to hawk runs or early runs, now the big money runs with the S/S RDO's are late, pm runs on certain lines, with a clear time after 9pm. For example, what i do know for a fact about the current B46SBS, is that in order to get some Sat/Sun runs, you better be prepared to be in & around FB for a 15 hour work day with a 9 hour run pay... and you WILL work BOTH rush hours on that 46SBS. that's a fact. A potential double or triple swing also. I also know that the B41 & 46 local are rest havens for probie operators, seeing as not too many operators in their right minds would pick those lines for the run pay & RDO's offered for the headache of dealing with the 41 issues and possibly running to the bridge all day on the 46. If a senior operator is on either line, trust they picked for money or RDO's... Not both.

Cool to hear the inner workings of Flatbush. Flatbush is my favorite depot in the system, I miss riding their lines regularly.  In HS I would take the long way home with the  to the B2 to the B41 home, on Fridays take either the 41 or 103 home from downtown BK. I didn't know the B49 was high seniority, I always saw old men driving the B2 or B31, so I figured they was high seniority.

Edited March 16, 2018 by trainfan22

[BreeddekalbL]

On 3/15/2018 at 4:34 PM, EastFlatbushLarry said:

I don't currently work out of FB, last year i was in East NY and the year prior, 100 street (last time I'm doing that) i do have an uncle that works out of FB, but he's out in comp.. He currently has 13 years on the job and he would know best what's what. When i worked there, the first line grabbed up by senior men/women were the 2/31 & 49, hands down. Seeing as the system changed, from having big money runs & the Saturday/Sunday RDO's being committed to hawk runs or early runs, now the big money runs with the S/S RDO's are late, pm runs on certain lines, with a clear time after 9pm. For example, what i do know for a fact about the current B46SBS, is that in order to get some Sat/Sun runs, you better be prepared to be in & around FB for a 15 hour work day with a 9 hour run pay... and you WILL work BOTH rush hours on that 46SBS. that's a fact. A potential double or triple swing also. I also know that the B41 & 46 local are rest havens for probie operators, seeing as not too many operators in their right minds would pick those lines for the run pay & RDO's offered for the headache of dealing with the 41 issues and possibly running to the bridge all day on the 46. If a senior operator is on either line, trust they picked for money or RDO's... Not both.

 

Im suprised to hear the 49 is a senior route also

I take that the 44 sbs is a senior route or no because of runs to the bridge, and are regular 44 runs for the younger operators?

What are the 41 issues?

 

Did you ever do the b25 at eny is that a good run

 

I take it that you did not like 100th street? 

Edited March 17, 2018 by BreeddekalbL

[EastFlatbushLarry]

1 hour ago, BreeddekalbL said:

 

Im suprised to hear the 49 is a senior route also

I take that the 44 sbs is a senior route or no because of runs to the bridge, and are regular 44 runs for the younger operators?

What are the 41 issues?

 

Did you ever do the b25 at eny is that a good run

 

I take it that you did not like 100th street? 

I only did the 25 in line training and on the x (extra list) personally, i hate the 25 with a passion (and I've never been a fan of the 12 either) When I worked east ny, if i could, i picked the B82 (straight or B42 interlined runs, the 17 (straight if possible) or the B15 (straight runs only, no interlines) the b41... Everyone knows the issue with the 41: getting in & out of downtown Brooklyn because of Barclay's center, regardless if an event is being held or not. That creates majority of the issues for the 41. As far as I know, both sides of the 44 are a mix. Alot more senior ops are picking the SBS44 now because of the RDO's and a lack of having to interact with customers due to all door boarding. You can only pick the 49 if you have seniority. There are several RDO's on that run board that appeal to senior ops. The last run out of FB is on the 49, a 7pm report time, and last i checked, one of the top men in the system loved that run because of the RDO's (Fri/Sat IINM) i only worked 100 Street for the RDO's on the 86SBS while I was living in Pennsylvania. That aside i picked out because 100 street is too much like high school.. Alot of drama & gossiping in that depot... Who's sleeping with who... Blah blah blah. Plus, my ex wife works there. That was enough drama in itself.