BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Brillant93]

7 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Exactly. Most of the people on this forum live near subways so they don't out up with what we have to deal with. It's rather ludicrous to have to go to a subway station to use the bus. Only in America...

I believe when they roll out the new tap cards people will be able to buy them in retail spaces like places where they sell gift cards. That would be helpful for those of us who live far from train stations but near big named pharmacies and supermarkets where those are a plenty. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

8 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

I believe when they roll out the new tap cards people will be able to buy them in retail spaces like places where they sell gift cards. That would be helpful for those of us who live far from train stations but near big named pharmacies and supermarkets where those are a plenty. 

The stores are ALWAYS out in my neighborhood. I don't even bother or if I do, I call them in advance since they take cash only. The profit margins are so razor thin that the stores don't want to bother or they only carry cards that sell out quickly. It amazes me how backwards the transportation system here is. You go to places in Europe that are much smaller than NYC and it is so easy to get what you need to board the bus or trains. There are stores everywhere that sell what is needed and I was far away from the train  there too. About a 15-20 minute walk... Bus tracking was going on in Bologna in the early 2000s, yet New York City was only able to get it up in 2012 and believe me the city has plenty of obstructions that make it difficult but they found a way to get it done. An extremely old city... Older than NYC for sure...

Edited August 21, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[MHV9218]

Just saw 0023 on the BxM18 this morning. Bus is getting to see a lot of the city!

[FLX9304]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I don't see the point of your response. He just made a general comment. He isn't the one using them. Most of the people that do are either elderly or disabled. They should cut back on them but still keep them until there is an online system or something where seniors and people who either don't live near a subway or can't get to one can still refill their Metrocards. QM1 and myself live in neighborhoods with no subways and it is a PITA because the stores are usually out and the nearest subway is quite a walk or a bus ride away and even then, often times the machines at those stations don't work, adding further insult to injury.

There is something called a convenience store for that. Even delis sell metrocards. 

[JeremiahC99]

5 minutes ago, FLX9304 said:

There is something called a convenience store for that. Even delis sell metrocards. 

Will Delia continue to sell MTA cards when they have the new fare-payment system implemented?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 minutes ago, FLX9304 said:

There is something called a convenience store for that. Even delis sell metrocards. 

You don't get it.  You read what you want to read. If they are out of the Metrocards, which is often the case, then that's it.  There is ONE store that sells them in the entire neighborhood where I live.  You likely live in an urban neighborhood which generally has more delis and convenience stores. For someone who is disabled or elderly or impaired the bus helps them.  The buses even exist on the Upper East Side where there is a subway because there are no escalators or elevators for those that can't take the stairs.  There is a world outside of your own...

Edited August 21, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[FLX9304]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You don't get it.  You read what you want to read. If they are out of the Metrocards, which is often the case, then that's it.  There is ONE store that sells them in the entire neighborhood where I live.  You likely live in an urban neighborhood which generally has more delis and convenience stores. For someone who is disabled or elderly or impaired the bus helps them.  The buses even exist on the Upper East Side where there is a subway because there are no escalators or elevators for those that can't take the stairs.  There is a world outside of your own...

Really? Is that what you think?e

[FLX9304]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You don't get it.  You read what you want to read. If they are out of the Metrocards, which is often the case, then that's it.  There is ONE store that sells them in the entire neighborhood where I live.  You likely live in an urban neighborhood which generally has more delis and convenience stores. For someone who is disabled or elderly or impaired the bus helps them.  The buses even exist on the Upper East Side where there is a subway because there are no escalators or elevators for those that can't take the stairs.  There is a world outside of your own...

Really? Is that what you think?e

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, FLX9304 said:

Really? Is that what you think?e

Obviously you aren't aware that all neighborhoods aren't like the one you envision with multiple convenience stores and delis selling Metrocards. It was the same thing on Staten Island.  There was one place near me and if they didn't have any, I had to go to another neighborhood to get one.  It isn't as easy as you think.  A lot of these merchants don't want to partake in the program anyway because of all of the red tape. It isn't worth it for them.

[FLX9304]

27 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Obviously you aren't aware that all neighborhoods aren't like the one you envision with multiple convenience stores and delis selling Metrocards. It was the same thing on Staten Island.  There was one place near me and if they didn't have any, I had to go to another neighborhood to get one.  It isn't as easy as you think.  A lot of these merchants don't want to partake in the program anyway because of all of the red tape. It isn't worth it for them.

Then you must come to mine to compare the difference. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

9 minutes ago, FLX9304 said:

Then you must come to mine to compare the difference. 

Consider yourself lucky. I usually have to get my Metrocards in Manhattan. I refilled this morning at Times Square in fact, otherwise I face a long 20 minute walk to 242nd and then I have to hope that one of the machines there works.  Usually there are always one or two that are broken.  I don't even bother with 238th because there's only one there and sometimes it is broken, which means I have to schlep up to 242nd anyway.

[Around the Horn]

The easiest way to fix this issue with the NFPS is to accept contactless credit cards and Apple Pay (and whatever Samsung's is called) on buses the way London does.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

12 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

The easiest way to fix this issue with the NFPS is to accept contactless credit cards and Apple Pay (and whatever Samsung's is called) on buses the way London does.

When I lived in Italy, even though I lived outside of the city center in Florence (there is no subway there), I never felt like I was far away from transportation.  There was good bus service everywhere except for the exclusive hilly areas if I didn't want to walk to or from the train station Downtown. Late nights we had buses that only ran overnight similar to what they do in France.  Buses were quite punctual and you could enter through any door, be it a regular bus or an artic and this was in the early 2000s. The  is so far behind.  

Edited August 21, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Keon Milton]

I'm just wondering...

As the New York bus network is being revamped, will the  keep or change the local route prefixes (B, Bx, M, Q, S) currently being used?

[QM1to6Ave]

22 hours ago, FLX9304 said:

Do you realize that people use other means of purchasing of Metrocards besides the mobile buses? Plus, they may be going “tapcards” in the coming years. Other cities have gone with “tapcards”. 

 

Why exactly are you responding to my accurate, informational post with this snarky, rude attitude? 

[NewFlyer 230]

4 hours ago, Keon Milton said:

I'm just wondering...

As the New York bus network is being revamped, will the  keep or change the local route prefixes (B, Bx, M, Q, S) currently being used?

Yeah it makes the most sense to keep the borough prefixes so that riders don’t get confused. 

[B35 via Church]

9 hours ago, Keon Milton said:

I'm just wondering...

As the New York bus network is being revamped, will the  keep or change the local route prefixes (B, Bx, M, Q, S) currently being used?

Underrated post.

I've thought about that myself...

4 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Yeah it makes the most sense to keep the borough prefixes so that riders don’t get confused. 

The tizzy that SI's express bus riders are in right now, is what they want....

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

The tizzy that SI's express bus riders are in right now, is what they want....

The decrease of the Staten Island express bus network is taking a toll already. New York State politics will always get in the way of great achievement. 

If the  really listens to its customers. Right now this network wouldn’t be in dissaray. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

58 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

The decrease of the Staten Island express bus network is taking a toll already. New York State politics will always get in the way of great achievement. 

If the  really listens to its customers. Right now this network wouldn’t be in dissaray. 

 

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Underrated post.

I've thought about that myself...

The tizzy that SI's express bus riders are in right now, is what they want....

It's really a mess.  People are quite angry.  Commutes are taking longer, long lines, longer walks.  All of this was predicted and 5th Avenue is already a mess as it is with the traffic and tourists. Just wait until school starts up. The only people who like this plan are people who lack common sense.

[Lil 57]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

 

It's really a mess.  People are quite angry.  Commutes are taking longer, long lines, longer walks.  All of this was predicted and 5th Avenue is already a mess as it is with the traffic and tourists. Just wait until school starts up. The only people who like this plan are people who lack common sense.

I can see a lot more cars on the road and a lot less ridership if they don't do anything to fix this.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, Lil 57 said:

I can see a lot more cars on the road and a lot less ridership if they don't do anything to fix this.

People are already talking about car pooling to Manhattan, and aside from that, the  seems hell bent on leaving the routes the way that they are, which is all Midtown buses running down 5th, no matter how much back up there is.  If this is improvement, God help me when they do the Riverdale express buses.

Edited August 22, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Lawrence St]

That new MCI we have, just saw it going north on the New York State Thruway (Central Park Av).

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

That new MCI we have, just saw it going north on the New York State Thruway (Central Park Av).

It’s currently working out of Yonkers Depot. 

[TheTransitKing]

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

That new MCI we have, just saw it going north on the New York State Thruway (Central Park Av).

I was hearing that 23 broke down last night. Someone got a pic of it sitting in Midtown between 2-8am with 4 ways on. 

[Lil 57]

5 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

People are already talking about car pooling to Manhattan, and aside from that, the  seems hell bent on leaving the routes the way that they are, which is all Midtown buses running down 5th, no matter how much back up there is.  If this is improvement, God help me when they do the Riverdale express buses.

The moved the SIM6, 10 and 31 stop to 41st from 43rd. (Old X1, 7, 9 stop) Lets see if that helps...