BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Cait Sith]

3 minutes ago, mine248 said:

Does anyone know the code for the M55 and D to Grand/W4? I’m at the bus fest and there is a chance that 9500 that’s at the event might get the sigh scroll treatment.

Wrong place to ask.....

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

41 minutes ago, Cait Sith said:

I was out there last night while working, as I had to ride the M34 a couple of times to/from drop-off locations. It wasn't that bad tbh.

The bulk of the crowd did get off at 7th Avenue. 6th Avenue going East didn't look all that crowded. All of the artics were packed until 7th Avenue, which makes sense because the bulk of the Comic-Con ridership came from Penn Station itself. I saw some of those direct M34s from 12th to 7th and the ones signed up as Subway Shuttles. They were p a c k e d and you'd see most of the crowd spill into Penn Station.

I get why they did that, East Side definitely wasn't all that busy on the line. Normally, it's usually 4 buses on the M34+ at night, so it shouldn't be all that surprising at how the East Side was handled. Plus, there were loads of traffic on the East Side due to a portion of Lexington Avenue being closed off for some local event, and Con-Ed construction on Madison Avenue forcing traffic to go on 3rd Avenue.

I'd say they did a pretty good job handling the comic-con madness.

Yeah, but there were waits of 30 minutes+ on the regular M34/M34A. I almost missed an M34A last night around 9 PM. If I didn't catch that, the next bus was 35 minutes away, at 7th Avenue heading towards the East Side (technically, there was an M34A in front of it, but it takes longer to get to/from Waterside). I get that they need to provide extra service, but the regular M34/M34A shouldn't have to suffer as a result of that. People at other stops near the event (at 10th Avenue) were getting passed up by these buses as well. When I was there, a lot of people were just walking from the event to Penn, while there were the  shuttles and the M34s signed up as subway shuttles passing with ranging loads of empty to SRO. 

 

Right now it looks better, as some (but not all) of the extra buses are being sent to the East Side. That's how it should have been done, IMO, especially since the  is out, and anyone coming from parts of The Bronx and Queens would need to make additional transfers if they were to use those M34s to/from 7th.

Edited October 7, 2018 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Cait Sith]

12 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Yeah, but there were waits of 30 minutes+ on the regular M34/M34A. I almost missed an M34A last night around 9 PM. If I didn't catch that, the next bus was 35 minutes away, at 7th Avenue heading towards the East Side (technically, there was an M34A in front of it, but it takes longer to get to/from Waterside). I get that they need to provide extra service, but the regular M34/M34A shouldn't have to suffer as a result of that. People at other stops near the event (at 10th Avenue) were getting passed up by these buses as well. When I was there, a lot of people were just walking from the event to Penn, while there were the  shuttles and the M34s signed up as subway shuttles passing with ranging loads of empty to SRO. 

Traffic didn't ease up on both the East and West Side till 11pm. 3rd(police activity near 34th), Madison(con-ed work), 6th, 7th & 8th Avenues caused a pretty big bottleneck with traffic.

Hell, the only part of the line that didn't see much traffic is 1st & 2nd Avenues....and 23rd Street on the M34A.

M34 & M34A service goes close to 25 or so minute headways after 9pm on Saturdays too, and with the traffic that was all over the line from end to end, it was bound to get delayed regardless. Traffic always screws up the line at Comic-Con and the Auto Show, so the delays shouldn't even be that much of a surprise to anyone.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Cait Sith

[Orion6025]

SIM9 signs are up along West Street

[Yankees4life]

18 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

SAY WHAT

Nice indeed

 

Long live the RTS! 😎

[paulrivera]

Today's one of those non-holidays where buses (and only buses) are running a Sunday schedule. On a day where the stock market is OPEN, private schools are OPEN, and non-government offices are OPEN.

The  really expects people to stay home today even though Columbus Day hasn't been a relevant holiday in the last 10-15 years. What a load of crap.

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

2 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Today's one of those non-holidays where buses (and only buses) are running a Sunday schedule. On a day where the stock market is OPEN, private schools are OPEN, and non-government offices are OPEN.

The  really expects people to stay home today even though Columbus Day hasn't been a relevant holiday in the last 10-15 years. What a load of crap.

You sure about that? The weekday only routes are running and from the looks of BusTime, everything's running on a normal weekday schedule.

[Future ENY OP]

6 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Today's one of those non-holidays where buses (and only buses) are running a Sunday schedule. On a day where the stock market is OPEN, private schools are OPEN, and non-government offices are OPEN.

The  really expects people to stay home today even though Columbus Day hasn't been a relevant holiday in the last 10-15 years. What a load of crap.

Today's schedule is a reduced weekday schedule Citywide except Staten Island. As in Staten Island is a full blown weekday schedule.

In plain English: Today is a weekday schedule.

[paulrivera]

Potayto, pohtato 🤷‍♂️. The wait times still suck tho:

[Via Garibaldi 8]

11 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Potayto, pohtato 🤷‍♂️. The wait times still suck tho:

Our folks are tracking express buses today as well and will be taking trips.

[Lil 57]

Express buses have returned to the S89. 2882 is going southbound as of 10/8/2018 at 5:33 PM.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Lil 57 said:

Express buses have returned to the S89. 2882 is going southbound as of 10/8/2018 at 5:33 PM.

At least Staten Island has that luxury to have Express buses in local routes. 

[Orion6025]

Is there a definitive or complete chart anywhere with all the renumbered units and their original numbers (Aside from 100-103)? This is what I've been able to piece together thanks to posts on FB and misc posts on this board (From namely Calvin and MysteriousBtrain):

110 (OH): 5543

111 (OH): 5546

112 (OH): 5554

113 (OH): 5555

114 (OH): 5559

115 (GH): ????

116 (GH): 5533

117 (KB): 5534

118 (KB): ????

121 (KB): 5577

122 (KB): ????

For 127 (WF; 5535) 128 (WF; 5536), are they marked 127 and 128 on the bus itself?

[checkmatechamp13]

Hold on, the B6 doesn't use the bus-only (one-way) portion of Glenwood Road? That's so stupid.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Hold on, the B6 doesn't use the bus-only (one-way) portion of Glenwood Road? That's so stupid.

Unless Ulmer Park management has instructed drivers not to use the bus lane portion on Glenwood Road and continue turning left on East 103rd to Flatlands and loop around to the station. Since the bus lane has been installed I've only seen B82 drivers use the lane.

[Yankees4life]

3 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Hold on, the B6 doesn't use the bus-only (one-way) portion of Glenwood Road? That's so stupid.

The maps have them using the portion. I imagine they head into the station and drive out left to Rockaway Parkway?

 

 

[SevenEleven]

9 hours ago, Lil 57 said:

Express buses have returned to the S89. 2882 is going southbound as of 10/8/2018 at 5:33 PM.

2882 is restricted to the 89 now. No more express work. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 hours ago, SevenEleven said:

2882 is restricted to the 89 now. No more express work. 

Needs to be retired. That pending contract for new express buses is on our to-do list to speak about before the  Board. Those buses are 16 years old.

[RailRunRob]

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Needs to be retired. That pending contract for new express buses is on our to-do list to speak about before the  Board. Those buses are 16 years old.

I'll take that 16-year-old bus and raise you. We have some 20-year-old buses trotting around in these parts.😆

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, RailRunRob said:

I'll take that 16-year-old bus and raise you. We have some 20-year-old buses trotting around in these parts.😆

Express buses tend to put on more mileage, especially the ones on Staten Island, which is where these old ones are from.

[RailRunRob]

3 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Express buses tend to put on more mileage, especially the ones on Staten Island, which is where these old ones are from.

Indeed.. that's a valid point. I would think local buses would take more of a beating. Stop and go back and forth. These express buses are based on intercity designs should be able to handle even SI routes with ease no? Designed for that type of mileage.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

25 minutes ago, RailRunRob said:

Indeed.. that's a valid point. I would think local buses would take more of a beating. Stop and go back and forth. These express buses are based on intercity designs should be able to handle even SI routes with ease no? Designed for that type of mileage.

Should be but those buses are beat to hell. Shot shocks, sunken in seats, etc. Poor maintenance...

[RailRunRob]

8 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Should be but those buses are beat to hell. Shot shocks, sunken in seats, etc. Poor maintenance...

Guess NYC is the Ultimate obstacle course.

[Future ENY OP]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Needs to be retired. That pending contract for new express buses is on our to-do list to speak about before the  Board. Those buses are 16 years old.

I’ll do one better for you. We should of been ordering new buses at the same time NJT was ordering theirs.  Now we wait until 2020 at the earliest. SMDH. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

I’ll do one better for you. We should of been ordering new buses at the same time NJT was ordering theirs.  Now we wait until 2020 at the earliest. SMDH. 

Even if they select a vendor later this year at the earliest, we won't see those buses until maybe sometime in 2019 assuming there are no delays, so 2019-2020 and by then they'll be 18 years old.  They already can't make service on some lines as it is.  Last week, we had at least two break downs during rush hour with one SIM30 broken down on the side of the road going through NJ.  Of course there are no more fillers, so some people got on any express bus that would stop which obviously puts them out of the way.