BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[IAlam]

3 hours ago, Lex said:

In general, the express buses have the unfortunate image of being for those with money, which is not helped by the neighborhoods they typically run in or the much higher fare needed (to say nothing of the fleet).

 

1 hour ago, paulrivera said:

I think of it as an UberPool on steroids. Cheaper than one too.

Those MCI's and Prevosts do scream "elite transportation" tho, I'm not gonna lie.

One of the biggest problems with the whole concept of express buses nowadays is the facts it's outdated. It's out of reach, routes are out of date, journey times are in a lot of cases are barley comparable to the subway and local bus. Even in cases where it would make sense to use an express bus I can usually get to my destination faster using the subway and local bus combination.  Also the reason they existed in the first place was to bridge the 2 fare zone that no longer exist for most journeys made.

In fact most of the times I use express buses is if I'm making an extremely long journey where I'd have to transfer to another express bus. Usually these are also still cases where I have to deal with the 2 fare zone either due to the time constraints or needing an extra transfer if I use the current subway/bus system.

[Around the Horn]

1 hour ago, paulrivera said:

I think of it as an UberPool on steroids. Cheaper than one too.

Those MCI's and Prevosts do scream "elite transportation" tho, I'm not gonna lie.

That's the role I'd like them to take but the problem is they focus too much on peak rush hour typical 9-5 commuters, which leads me to my next point...

21 minutes ago, IAlam said:

One of the biggest problems with the whole concept of express buses nowadays is the facts it's outdated. It's out of reach, routes are out of date, journey times are in a lot of cases are barley comparable to the subway and local bus.

I would like to see an effort to create a proper express bus network that not only helps outer borough commuters during rush hour but is also an option for people who work odd hours or commute during the shoulder periods or are using the express bus for leisure during off peak periods (nights and weekends). I'd like to see a proper off peak express bus network with more coverage.

Now I'm not asking for every route to run off peak but I think it was ridiculous that you only had the X1, X10 and X17 on weekends in Staten Island, its ridiculous that the BMs don't run on Sundays and I think the MTA dropped the ball hard with the SIM redesign when they had a chance to design an off peak SI network from scratch.

[Lil 57]

9 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

Now I'm not asking for every route to run off peak but I think it was ridiculous that you only had the X1, X10 and X17 on weekends in Staten Island, its ridiculous that the BMs don't run on Sundays and I think the MTA dropped the ball hard with the SIM redesign when they had a chance to design an off peak SI network from scratch.

Talking about the SIMs, I wouldn't be surprised if the SIM3C were cut to hourly off-peak because ever since they introduced rhe SIM33C and made them depart at the same time, the bus that gets to Richmond Ave/Narrows Road first gets a good load while the second bus carries 10-15 passengers (maybe less) out of the island. Maybe cut the SIM3C to hourly off-peak and use those resources to reintroduce hourly SIM2 service off-peak?

[Missabassie]

On 8/9/2019 at 3:13 PM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I've said from the jump all buses should have wide inward opening doors. That's the most streamlined look as well as the best for SBS boarding. 

I've been saying this as well..... What the hell do they care, we're just riders-oops, I mean customers.

[Missabassie]

On 8/6/2019 at 6:18 PM, WorkerX said:

Last few times out I've seen uptown M2 buses signed up as saying M2 Limited / M2 Worth St via 5th / Bway

I'd be fine with that.

[paulrivera]

On 8/9/2019 at 3:13 PM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I've said from the jump all buses should have wide inward opening doors. That's the most streamlined look as well as the best for SBS boarding. 

Inward doors in their present form at NYCT don't work when the buses are packed to the gills. Maybe wider doors like Bee-Line's Xcelsiors could work, but the doors on the LFSAs at MaBSTOA don't cut the mustard.

[Cait Sith]

3 hours ago, paulrivera said:

Inward doors in their present form at NYCT don't work when the buses are packed to the gills. Maybe wider doors like Bee-Line's Xcelsiors could work, but the doors on the LFSAs at MaBSTOA don't cut the mustard.

Which is why plug style doors work the best for our city.

And if the spec sheet doesn't change, the new XDE40s will be the first with plug style doors.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

7 hours ago, paulrivera said:

Inward doors in their present form at NYCT don't work when the buses are packed to the gills. Maybe wider doors like Bee-Line's Xcelsiors could work, but the doors on the LFSAs at MaBSTOA don't cut the mustard.

Yeah the narrow inward opening ones we have now are horrible, but the wide ones like on NICE and Bee-Line are very spacious but of course people complain about a seat or two that would have to be removed. 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

4 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Which is why plug style doors work the best for our city.

And if the spec sheet doesn't change, the new XDE40s will be the first with plug style doors.

They need to modify all new scheme artics to plug style as part of an SBS program. 

 

[B35 via Church]

On 8/10/2019 at 12:24 AM, Around the Horn said:

That's the role I'd like them to take but the problem is they focus too much on peak rush hour typical 9-5 commuters, which leads me to my next point...

I would like to see an effort to create a proper express bus network that not only helps outer borough commuters during rush hour but is also an option for people who work odd hours or commute during the shoulder periods or are using the express bus for leisure during off peak periods (nights and weekends). I'd like to see a proper off peak express bus network with more coverage.

Now I'm not asking for every route to run off peak but I think it was ridiculous that you only had the X1, X10 and X17 on weekends in Staten Island, its ridiculous that the BMs don't run on Sundays and I think the MTA dropped the ball hard with the SIM redesign when they had a chance to design an off peak SI network from scratch.

I don't mind the concept of peak direction express service.... The problem I more have with express buses in this city is that they have zero cohesion with local buses... There's too much of a gap between the way our express buses are utilized & the way our local buses are utilized....

I'm not sure if we're making parallel points or completely different ones, but regardless, I'll just flat out state mine - Traffic notwithstanding, NYC could stand to use more commuter locals (The S89 & B103 aren't nearly enough).... In conjunction with that, we could also stand to use more interborough local routes that cross bridges/tunnels, instead of landlocked boundaries....

Edited August 11, 2019 by B35 via Church

[MHV9218]

New Oatly ad campaign on the rear of Manhattan buses. Pretty funny if you ask me, though I'd bet there's some law they're breaking...absolutely tiny text that says something like "If you can read this Oatmilk ad, you must really care about oatmilk ads." It's inscrutable from more than 15 feet away, and I have perfect vision. Clever enough as far as I'm concerned.

A word about markets - I was in LA a little over a month ago. Almost exactly the same ad campaign is going on there on LACMTA stops. I was also in Nashville, Birmingham, New Orleans...not so much lol. Looks like Oatly knows which parts of the country are drinking their stuff. 

[Jova42R]

Are there any MTAB or other non-NYCT buses on Staten Island or linking SI to other boroughs/NJ?

Edited August 11, 2019 by New Flyer Xcelsior

[Lil 57]

3 minutes ago, New Flyer Xcelsior said:

Are there any MTAB or other non-NYCT buses on Staten Island?

The SIM23 and SIM24 are both operated by Academy. There's also a bus that goes from somewhere in SI to Boro Park that's also operated by a private company.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, MHV9218 said:

New Oatly ad campaign on the rear of Manhattan buses. Pretty funny if you ask me, though I'd bet there's some law they're breaking...absolutely tiny text that says something like "If you can read this Oatmilk ad, you must really care about oatmilk ads." It's inscrutable from more than 15 feet away, and I have perfect vision. Clever enough as far as I'm concerned.

A word about markets - I was in LA a little over a month ago. Almost exactly the same ad campaign is going on there on LACMTA stops. I was also in Nashville, Birmingham, New Orleans...not so much lol. Looks like Oatly knows which parts of the country are drinking their stuff. 

It appears that the Manhattan Division and Flatbush have the new ad campaign (so far). Also, Flatbush and other Brooklyn Division depots have some holdovers from the previous campaign. 

[Statty]

On 8/8/2019 at 12:40 PM, New Flyer Xcelsior said:

I am on an M4 right now, and this bus (Orion NG #4674) has a WORKING OMNY READER! I just used it now (used my free transfer earlier, was transferring from the train.)

does anybody know anything about this?

Just drove 4674 today. Was on the M4 today and had a few tourist stuck at the MET without a metrocard. I asked if they had a credit card, and it all worked out. Tap system is very instantaneous, no delay, very fast and responsive. 

I believe 4012 has OMNY still on it as well, just not working(?).

[QM1to6Ave]

6 minutes ago, Statty said:

Just drove 4674 today. Was on the M4 today and had a few tourist stuck at the MET without a metrocard. I asked if they had a credit card, and it all worked out. Tap system is very instantaneous, no delay, very fast and responsive. 

I believe 4012 has OMNY still on it as well, just not working(?).

Very smart of you to suggest they try out OMNI! Maybe these tourists won’t write a Yelp review about how terrible NYC is LOL. 

[Future ENY OP]

9 minutes ago, Statty said:

Just drove 4674 today. Was on the M4 today and had a few tourist stuck at the MET without a metrocard. I asked if they had a credit card, and it all worked out. Tap system is very instantaneous, no delay, very fast and responsive. 

I believe 4012 has OMNY still on it as well, just not working(?).

I believe 4694 also has OMNY. (correct me if I'm wrong on this).

[Jova42R]

37 minutes ago, Statty said:

Just drove 4674 today. Was on the M4 today and had a few tourist stuck at the MET without a metrocard. I asked if they had a credit card, and it all worked out. Tap system is very instantaneous, no delay, very fast and responsive. 

I believe 4012 has OMNY still on it as well, just not working(?).

Why haven’t they put OMNY on other boroughs’ buses or other subway lines?

Edited August 12, 2019 by New Flyer Xcelsior

[Jova42R]

Were all the 46xx buses transferred from SI?

and, where did the 40xx buses come from? They have Bronx bus maps, but they are advertising OMNY — so did they go from SI to Bronx to MHV? I’ve seen them mainly on the M11

and lastly, is MHV the only depot the SI buses have been transferred to?

Edited August 12, 2019 by New Flyer Xcelsior

[Cait Sith]

7 minutes ago, New Flyer Xcelsior said:

Why haven’t they put OMNY on other boroughs’ buses or other subway lines?

Because, as it was said millions of times on TV and in other places, we are currently in a test phase which only includes Staten Island and several stations along the Lexington Avenue Line.

The NGs that have them in Manhattan were previously from Staten Island.

 

3 minutes ago, New Flyer Xcelsior said:

Were all the 46xx buses transferred from SI?

and, where did the 40xx buses come from? They have Bronx bus maps, but they are advertising OMNY — so did they go from SI to Bronx to MHV? I’ve seen them mainly on the M11

and lastly, is MHV the only depot the SI buses have been transferred to?

1. Yes, they've all left the island.
2. A majority of those were brand new to The Bronx, but were transferred to SI. I guess they didn't care enough to change the maps.
3. No, Flatbush and MQ also received them.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Cait Sith said:

Because, as it was said millions of times on TV and in other places, we are currently in a test phase which only includes Staten Island and several stations along the Lexington Avenue Line.

The NGs that have them in Manhattan were previously from Staten Island.

 

1. Yes, they've all left the island.
2. A majority of those were brand new to The Bronx, but were transferred to SI. I guess they didn't care enough to change the maps.
3. No, Flatbush and MQ also received them.

It appears that Yukon is keeping 3 for training. Clarification if possible. However, yes 97% of the NG fleet has left Staten. 

[Cait Sith]

26 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

It appears that Yukon is keeping 3 for training. Clarification if possible. However, yes 97% of the NG fleet has left Staten. 

Until the rest of the LFS order comes through, that cannot be said for sure.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Cait Sith

[BreeddekalbL]

 

[Q43LTD]

I'm trying to do a 10 year comparison for the bus ridership, but I'm having trouble finding the MTAB routes for 2008

[Jova42R]

(Also posted in Subway Random Thoughts)

Is there a relatively easy way to get from the upper east side (82 St/Park Av) to the GWB Bus Terminal? Thanks!