BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Q23 via 108]

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Q23 via 108

[Jova42R]

13 minutes ago, Q23 via 108 said:

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

The Q103 is the only bus up Vernon Blvd, and provides relief if people coming from Roosevelt Island have no Q102 (Accesses the if the 102 has weird headways)

Edited August 26, 2019 by New Flyer Xcelsior

[MTA Bus]

1 hour ago, Q23 via 108 said:

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

You clearly never ridden it, cause that route gets decent ridership now compared to a few years ago. They even added evening and weekend service, which means that people must be using it then.

[4 via Mosholu]

19 hours ago, MTAbus677 said:

I am riding unit 3839 on the M1. It sounds like 3960-4278, 4330-4702. Is that new?

No, its old. Each of them has about the same Hybrid sound to them.

[NewFlyer 230]

3 hours ago, Q23 via 108 said:

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

It is the only bus that serves Vernon Blvd. It is mainly industrial, but people from the Astoria Houses, and the Gantry/Hunters Point Parks use the route to the subway. It’s been doing better ever since the MTA made the route more frequent, added later service and introduced weekend service to the route. The MTA should perhaps use the Q103 as an example of what can happen when you simply make a route more frequent, the Q19 and B32 need more service. 

[Future ENY OP]

20 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

It is the only bus that serves Vernon Blvd. It is mainly industrial, but people from the Astoria Houses, and the Gantry/Hunters Point Parks use the route to the subway. It’s been doing better ever since the MTA made the route more frequent, added later service and introduced weekend service to the route. The MTA should perhaps use the Q103 as an example of what can happen when you simply make a route more frequent, the Q19 and B32 need more service. 

Definitely more service for the B32. Putting it on 20-30 minute headway’s isn’t going to cut it. Especially, this is the last week for the B91A bus service since service is scrapped on 9/1. 

[Future ENY OP]

Omega Express just got into the bus wrap game. I bet Chu won’t see this on a  bus in the Brooklyn and Manhattan Divisions. 

[NewFlyer 230]

5 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

Definitely more service for the B32. Putting it on 20-30 minute headway’s isn’t going to cut it. Especially, this is the last week for the B91A bus service since service is scrapped on 9/1. 

What a shame, they should have known that if the  was going to Manhattan still and the  had boosted service that no one was going to be riding those shuttle buses. Most people simply wait at Lorimer for the next  to 8th Ave anyways. I think the headway’s for the M14A will be cut as well especially during the overnight hours. 

[Iron Valiant]

@Future ENY OP 4050 (Flatbush Depot) has a Brooklyn Formula-E driver-side wrap.

I think it’s time they peel it off. The date says July 13 and July 14 on it yet over a month later 4050 still has it.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Snorunts

[Axis]

40 minute gap in Jamaica-bound Q114 service. By the time a bus finally shows up here in Cedarhurst, the Q114 bus ahead is already at Archer Avenue. Completely SRO, zero seats available (I chose to sit on the steps in the back because FOH with standing up for the entire trip). Do you so-called advocates & dispatchers have literally zero self-respect or something?

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Snorunts said:

@Future ENY OP 4050 (Flatbush Depot) has a Brooklyn Formula-E driver-side wrap.

I think it’s time they peel it off. The date says July 13 and July 14 on it yet over a month later 4050 still has it.

and quite a few other buses from Flatbush and Grand. Yes, that campaign is over. However, that’s up to depot management what they want to do.  Since the Brooklyn Division doesn’t get wraps like the Manhattan Division my only guess is that they are keeping those wrapped up until a new campaign comes in. 

Currently MQ/MCH/MV have the Channel 7 campaigns. Outfront didn’t bring those to Brooklyn. Who knows what will happen. Time will only tell if Outfront will distribute those wraps into Brooklyn. 

PS: Ulmer Park would be the perfect depot to have those “other wraps” installed on their buses. However, they don’t have NG’s and I believe those wraps can’t go on the XD40’s. 

Edited August 27, 2019 by Future ENY OP
Ulmer Park wraps.

[trainfan22]

Today I rode the BX26 for the first time today, love that route. I slept on GH 40FT routes the 26, 28 & 38 are all decent to fan. 30 is cool but the headways too long for my liking.

 

 

The issue for me when fanning GH routes is they are so far away from BK, GH territory mostly covers the northern half on the BX and riding up there from BK is tedious. I wanna fan the BX35, been on it before but I wanna ride it one last time before it gets converted to artic but the  train takes forever to get up there.

 

[Future ENY OP]

3 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Today I rode the BX26 for the first time today, love that route. I slept on GH 40FT routes the 26, 28 & 38 are all decent to fan. 30 is cool but the headways too long for my liking.

 

 

The issue for me when fanning GH routes is they are so far away from BK, GH territory mostly covers the northern half on the BX and riding up there from BK is tedious. I wanna fan the BX35, been on it before but I wanna ride it one last time before it gets converted to artic but the  train takes forever to get up there.

 

 

Also the Bx34, fan that line also. I do agree with you the 30 does have very long headways. 

[Brillant93]

1 hour ago, Axis said:

40 minute gap in Jamaica-bound Q114 service. By the time a bus finally shows up here in Cedarhurst, the Q114 bus ahead is already at Archer Avenue. Completely SRO, zero seats available (I chose to sit on the steps in the back because FOH with standing up for the entire trip). Do you so-called advocates & dispatchers have literally zero self-respect or something?

Some buses may not be on the radar. Today I was waiting for the B82 select and it showed a near 20 minute gap but the bus showed up 6 minutes instead of 20. That bus just wasn’t on gps. 

[Axis]

17 hours ago, Brillant93 said:

Some buses may not be on the radar. Today I was waiting for the B82 select and it showed a near 20 minute gap but the bus showed up 6 minutes instead of 20. That bus just wasn’t on gps. 

Once again, you are not using your head. If the bus has 20+ standees, all seats filled, and there is a 40+ minute gap between it & the bus ahead of it, how on Earth is there an invisible bus in between them?!

[Orion6025]

On 8/26/2019 at 9:27 AM, Q23 via 108 said:

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

Feeder to the subway and serves numerous busy commerical districts and residential areas. It's not exactly random or irrelevant

As for pictures, I've fanned the route numerous times over the past three years and I know I'm not the only one.

[B35 via Church]

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 9:27 AM, Q23 via 108 said:

The Q103 has to be the most irrelevant route in all of the MTA. I know there are other routes that are kinda out there, but what's the purpose of the 103. I know it's not to far from Queens Bridge Projects and stops by the , but other than that, that bus is just there. If you look up on Google Q103 Bus. The 1st image your gonna see 100 series Orion 5 from Like a decade ago. And a few more pics, but not a whole lot. It operates on over 30 minute headways, so yeah... most irrelevant route in my opinion.

AFAIC, the Q103 was a hidden gem that got overlooked b/c there's so much more service provided along 21st.....

The main purpose of the route is to provide coverage west of 21st..... Peep all the people xferring off the 104 to the 103 now & how many more people it transports to & from the nowadays..... I wish more people would utilize it to/from the  (vast majority still bombard 69's & 100's), but be there as it may, the relevancy of the thing is only growing

(see below ↓↓)

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 12:53 PM, NewFlyer 230 said:

The MTA should perhaps use the Q103 as an example of what can happen when you simply make a route more frequent, the Q19 and B32 need more service. 

Of course, adding a Costco along the route also helps

As for the other 2 routes you mention, the more the quality of service on the B62 keeps going to pot, the more attractive the B32 is going to get.... The Q19 is taking folks from off the Q66 on the Flushing end, but I think the thing could stand to use another ridership gen' around/along the more western portion of the route.....

[Future ENY OP]

7031, 7065 from Castleton are in Manhattan. Either heading to MQ or MV. Spotted on the West Side Highway. 

[Iron Valiant]

7 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

7031, 7065 from Castleton are in Manhattan. Either heading to MQ or MV. Spotted on the West Side Highway. 

I don’t know if this is related, but I saw a bunch of NG Training Buses by Union Square from Casey Stengel, Kingsbridge, Grand Avenue, and Flatbush Depots.

[MHV184]

7 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

7031, 7065 from Castleton are in Manhattan. Either heading to MQ or MV. Spotted on the West Side Highway. 

They could be coming to Manhattan for Shuttle Bus work since the 1 train is not running from 96 to Dykman Street

[Future ENY OP]

16 minutes ago, MHV184 said:

They could be coming to Manhattan for Shuttle Bus work since the 1 train is not running from 96 to Dykman Street

That seems more likely. What time is that G.O for the  train? 

[MHV184]

2 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

That seems more likely. What time is that G.O for the  train? 

9:30pm to 5am

[Brillant93]

7 hours ago, Axis said:

Once again, you are not using your head. If the bus has 20+ standees, all seats filled, and there is a 40+ minute gap between it & the bus ahead of it, how on Earth is there an invisible bus in between them?!

Once again? Who do you think you're talking to? I said what I said, some buses may not appear on radar. Theres been times buses show large gaps in service but one bus show up because its not on gps. 

[Lawrence St]

The Q19's headways are absolutely horrible, and is often delayed which makes it even more worse.

[MTAbus677]

Why is the Q12 getting artic buses? I didn’t know they would be getting them!

Edited August 28, 2019 by MTAbus677