BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Iron Valiant]

11 minutes ago, Calvin said:

A break/rest at a specific location or depot on route shift. 

Does ENY still have three specific swing units?

[Calvin]

6 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

Does ENY still have three specific swing units?

Last I saw, in January, it was a regular old gen 6610. I think they rotate different buses at ENY break point. 

[Q23 via 108]

Just for fun, I challenge you all to bus fan from the staircases of els. I tried it last summer and I like the angles and views.

For ex: 4468 from 82 Street

I'm always trying to find new views to switch it up. Anyone got other suggestions?

[Jova42R]

Here is my revised and edited Riverdale Express Route plan:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fKQsGzzMRJlabfRh0Xk4QUgxlBFYw0_e&usp=sharing

 now starts in Woodlawn, then runs via the HH Pkwy and Riverside Dr to 86 St, then via the current route to 34th.

 operates similar route to today, but via HR Drive

 is rerouted to serve BP City, and runs via the FDR Dr from Bklyn Brg to 23 St and from 96 St to 125 St.

@Via Garibaldi 8 Would this work as a replacement for the current system?

Thoughts?

[Future ENY OP]

Flatbush XD40’s on SBS duty this morning.  
7625- B44,

7639, 7653- B46. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, Jova42R said:

Here is my revised and edited Riverdale Express Route plan:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fKQsGzzMRJlabfRh0Xk4QUgxlBFYw0_e&usp=sharing

 now starts in Woodlawn, then runs via the HH Pkwy and Riverside Dr to 86 St, then via the current route to 34th.

 operates similar route to today, but via HR Drive

 is rerouted to serve BP City, and runs via the FDR Dr from Bklyn Brg to 23 St and from 96 St to 125 St.

@Via Garibaldi 8 Would this work as a replacement for the current system?

Thoughts?

BxM1 - Too long

BxM2 - Already uses HRD

BxM18 - Not really necessary. Most of the BxM18’s ridership is in Midtown.

[Iron Valiant]

5 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

Flatbush XD40’s on SBS duty this morning.  
7625- B44,

7639, 7653- B46. 

Seems like Flatbush needs a few more articulated buses. Over all, I’d consider 7615-7662 assigned to local/limited routes.

[Future ENY OP]

10 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

Seems like Flatbush needs a few more articulated buses. Over all, I’d consider 7615-7662 assigned to local/limited routes.

That is correct. If the 5 from JFK could come down that could help. Who knows maybe more LGA buses could be on the horizon or more MQ buses. 

[NewFlyer 230]

1 hour ago, Future ENY OP said:

That is correct. If the 5 from JFK could come down that could help. Who knows maybe more LGA buses could be on the horizon or more MQ buses. 

I don’t think anymore XD60s are coming from JFK/LGA. I believe all the 2017 XD60s they have are there for additional service. In LGA’s case the Q70 is being converted, as far as JFK the Q52 probably will have more service but I don’t know. All I know is before that a spare factor was almost non existent. 

[Future ENY OP]

13 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I don’t think anymore XD60s are coming from JFK/LGA. I believe all the 2017 XD60s they have are there for additional service. In LGA’s case the Q70 is being converted, as far as JFK the Q52 probably will have more service but I don’t know. All I know is before that a spare factor was almost non existent. 

Very good point. 

[BreeddekalbL]

I heard they will end the and at ctl 71 again, 

What is the left right on their shuttles 

[Jova42R]

10 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

BxM1 - Too long

BxM2 - Already uses HRD

BxM18 - Not really necessary. Most of the BxM18’s ridership is in Midtown.

In what way? It would run express through Westchester and via the HH Pkwy

The  runs via the Major Deegan without a stop in Inwood, this bus would stop on Dyckman

But for the riders coming from Downtown, this would have a big difference. Also, for Midtown, the York-FDR combo is faster than the 5/Madison trip.

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 minutes ago, Jova42R said:

In what way? It would run express through Westchester and via the HH Pkwy

The  runs via the Major Deegan without a stop in Inwood, this bus would stop on Dyckman

But for the riders coming from Downtown, this would have a big difference. Also, for Midtown, the York-FDR combo is faster than the 5/Madison trip.

 

The BxM1 only serves Inwood because there is no East Side subway.  The BxM2 is there to provide access to Riverdale because there is no subway there. Express bus service first started in Riverdale to the East Side and West Side because since there was no subway, people complained that they not only had long commutes but also lived in a two fare zone, hence the express buses starting. The idea was to provide a faster commute that was in line price wise with what they would pay if they paid for the local bus to the subway.

Inwood only got express bus service because they argued that they didn't have an East Side subway, hence the BxM1s stopping there.  Inwood has the  and the  train for access to the West Side, which is why it is not served by the BxM2.

Most express buses have a run time of about 20 minutes for the pick-up or less. That's the sweet spot. It's an express bus meant to serve commuters going to Manhattan, not make a gazillion stops.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[NewFlyer 230]

7 hours ago, BreeddekalbL said:

I heard they will end the and at ctl 71 again, 

What is the left right on their shuttles 

The  would continue down Queens Blvd to the Van Wyck service road. I’m pretty sure they make a left turn on Jamaica and then a right on one of the blocks 138 or 139th street and then a left on Archer and continues to Parsons Blvd. However with the construction on Archer Ave the buses may continue down Jamaica Ave. 

 

The  continues down Queens Blvd to Hillside then it makes a left on Hillside Av and continues to 179th street. 

[B35 via Church]

18 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The BxM1 only serves Inwood because there is no East Side subway.  The BxM2 is there to provide access to Riverdale because there is no subway there. Express bus service first started in Riverdale to the East Side and West Side because since there was no subway, people complained that they not only had long commutes but also lived in a two fare zone, hence the express buses starting. The idea was to provide a faster commute that was in line price wise with what they would pay if they paid for the local bus to the subway.

Inwood only got express bus service because they argued that they didn't have an East Side subway, hence the BxM1s stopping there.  Inwood has the  and the  train for access to the West Side, which is why it is not served by the BxM2.

Most express buses have a run time of about 20 minutes for the pick-up or less. That's the sweet spot. It's an express bus meant to serve commuters going to Manhattan, not make a gazillion stops.

....and on top of it, nobody in Woodlawn is going to put up with a bus slogging along south Yonkers (hilly McLean av) to get to North Riverdale, to then slog laterally through Riverdale like that (which is also hilly).... There is ZERO need to try to put Riverdalians & Woodlawners on one bus.... It's enough that the Bronx redesign plan calls for combining the Wakefield portion of the BxM11 with the Woodlawn portion of the BxM4 (eliminating the Grand Concourse & the Norwood portion of the thing in the process).....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

38 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

....and on top of it, nobody in Woodlawn is going to put up with a bus slogging along south Yonkers (hilly McLean av) to get to North Riverdale, to then slog laterally through Riverdale like that (which is also hilly).... There is ZERO need to try to put Riverdalians & Woodlawners on one bus.... It's enough that the Bronx redesign plan calls for combining the Wakefield portion of the BxM11 with the Woodlawn portion of the BxM4 (eliminating the Grand Concourse & the Norwood portion of the thing in the process).....

I agree.  The ONLY reason there was ANY proposed BxM4 Grand Concourse route to begin with is because my group got lots of BxM4 riders to call their elected officials. Between that and a petition, the  was inundated with complaints, and there is still a great deal of skepticism about them going back and making this draft any better.  It will be interesting to see what they come up with, but we met with the senior planners back in November.  I was very critical of the BxM11 routing too.  Removing it from under the subway pillars is a plus and minus. Many people are not wild about the northern terminal being cut off from service, and ending it where it does is just retarded. The response I received from one of the senior planners was they ended it there because of the narrow streets that you get to after Bronxwood Av. In short, they'd rather not go through the aggravation of trying to serve the northern part of the line, despite how many people use it up there. 

There's also the fact that getting to Bronxwood Av is a pain in the @ss. It is very hilly, coming from White Plains Road and areas west of Bronxwood, so that's another problem.  Keeping it on White Plains Road which is somewhat flat compared to the surrounding areas makes the most sense unless they can come up with something better along Bronxwood Av.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[AlgorithmOfTruth]

Something was up with the Q46 today because everyone was stuck waiting in the rain for over 30 minutes during the rush hour. There were like 8 back-to-back Q46 buses heading to Glen Oaks/Lake Success with nothing heading towards Kew Gardens for a long time. After half an hour of nothing, a lone bus shows up at Union Turnpike/Little Neck Parkway (where I was waiting) packed from Glen Oaks, which is rarely seen. Most of the the runs that are crush-loaded that early on from the terminal are coming from LIJ Medical Center. I have never seen close to 10 Q46 buses running neck and neck like that in the past 8 years I've taken this particular bus route.

[Lex]

22 minutes ago, AlgorithmOfTruth said:

Something was up with the Q46 today because everyone was stuck waiting in the rain for over 30 minutes during the rush hour. There were like 8 back-to-back Q46 buses heading to Glen Oaks/Lake Success with nothing heading towards Kew Gardens for a long time. After half an hour of nothing, a lone bus shows up at Union Turnpike/Little Neck Parkway (where I was waiting) packed from Glen Oaks, which is rarely seen. Most of the the runs that are crush-loaded that early on from the terminal are coming from LIJ Medical Center. I have never seen close to 10 Q46 buses running neck and neck like that in the past 8 years I've taken this particular bus route.

I don't think even the B41's been that bad...

[AlgorithmOfTruth]

10 minutes ago, Lex said:

I don't think even the B41's been that bad...

I had gotten out of work at 6:05, made it to the bus stop at 6:10, and there was nothing until 6:45... An app called Transit showed almost 10 Q46 buses due at the same time, and no, I wasn't asleep.

[Calvin]

Seems like with Baisley Park's QM21 MCI coaches: there is one left as a spare. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Calvin

[NBTA]

27 minutes ago, AlgorithmOfTruth said:

I had gotten out of work at 6:05, made it to the bus stop at 6:10, and there was nothing until 6:45... An app called Transit showed almost 10 Q46 buses due at the same time, and no, I wasn't asleep.

Try the B6 or Bx36....

[NBTA]

50 minutes ago, Lex said:

I don't think even the B41's been that bad...

 

28 minutes ago, AlgorithmOfTruth said:

I had gotten out of work at 6:05, made it to the bus stop at 6:10, and there was nothing until 6:45... An app called Transit showed almost 10 Q46 buses due at the same time, and no, I wasn't asleep.

 

1 hour ago, AlgorithmOfTruth said:

Something was up with the Q46 today because everyone was stuck waiting in the rain for over 30 minutes during the rush hour. There were like 8 back-to-back Q46 buses heading to Glen Oaks/Lake Success with nothing heading towards Kew Gardens for a long time. After half an hour of nothing, a lone bus shows up at Union Turnpike/Little Neck Parkway (where I was waiting) packed from Glen Oaks, which is rarely seen. Most of the the runs that are crush-loaded that early on from the terminal are coming from LIJ Medical Center. I have never seen close to 10 Q46 buses running neck and neck like that in the past 8 years I've taken this particular bus route.

Try the B6 or Bx36...

[Lex]

1 hour ago, NBTA said:

Try the B6 or Bx36....

The less I think about the B6, the better.

If I can, I try to get the B103.

[Lex]

2 hours ago, AlgorithmOfTruth said:

I had gotten out of work at 6:05, made it to the bus stop at 6:10, and there was nothing until 6:45... An app called Transit showed almost 10 Q46 buses due at the same time, and no, I wasn't asleep.

I can only imagine what kind of hell triggered that...

[aemoreira81]

Two thoughts/questions:

1. What is preventing the XE60s now from being sent out into service?

2. Whose bright idea was it to put a LaGuardia Link bus on the Q53, which needs the capacity?