BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Lawrence St]

6 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

Another quick question: what is the most frequent bus in the city and its frequency? And have we run higher frequencies than that before, and if so, what?

When I mean most frequent I mean during any given time of the day for an hour. So peak-only frequencies are eligible to answer this question.

I think the Bx12SBS is. That bus runs every 3-4 minutes during the rush IIRC.

[trainfan22]

On 5/26/2020 at 11:19 PM, Deucey said:

I remember flying out here in ‘95 and seeing folks riding on the rear bumper of RTS’ by putting fingers in the hook at the bottom of the grille/black vents.

They didn’t do that in LA, Detroit, SF, or anywhere else RTS’ ran supreme.

Thats when I knew NYers are different.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

This is becoming ridiculous. More and more mentally unstable homeless people riding the express buses. Got another one tonight on the QM21. Walked right on without paying. Stinks to high heavens, and clearly is not stable. People on the bus are rightfully pissed.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[GreatOne2k]

They probably think the express buses are free all the time, not just 1-5am

[MysteriousBtrain]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

This is becoming ridiculous. More and more mentally unstable homeless people riding the express buses. Got another one tonight on the QM21. Walked right on without paying. Stinks to high heavens, and clearly is not stable. People on the bus are rightfully pissed.

I don't understand why some express drivers do not at least enforce the $6.75. That makes no sense to me at all

[B35 via Church]

3 minutes ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

I don't understand why some express drivers do not at least enforce the $6.75. That makes no sense to me at all

....Yet a working professional like @QM1to6Ave has to show ID.

SMFH.

[Around the Horn]

5 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Another quick question: what is the most frequent bus in the city and its frequency? And have we run higher frequencies than that before, and if so, what?

When I mean most frequent I mean during any given time of the day for an hour. So peak-only frequencies are eligible to answer this question.

The M15 SBS is every 2-3 minutes during rush hours. Pre SBS the B46 was also every 2 minutes.

The combined M14A/M14D SBS is every 3-8 minutes throughout the day, 7 days a week.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Around the Horn

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 hours ago, GreatOne2k said:

They probably think the express buses are free all the time, not just 1-5am

Yeah that's a possibility, but the driver didn't help matters. He walked right on and took a seat.

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

....Yet a working professional like @QM1to6Ave has to show ID.

SMFH.

Yeah. Even the drivers don't know what to do in part because they are getting contradicting information. The union is telling the drivers one thing and management is saying another.  Case-in-point... Some drivers are up in arms about having disabled people board through the front door and they don't want to pick them up. I keep telling them the rules are very clear. Disabled people are the only ones allowed to board through the front. Then you have some drivers that think that only essential workers are allowed on the bus, which is also incorrect. The service is for anyone with essential needs (food, medicine, work, etc.), and they don't need to show ID either.

2 hours ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

I don't understand why some express drivers do not at least enforce the $6.75. That makes no sense to me at all

Well she somehow didn't know that the guy boarded, even though he smelled to high heavens. When a lady that posted in my group about it got off, she told the driver, and she said the driver looked nervous, so since she didn't pay attention, I'm sure she had to deal with getting him off of the bus. That's been another problem. These people are carrying who knows what. The drivers don't want to touch them and then have to call to have them removed, which can hold up service. The policy is to state the fare, but not challenge riders on it, but at the same time, the guy was clearly not mentally stable and the passengers were all trying to move away from him, so clearly there was a safety issue. It's not like the subway where you may be able to move to another car. One bus with no windows in a confined space...

[Deucey]

51 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah that's a possibility, but the driver didn't help matters. He walked right on and took a seat.

Yeah. Even the drivers don't know what to do in part because they are getting contradicting information. The union is telling the drivers one thing and management is saying another.  Case-in-point... Some drivers are up in arms about having disabled people board through the front door and they don't want to pick them up. I keep telling them the rules are very clear. Disabled people are the only ones allowed to board through the front. Then you have some drivers that think that only essential workers are allowed on the bus, which is also incorrect. The service is for anyone with essential needs (food, medicine, work, etc.), and they don't need to show ID either.

Well she somehow didn't know that the guy boarded, even though he smelled to high heavens. When a lady that posted in my group about it got off, she told the driver, and she said the driver looked nervous, so since she didn't pay attention, I'm sure she had to deal with getting him off of the bus. That's been another problem. These people are carrying who knows what. The drivers don't want to touch them and then have to call to have them removed, which can hold up service. The policy is to state the fare, but not challenge riders on it, but at the same time, the guy was clearly not mentally stable and the passengers were all trying to move away from him, so clearly there was a safety issue. It's not like the subway where you may be able to move to another car. One bus with no windows in a confined space...

If buses are running on modified schedules, is there any reason beyond rider preference to run coaches instead of Transit buses on the express routes?

[SoSpectacular]

3 hours ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

I don't understand why some express drivers do not at least enforce the $6.75. That makes no sense to me at all

As they tell us at Zerega:

"You're just paid to move the bus. That farebox shouldn't be your concern. Hit F5, let 'em ride"

 

[Around the Horn]

What I'd really like to see with full OMNY installation is real time monitoring of reader counts vs the passenger counters over the doors...

Big discrepancy between devices tapped in and passengers counted? Have the eagle team meet that bus.

[Ultimategamer12c]

So yesterday  a couple of XD40s from Quill went to OF and stayed their last night, now today #7610 makes an appearance  on the M1 rn.

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

1 hour ago, Ultimategamer12c said:

So yesterday  a couple of XD40s from Quill went to OF and stayed their last night, now today #7610 makes an appearance  on the M1 rn.

To verify, 7602 and 7610 are the two at MCH

[MHV9218]

1 hour ago, Ultimategamer12c said:

So yesterday  a couple of XD40s from Quill went to OF and stayed their last night, now today #7610 makes an appearance  on the M1 rn.

Yeah 7602 and 7610. We'll see if those stick out the weekend. 

^ Edit: jinx!

Also, nobody ever explained to me why 6695 and 6712 were retired prematurely. Pretty early given the 2005 OGs are still running in BK.

Edited May 29, 2020 by MHV9218

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Ultimategamer12c said:

So yesterday  a couple of XD40s from Quill went to OF and stayed their last night, now today #7610 makes an appearance  on the M1 rn.

What gives.. Why is MQ sending buses to MCH.

[Future ENY OP]

19 minutes ago, MHV9218 said:

Also, nobody ever explained to me why 6695 and 6712 were retired prematurely. Pretty early given the 2005 OGs are still running in BK.

6695 ON THE M1 RN.

[MHV184]

3 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

6695 ON THE M1 RN.

6695 was never retired. I saw it run a couple times throughout these 2 weeks. The only bus that I believe is retired is 6712 which I as you ask why?

[Ultimategamer12c]

4 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Yeah 7602 and 7610. We'll see if those stick out the weekend. 

^ Edit: jinx!

Also, nobody ever explained to me why 6695 and 6712 were retired prematurely. Pretty early given the 2005 OGs are still running in BK.

Oh speaking of that unit #6695 it's  on the M1 rn.

[aemoreira81]

2 hours ago, MHV184 said:

6695 was never retired. I saw it run a couple times throughout these 2 weeks. The only bus that I believe is retired is 6712 which I as you ask why?

Wasn't 6803 also retired? Also, the oldest buses in this batch are 14 years old, about when retirement would begin.

Separately, is there a plan for a summer pick, now that NYC is slated to move to Phase 1 on June 8, and likely will be at Phase 2 by summer pick or soon after? (I presume that the B1 articulated conversion would also be on line for summer pick.)

[Calvin]

From most of the times I used the express bus, such as the BM3 to Emmons Av or Manhattan, there's always a "Hello/Hi There" and "How are you?" from each passenger. While on drop offs, a "Thank you" is always given by each passenger getting off the bus. 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Calvin

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, aemoreira81 said:

Wasn't 6803 also retired? Also, the oldest buses in this batch are 14 years old, about when retirement would begin.

Separately, is there a plan for a summer pick, now that NYC is slated to move to Phase 1 on June 8, and likely will be at Phase 2 by summer pick or soon after? (I presume that the B1 articulated conversion would also be on line for summer pick.)

Staten Island goes back to Winter Pick June 7th and there will be a separate Summer Pick June 28th.

[trainfan22]

4331 is being used as a police bus, I wonder if the person driving the bus is MTA or NYPD?

 

 

[aemoreira81]

59 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

4331 is being used as a police bus, I wonder if the person driving the bus is MTA or NYPD?

 

 

 

That bus is trending on Twitter, as the driver didn't want to be the one transporting arrestees (the bus was comandeered off its B41 run) (I'm tempted to say his own safety). The NYPD could easily have requested articulated buses from Flatbush or Gleason (under a police escort) which could better handle those being arrested from the riot at Barclays, to take them up to Rikers. (They do know that the top speed on these buses is 40 mph, right?)

The NYPD knew this could happen...the NYPD could request 7 diesel articulated buses from Quill (for the Foley Square protests) and 7 articulated buses from Gleason and/or Grand Avenue on standby.

Speaking of Grand Avenue... this happened to bus 4720: 

https://twitter.com/KatieVasquezTV/status/1266541252817948679

Edited May 30, 2020 by aemoreira81

[trainfan22]

50 minutes ago, aemoreira81 said:

 

That bus is trending on Twitter, as the driver didn't want to be the one transporting arrestees (the bus was comandeered off its B41 run) (I'm tempted to say his own safety). The NYPD could easily have requested articulated buses from Flatbush or Gleason (under a police escort) which could better handle those being arrested from the riot at Barclays, to take them up to Rikers. (They do know that the top speed on these buses is 40 mph, right?)

The NYPD knew this could happen...the NYPD could request 7 diesel articulated buses from Quill (for the Foley Square protests) and 7 articulated buses from Gleason and/or Grand Avenue on standby.

Speaking of Grand Avenue... this happened to bus 4720: 

https://twitter.com/KatieVasquezTV/status/1266541252817948679

I just saw this on twitter

 

 

 

Its crazy to see NYC B/O's take such a bold stance, this is historic. 

 

[Around the Horn]

1 hour ago, aemoreira81 said:

 

That bus is trending on Twitter, as the driver didn't want to be the one transporting arrestees (the bus was comandeered off its B41 run) (I'm tempted to say his own safety). The NYPD could easily have requested articulated buses from Flatbush or Gleason (under a police escort) which could better handle those being arrested from the riot at Barclays, to take them up to Rikers. (They do know that the top speed on these buses is 40 mph, right?)

The NYPD knew this could happen...the NYPD could request 7 diesel articulated buses from Quill (for the Foley Square protests) and 7 articulated buses from Gleason and/or Grand Avenue on standby.

Speaking of Grand Avenue... this happened to bus 4720: 

https://twitter.com/KatieVasquezTV/status/1266541252817948679

The union is refusing to transport ANY arrestees in solidarity with the protests (good for them)