BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[aemoreira81]

56 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Yeah, that made me go *huh* also, when I read that..... I just took it to mean that he meant South/Richmond Terr. (since he's listing those turns along the line, going in order from west to east).....

Richmond Terrace and South Avenue. That was the first turn as I saw as really difficult on any articulated bus as that's a sharp right. I didn't realize that error. 

[B61In2002]

So there's a possibility for Artics in SI? From the way it sounded I kinda doubt it happening ngl (at least in that area), unless a route that is on a much wider street in SI gets considered for articulation. 

Kinda suprised the S79 or an SI route on a wider street in the North Shore area wasnt considered first.

[Iron Valiant]

2 hours ago, B61In2002 said:

So there's a possibility for Artics in SI? From the way it sounded I kinda doubt it happening ngl (at least in that area), unless a route that is on a much wider street in SI gets considered for articulation. 

Kinda suprised the S79 or an SI route on a wider street in the North Shore area wasnt considered first.

Not to mention there’s probably not enough articulated buses in the system to convert another route.

[BreeddekalbL]

There is no way that artics would work in si, like the tight streets, hell I don't even think any of the depots ok maybe Charleston can take them

[Cait Sith]

3 minutes ago, BreeddekalbL said:

There is no way that artics would work in si, like the tight streets, hell I don't even think any of the depots ok maybe Charleston can take them

They can work, its a matter of where.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

2 hours ago, BreeddekalbL said:

There is no way that artics would work in si, like the tight streets, hell I don't even think any of the depots ok maybe Charleston can take them

I don't understand what is being evaluated when testing artics. The S40/90 route seems fine. Routes like that damn B38 has artics. Literally the streets and turns are so damnn tight compared to Richmond Terr and South Ave in S.I. Also, the turns don't seem to be an issue physically, maybe DOT can readjust some lights and reverse some streets or add some stop here on red markers. But tight streets are the least of my concern. 

 

The MTA is definitely gonna have artics in S.I by 2022, it's the new normal. So whatever small issues there are, they will be fixed. The S79 and S40/90 should be the only two as of now IMO. 

[Lil 57]

Just a random thought just got off the SIM33c and it had a pre-pandemic load (around 40 ish people on the bus once it hit the battery tunnel). One lady even went under the chains and sat in the 2nd row). Another thought, by cutting a 3rd of the local buses, buses are getting SRO much faster, which might be dangerous since it’s impossible to social distance.

[Cait Sith]

11 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I don't understand what is being evaluated when testing artics. The S40/90 route seems fine. Routes like that damn B38 has artics. Literally the streets and turns are so damnn tight compared to Richmond Terr and South Ave in S.I. Also, the turns don't seem to be an issue physically, maybe DOT can readjust some lights and reverse some streets or add some stop here on red markers. But tight streets are the least of my concern. 

 

The MTA is definitely gonna have artics in S.I by 2022, it's the new normal. So whatever small issues there are, they will be fixed. The S79 and S40/90 should be the only two as of now IMO. 

Not if the union has anything to say about that. 

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, Lil 57 said:

Just a random thought just got off the SIM33c and it had a pre-pandemic load (around 40 ish people on the bus once it hit the battery tunnel). One lady even went under the chains and sat in the 2nd row). Another thought, by cutting a 3rd of the local buses, buses are getting SRO much faster, which might be dangerous since it’s impossible to social distance.

Depends how you define "dangerous". South Korea & Hong Kong still have relatively high transit ridership, yet low infection rates due to availability of testing (so the right people know to isolate) combined with mask usage. 

[trainfan22]

Rode an Cuomo scheme Nova out of KB today and the A/C barely worked and every window was open on the bus.

 

Do the Cuomo Nova 40ers in general have crappy A/C or I just got an defective bus? In my experiences of the current fleet the buses with the best A/C are the most recent batch of XD60s we have, most recent batch of XD40s and the Orion NGs.

 

How's the A/C on those Novas on the SBS routes? I can't recall if I ever rode one during the warm weather months.

 

I also seen an XD60 on the M60 today, was kinda bummed about that cause I thought about fanning the M60 today, but didn't. Been wanting to ride an XD60 over the triboro.. 

 

[Future ENY OP]

7 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Rode an Cuomo scheme Nova out of KB today and the A/C barely worked and every window was open on the bus.

 

Do the Cuomo Nova 40ers in general have crappy A/C or I just got an defective bus? In my experiences of the current fleet the buses with the best A/C are the most recent batch of XD60s we have, most recent batch of XD40s and the Orion NGs.

 

How's the A/C on those Novas on the SBS routes? I can't recall if I ever rode one during the warm weather months.

 

I also seen an XD60 on the M60 today, was kinda bummed about that cause I thought about fanning the M60 today, but didn't. Been wanting to ride an XD60 over the triboro.. 

 

Had that been in Flatbush, ENY or Gleason , the A/C would of been working.  Let that bus stay in The Bronx. Was it 5439 or 5441? 

[Iron Valiant]

12 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Rode an Cuomo scheme Nova out of KB today and the A/C barely worked and every window was open on the bus.

 

Do the Cuomo Nova 40ers in general have crappy A/C or I just got an defective bus? In my experiences of the current fleet the buses with the best A/C are the most recent batch of XD60s we have, most recent batch of XD40s and the Orion NGs.

 

How's the A/C on those Novas on the SBS routes? I can't recall if I ever rode one during the warm weather months.

 

I also seen an XD60 on the M60 today, was kinda bummed about that cause I thought about fanning the M60 today, but didn't. Been wanting to ride an XD60 over the triboro.. 

 

5439 or 5441?

[Calvin]

The Bronx division has these buses in small amounts: 

- Kingsbridge's Artic fleet is all Nova's but only 2 are ex. SBS units with the blue/gold wrap.

- Gun Hill has 5 XD-60s left but, it can change to whether or not they'll move. 

- With West Farms, there's 6 XD-40s. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Calvin

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

8 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

Had that been in Flatbush, ENY or Gleason , the A/C would of been working.  Let that bus stay in The Bronx. Was it 5439 or 5441? 

 

4 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

5439 or 5441?

He said 40fter, so it was one of the 2019 LFS, which have pretty decent A/C. But @trainfan22, the windows were OPEN, and today the humidity outside was high, so it was fighting the A/C and the air wasn't able to get down and circulate well. That can happen on any bus. 

 

3 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Not if the union has anything to say about that. 

The union can only do but so much, especially when the ridership demands it. Unions fought CBTC in the subways, and now look...

Unions can be good, but they tend to be stuck in the past and fail to modernize, some things just require upgrades, it's a part of life. 

[Jdog14]

44 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

 

 

Do the Cuomo Nova 40ers in general have crappy A/C or I just got an defective bus? In my experiences of the current fleet the buses with the best A/C are the most recent batch of XD60s we have, most recent batch of XD40s and the Orion NGs.

 

C40s have good A/C also 

[Cait Sith]

 

2 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

The union can only do but so much, especially when the ridership demands it. Unions fought CBTC in the subways, and now look...

Unions can be good, but they tend to be stuck in the past and fail to modernize, some things just require upgrades, it's a part of life. 

They didn't really fight against CBTC in the Subway IIRC.

ATU 726 is a whole different beast compared to TWU Local 100, they get shit done.

[B35 via Church]

Now why would there be a B99 in the middle of the Manhattan Bridge at 6:20 in the morning here, if the last trip leaving Manhattan is at 4:50???

 

[aemoreira81]

On 7/3/2020 at 4:33 AM, BreeddekalbL said:

There is no way that artics would work in si, like the tight streets, hell I don't even think any of the depots ok maybe Charleston can take them

I actually see Yukon as more likely...for the St. George to Matrix Park route (I won't call it the S40 as it won't work running on the Terrace), the S79, and the S93 (S93 in a W pattern with the S79). The S93 would have the B1 rationale for articulated bus usage...need for up-gauging.

Also why I see Yukon as more likely...Arthur Kill Road isn't exactly wide by Charleston Depot, while Yukon and Independence Avenues are unusually wide for short streets by the Yukon Depot. I do see another articulated bus order coming, but by the time this happens, OMNY will be systemwide and there will be no need for front door-only boarding on any route. Yukon would probably need somewhere around 60 LFS articulated buses.

[Express Bus Operator]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Now why would there be a B99 in the middle of the Manhattan Bridge at 6:20 in the morning here, if the last trip leaving Manhattan is at 4:50???

 

That's probably the last bus of the night either doing its last trip of the night, or it was an N.I.S. bus just dead heading back to the depot.

[B35 via Church]

34 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

That's probably the last bus of the night either doing its last trip of the night, or it was an N.I.S. bus just dead heading back to the depot.

- That's what I'm getting at (if it was the last SB trip)... Why would it be that late? Nothing leaving CC around 5am should be hitting the bridge at 6:20....

- If it was that last NB trip DH-ing back to the depot (which is also possible), well it just so happened to follow the exact course of the route from W. 47th/48th on down to Flatbush av... I was waiting for the bus to "disappear" on bustime, but it never did, until it got to Flatbush av....

===================================

When I first checked bustime around 6am earlier, there were 2 SB B99's depicted - the one in the screenshot (which was around W. 47th/48th at the time) & another one around Foster av.... I honestly was expecting to see that "No scheduled service for the B99 to _____________ at this time" message, for both directions....

See, the MTA is advertising this thing as running between (approximately) 1-6am & I've been trying to figure out if there's another trip{s} that's not being shown on the schedule on the website (which is why I reference a 4:50 trip as being the last of the night)..... Now if there's a 5:50 trip leaving CC hitting the bridge at 6:20, that makes sense - The problem is, that trip isn't shown on the schedule.....

[SevenEleven]

5 hours ago, aemoreira81 said:

I actually see Yukon as more likely...for the St. George to Matrix Park route (I won't call it the S40 as it won't work running on the Terrace), the S79, and the S93 (S93 in a W pattern with the S79). The S93 would have the B1 rationale for articulated bus usage...need for up-gauging.

Also why I see Yukon as more likely...Arthur Kill Road isn't exactly wide by Charleston Depot, while Yukon and Independence Avenues are unusually wide for short streets by the Yukon Depot. I do see another articulated bus order coming, but by the time this happens, OMNY will be systemwide and there will be no need for front door-only boarding on any route. Yukon would probably need somewhere around 60 LFS articulated buses.

Charleston can fit artics and all the possible artic lines would deadhead using 440 and Korean Vets. That side of Arthur Kill Road is wide. 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

4 minutes ago, SevenEleven said:

Charleston can fit artics and all the possible artic lines would deadhead using 440 and Korean Vets. That side of Arthur Kill Road is wide. 

Wherever a Prevost can run, an artic should have no issue as well. 

[Armandito]

With Staten Island being the closest of the five boroughs to Newark Airport, I wonder why the S98 Limited hasn't been extended to serve it. Could it be because there's not enough potential demandd? That'smy guess.

Edited July 4, 2020 by lara8710

[checkmatechamp13]

22 minutes ago, lara8710 said:

With Staten Island being the closest of the five boroughs to Newark Airport, I wonder why the S98 Limited hasn't been extended to serve it. Could it be because there's not enough potential demandd? That'smy guess.

No, because of all the bureaucratic issues involved with running between states.

[161 New York]

It makes too much sense. It's logical. It actually helps people. So therefore it can't be done, or can it?

A re-imagined s48, s48 +SBS+ or s98 +SBS+

In my opinion, the s48 would be the best candidate for an articulated bus +SBS+ or +SBS+ Lite or a perma-super Limited.

First and foremost it connects with almost every local route in the Staten Island Division.

It is straight and flat with the notable exception of the 1/3 portion between the S I Ferry and the western portion of Silver Lake Park. This will definitely be an issue during inclement winter weather.

My revised s48 +SBS+ or s98 Super Limited would have the route going straight down Forest and take the straight and logical route to Amazon/Matrix Park.

Concurrent legacy s48 will "fill in the gaps" and would trail behind the artic bus and will remain unchanged.

Schedules to be mindful of employer start/end times.

The existing s40/s90

A ridership survey should be done to determine if ridership is coming from the 1/4 to 1/3 mile of the s40/s90 service (excluding 1/4 mile of the SI Ferry)  area to determine what level of ridership is originating from these areas.

Using the ridership data the s40/s90 could revert back to its original terminal at the Howland Hook Container Terminal (or whatever they are calling it these days) if in fact ridership is indeed originating from Ferry or riders transferring from other buses.

We can safely bet that the busway along Richmond Terrace or any capital project is delayed indefinitely given the delays.

Just my personal thoughts.

I have another idea that Uncle Jeff could possibly entertain, but I will hold back for now.