BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[B35 via Church]

2 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Welp, it didn't take long to encounter an express bus with the wrong farebox setup.  When I got on the QM17, the farebox was set to the regular express bus fare. The BO tried fixing it, but to no avail. Good thing I didn't have money on my unlimited card, or it would have taken it. Although I wonder if everyone else will be waived on because of that.....

Surely, you're not surprised by any of this.....

[MysteriousBtrain]

5 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Either you charge every express bus rider the full $6.75, or you charge all express bus riders the discounted $2.75 fare (even the express routes that already had overnight service, before the shutting down of the subways during those times).

Thing is even when the fare was free on the SIM1C most people still payed the $6.75 fare. So it doesn't really matter to them. 

[B35 via Church]

37 minutes ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

Thing is even when the fare was free on the SIM1C most people still payed the $6.75 fare. So it doesn't really matter to them. 

Consistency, is all I'm getting at.

[Lex]

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Surely, you're not surprised by any of this.....

I was expecting something of the sort.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

9 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Surely, you're not surprised by any of this.....

Not at all, and it's precisely why I didn't put any money on my card.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

15 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I get the whole, not penalizing people that are taking the express bus services that run overnight (due to the current situation with overnight subway service), but at the same time, it's still a double standard... Either you charge every express bus rider the full $6.75, or you charge all express bus riders the discounted $2.75 fare (even the express routes that already had overnight service, before the shutting down of the subways during those times)....

Personally, I'd lean towards the latter; they're going to accrue certain costs, regardless - Orrrr, of course, they can always open the subway back to the public overnights again & do away with the span expansion of those express bus routes that didn't have that service, before the fact.....

Well to be honest, the SIM lines have been running as they should because they have regular drivers for those lines that aren't covering, which means much more reliable and consistent service. Meanwhile, the lines running overnight that are only running because the subway is shut down have generally run horribly with a few exceptions, mainly because the drivers pick voluntarily and if they don't want to do the work, then they have to scramble to fill the trips - this was esp. problematic when the homeless were riding on some of the express buses like the X28 to and from Coney Island - they put a stop on that fast because it was unsafe for the drivers and actual passengers.

I took one of the overnight express buses about four times, maybe more, and it was worse each week that I tried it. The waits were supposed to be every 30 minutes. Instead, I waited 45 minutes to an hour. In a few instances, the only reason a bus came sooner is because I was complaining about it in my group, so they dispatched a bus for me, since I had been waiting so long.

Towards the end, they actually didn't even send out express buses, but rather local buses - I got one on the BxM2 and I was it happy about it, and it didn't have the right signage so I didn't even know it was my bus (driver pulled up and asked me where I was going and I was shaking him off not realizing that "SUBWAY SHUTTLE" was actually the overnight BxM2) and on the QM17, they have sent out nothing but local buses from what I have seen, so in reality, most of the lines were not really providing true express bus service, and the quality of the service was not worth $6.75 - not even $2.75 quite frankly. With the revised services, the QM17 will likely continue to run local buses and have whoever can fill the trips cover them, and the waits between all express buses will be an hour (save the SIM lines), so clearly SIM riders will receive true express bus service, with much better frequency, at least going back to Staten Island during parts of the overnight hours. It's also worth noting that even with the express bus in the other boroughs, people will likely have to endure several transfers to reach their final destination, so it is really hard to justify $6.75 given all of that. I do agree however that the fares should be the same across the board. 

Previously, issues surrounding the fares were voted on by the  board, and so regardless of how much screaming and yelling I do on conference calls about how unfair such and such change is, those things are pretty much decided on, but they will listen to us to complain to hear our feedback at least.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Calvin]

NYC. gov announced that public schools are being reopened on September 21st, Monday. School trips may return at that time. 

[Q39 to Ridgewood]

Since there is a budget crisis due to the pandemic I wouldn't think it would happen, but maybe

[trainfan22]

Well, this is one way to farebeat on the Express bus...

 

 

 

Lol at the title of this news article about this..

 

https://nypost.com/2020/09/01/bozo-hangs-onto-mta-bus-for-dear-life-as-it-speeds-down-nyc-highway/

Edited September 2, 2020 by trainfan22

[NBTA]

9 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Well, this is one way to farebeat on the Express bus...

 

 

 

Lol at the title of this news article about this..

 

https://nypost.com/2020/09/01/bozo-hangs-onto-mta-bus-for-dear-life-as-it-speeds-down-nyc-highway/

Of course it's a BxM1, he didn't wanna intervene with the Riverdale riders with his fare beating lmao

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, Q39 to Ridgewood said:

Since there is a budget crisis due to the pandemic I wouldn't think it would happen, but maybe

There is bound to be some sort of a redesign. Either a cost-neutral one, or one that involves cutting costs. 

On a side note, I just realized, looking at the QT65, the one stop proposed on 174th would actually be at Brinkerhoff, which literally means that my proposal (a shuttle across Brinkerhoff and up Sutphin to the Jamaica LIRR/subway station) would serve those exact Q42 riders the MTA is attempting to serve, and then some.

Edited September 2, 2020 by checkmatechamp13

[EastFlatbushLarry]

4 hours ago, Calvin said:

NYC. gov announced that public schools are being reopened on September 21st, Monday. School trips may return at that time. 

school trips are already built into school open paddles, so b/o's will be utilizing school closed if it applies to your depot/run until they reopen schools (I'm actually shocked they're opening them up, but that's just my opinion) 

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

There is bound to be some sort of a redesign. Either a cost-neutral one, or one that involves cutting costs.

More power to you for even bothering to figure out whatever he was referring to with that statement.....

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

Well, this is one way to farebeat on the Express bus...

 

Lol at the title of this news article about this..

https://nypost.com/2020/09/01/bozo-hangs-onto-mta-bus-for-dear-life-as-it-speeds-down-nyc-highway/

Yeah, the title of the article is pretty funny, but as for the video itself, 1] nothing in that video is moving anywhere near 70mph, and (more importantly) 2] this would be the same type of jackass that would attempt to sue the MTA too if he were to fall off the back of that bus & had (justifiably) ended up suffering injuries as a result of his goofy ass act....

[Bay Ridge Express]

57 minutes ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

(I'm actually shocked they're opening them up, but that's just my opinion) 

At least students and parents have the option.

Something tells me though, that some of them are bound to close again pretty soon...

[MTADieselBuses]

https://gyazo.com/b1be6126bfe8c1025835ef24288e9e48

Interesting to see so many buses serve a generally deserted area (excluding Matrix Park).

[NewFlyer 230]

Some of the buses out here in Queens don’t have the protective curtain for the drivers. I guess they just didn’t get around to installing them yet on every bus. 
 

The buses I’ve been on do have the white line that’s been moved back though. 

[MysteriousBtrain]

43 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Some of the buses out here in Queens don’t have the protective curtain for the drivers. I guess they just didn’t get around to installing them yet on every bus. 
 

The buses I’ve been on do have the white line that’s been moved back though. 

I believe 1042 has no barriers as well

[MTA Bus]

On 8/31/2020 at 12:25 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

That makes sense logically, but they should put that in writing.

Also, while you're at it, can you have them add a timepoint somewhere along Bruckner Blvd for the overnight BxM7, and at the Prospect Avenue station for the overnight BM2? I think that would get rid of any confusion as to whether the buses stop there. (For the BM2, I assume/hope that there is a physical bus stop pole over there showing that overnight buses stop there. I wouldn't put it past them to forget something so basic)

I've been riding the BM2 overnight and it doesn't stop at Prospect on the (R). I even had one driver take local streets after the Battery Tunnel and got on the highway where the B103 does.

[Future ENY OP]

7 minutes ago, MTA Bus said:

I've been riding the BM2 overnight and it doesn't stop at Prospect on the (R). I even had one driver take local streets after the Battery Tunnel and got on the highway where the B103 does.

That Prospect Avenue  stop is a total waste of trip. Bus should stay on the expressway and head towards Caton Avenue. 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

14 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

That Prospect Avenue  stop is a total waste of trip. Bus should stay on the expressway and head towards Caton Avenue. 

Problem is that the BM2 is the only bus in that area going Downtown, East Midtown and the "Center" of Midtown. The B63 to the B99 option exists, but the B99 doesn't go Downtown and stays on the West Side through Midtown. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Via Garibaldi 8]

22 minutes ago, MTA Bus said:

I've been riding the BM2 overnight and it doesn't stop at Prospect on the (R). I even had one driver take local streets after the Battery Tunnel and got on the highway where the B103 does.

Yes it does. I have seen them come off of the Prospect. The question is whether or not someone requests the stop. If no one does, no need to stop there. The one problem may be if all of them are stopping there for the pick-up. I do know some weren't when both the BM2 and BM3 stopped there, but now, I have not noticed that.

[MTA Bus]

I didn't even know there was a stop there. Did they add it for the overnight service or was that always there??

[checkmatechamp13]

1 minute ago, MTA Bus said:

I didn't even know there was a stop there. Did they add it for the overnight service or was that always there??

Only for the overnight service. (And daytime buses are still scheduled to bypass it)

Edited September 3, 2020 by checkmatechamp13

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 minute ago, MTA Bus said:

I didn't even know there was a stop there. Did they add it for the overnight service or was that always there??

It only stops there overnight from 1am - 5am, otherwise it takes its regular route.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Looks like the Bx99 is going back to using Artics. Makes sense, because those buses have begun to start filling up more to the point it was hard to social distance on the 40 footers.