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BUS - Random Thoughts Thread


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26 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

MTA Twitter doesn't even listen to their customers, they actually had the audacity to call out a fan who was trying to tell them a tracker on a bus was malfunctioning.

And I believe we had this discussion before regarding some of the employees having unprofessional attitudes on Twitter a few months back on this fourm.

I have met several of the Customer Service reps. in person, so most of them know me when I Tweet or know of me. Word gets out and despite what people may think, there aren't that many folks behind the scenes. There isn't some huge tech team for example that can just fix BusTime issues. We had a small meeting (Sarah Meyer sent them I guess) and we chatted for a bit (about three of them came and I had two of the planners there - this was when we were discussing the Bronx Redesign circa 2019). There are two or three of them that are cool and help me a lot. The ones that don't know me can be curt and are curt in general. If you get one that is rude, I would fire back another Tweet. I'm always courteous, but get my point across. Some of them think they're just supposed to provide basic info and that's it. 

One thing to consider though, there are a few of them that really do try and care. The info they post about detours, and so on for example is sent to them from the various depots, so they get everything in bits and pieces, which is why for example, if several bus routes run down the same corridor, they may not post about all of them if several depots are involved. I've had a discussion about the need to provide more accurate info in another meeting that didn't involve them. It really should be much better. It's just too chaotic. I do like the maps they created for detours though. That was thought up and designed by one of the Customer Service reps.

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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Thinking about BusTime, when it first came out, I used to actually communicate with the Tech geeks that created it (it was done pro-bono just like the live Subway map we have). I would ask them to correct this or that (misspelling or something small), ask questions about this or that. They were pretty cool, but once the major kinks were worked out, that was it. I don't know who actually updates it now, but whatever issues exist, they are noted and sent to the vendor who addresses it, which is why it takes a while. Now they do have someone who can fix the electronic schedules. I know because I've e-mailed a contact about correcting this or that and they've done that quickly, but BusTime is not set up with in house staff to address issues. 

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I have met several of the Customer Service reps. in person, so most of them know me when I Tweet or know of me. Word gets out and despite what people may think, there aren't that many folks behind the scenes. There isn't some huge tech team for example that can just fix BusTime issues. We had a small meeting (Sarah Meyer sent them I guess) and we chatted for a bit (about three of them came and I had two of the planners there - this was when we were discussing the Bronx Redesign circa 2019). There are two or three of them that are cool and help me a lot. The ones that don't know me can be curt and are curt in general. If you get one that is rude, I would fire back another Tweet. I'm always courteous, but get my point across. Some of them think they're just supposed to provide basic info and that's it. 

One thing to consider though, there are a few of them that really do try and care. The info they post about detours, and so on for example is sent to them from the various depots, so they get everything in bits and pieces, which is why for example, if several bus routes run down the same corridor, they may not post about all of them if several depots are involved. I've had a discussion about the need to provide more accurate info in another meeting that didn't involve them. It really should be much better. It's just too chaotic. I do like the maps they created for detours though. That was thought up and designed by one of the Customer Service reps.

While I do agree with you that some of them try to help, it's inexcusable that they can find the time to respectfully reply to the kid who always tweets them about the R179's, but rudely calls out a regular commuter who's trying to report a tracking issue.

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42 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

While I do agree with you that some of them try to help, it's inexcusable that they can find the time to respectfully reply to the kid who always tweets them about the R179's, but rudely calls out a regular commuter who's trying to report a tracking issue.

LOL There's one subway rider that is downright abusive. I can't recall if they respond or not, but she is probably one of the most abusive riders I've seen on Twitter. It can be stressful, that's for sure. They also have to deal with other angry commuters. The big wigs get a pass on all of that since some of them aren't on Twitter.

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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19 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

While I do agree with you that some of them try to help, it's inexcusable that they can find the time to respectfully reply to the kid who always tweets them about the R179's, but rudely calls out a regular commuter who's trying to report a tracking issue.

19 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

LOL There's one subway rider that is downright abusive. I can't recall if they respond or not, but she is probably one of the most abusive riders I've seen on Twitter. It can be stressful, that's for sure. They also have to deal with other angry commuters. The big wigs get a pass on all of that since some of them aren't on Twitter.

So much for "if you see something, say something"....

 

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19 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

I'm waiting for the day I see 100+ people show on the passenger counter for an SBS artic. 

An S79 got 56 people on board right now. 

yeah, speaking of 50 people, the Q55 was a MESS this weekend. Overcrowded buses and long waits. Took an hour for a bus to arrive only to be packed with people

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I decided to take the B2 from Kings Plaza today. While there weren't that many people on the bus, it carried more than I was expecting.

I think it was the 10:38 trip to Kings Highway, but I'm not entirely sure. That said, I can definitely say which bus did the trip (7656).

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5 hours ago, SevenEleven said:

Yeah, all the Amazon extras. There's only one S90 before 530am and that's the 405 out. Then from 545 on, it's all S90s from Amazon till end of rush. 

Ahh thanks, I saw the large gap in the schedule, they should make those extras permanent. I also wish they can incorporate some of those "Amazon Only" 90 buses into the schedule. That is soo clutch making one stop from the ferry to Amazon. 

 

I hope that North Shore BRT service comes into play by 2023. 

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I don't know why, but for some reason, while I was on the B103 earlier, I imagined having the B35 split into a 39th Street branch and a 13th/14th Avenues branch so the B16 can serve more of Fort Hamilton Parkway. The former would retain its name and be local-only while the latter would be renamed (the first thought was B55) and provide limited-stop service along the entire concurrency, though I hadn't exactly worked out a suitable terminus.

I wouldn't expect this to work, if I'm being honest, especially since I'm not sure if I've ever actually used the B16 in the first place.

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3 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

Ahh thanks, I saw the large gap in the schedule, they should make those extras permanent. I also wish they can incorporate some of those "Amazon Only" 90 buses into the schedule. That is soo clutch making one stop from the ferry to Amazon. 

Hold up? There's Amazon-only S90s?

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3 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Hold up? There's Amazon-only S90s?

Yeah, this was before the pandemic. I'm not sure if they're still doing it now with COVID. I remember waiting for the S90 a few times and a dispatcher would be at the door announcing "Amazon only, this bus is only stopping at Amazon". This is when there's two S90s scheduled to leave the ferry at the same time and around the start of the PM Amazon shift schedule. 

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16 minutes ago, ParkerTheM7 said:

Why do the BxM6-10 run along 2nd avenue to 86th Street? This happens very consistently and if they keep on taking this route, why don’t permanently reroute it this way?

That was the original route at one point. Might as well make it permanent since the bus lane is what they use most times.

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3 hours ago, ParkerTheM7 said:

Why do the BxM6-10 run along 2nd avenue to 86th Street? This happens very consistently and if they keep on taking this route, why don’t permanently reroute it this way?

The Mount Sinai corridor has very poor traffic circulation between 102nd Street and 98th Street, which backs up 5th Avenue from 96th all the way to 110th during the week. The BxM6/7/8/9/10 run nonstop from 125th to 96th so they're not going to get stuck in that mess if they don't need to, especially if their first stop in Manhattan is along 2nd Avenue anyway. The full time bus lane on 2nd Avenue really helps too; and since the M15 has more SBS than local service, the bus lane really moves nicely. The one on 5th has those slow as molasses M1/2/3/4 buses on them.

The BxM1 stays on 2nd Avenue till 96th Street a lot too, especially when they use the Harlem River Drive. Hell, one time I was on a BxM4 that used Park Avenue from 124th to 96th just to avoid that mess. I think only the BxM2 is obligated to go down that way since there's a stop right on 98th...

Edited by paulrivera
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3 hours ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

That was the original route at one point. Might as well make it permanent since the bus lane is what they use most times.

See below...

3 hours ago, ParkerTheM7 said:

I see, that makes sense. They should make it permanent.

See below...

27 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

The Mount Sinai corridor has very poor traffic circulation between 102nd Street and 98th Street, which backs up 5th Avenue from 96th all the way to 110th during the week. The BxM6/7/8/9/10 run nonstop from 125th to 96th so they're not going to get stuck in that mess if they don't need to, especially if their first stop in Manhattan is along 2nd Avenue anyway. The full time bus lane on 2nd Avenue really helps too; and since the M15 has more SBS than local service, the bus lane really moves nicely. The one on 5th has those slow as molasses M1/2/3/4 buses on them.

The BxM1 stays on 2nd Avenue till 96th Street a lot too, especially when they use the Harlem River Drive. Hell, one time I was on a BxM4 that used Park Avenue from 124th to 96th just to avoid that mess. I think only the BxM2 is obligated to go down that way since there's a stop right on 98th...

Bronx dispatch knows all of the issues that plague service, so they will move the buses around here and there. 2nd Avenue can be just as congested as 5th, despite the bus lane. In fact it was very bad for a long time until recently, perhaps because of the SAS construction. Now 5th has been bad, but some of that is also because of the bus lane abusers who clog up the lane well before they should be parking in it. I have been talking with the DOT about a long-term plan for 5th Av from 110th down. For now the BxMs run down 2nd where it makes sense, including the BxM2 in some cases, which will sometimes have the 98th and 5th stop made at 96th and 5th instead.

I expect that when traffic really picks up again, 2nd Av may not move as well as it has been, especially if traffic on Lex is really backed up. People will shift over to 2nd. Believe me, every route that is possible has been taken by the BxMs over the years Southbound... 2nd, 5th... When 5th is moving well, they will shift the BxMs back to 116th and over to 5th. There is no official route per se, despite what the maps say. It's what dispatch deems needed at the time to keep service moving.

Drivers have flexibility to go various ways, including down Park, which I don't find fast, but some drivers take that too.

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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58 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Your joking? Pics?

I know that stop that he's talking about, and yeah, it has Bee-Line logos. I think I may have shot a picture of it several years back (pre-covid), but I would have to check if I have them. IDK why that stop in particular has that shelter. 

Edited by BM5 via Woodhaven
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