BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[paulrivera]

3 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

There's a 40 foot LFS on the BX41 local, never seen that happen outside of snowstorms.

 

Theres a bunch of 40 Footers on the BX12 local which is common, even one NG! 

 

 

There's also two C40s on the BX39.

The missing artics might be on the  shuttle.

[checkmatechamp13]

@BM5 via Woodhaven Fall Pick schedules are now out.

[TomaszSBklyn]

On 9/3/2021 at 6:39 PM, Snorunts said:

Why would they retire a bus just bc it breaks down?

What you are saying makes perfect sense. However, there were posts informing about buses being retired following major breakdowns or accidents, not to mention fire. Based on my limited knowledge, it sounds (based on the video) that the 5881 has a blown transmission.

[Lawrence St]

I rode the B63 yesterday out of boredom, and wow, the hawk on the B63 only gets 1 passenger for the entire trip between DUMBO & Shore Road. Is overnight service really needed on this bus?

[Iron Valiant]

4 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

I rode the B63 yesterday out of boredom, and wow, the hawk on the B63 only gets 1 passenger for the entire trip between DUMBO & Shore Road. Is overnight service really needed on this bus?

Yes. Overnight service on the B63 is crucial. Keep in mind that yesterday was Saturday.

[trainfan22]

26 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

I rode the B63 yesterday out of boredom, and wow, the hawk on the B63 only gets 1 passenger for the entire trip between DUMBO & Shore Road. Is overnight service really needed on this bus?

I can understand the importance of buses that parallel subway lines cause of senior citizens, ADA passengers, etc. What I don't understand is having a bus that parallels the subway outright having a hawk... seniors and ADA aren't travelling in the wee hours of the morning. Like 95 percent of the B63 is within walking distance of the train. 

 

 

[Lawrence St]

Just now, trainfan22 said:

I can understand the importance of buses that parallel subway lines cause of senior citizens, ADA passengers, etc. What I don't understand is having a bus that parallels the subway outright having a hawk... seniors and ADA aren't travelling in the wee hours of the morning. Like 95 percent of the B63 is within walking distance of the train. 

 

 

Exactly my point. In my redesign, anything that parallels the subway no longer has overnight service, with the exception of certain routes that connected non-ADA stations with ADA ones.

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

4 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

I can understand the importance of buses that parallel subway lines cause of senior citizens, ADA passengers, etc. What I don't understand is having a bus that parallels the subway outright having a hawk... seniors and ADA aren't travelling in the wee hours of the morning. Like 95 percent of the B63 is within walking distance of the train. 

 

 

Only problem there is that most of the stations on the are not ADA accessible in Brooklyn (Only 3 are accessible along 4th Ave not counting DeKalb Ave & Jay Street which are not close to B63 service), which can frustrate any elderly or disabled person that needs overnight service. Its easy to assume that they don't use overnight services, which may or may not be the case.

[Iron Valiant]

Not everyone can or wants to ride the subway late at night. Not all stations are wheelchair or ADA accessible. Even so, buses sometimes cover more areas than the subway and who would want to ride the subway late at night anyway? People have to keep all this in consideration.

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

I rode the B63 yesterday out of boredom, and wow, the hawk on the B63 only gets 1 passenger for the entire trip between DUMBO & Shore Road. Is overnight service really needed on this bus?

I have been on overnight B63's that were straight packed (and this would be me boarding the thing at 39th, after having came off the B35).... Should be is a matter of opinion, but this idea that the B63 & the 4th av. line are, or tend to be used more interchangeably is simply not the case.... For starters, regardless of the time of day, walking that slope b/w 4th & 5th is a MF-er...

8 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

Not everyone can or wants to ride the subway late at night. Not all stations are wheelchair or ADA accessible. Even so, buses sometimes cover more areas than the subway and who would want to ride the subway late at night anyway? People have to keep all this in consideration.

...and that is why you'll never catch me deliberately calling for the extinction of bus routes that directly run along, or parallel from a block away or so, subway service, just because **train > bus**.

Edited September 5, 2021 by B35 via Church

[Lex]

14 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

I have been on overnight B63's that were straight packed (and this would be me boarding the thing at 39th, after having came off the B35).... Should be is a matter of opinion, but this idea that the B63 & the 4th av. line are, or tend to be used more interchangeably is simply not the case.... For starters, regardless of the time of day, walking that slope b/w 4th & 5th is a MF-er...

...and that is why you'll never catch me deliberately calling for the extinction of bus routes that directly run along, or parallel from a block away or so, subway service, just because **train > bus**.

The most I can imagine is the  going and the B63 returning precisely because of the slope (had it been flatter, we'd probably see an appreciable amount of interchangeability seen with routes like the B25 and B41/B103).

[B35 via Church]

7 minutes ago, Lex said:

The most I can imagine is the  going and the B63 returning precisely because of the slope (had it been flatter, we'd probably see an appreciable amount of interchangeability seen with routes like the B25 and B41/B103).

I mean, it's one thing to discontinue those "99" routes because the subways are back fully operational overnights... It's another to want to get rid of 7-day a week bus routes that see pretty damn good usage, that happen to run along a subway route...

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

1 hour ago, Snorunts said:

Yes. Overnight service on the B63 is crucial. Keep in mind that yesterday was Saturday.

Not only that, but he's basing his decision on one trip as well. Like you can't just ride the bus once and think you have an idea how useful it is.

Even if that trip regularly gets only one person, that's just the nature of some trips, and that's okay. Either the previous or subsequent trips may carry a lot more people, and the savings from DHing would be virtually nothing. 

35 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

I have been on overnight B63's that were straight packed (and this would be me boarding the thing at 39th, after having came off the B35).... Should be is a matter of opinion, but this idea that the B63 & the 4th av. line are, or tend to be used more interchangeably is simply not the case.... For starters, regardless of the time of day, walking that slope b/w 4th & 5th is a MF-er...

I was about to say the same thing when I saw his (Lawrence St's) post initially. I've used the B63 overnight as well and I can attest to that as well. Ive been on buses which pick up on Atlantic, and then has decent loads into Sunset Park (where there's more activity). 

[B35 via Church]

26 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

I was about to say the same thing when I saw his (Lawrence St's) post initially. I've used the B63 overnight as well and I can attest to that as well. Ive been on buses which pick up on Atlantic, and then has decent loads into Sunset Park (where there's more activity). 

That's usually how it goes... From its NB terminal, it's stragglers along Atlantic, short of 4th... Folks start boarding at that 4th/Atlantic stop... More stragglers b/w it & (what I guess you can call) South Slope... Then from the 30's on down (like you said), patronage picks up.... When I would take the overnight B63, I would look forward to that (unofficial, or close enough to a) nonstop portion b/w Sunset Park & Atlantic av... Bonus points if the b/o that night was a good old fashioned leadfoot

Edited September 5, 2021 by B35 via Church

[Calvin]

So, today. While going to Orchard Beach (with friends), I didn't notice that the Bx12 still makes trips to and from the beach terminal. Saves a lot of time by using the Bx12-SBS to transfer to the Bx29 and to walk from there. Boarded at White Plains RD and Pelham Pkwy, thinking that the Bx12 is to and from Pelham Bay this labor day weekend. 

[Lawrence St]

2 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Not only that, but he's basing his decision on one trip as well. Like you can't just ride the bus once and think you have an idea how useful it is.

Even if that trip regularly gets only one person, that's just the nature of some trips, and that's okay. Either the previous or subsequent trips may carry a lot more people, and the savings from DHing would be virtually nothing. 

I was about to say the same thing when I saw his (Lawrence St's) post initially. I've used the B63 overnight as well and I can attest to that as well. Ive been on buses which pick up on Atlantic, and then has decent loads into Sunset Park (where there's more activity). 

I was referring to weekend overnight service. I've taken the B63 overnight for the past 2 weekends for a consultation trip and I was the only person on the bus, along with someone else who got on for only 2 stops.

[Jdog14]

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I was referring to weekend overnight service. I've taken the B63 overnight for the past 2 weekends for a consultation trip and I was the only person on the bus, along with someone else who got on for only 2 stops.

 

I wouldn't be too quick to ax the B63 overnight since that is the only N/S (or w/e it would be considered as ) route for many of the places it serves at that hour. 

[SoSpectacular]

6 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I have been on overnight B63's that were straight packed (and this would be me boarding the thing at 39th, after having came off the B35).... Should be is a matter of opinion, but this idea that the B63 & the 4th av. line are, or tend to be used more interchangeably is simply not the case.... For starters, regardless of the time of day, walking that slope b/w 4th & 5th is a MF-er...

This was a common complaint I heard from people who wanted to ride the B63 on Saturdays when Open Streets are in effect. Most don't even bother with the bus because of that and I barely picked up any people along the detoured portion.

[trainfan22]

18 hours ago, Calvin said:

So, today. While going to Orchard Beach (with friends), I didn't notice that the Bx12 still makes trips to and from the beach terminal. Saves a lot of time by using the Bx12-SBS to transfer to the Bx29 and to walk from there. Boarded at White Plains RD and Pelham Pkwy, thinking that the Bx12 is to and from Pelham Bay this labor day weekend. 

Whats crazy is that is theres no BX12s servicing Orchard Beach today, the unofficial last day of summer smh lol.

 

The BX12 local are all ending at Pelham Bay, I assume they have shuttles serving the beach..

Edited September 6, 2021 by trainfan22

[Transit Enthusiast]

If I'm not mistaken, today is the last day that Q22 and Q35 buses serve Jacob Riis Park (Labor Day).

[paulrivera]

28 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Whats crazy is that is theres no BX12s servicing Orchard Beach today, the unofficial last day of summer smh lol.

 

The BX12 local are all ending at Pelham Bay, I assume they have shuttles serving the beach..

Fall pick started yesterday, and it's ToO eXpEnSiVe to write up a supplement schedule just for one route.

I don't even know why the fall pick started this week and not next week. Public schools don't open until the 13th and the beach is supposed to be open until the 12th.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

The D train shuttle bus between Bay 50th Street and Coney Island that's set to start later this month is now trackable on bustime as route D99. 

Edited September 6, 2021 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[DetSMART45]

23 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Not only that, but he's basing his decision on one trip as well. Like you can't just ride the bus once and think you have an idea how useful it is.

Even if that trip regularly gets only one person, that's just the nature of some trips,  

Exactly right. 
Too many people who *DON’T* ride will be the first to say “I saw xxx bus at xxx at this time and there was no one on it so why are they running it. “

I ride the first bus of the day and 96% of the time I’m the only one on it for the first half of the route. BUT that other 4% could mean multiple customers could be on and I’m technically at the third stop. I’ve gotten on and, on one of the “busier” days, there were TEN PEOPLE on — where they came from at 4:30 am I don’t know — but that kind of thing happens. But the next day, I’m back to being by myself. 
Just because a subway runs nearby doesn’t mean “everyone” will be on it. Local buses drop off and pick up where subways don’t. Plus overnight safety does play into it. 
And, of course, if the subway craps out, people know the local bus can get them around. 

[SoSpectacular]

3 hours ago, paulrivera said:

Fall pick started yesterday, and it's ToO eXpEnSiVe to write up a supplement schedule just for one route.

I don't even know why the fall pick started this week and not next week. Public schools don't open until the 13th and the beach is supposed to be open until the 12th.

Fall pick has always started just before Labor Day to line up with the school schedule, which is starting unusually late this year but we'll see how things work out considering the pandemic.

[checkmatechamp13]

18 hours ago, SoSpectacular said:

This was a common complaint I heard from people who wanted to ride the B63 on Saturdays when Open Streets are in effect. Most don't even bother with the bus because of that and I barely picked up any people along the detoured portion.

Open Streets should be banned on corridors where there's bus routes. (But honestly, most of the people pushing for these things don't even know where the bus routes run...one was pushing for a two-way bike lane on Narrows Road North and I asked what about the buses along Narrows Road North that would get caught in traffic? She responded "There's bus routes on Narrows Road North?")

They get so caught up in their agenda of being anti-car, and everyone riding bicycles that they forget about anything else...They got the speed limit on Hylan Blvd lowered to 30 mph, but there's still no sidewalk on the area by Arbutus Woods Park or Blue Heron Park (and barely one by Wolfe's Pond Park).