BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[QM1to6Ave]

On 10/29/2022 at 1:47 AM, SoSpectacular said:

The operator window is also an emergency exit on some buses, simply pull the latch up and swing the window out

I learn something new every day! Kind of like when pilots open the cockpit windows on a plane, which never fails to make me do a double-take

[trainfan22]

Seriously, why do two of three buses on the B42 always bunch up on Saturday evenings? Early afternoon the buses are evenly spaced out but at least two of the buses are bunched up early evenings.

 

 

 

 

 

[Calvin]

Does Daylight savings affect service during the midnight hours? I was wondering if a route touches a certain hour that either adds 1 bonus hour or loss to it, does it continue service along the route or have a brief stop, so it matches the given time on the timetable. 

[NewFlyer 230]

It is a shame more people don’t complain about the crap service the MTA provides and has a tendency to get away with. 
It has to be a dispatching issue if the Q25 still runs like dog crap on a Sunday morning despite both Flushing and Jamaica getting bus lanes to allow bus traffic to flow more freely. Then on top of that the Q25 makes too many stops and should really have LTD service 7 days a week. 

[biGC323232]

21 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

It is a shame more people don’t complain about the crap service the MTA provides and has a tendency to get away with. 
It has to be a dispatching issue if the Q25 still runs like dog crap on a Sunday morning despite both Flushing and Jamaica getting bus lanes to allow bus traffic to flow more freely. Then on top of that the Q25 makes too many stops and should really have LTD service 7 days a week. 

Who ran that line before the takeover Queenssurface...Do you remember how they ran it...Was it better than now...???

[NewFlyer 230]

1 hour ago, biGC323232 said:

Who ran that line before the takeover Queenssurface...Do you remember how they ran it...Was it better than now...???

From what I remember from those days the Q25 ran worst than it does now. Out of the entire Queens Surface roster the Q65A now  was the most reliable route but of course the route is short. The MTA did improve the Q25 a lot after the takeover by giving the line more frequent service throughout the day, they added overnight service, LTD service and they got rid of a few stops. I think CP has some terrible dispatching because with all the improvements that were made over the years buses are still bunching up in 4’s and 5’s and it doesn’t make sense. If it’s that bad why can’t some buses start mid route somewhere? Even the Q34 with 20 minute headways during rush hours between Flushing & Jamaica manages to occasionally bunch up. How? 

 

[biGC323232]

44 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

From what I remember from those days the Q25 ran worst than it does now. Out of the entire Queens Surface roster the Q65A now  was the most reliable route but of course the route is short. The MTA did improve the Q25 a lot after the takeover by giving the line more frequent service throughout the day, they added overnight service, LTD service and they got rid of a few stops. I think CP has some terrible dispatching because with all the improvements that were made over the years buses are still bunching up in 4’s and 5’s and it doesn’t make sense. If it’s that bad why can’t some buses start mid route somewhere? Even the Q34 with 20 minute headways during rush hours between Flushing & Jamaica manages to occasionally bunch up. How? 

 

Bad Dispatching like u said...Whenever i visited queens i only used certain lines...Q111 and Q113 was mainly it which ran pretty good back then and even now...And that could be cause of short turns 

[Lawrence St]

Are the Bx23 runs interlined with the Q50?

[Santana04]

9 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Are the Bx23 runs interlined with the Q50?

Yes they interline  some of the runs

[Mpn4179]

Two things:

1. Bx27

Effective November 7, (although they started a day earlier)

The Bx27 last and first stops at West Farms Road has been relocated back to their original locations (where the current Bx4A ends and begins).

The end stop at West Farms Rd/Hoe Av (before the light) and the first stop on Hoe Ave/Westchester Ave is discontinued. This change is reflected on BusTime.

And for those that weren’t aware,

2. M125

Effective September 19,

The M125 first stop has now been relocated from Bergen Av/Westchester Av (current Bx4 bus stop) to 3 Av/E 150th St (where the Bx15 LCL/LTD ends).

New routing is as follows:

Left on Westchester Ave, left on 3 Avenue, left on E 146th St, right on Willis Ave.

This change is NOT reflected on BusTime, although there is an advisory letting passengers know of the first stop change. Buses will disappear from the screen until the bus gets close to Willis Ave/East 145th Street, as BusTime is still under the old routing.

Old routing:

Right on Westchester Ave, right on Brook Ave, right on East 145th St, left on Willis Ave.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Mpn4179
Highlighting the NOT in bold.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, Mpn4179 said:

Two things:

1. Bx27

Effective November 7, (although they started a day earlier)

The Bx27 last and first stops at West Farms Road has been relocated back to their original locations (where the current Bx4A ends and begins).

The end stop at West Farms Rd/Hoe Av (before the light) and the first stop on Hoe Ave/Westchester Ave is discontinued. This change is reflected on BusTime.

And for those that weren’t aware,

2. M125

Effective September 19,

The M125 first stop has now been relocated from Bergen Av/Westchester Av (current Bx4 bus stop) to 3 Av/E 150th St (where the Bx15 LCL/LTD ends).

New routing is as follows:

Left on Westchester Ave, left on 3 Avenue, left on E 146th St, right on Willis Ave.

This change is NOT reflected on BusTime, although there is an advisory letting passengers know of the first stop change. Buses will disappear from the screen until the bus gets close to Willis Ave/East 145th Street, as BusTime is still under the old routing.

Old routing:

Right on Westchester Ave, right on Brook Ave, right on East 145th St, left on Willis Ave.

Those changes won't be reflected on BusTime because it takes time for them to update it, so they'll get around to it eventually.  They don't have someone on hand to do those things immediately.

[Mpn4179]

51 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Those changes won't be reflected on BusTime because it takes time for them to update it, so they'll get around to it eventually.  They don't have someone on hand to do those things immediately.

They reflected the change on the Bx27, but not on the M125. Sometimes they do it immediately, other times they don’t and will get updated eventually. You’re right about that.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, Mpn4179 said:

They reflected the change on the Bx27, but not on the M125. Sometimes they do it immediately, other times they don’t and will get updated eventually. You’re right about that.

If they already did the Bx27, then that request was put in to have it done immediately. They use an outside vendor to update BusTime, so I would check up on the M125. If it isn't done in say a month, I would hound Customer Service to forward your request.

[Mpn4179]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

If they already did the Bx27, then that request was put in to have it done immediately. They use an outside vendor to update BusTime, so I would check up on the M125. If it isn't done in say a month, I would hound Customer Service to forward your request.

Okay. Great. Thank you for your response. I very much appreciate your feedback. I sincerely do.

But, here’s the thing: I wasn’t asking any questions or making any inquiries regarding BusTime or why one route reflected the change and not the other.

I was just stating and letting people know about the bus stop changes on both Bx27 & M125 routes and clarifying how they are appearing on BusTime.

If my post appeared to look like I was inquiring or asking a question, then my apologies. It was not my intention to make you or anyone else here to perceive my post as an inquiry.

I do hope your feedback does help someone else who did have an inquiry regarding BusTime.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Mpn4179

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, Mpn4179 said:

Okay. Great. Thank you for your response. I very much appreciate your feedback. I sincerely do.

But, here’s the thing: I wasn’t asking any questions or making any inquiries regarding BusTime or why one route reflected the change and not the other.

I was just stating and letting people know about the bus stop changes on both Bx27 & M125 routes and clarifying how they are appearing on BusTime.

If my post appeared to look like I was inquiring or asking a question, then my apologies. It was not my intention to make you or anyone else here to perceive my post as an inquiry.

I do hope your feedback does help someone else who did have an inquiry regarding BusTime.

Yeah, that's why I thought you posted it...

[QM1to6Ave]

On 11/7/2022 at 11:04 AM, NewFlyer 230 said:

From what I remember from those days the Q25 ran worst than it does now. Out of the entire Queens Surface roster the Q65A now  was the most reliable route but of course the route is short. The MTA did improve the Q25 a lot after the takeover by giving the line more frequent service throughout the day, they added overnight service, LTD service and they got rid of a few stops. I think CP has some terrible dispatching because with all the improvements that were made over the years buses are still bunching up in 4’s and 5’s and it doesn’t make sense. If it’s that bad why can’t some buses start mid route somewhere? Even the Q34 with 20 minute headways during rush hours between Flushing & Jamaica manages to occasionally bunch up. How? 

 

Yup, the bunching on those lines at all times of day and night is crazy, and it isn't due to trafffic or heavy passenger loads at most of those times. I think the BOs play games and purposely bunch up. 

[trainfan22]

Today I walked from Gun Hill Road station to Gun Hill Road station... not ONE w/b Bx28 or 38 passed me while I walked that distance. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

59 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Today I walked from Gun Hill Road station to Gun Hill Road station... not ONE w/b Bx28 or 38 passed me while I walked that distance. 

How long of a walk is that? So much for the redesign of the Bronx local buses...

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

40 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

How long of a walk is that? So much for the redesign of the Bronx local buses...

Those two routes saw minimal changes when the redesign launched in June, so I would’t place blame on the bronx redesign. If anything, that sounds like a habitual problem on the Gun Hill Road routes. The walk itself is around a mile (20-25 minutes).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

15 minutes ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

Those two routes saw minimal changes when the redesign launched in June, so I would’t place blame on the bronx redesign. If anything, that sounds like a habitual problem on the Gun Hill Road routes. The walk itself is around a mile (20-25 minutes).

Yeah, but that was precisely the point of the redesign... To improve the local bus lines and make them more reliable and correct "habitual problems"...

Edited November 15, 2022 by Via Garibaldi 8

[trainfan22]

50 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

How long of a walk is that? So much for the redesign of the Bronx local buses...

A mile and a half (takes about an half hour to walk).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

A mile and a half (takes about an half hour to walk).

I checked out the schedules to see how frequent the two lines are.  They're supposedly frequent.... That's pretty pathetic to have no buses when there are two bus lines operating along a major corridor. It also means that there is little to no dispatching going on.

Edited November 15, 2022 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

2 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I checked out the schedules to see how frequent the two lines are.  They're supposedly frequent.... That's pretty pathetic to have no buses when there are two bus lines operating along a major corridor. It also means that there is little to no dispatching going on.

The schedule during the pm rush has the buses arriving every 5-8 minutes if you combine both route frequencies. I do think this is bad dispatching as I can’t think of where the chokepoints for those routes are along Gun Hill Road. I’ve seen a similar problem with Bx3 buses during the midday and rush hours where there are 30-40 minute gaps in service. Only during the past few weeks has the route now seen dispatchers active at the terminals to see what is going on.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 minutes ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

The schedule during the pm rush has the buses arriving every 5-8 minutes if you combine both route frequencies. I do think this is bad dispatching as I can’t think of where the chokepoints for those routes are along Gun Hill Road. I’ve seen a similar problem with Bx3 buses during the midday and rush hours where there are 30-40 minute gaps in service. Only during the past few weeks has the route now seen dispatchers active at the terminals to see what is going on.

I think part of the problem was they sampled some riders on some lines and called the redesign a raving success and thought that was it.  

[NBTA]

2 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

The schedule during the pm rush has the buses arriving every 5-8 minutes if you combine both route frequencies. I do think this is bad dispatching as I can’t think of where the chokepoints for those routes are along Gun Hill Road. I’ve seen a similar problem with Bx3 buses during the midday and rush hours where there are 30-40 minute gaps in service. Only during the past few weeks has the route now seen dispatchers active at the terminals to see what is going on.

The 3 is horrible when it comes to bunching..but the 28/38 issue, is due to Bainbridge and the hospital. It can get real bunch heavy over there.