BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Q43LTD]

There's only 2 shuttles...one down Manhattan, the other down McGuinness. The McGuinness one ends at Lorimer by the

[Cait Sith]

Carlton Yard.

 

http://gallery.bustalk.info/displayimage.php?album=50&pos=1

 

 

 

It was used in that storage/retired bus capacity.

 

http://talk.nycsubway.org/perl/read?bustalk=99868

 

Thanks. I remember peering down into that yard while in Metro Mall lol.

[Calvin]

The Bx15 is both a standard bus and articulated route, if I'm not mistaken and the Bx19 as an articulated route?

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

The Bx15 is both a standard bus and articulated route, if I'm not mistaken and the Bx19 as an articulated route?

Both of them use whatever West Farms has available for use no matter if its a CNG or artic. Most days its 80% artic with a good chunk of CNG's running. Same goes for whenever KB does the Bx15 local if they put any O5's or NG's. Edited August 25, 2014 by Kingsbridgeviewer382

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Why can't Kingsbridge lose or split a route if they have such a shortage of 40 footers? They should also expand that depot or more vacant space nearby.  There is a ton of space available nearby on Broadway that they could use if they're overcapacity.  I've been wondering about that for a while. Probably another reason why service is poor on some lines. 

Edited August 25, 2014 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Q43 Floral Park]

Why can't Kingsbridge lose or split a route if they have such a shortage of 40 footers? They should also expand that depot or more vacant space nearby.  There is a ton of space available nearby on Broadway that they could use if they're overcapacity.  I've been wondering about that for a while. Probably another reason why service is poor on some lines. 

 

The Bx18 is being split with GH next week however I don't see that lasting too long. The deadhead to/from the depot is way too long and there isn't a single 40 ft GH route that ends in the area. The minute that service gets spotty, riders will start complaining like when it had a KB/WF split. Splitting or losing routes, will cause a loss of 40 ft buses ultimately. 

 

When you say a ton of space on Broadway do you mean on-street parking? Otherwise, there aren't any vacant lots in the area that could be used for expansion. They have the annex lot at the end of 215 Street but it's not that big. 

 

Also there's a difference between having a bus shortage and being at max capacity. There were times when 290-310 buses ran out the depot and it was fine, so give them Novas when they come in and hold on to a couple 6x00s for service increases. I'm sure there will be a massive route shuffle come jan when MCH reopens, I just hope they get the Bx32 back. 

 

 If you think the KB service is bad now, be thankful you weren't around when the ex-CAS 95s tried to take on those hills and lost miserably or the 8800s that would kneel and never get back up.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The Bx18 is being split with GH next week however I don't see that lasting too long. The deadhead to/from the depot is way too long and there isn't a single 40 ft GH route that ends in the area. The minute that service gets spotty, riders will start complaining like when it had a KB/WF split. Splitting or losing routes, will cause a loss of 40 ft buses ultimately. 

 

When you say a ton of space on Broadway do you mean on-street parking? Otherwise, there aren't any vacant lots in the area that could be used for expansion. They have the annex lot at the end of 215 Street but it's not that big. 

 

Also there's a difference between having a bus shortage and being at max capacity. There were times when 290-310 buses ran out the depot and it was fine, so give them Novas when they come in and hold on to a couple 6x00s for service increases. I'm sure there will be a massive route shuffle come jan when MCH reopens, I just hope they get the Bx32 back. 

 

 If you think the KB service is bad now, be thankful you weren't around when the ex-CAS 95s tried to take on those hills and lost miserably or the 8800s that would kneel and never get back up.

No, I'm talking about those vacant store fronts or whatever those are along Broadway right near NewYork-Presbyterian.. They should try to get that property and use it for parking or something.  They have street parking but that isn't much.

[NYSubwayBuff]

Wow today is the first time im riding a bus thos month..

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Wow today is the first time im riding a bus thos month..

lol... And meanwhile I've been riding the express bus just about every day and not using much of anything else... No subway for me in a while... 

[MHV9218]

JFK RTSes were out in force today. I hadn't seen one in months if not years, saw four in one day. 

[GojiMet86]

JFK RTSes were out in force today. I hadn't seen one in months if not years, saw four in one day. 

 

I headed over to the Rockaways and Woodhaven for those RTS about 2 weeks ago. #8975, #8992, #9012, #9020, #9077, #9214, #9159, #9161, #9271, were all out on August 7 on the Q11, Q21, Q22, Q35, and the Q52. What I've noticed is that those RTS tend to stick to the former Far Rockaway lines, not so much the actual JFK routes.

[MHV9218]

I headed over to the Rockaways and Woodhaven for those RTS about 2 weeks ago. #8975, #8992, #9012, #9020, #9077, #9214, #9159, #9161, #9271, were all out on August 7 on the Q11, Q21, Q22, Q35, and the Q52. What I've noticed is that those RTS tend to stick to the former Far Rockaway lines, not so much the actual JFK routes.

 

Yeah, there are definitely more on the Far Rock lines. 9077 in particular I have never seen venture beyond FR. The Q35 and Q22 have RTSes every day. That's why today was interesting, as I saw RTSes on the 6, the 9, the 41, and the 60.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

You'll catch some on the Q52. There's at lest one every day of the week (except for Sundays).

[GojiMet86]

An RTS on the Q10 is much rarer, for the last week or so I haven't seen many Orions on it.

[SevenEleven]

JFK RTSes were out in force today. I hadn't seen one in months if not years, saw four in one day.

Saw 9271 earlier. It feels strange when you see 9273 two seconds later.

[Calvin]

Saw 9271 earlier. It feels strange when you see 9273 two seconds later.

that 9271 is out most of the time, even on the Q35 with 20 in the depot

[Culver]

So I saw a weird thing on B6 bus time today. And by weird I mean BusTime was showing me the progress of a bus that...was not there. It wasn't the app (I tried 2 apps) not refreshing since all other buses were showing up and updating fine, but this one "bus" (damn it I didn't catch #) apparently drove by...but wasn't actually there physically. The hell kind of glitch is that? I've heard of ghost trains showing up on BART or WMATA signal systems from moisture in the air, but damn if I've ever seen a ghost GPS signal show up. Unless somebody from the depot was trolling and put the transponder in a car, I don't get what happened there.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

So I saw a weird thing on B6 bus time today. And by weird I mean BusTime was showing me the progress of a bus that...was not there. It wasn't the app (I tried 2 apps) not refreshing since all other buses were showing up and updating fine, but this one "bus" (damn it I didn't catch #) apparently drove by...but wasn't actually there physically. The hell kind of glitch is that? I've heard of ghost trains showing up on BART or WMATA signal systems from moisture in the air, but damn if I've ever seen a ghost GPS signal show up. Unless somebody from the depot was trolling and put the transponder in a car, I don't get what happened there.

It can and does happen on occasion.... I've also seen cases in which two buses are showing running together when in fact there is only one.  A few weeks ago, something funny happened coming home on the BxM2.  I'm waiting for the bus and tracking it on BusTime and I see not one but TWO BxM2's going to Riverdale.  At first I thought it was a glitch, so I sat and continued to track both of them using the desktop version while waiting at the bus stop. One bus sped up and the other one stayed behind.  Sure enough both of them were in service.  It so happened that one guy was the 22:30 and the other guy was the 23:00 and left at 22:30 by mistake.  When he realized this, he had us get off of his bus and on to the other bus, and then he went out of service and back down to 34th street.  I thought that perhaps one guy was really late, but considering the time and the fact that neither bus was packed, I figured something was up.  I don't think I've ever seen that happen before, but it was rather funny.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Culver]

It can and does happen on occasion.... I've also seen cases in which two buses are showing running together when in fact there is only one.  A few weeks ago, something funny happened coming home on the BxM2.  I'm waiting for the bus and tracking it on BusTime and I see not one but TWO BxM2's going to Riverdale.  At first I thought it was a glitch, so I sat and continued to track both of them using the desktop version while waiting at the bus stop. One bus sped up and the other one stayed behind.  Sure enough both of them were in service.  It so happened that one guy was the 22:30 and the other guy was the 23:00 and left at 22:30 by mistake.  When he realized this, he had us get off of his bus and on to the other bus, and then he went out of service and back down to 34th street.  I thought that perhaps one guy was really late, but considering the time and the fact that neither bus was packed, I figured something was up.  I don't think I've ever seen that happen before, but it was rather funny.

 

Daylight savings time can be a bitch.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Daylight savings time can be a bitch.

The other thing that these devices can't tell is the actual direction that a bus is going.  For example, the Northbound BxM2's have been detouring from the 79th street Transverse and heading up to Central Park West and 86th street.  Once they reach 84th and 5th, they then head South on 5th as if they're going to Midtown. This is where the tracking device becomes confused and then lists the BxM2 as heading via Kappock until it turns back onto 79th and heads north on Madison.

[S78 via Hylan]

Yesterday, I caught 5400 on the Bx15. It felt good to ride a 2000 D60HF again.

[R142A7565]

5400 does belong to Kingsbridge Depot. Off topic.. I wish 5400 do go back to Gun Hill Depot.. This is the depot I like .. Gun Hill Depot is a depot that need many articulated bus for articulated routes.. Now on non articulated bus route line that Bx28 , Bx30 , Bx38 , Bx26 I know of..

[paulrivera]

Speaking of Gun Hill and artics, I've been noticing them taking off the SBS wraps off the older LFSA's (1200-1232) and putting on the SBS wrap on the newer LFSA's (5307-5315 range so far.)

 

Those older LFSA's are also coming back with modified middle/rear doors (they have "yellow handles" on the inside now like the newer batch of LFSA's)

[Fresh Pond]

The 1200s ate being unwrapped and going through an overhaul and the 5300s are taking its place on SBS duty.

[NYSubwayBuff]

Damn I hate when drivers play with the system, there was this guy yesterday who programmed his b36 as in serviceon the farebox so he would show up on bus time to the supervisors while he had not in service on the manual and was hiding behind his leader jeez what a moron