BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Q43LTD]

That moment when I saw 3579 on the Q34

[R188 7857]

That moment when I saw 3579 on the Q34

There was also a hybrid on the Q65 LTD. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Obviously many people can't. A lot of people take the local and limited buses in Queens to the subway and go to Manhattan. I'm sure if the express bus was more affordable they would use it.

I rather spend $2.75 on a trip to Manhattan than pay $6.50. However that is just me.

Plus you have a big problem with the local buses and subway anyway. You act like you are gonna die from a little dirt. It made me laugh when you said you don't sit down on the subway trains. Germs and diet are everywhere even on that express bus you take everyday.

A little dirt? Sorry but homeless people and rats are not on the express bus. No the express buses aren't pristine but they certainly don't have what the subways and local buses do. When you have a stomach virus get back to me. Yes I'm a germphobe and rightfully so given how nasty some people are.

[Q43LTD]

There was also a hybrid on the Q65 LTD. 

Morning or evening rush?

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

If I'm looking at express buses for the perspective of an express bus rider then VG8 makes a lot of sense but I'm looking at it from the perspective of a transit operator, in this case the MTA. If I'm going to use buses that are different from local buses thus adding capital and maintenance expenses, get reduced labor effiency since the bulk of the service is peak hour and peak direction only and drivers don't get paid per trip and see the ridership returns we have with most of our express routes then there's nothing for me to belive other than money is being thrown away. The last group of people who should be having money thrown away to serve them are folks who could afford to drive or use commuter trains. If the express bus fare was say $12.50 a trip would you still use it Garibaldi? That fare is more in line with what it costs per rider to operate express buses on a decent route like the Bxm7 or 9. At $6.50 a trip express bus riders get away with murder from what I see. I wouldn't go out of my way to make the service premium from local buses unless ridership is at a premium. Tens of thousands of residents live in the areas served by express buses so as far as I'm concerned ridership levels on these express routes are not at a premium. X1 ridership levels should be average for a premium express bus service not top of the heap. Given the situation we have its better to have an express bus service that is synergized with local buses (many of which cost less than the $2.75 fare per rider) for the purposes of cost savings since paying far more per rider than I'm getting back on a service used by middle class and higher earning folks is ridiculous.

[R188 7857]

Morning or evening rush?

Around 3-4 PM in Flushing. 

[B35 via Church]

I'd just like to point out something that hasn't been mentioned.  Most of the users on this board are NOT adult working professionals like myself.  If you're in high school or college, then YES, the express bus seems extremely "expensive".   It is NOT expensive for someone who is upper middle or upper class.  Hell a route like the BxM7 sure isn't upper middle or upper class. It's basically working class people and they use the express bus, so the notion that the express bus is so expensive is preposterous.  People have their preferred mode of transportation and if they really want to use the express bus they will, or they'll use the subway.

I've said this for the longest; moreso on rider diaries back when that forum existed..... You have those that claim the express bus is too expensive, but you don't get an equivalent amount of complaining about the RR being too expensive.... I hate to take it back to the mindset of the 90's & the early 2000's in this transit community, but it isn't much more than express bus hate.....

 

Express bus service has its place in transportation around the city.  MTA itself is the reason why those Express bus customers opt to not use the buses.  They somehow haven't gotten the idea that not all New Yorkers "need" them to get around, yet blame those non-riders for slowing down their bus service by clogging the roads.  If you run the system according to what customers want, they'll be your customers.  They're just another business like Target, PC Richard or even the cable company.  Don't have what customers want or need at a competitive advantage, they'll go elsewhere.  Only it's even harder to get them back after they do.

The MTA doesn't market express buses.... It is really that simple.

 

Shit, REALTORS market express buses more than the very transportation agency that provides the things....

[NewFlyer 230]

A little dirt? Sorry but homeless people and rats are not on the express bus. No the express buses aren't pristine but they certainly don't have what the subways and local buses do. When you have a stomach virus get back to me. Yes I'm a germphobe and rightfully so given how nasty some people are.

Ok I've been taking the subway and buses regularly almost everyday since the late spring and have not gotten sick so I think you are just overreacting. However I should judge because that is how you live.

 

 

 

Anyways as for something random related to buses, I noticed SBS boxes are not at Main Street and 39th and that is where the Q44/Q20 relief point is at.

[DetSMART45]

If I'm looking at express buses for the perspective of an express bus rider then VG8 makes a lot of sense but I'm looking at it from the perspective of a transit operator, in this case the MTA. If I'm going to use buses that are different from local buses thus adding capital and maintenance expenses, get reduced labor effiency since the bulk of the service is peak hour and peak direction only and drivers don't get paid per trip and see the ridership returns we have with most of our express routes then there's nothing for me to belive other than money is being thrown away. The last group of people who should be having money thrown away to serve them are folks who could afford to drive or use commuter trains. If the express bus fare was say $12.50 a trip would you still use it Garibaldi? That fare is more in line with what it costs per rider to operate express buses on a decent route like the Bxm7 or 9. At $6.50 a trip express bus riders get away with murder from what I see. I wouldn't go out of my way to make the service premium from local buses unless ridership is at a premium. Tens of thousands of residents live in the areas served by express buses so as far as I'm concerned ridership levels on these express routes are not at a premium. X1 ridership levels should be average for a premium express bus service not top of the heap. Given the situation we have its better to have an express bus service that is synergized with local buses (many of which cost less than the $2.75 fare per rider) for the purposes of cost savings since paying far more per rider than I'm getting back on a service used by middle class and higher earning folks is ridiculous.

Wait ... let me get this straight .....

 

You, yourself, have complained right here about local buses being late, delays in traffic, sardine cans, and you want to actually encourage more people to use cars, clogging the same roads used by your local buses, so you can complain even more?

 

And at the same time, throw a bunch more thousand people on the already bursting at the seams subway system?  Because I can guarantee you those express bus riders would not be taking local buses to get on an expensive MNR/LIRR train for a journey, they'd end up driving themselves -- adding yet more traffic to the roads.

 

You want to cut some costs?  Start with actually running ALL of the transit methods ON TIME.  In any other region outside of precious NYC, most transit riders use their system(s) primarily for work commuting.  If you can't get to work on time, you won't use the system.  In fact, the latest Chicago Region RTA (six counties) rider survey from 2014 had the following key drivers of overall customer satisfaction for all three "service boards" -- CTA (Chicago city bus/train), Metra (suburban trains) and Pace (suburban buses):

• Getting to destination on time;
• Total travel time for your trip; and,
• Availability of seats on bus/train

as well as station and vehicle cleanliness for CTA and Metra pulling up number four.  (Page 48, March 5, 2015 report on 2013-14 customer satisfaction study).

 

Do you think this should be in any ways different for the NYC region?

 

Secondly, drop ALL "school bus" service and start charging from age 6 up.  Those school runs -- even though PM only -- chase regular customers away from those buses (subway also), and add labor costs which I'm sure the NYCBOE does not reimburse the MTA for.  We've already got a "crisis" of fat kids (according to Michelle Obama), so get them "moving", like she says, and walking to school or otherwise taking buses provided by the schools.  Besides, if you want this "fairness" and not "subsidizing people with means (express bus riders)", then let's have some true fairness by not subsidizing youth.

 

Third, start charging for transfers, with a three hour use period.  $0.25 is not unaffordable to customers in much smaller transit systems than MTA's, so it shouldn't be for the nation's largest.

 

Lastly, market, Market, MARKET Express bus use -- especially as an alternative to subway long-haul commuters -- and drop the peak/non-peak stuff.  Leave that to the MNR and LIRR.  Cut the price to $5.50, which is double local fare.  Upcharge as appropriate for local transfers.  Also encourage unlimited 7-day use by dropping price to an average of $4.50.  Everyone likes to save a dollar, even your so-called "people who can afford it."

[Calvin]

When is the end date test of 5364? I know it started during July

[Via Garibaldi 8]

If I'm looking at express buses for the perspective of an express bus rider then VG8 makes a lot of sense but I'm looking at it from the perspective of a transit operator, in this case the MTA. If I'm going to use buses that are different from local buses thus adding capital and maintenance expenses, get reduced labor effiency since the bulk of the service is peak hour and peak direction only and drivers don't get paid per trip and see the ridership returns we have with most of our express routes then there's nothing for me to belive other than money is being thrown away. The last group of people who should be having money thrown away to serve them are folks who could afford to drive or use commuter trains. If the express bus fare was say $12.50 a trip would you still use it Garibaldi? That fare is more in line with what it costs per rider to operate express buses on a decent route like the Bxm7 or 9. At $6.50 a trip express bus riders get away with murder from what I see. I wouldn't go out of my way to make the service premium from local buses unless ridership is at a premium. Tens of thousands of residents live in the areas served by express buses so as far as I'm concerned ridership levels on these express routes are not at a premium. X1 ridership levels should be average for a premium express bus service not top of the heap. Given the situation we have its better to have an express bus service that is synergized with local buses (many of which cost less than the $2.75 fare per rider) for the purposes of cost savings since paying far more per rider than I'm getting back on a service used by middle class and higher earning folks is ridiculous.

I use Metro-North, which is $8.75 one way, plus $2.75 for the shuttle bus making the total $11.50, so your answer is yes.  You're also forgetting all of the other people that benefit from having the express buses.  The express buses in Riverdale are used primarily by the elderly, as Riverdale is a natural retirement community, and they sure as hell don't pay $6.50 like I do per ride or $57.25 if I have a pass for the week.  They get a reduced cost (as they should).  I think you're talking without giving this much thought.  For the areas that have express bus service, it is MUCH cheaper to provide express bus service than build subways, esp. when those areas don't really need a subway.  The only place where an argument could be made is perhaps Staten Island, and most residents would oppose a subway because it would lead to a massive population increase that doesn't have the infrastructure to handle the current traffic as it is now.  Parts of Queens perhaps too, but again those areas would become drastically changed...

 

I've said this for the longest; moreso on rider diaries back when that forum existed..... You have those that claim the express bus is too expensive, but you don't get an equivalent amount of complaining about the RR being too expensive.... I hate to take it back to the mindset of the 90's & the early 2000's in this transit community, but it isn't much more than express bus hate.....

 

The MTA doesn't market express buses.... It is really that simple.

 

Shit, REALTORS market express buses more than the very transportation agency that provides the things....

Very true.....

 

Ok I've been taking the subway and buses regularly almost everyday since the late spring and have not gotten sick so I think you are just overreacting. However I should judge because that is how you live.

lol... Please I've been riding the subway longer than you've been around.  I'm talking from experience.  I was riding the subway back in the old days when it wasn't as nice as it is now, so I've seen some things.  I still remember when you had RATS (and not just one but NUMEROUS RATS) running on the Fulton Street platform (not on the tracks either) (which I used to take DAILY during the week) to get to Bowling Green to walk to the ferry, so pardon me for being concerned for my health.  In fact at 23rd street on the line, if you got off in the first car, you might catch a surprise.  Another station notorious for having rats on the platform since all of the garbage was stored right in that area.

 

Wait ... let me get this straight .....

 

You, yourself, have complained right here about local buses being late, delays in traffic, sardine cans, and you want to actually encourage more people to use cars, clogging the same roads used by your local buses, so you can complain even more?

 

And at the same time, throw a bunch more thousand people on the already bursting at the seams subway system?  Because I can guarantee you those express bus riders would not be taking local buses to get on an expensive MNR/LIRR train for a journey, they'd end up driving themselves -- adding yet more traffic to the roads.

 

You want to cut some costs?  Start with actually running ALL of the transit methods ON TIME.  In any other region outside of precious NYC, most transit riders use their system(s) primarily for work commuting.  If you can't get to work on time, you won't use the system.  In fact, the latest Chicago Region RTA (six counties) rider survey from 2014 had the following key drivers of overall customer satisfaction for all three "service boards" -- CTA (Chicago city bus/train), Metra (suburban trains) and Pace (suburban buses):

• Getting to destination on time;
• Total travel time for your trip; and,
• Availability of seats on bus/train

as well as station and vehicle cleanliness for CTA and Metra pulling up number four.  (Page 48, March 5, 2015 report on 2013-14 customer satisfaction study).

 

Do you think this should be in any ways different for the NYC region?

 

Secondly, drop ALL "school bus" service and start charging from age 6 up.  Those school runs -- even though PM only -- chase regular customers away from those buses (subway also), and add labor costs which I'm sure the NYCBOE does not reimburse the MTA for.  We've already got a "crisis" of fat kids (according to Michelle Obama), so get them "moving", like she says, and walking to school or otherwise taking buses provided by the schools.  Besides, if you want this "fairness" and not "subsidizing people with means (express bus riders)", then let's have some true fairness by not subsidizing youth.

 

Third, start charging for transfers, with a three hour use period.  $0.25 is not unaffordable to customers in much smaller transit systems than MTA's, so it shouldn't be for the nation's largest.

 

Lastly, market, Market, MARKET Express bus use -- especially as an alternative to subway long-haul commuters -- and drop the peak/non-peak stuff.  Leave that to the MNR and LIRR.  Cut the price to $5.50, which is double local fare.  Upcharge as appropriate for local transfers.  Also encourage unlimited 7-day use by dropping price to an average of $4.50.  Everyone likes to save a dollar, even your so-called "people who can afford it."

LOL.... My sentiments exactly...

[TransitJusticeForAll]

Ok I've been taking the subway and buses regularly almost everyday since the late spring and have not gotten sick so I think you are just overreacting. However I should judge because that is how you live.

Anyways as for something random related to buses, I noticed SBS boxes are not at Main Street and 39th and that is where the Q44/Q20 relief point is at.

Main St & 39th Av will be an SBS stop. They're still installing off-board fare machines and won't be completed until November or December. Actual date for Q44 +SBS to be announced.

I've been thinking; we should have a Q5/Q85LTD to/from Green Acres.

[Cait Sith]

Main St & 39th Av will be an SBS stop. They're still installing off-board fare machines and won't be completed until November or December. Actual date for Q44 +SBS to be announced.

I've been thinking; we should have a Q5/Q85LTD to/from Green Acres.

 

Q44 SBS is said to begin on November 29th. And the stop in question is 38th Avenue.

 

There's more ridership on the Q5/85 to Rosedale than there is to Green Acres, so no.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Q44 SBS is said to begin on November 29th. And the stop in question is 38th Avenue.

 

lol... I was waiting for the QM2 last weekend going back ot the city, and all of these people kept trying to use the SBS machines on the Q44 line.  Such idiots.  I kept saying to myself, don't they realize that the machines are off???   What's ironic is that when people don't have to pay for the bus, they insist on paying, and when they're supposed to pay they don't, though in this case I would imagine that they should've already paid since these were people mainly getting off, which made it that even stranger.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Via Garibaldi 8

[R188 7857]

6222 was signed up as a Q58 to Junction Bl on Roosevelt Av. today... Too bad I couldn't get a pic of it. 

[NewFlyer 230]

Q44 SBS is said to begin on November 29th. And the stop in question is 38th Avenue.

 

There's more ridership on the Q5/85 to Rosedale than there is to Green Acres, so no.

Yeah thank you I was confused with the naming. I knew it either had to be 39th or 38th.

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

The KB LFS' were in service, saw 8366 on the Bx20.

[TransitJusticeForAll]

Q44 SBS is said to begin on November 29th. And the stop in question is 38th Avenue.

 

There's more ridership on the Q5/85 to Rosedale than there is to Green Acres, so no.

Correction: More people go to Green Acres than to Rosedale, so there should be some limited trips to Green Acres, so yes. Q44 SBS is set for either late November or Early December, so don't be jumping on dates.

[TransitJusticeForAll]

Yeah thank you I was confused with the naming. I knew it either had to be 39th or 38th.

It's 38th Av (To Bronx Zoo) & 39th Av (To Jamaica)

[DetSMART45]

Correction: More people go to Green Acres than to Rosedale, so there should be some limited trips to Green Acres, so yes. Q44 SBS is set for either late November or Early December, so don't be jumping on dates.

Orly? I must not be as smart as you, but 29 Nov sounds like "late November" to me.  I will give you this -- with the MTA, anything's possible, especially since the M86 SBS was supposed to start 28 June (and was noted as such on schedules they let out early and on the NYCT Bus/Subway page online) but started 'officially' later.

 

As to your assertion contradicting what Cait Sith said, if I were you, I'd have some facts to back up your obviously strong feelings regarding the matter.  He (as well as many others here) knows a crap-load (censor issue) about the system, so please elaborate your points more fully.  Not an attack, just going by my own experiences (and learning) on here.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Correction: More people go to Green Acres than to Rosedale, so there should be some limited trips to Green Acres, so yes. 

 

Huh? Changing things around doesn't justify your plan.

 

There definitely is more ridership from Rosedale than from Green Acres, in addition to way more people riding the bus towards Jamaica from Rosedale than from Green Acres. The amount of service (moreso on the Q5 midday) during off peak hours on weekdays is so that the buses don't overserve Rosedale residents. Green Acres does not need a bus every 15-16 minutes during middays via the Q5, and Q85. Note how the Q85 doesn't even serve the mall during the AM rush. Keep in mind that just because there's a mall does not mean that there's more ridership. By that logic, the Q47 would be bursting with riders south Eliot because of Atlas Park Mall. 

Edited October 31, 2015 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Around the Horn]

Secondly, drop ALL "school bus" service and start charging from age 6 up.  Those school runs -- even though PM only -- chase regular customers away from those buses (subway also), and add labor costs which I'm sure the NYCBOE does not reimburse the MTA for.  We've already got a "crisis" of fat kids (according to Michelle Obama), so get them "moving", like she says, and walking to school or otherwise taking buses provided by the schools.  Besides, if you want this "fairness" and not "subsidizing people with means (express bus riders)", then let's have some true fairness by not subsidizing youth.

Yeah NO.

Kids depend on the buses to get them to and from school.Cancel the "school buses" and 50 percent or more of the kids are late to school

(They already are because they drivers occasionally pulling fast ones on the students.Friends complain to me constantly about how their B16 flew past them with no one on but that's immaterial)

All your doing with this nonsense is disrupting their learning.They depend on that 6:55 school extra to get them to school by 7:20 and if its not there,they're late and missing class time

 

And don't give me that "buses provide by schools" bullshit...

Where the hell are they gonna get the money,depot space,spare parts,etc.?

 

Just make all the kids put money on their MetroCard.Every swipe or dip,it deducts 1.35.That's all you need.Nothing else...

[DetSMART45]

Yeah NO.

Kids depend on the buses to get them to and from school.Cancel the "school buses" and 50 percent or more of the kids are late to school

(They already are because they drivers occasionally pulling fast ones on the students.Friends complain to me constantly about how their B16 flew past them with no one on but that's immaterial)

All your doing with this nonsense is disrupting their learning.They depend on that 6:55 school extra to get them to school by 7:20 and if its not there,they're late and missing class time

 

And don't give me that "buses provide by schools" bullshit...

Where the hell are they gonna get the money,depot space,spare parts,etc.?

 

Just make all the kids put money on their MetroCard.Every swipe or dip,it deducts 1.35.That's all you need.Nothing else...

Odd, isn't it, that suburban school districts can provide transportation for their students, but the vast majority of urban cities -- who get OODLES of state and Fed money -- somehow can't do the same?

 

Cut the crap yourself.  Mass transit is NOT for schoolkids, it's supposed to be a substitute for primarily WORK commuting in cities whose roads cannot handle traffic volumes.

 

I'll go with the paying 1/2 fare.  But primary school transit should be handled by the school systems.  If not, then start cutting the taxes appropriately to be "fair" like the suburban areas that shoulder the burden themselves.

[NewFlyer 230]

It's 38th Av (To Bronx Zoo) & 39th Av (To Jamaica)

They are literally right across the street from one another.

[Around the Horn]

Odd, isn't it, that suburban school districts can provide transportation for their students, but the vast majority of urban cities -- who get OODLES of state and Fed money -- somehow can't do the same?

 

Cut the crap yourself.  Mass transit is NOT for schoolkids, it's supposed to be a substitute for primarily WORK commuting in cities whose roads cannot handle traffic volumes.

 

I'll go with the paying 1/2 fare.  But primary school transit should be handled by the school systems.  If not, then start cutting the taxes appropriately to be "fair" like the suburban areas that shoulder the burden themselves.

Have you actually had to rely on the bus to get to school here in NYC? I do.

 

There is no way to "privatize" school bus operations without a sea change in DOE policy.New school closer to "no schools lands" would have to be built first and thousands of kids would have to change schools.Where are you going to find the money?

 

Now if your talking primary school as in K-6 where kids are zone to a school no more than a mile from their house,then I agree with you,but 6-12 NO WAY

 

These nonsense proposals just sound like someone who's staring at a map pointing at a spot saying a route should go there.

Actually depend on one of these buses to get you to and from school then come talk to me.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Around the Horn