BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

What do you'll think about this one in the future?

The last thing that we need to be doing is taking ideas from China, a country known for copying and stealing ideas and patents instead of innovation.  I've seen this years ago.  Granted, they have a large population, but I think we can come up with something that is more suitable to our needs and that is Made here in the USA.  Hopefully when Trump wins and he slaps high tariffs on cheap Chinese imports, we can have more investment in infrastructure projects here in America (100% Made in USA by Americans) and make America great again. 

Edited May 24, 2016 by Via Garibaldi 8

[pranavbhat924]

Bus 5559 has a broken heat system

 

 

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[Rafa]

It is broken if the heat is coming on now. I think it's set so that the heat isn't suppose to come on unless it's 47 degrees and lower.

[S78 via Hylan]

I rode the Bx32 for the first time today.

[Fresh Pond]

I rode the Bx32 for the first time today.

I rode the Bx27 for the first time yesterday lol

[S78 via Hylan]

I rode the Bx27 for the first time yesterday lol

Funny story, the was going express from Mosholu Pkwy to Burnside, so my friend and I took the bus down since it was nearby and we didn't feel like backtracking.

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

I made a thread around this time last year addressing what looked to be some mismanagement of Bx12 Select operations. With what I'm seeing lately, i'm starting to question if there is any management taking place. Way too many wide gaps in the service (i'm talking at least 2 missed buses wide). 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I made a thread around this time last year addressing what looked to be some mismanagement of Bx12 Select operations. With what I'm seeing lately, i'm starting to question if there is any management taking place. Way too many wide gaps in the service (i'm talking at least 2 missed buses wide). 

I was on an express bus yesterday coming from a meeting and saw a large group of people waiting for the M15SBS at 125th and 1st.  Looked as if there hadn't been a bus in a while.

[Metro CSW]

I was on an express bus yesterday coming from a meeting and saw a large group of people waiting for the M15SBS at 125th and 1st. Looked as if there hadn't been a bus in a while.

You mean the northbound side where it's terminating? Lol [emoji1]

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

You mean the northbound side where it's terminating? Lol [emoji1]

 

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Meant to say 2nd Avenue... I'm not on 1st or 2nd often and I had just awoken from a nap so I was a bit disoriented.

[Metro CSW]

Meant to say 2nd Avenue... I'm not on 1st or 2nd often and I had just awoken from a nap so I was a bit disoriented.

I figured lol. It's all good and funning, dude lol

 

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[favbusbx13]

Just saw WF New Flyer #5663 on Bx9

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Yesterday on the M101 (can't remember the bus #) there was a malfunction with the AC and it literally felt like the heater was on

Edited May 26, 2016 by favbusbx13

[BreeddekalbL]

I made a thread around this time last year addressing what looked to be some mismanagement of Bx12 Select operations. With what I'm seeing lately, i'm starting to question if there is any management taking place. Way too many wide gaps in the service (i'm talking at least 2 missed buses wide). 

 

I see when i browse bustime there is only like a 80/20 balance when the buses are traveling most to manhattan and once most to bay plaza etc they need to fix the bunching

[DetSMART45]

Since it's A/C season, how does the MTA do with the older fleet and the A/C working?  Yesterday around here wasn't too terrible (~84ish and not too much humidity), and was surprised all the SMART buses had the air on.  Got to the transit center with DDOT buses, and all the old New Flyer D40LFs were running with the roof vents tipped and windows open (most of those have the Sutrak roof units, always a PITA).  However, a new Xcelsior was on layover and then started the route and windows were closed, A/C on (customers boarding were enthusiastic).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Since it's A/C season, how does the MTA do with the older fleet and the A/C working?  Yesterday around here wasn't too terrible (~84ish and not too much humidity), and was surprised all the SMART buses had the air on.  Got to the transit center with DDOT buses, and all the old New Flyer D40LFs were running with the roof vents tipped and windows open (most of those have the Sutrak roof units, always a PITA).  However, a new Xcelsior was on layover and then started the route and windows were closed, A/C on (customers boarding were enthusiastic).

I was sweating bullets today.  I took an older artic on the Bx1 to get to the train and found the air to be tolerable, but certainly not great.  Outside of the summer, the AC on most of the newer buses and older buses sucks.  I don't understand why the B/Os aren't required to keep some sort of air on at all times on the local buses?  It's done on the express buses, so it is never too hot unless the HVAC is broken, but on the local buses, sometimes I have to get off because they crank up the heat or put on no air when it is needed.

 

Come June, I'll likely be taking the Hudson Rail Link to Metro-North daily, and those buses aren't that great either with the AC.  They're very small and the AC isn't that powerful on them.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Via Garibaldi 8

[DetSMART45]

I was sweating bullets today.  I took an older artic on the Bx1 to get to the train and found the air to be tolerable, but certainly not great.  Outside of the summer, the AC on most of the newer buses and older buses sucks.  I don't understand why the B/Os aren't required to keep some sort of air on at all times on the local buses?  It's done on the express buses, so it is never too hot unless the HVAC is broken, but on the local buses, sometimes I have to get off because they crank up the heat or put on no air when it is needed.

 

Come June, I'll likely be taking the Hudson Rail Link to Metro-North daily, and those buses aren't that great either with the AC.  They're very small and the AC isn't that powerful on them.

Boy, that's surprising.  Our 29-footers (which I just heard from a good B/O that SMART is "retiring" with the new Gillig 40s arriving [believe it when I see it]) can get the interior pretty chilly and keep it that way.  35s are a little more touch-and-go, but perform pretty well, and 40s it depends but mostly they're pretty decent.  The problem with ours is that customers are the ones that open the windows, then never shut them when they get off -- and the B/Os don't really do much on layovers to shut them (except sometimes when it's really hot/humid).

 

Now DDOT has never really had anything "reliable" when it comes to A/C -- dating all the way back to the original GMC RTSes.  They've run the horrid Sutrak roof-units since the 1990s (on New Flyers, think the Nova RTSes were rear-mount) and still get surprised when they don't work.

 

Today, humidity was up and ~86F overall during peak sunshine (with clouds intermittently), and all of the SMART buses were going full steam with the A/C.  Well ... I'll put the caveat in there:  Over at Northland transit center, a 851 Park-and-Ride was coming in on an old DDOT New Flyer D40LF -- one that supposedly had been "refurbished" when the RTA "gave" it to SMART.  Had to keep my laugh stifled with the crowds that were around, but it rolled in with ALL the windows open -- and just so you understand, SMART runs 3 P&R routes which are a 50 cent premium (because they use expressways -- Local service is available everywhere else on the route once outside Detroit).  And who rides those routes?  Commuters who wouldn't normally set foot on a Local SMART or DDOT bus.  Always thought SMART was bamboozled with the "overhaul/refurb" of the old DDOT Flyers -- and it sorta proves my point: the A/C (a problem child with DDOT) was never fixed as part of that whole process.

 

DDOT did have a couple of the D40LFs with the A/C working, plus a couple Gilligs and an Xcelsior, but they have just GOT to get those Sutraks fixed on those old Flyers.  And SMART as well.

[Cait Sith]

Since it's A/C season, how does the MTA do with the older fleet and the A/C working?  Yesterday around here wasn't too terrible (~84ish and not too much humidity), and was surprised all the SMART buses had the air on.  Got to the transit center with DDOT buses, and all the old New Flyer D40LFs were running with the roof vents tipped and windows open (most of those have the Sutrak roof units, always a PITA).  However, a new Xcelsior was on layover and then started the route and windows were closed, A/C on (customers boarding were enthusiastic).

 

It's been very hit or miss. Some of the RTSs I've been on have had really good A/C while others have been pretty bad, same goes for the D60s(Outside of the Q10).

 

The new fleet, gotta say, the A/C on our 40ft Novas have been pretty damn good lately(at least the ones I've been on. Same for our new-ish Xcelsior fleet overall. Although, this year will be the year where those A/C units will be put to the test for a vast majority of our new buses.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It seems as if the did a better job addressing the lack of AC on certain parts of the train. The newer trains have great AC that isn't limited to the center areas. On the buses meanwhile (local buses in particular), the air is really only in certain spots, and not distributed throughout. I care more about good AC than some stupid USB outlet on a local bus. In the summertime, folks will ride for a bit to get some cooling, as NYC has terrible humidity. Hopefully they'll work on this issue and have all operators adhere to keeping the air on for circulation purposes.

[Q43LTD]

I didn't know that the Bx5 weekend extension to Bay Plaza would eliminate weekend service to Orchard Beach. I wonder if they're is considering extending it full time to Bay Plaza?

[Metro CSW]

I didn't know that the Bx5 weekend extension to Bay Plaza would eliminate weekend service to Orchard Beach. I wonder if they're is considering extending it full time to Bay Plaza?

Castle Hill and Sound view residents can benefit from such an full-time extension, I think. If it was considered that is.

 

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[favbusbx13]

5601 WF on the Bx9

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

I didn't know that the Bx5 weekend extension to Bay Plaza would eliminate weekend service to Orchard Beach. I wonder if they're is considering extending it full time to Bay Plaza?

It's not summer pick yet so Bx5 buses wouldn't be running to Orchard Beach anyway. It's Bx12 buses that start the weekend the beach opens and trips to Sedgwick are run only on weekends. For June weekdays you're going to have Bx12 local trips to PBP with shuttles running to Orchard.

[IAlam]

I was sweating bullets today.  I took an older artic on the Bx1 to get to the train and found the air to be tolerable, but certainly not great.  Outside of the summer, the AC on most of the newer buses and older buses sucks.  I don't understand why the B/Os aren't required to keep some sort of air on at all times on the local buses?  It's done on the express buses, so it is never too hot unless the HVAC is broken, but on the local buses, sometimes I have to get off because they crank up the heat or put on no air when it is needed.

 

Come June, I'll likely be taking the Hudson Rail Link to Metro-North daily, and those buses aren't that great either with the AC.  They're very small and the AC isn't that powerful on them.

 

I mean I've had express buses with A/C problems too usually out of CP but buses are usually not that bad compared to the subway

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I mean I've had express buses with A/C problems too usually out of CP but buses are usually not that bad compared to the subway

My BxM2 had AC on one side of the bus. Once I moved the air was pumping. Seems like they need to overhaul a lot of these buses. It was in the 90's yesterday, not including the humidity, so it was pretty unbearable outside since it technically isn't summer here yet.

[IAlam]

My BxM2 had AC on one side of the bus. Once I moved the air was pumping. Seems like they need to overhaul a lot of these buses. It was in the 90's yesterday, not including the humidity, so it was pretty unbearable outside since it technically isn't summer here yet.

Eh they don't have many years left anyways once the few remaining MCI's from staten Island are retired Bronx will get new buses.