BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, JubaionBx12+SBS said:

I've seen a report about the double decker X17J and based on the information given one of the trips took 2 hours and 36 minutes. Why on earth do we have routes that long? Also, that trip ended a minimum of 45 minutes late based on the scheduled X17J trips.

You said the bus was 45 mins late, so schedule wise that's 1:45, which is typical for an express route. But with all the heavy traffic from the start of the route till Richmond Av, it's easy to lose time.

[Brillant93]

How come the Q53 sbs are using the XD40s tonight instead of the XD60s? 

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, JubaionBx12+SBS said:

I've seen a report about the double decker X17J and based on the information given one of the trips took 2 hours and 36 minutes. Why on earth do we have routes that long? Also, that trip ended a minimum of 45 minutes late based on the scheduled X17J trips.

The X17J is going to be broken up into the SIM8 (Richmond Avenue portion) and SIM23/24 (Huguenot/Arden portions) in August. In any case, the X17 to Tottenville is much worse (and will also be broken up in August)

And unfortunately, the X17J has some chokepoints. In the morning, it's the Lincoln Tunnel (getting into the bus lane takes a while, and then once you're out, that approach to 34th Street can take a while). In the PM rush, there's often traffic approaching I-95 from I-495, and then depending on the day, you might have issues with the Goethals Bridge, and a small chokepoint at Richmond Avenue south of Forest Hill Road.

1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Either something happened along the way, or that bus was going ultra slow the whole way. 

Somebody mentioned that the driver was fast, but there was an accident on the NJ Turnpike. 

[Cait Sith]

8 hours ago, JubaionBx12+SBS said:

I've seen a report about the double decker X17J and based on the information given one of the trips took 2 hours and 36 minutes. Why on earth do we have routes that long? Also, that trip ended a minimum of 45 minutes late based on the scheduled X17J trips.

Traffic.

There were quite a few accidents on the turnpike this week. There were two accidents nearby each other on the turnpike on Thursday.

[S78 via Hylan]

3 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Traffic.

There were quite a few accidents on the turnpike this week. There were two accidents nearby each other on the turnpike on Thursday.

That explains why my ride took so long.

[trainfan22]

There's a Castleton LFS on the shuttle

 

This shuttle is a disaster, not nearly as many buses at years past...

Edited May 5, 2018 by trainfan22

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

3 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

There's a Castleton LFS on the shuttle

 

This shuttle is a disaster, not nearly as many buses at years past...

Well, considering the is also out north of 137th, that can happen.

Edited May 5, 2018 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[trainfan22]

Yukon and Charleston also had buses out there.

[BreeddekalbL]

On 5/3/2018 at 1:59 PM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

How did the guy slip on the ramp? Was the bus pulled into the curb properly?

To answer your question on that in Florida some places where I am at does not have sidewalks etc and at that particular stop he was waiting in the driveway entrance of an apt complex. And he made a bad step which caused him to slip

[Future ENY OP]

On 5/2/2018 at 5:05 PM, Q64 To Forest Hills said:

6023 out of Casey, 7348 out of Flatbush and 6098 all have the same vision zero ads as 5411. They’re simply starting to put ads on new scheme and sbs wrapped buses. 

6046 from LGA also has the same vision zero ad.. Spotted on the Q53 SBS last night.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 5/4/2018 at 5:35 PM, JubaionBx12+SBS said:

I've seen a report about the double decker X17J and based on the information given one of the trips took 2 hours and 36 minutes. Why on earth do we have routes that long? Also, that trip ended a minimum of 45 minutes late based on the scheduled X17J trips.

 

On 5/4/2018 at 7:40 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

The X17J is going to be broken up into the SIM8 (Richmond Avenue portion) and SIM23/24 (Huguenot/Arden portions) in August. In any case, the X17 to Tottenville is much worse (and will also be broken up in August)

And unfortunately, the X17J has some chokepoints. In the morning, it's the Lincoln Tunnel (getting into the bus lane takes a while, and then once you're out, that approach to 34th Street can take a while). In the PM rush, there's often traffic approaching I-95 from I-495, and then depending on the day, you might have issues with the Goethals Bridge, and a small chokepoint at Richmond Avenue south of Forest Hill Road.

Somebody mentioned that the driver was fast, but there was an accident on the NJ Turnpike. 

Express bus service to Staten Island is what it is.  The fastest that I can ever recall getting home with the express bus was about an hour. Most trips take about 90 minutes maybe a little less if traffic is really moving well.  This bus restructuring set up will help, but no one should expect significant improvements as long as traffic is as bad as it is.

21 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

There's a Castleton LFS on the shuttle

 

This shuttle is a disaster, not nearly as many buses at years past...

 

18 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Well, considering the is also out north of 137th, that can happen.

I went to City a few times yesterday and all of the express buses I took had good loads.  I took 07:30 BxM2.  That bus had about 30 people on it.  The early BxM1 I got back was about 10 - 15 people, none of which were going to Inwood, so we skipped Inwood entirely.  On the Deegan I saw one of those shuttle buses and it was packed.  The people riding looked quite miserable. I then went to the City later with the BxM2, and that too had a nice load, but most people got off at 98th for some reason, and none of them were Mount Sinai types.  The 01:15 BxM2 also had a good load, much more than what I'm using to seeing, and had some people actual get off at 230th which has been seeing fewer people overall in recent years (hit or miss).  I took the BxM3 today and that had a decent load as well. We even got people getting on at 125th.

I'm not sure what the story is with that stop because officially Northbound 123rd and Madison isn't supposed to be a drop-off stop for the BxM3 and BxM4, but I've noticed a lot of people now take the BxM3 and get off there, and people use the 125th and 5th stop too.  Definitely a sign that gentrification is progressing in Harlem.  Both lines can use the extra ridership, that's for sure.

[Future ENY OP]

7344- Flatbush also sporting the double rear ad of Vision Zero. Spotted on the B46 SBS today. Would be good to see one on a LFS since the dimensions of the billboard fit perfectly.

[Lawrence St]

Are the D60's in the Bronx being renumebered or something?

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

1 minute ago, Lawrence St said:

Are the D60's in the Bronx being renumebered or something?

Four of them got renumbered to 100-103 because of the new Novas in the 5500s.

5512 is now 100, 5519 is now 101, 5518 is now 102, and 5525 is now 103

Edited May 7, 2018 by Kingsbridgeviewer382

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

So there’s been a Prevost running around with digital informations screens (2729), does anyone have pics of it? 

[Coney Island Av]

Is the Alexander-Dennis double decker bus still running on the X17J? I need some clarification as SILive says it stopped running on May 4, but others on YouTube + this forum say it will stop running on May 25. 

I was out on the X17J for a few hours today and all I saw were Prevosts. I just want to verify if it's running still or not. 

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, Coney Island Av said:

Is the Alexander-Dennis double decker bus still running on the X17J? I need some clarification as SILive says it stopped running on May 4, but others on YouTube + this forum say it will stop running on May 25. 

I was out on the X17J for a few hours today and all I saw were Prevosts. I just want to verify if it's running still or not. 

It's going be here for the rest of the month. 

[Cait Sith]

1 hour ago, Coney Island Av said:

Is the Alexander-Dennis double decker bus still running on the X17J? I need some clarification as SILive says it stopped running on May 4, but others on YouTube + this forum say it will stop running on May 25. 

I was out on the X17J for a few hours today and all I saw were Prevosts. I just want to verify if it's running still or not. 

Yes, it did run.

Yes, it's staying till May 25th.

No, there's no set schedule.

No, there's no times as to when it's "usually" out. It's random.

They want it on every x17J trip possible. So you'll either have to be out before the first x17J or just try your luck.

 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Cait Sith

[Lil 57]

Have you guys ever been on a bus somewhere and when you come back, the trip is on the same exact bus (Bus # and everything) Happens a lot on SI.

[checkmatechamp13]

On 5/6/2018 at 2:15 PM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Express bus service to Staten Island is what it is.  The fastest that I can ever recall getting home with the express bus was about an hour. Most trips take about 90 minutes maybe a little less if traffic is really moving well.  This bus restructuring set up will help, but no one should expect significant improvements as long as traffic is as bad as it is.

 

For the "via Brooklyn" buses, it all depends on how well that HOV lane is moving. I've gotten on X17A buses at Lamberts Lane at 8:00AM and pulled into Battery Place at 8:30AM while the regular lanes were backed up. Late at night or early in the morning (or on a weekend morning) when there's no traffic, that trip can be done in 20 minutes.

[Lil 57]

For the X31 bus with runs via nj pm and via Brooklyn am, can a bus driver choose to go the other way if traffic is backed up on way. (i.e. A X31 AM bus driver sees backed up traffic in Brooklyn and it's quicker to go via nj. Makes a route change and goes to midtown via. Nj.)

[Around the Horn]

43 minutes ago, Lil 57 said:

For the X31 bus with runs via nj pm and via Brooklyn am, can a bus driver choose to go the other way if traffic is backed up on way. (i.e. A X31 AM bus driver sees backed up traffic in Brooklyn and it's quicker to go via nj. Makes a route change and goes to midtown via. Nj.)

That's up to the dispatcher, but I've definitely seen it in the PM. The usual route is 42nd to West Street to the Battery Tunnel

[Lawrence St]

Does the Bx15 serve more stops in Manhattan or the Bronx?

[MHV184]

Anyone know why the XDE40s are still at JFK?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

11 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

For the "via Brooklyn" buses, it all depends on how well that HOV lane is moving. I've gotten on X17A buses at Lamberts Lane at 8:00AM and pulled into Battery Place at 8:30AM while the regular lanes were backed up. Late at night or early in the morning (or on a weekend morning) when there's no traffic, that trip can be done in 20 minutes.

This is how the trip used to break down for me when I'd take the X10 when traffic was decent:

-20 minutes from Midtown to Downtown (we can start from 57th and 3rd where I'd often board or the next stop on 57th).

-~20 minutes from the last stop in Manhattan to Fingerboard

-~10 minutes from Fingerboard to Slosson

-Car service to house - ~8 - 10 minutes (assuming the car is waiting).

Total time ~60 minutes

There was once when we had a light load and the X10 skipped all drop-off stops until Slosson. That can save a good 5+ minutes right there. 

I would say that now with traffic being so bad, doing the Manhattan portion on just about any express bus now you need to add a good 15 - 20 minutes.  Going to Riverdale the pick-up portion used to be done in 20 minutes in some cases on the BxM2 and 15 or so on the BxM1.  Last night it took almost an hour (it was about 49 minutes) from the first stop to 99th and Madison.  

It isn't just the traffic.  Some of these B/Os just drive like freaking snails.  Overly cautious.  It's annoying.