BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Yankees4life]

2 hours ago, JeremiahC99 said:

Are you really sure about that? From a bus drivers point of view, it is better than having the driver announce the stops themselves.

 

Lets say the B82 LTD has around 50 or so stops. If the automated announcements were not available, then that driver would have to announce all 50 or so stops himself, and that’s going in one direction. Imagine that he had multiple trips to take. That’s a lot of times he has to make announcements, and it adds up real fast. Luckily the new buses have automated announcements reducing the need for the driver to make announcements himself. How can you find automated announcements annoying to the driver?

I knew a bus driver that did EXACTLY that when he was in his usually morning shift on the B7. The dude was ALWAYS driving that bus I was on to go to school 😄

[Via Garibaldi 8]

10 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Dont take any routes off of Union Tpke, they are already keeping people off of the Queens Blvd subways by picking up on Union. The X63/68 can be increased to pick up more people on Queens Blvd, though I dont think many more people will be willing to pay 6.50 when they can just jump on the subway, even if it crowded. 

I'm saying that there's too much service being centered along Union Turnpike. I wouldn't cut anything, but I would have the QM5 not making so many stops. Have those QM1s run longer. I would have some Super Express trips for the QM5 and QM6. The Queen's express buses need to be able to compete better with the LIRR. The professional types are too busy running to that and it's severely hurting express bus ridership. I would extend the QM4 along Queens Blvd. It seems like too many express buses serve the same areas of Queens Blvd which is another problem. Make those buses more accessible. The QM3 should also be restructured with some Super Express trips.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Lawrence St]

10 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

In my experience, drivers only make annocements at transfer points, not every single stop. I rode it on the 82 local which stops far more often than the Limited, so the announcements are constantly going off.

How come the transfers are programmed into the Brooklyn routes but not the Bronx routes?

[JeremiahC99]

12 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Can't even keep track of the XD60s in local/SBS service anymore. Saw 6113 on the 23-SBS today. In about a year, that's been a TU, KB, MQ local, and MQ SBS bus. Insane number of transfers for the new fleet. And actually, come to think of it, that might have been a GA bus even before that. Damn. 

The 139 XD60s delivered in 2017 is one unusual order. I think this is the first order in which no assignments were set in stone before delivery. So far, only 68 buses are at their planned assignments. 40 buses are currently leased to MTA Bus to jumpstart the controversial Woodhaven Blvd SBS (complete with bus lanes on the main roadway clogging rush hour traffic). In addition, another 8 buses (5987-5994) are also at MTA Bus to increase Q53 service to Rockaway Beach for the summer, leaving 60 at the planned assignments (another move there). Also, we may not know where the last 17 buses (6109-6125) will go, although before the July 2018 update, they were to go to East New York (B82 SBS?). So until around 2020, expect the assignments for possibly all buses to change again, and again, and again.

[JeremiahC99]

2 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

How come the transfers are programmed into the Brooklyn routes but not the Bronx routes?

Are you talking about the ones on the new XD40s, because I’m not hearing transfer announcements on the B46 SBSB buses (7616-7663)?

[Around the Horn]

36 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

How come the transfers are programmed into the Brooklyn routes but not the Bronx routes?

None of the new buses have transfers (yet).

[JeremiahC99]

1 hour ago, Around the Horn said:

None of the new buses have transfers (yet).

They need to add the transfer announcements ASAP, and they better get them right.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The objective is to make it faster for riders further out. Some of the ridership is a resultant of everyone in the morning going through the portion west of 188 Street, regardless of their starting point. The QM1 can be one frequent route during the rush while the QM5 and QM6 both get super express variants during this time, bypassing everything west of 188 Street (with a fair amount of service as well). Same thing would happen with the Downtown variants.

That's exactly what I would do.  There's no point in having the QM5s run via Fresh Meadows when half of the time the drivers skip that part of the trip anyway, leaving people stranded. Have the QM1 do that and the QM5s can run express from points west as you said. With that said you could have 15 minute headways between the QM5 and QM6 combined for most of the day and have both of them run every 30 minutes.  

[Jdog14]

39 minutes ago, JeremiahC99 said:

They need to add the transfer announcements ASAP, and they better get them right.

Why is it such a big deal? We didnt even HAVE screens before and theres nothing stopping the driver from making announcements still (and some still do)

[MysteriousBtrain]

8 minutes ago, Jdog14 said:

Why is it such a big deal? We didnt even HAVE screens before and theres nothing stopping the driver from making announcements still (and some still do)

Not to even mention not all systems announce bus transfers. Look at bee line.

Edited July 20, 2018 by MysteriousBtrain

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, Jdog14 said:

Why is it such a big deal? We didnt even HAVE screens before and theres nothing stopping the driver from making announcements still (and some still do)

The automated announcements are at least audible, though annoying at times, but it's certainly better than hearing those garbled announcements from the B/O.  I've been on trips where I couldn't understand anything the driver said, even after he repeated himself.

[Jdog14]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The automated announcements are at least audible, though annoying at times, but it's certainly better than hearing those garbled announcements from the B/O.  I've been on trips where I couldn't understand anything the driver said, even after he repeated himself.

 

Understood, however, the pilot buses didnt have the transfers until all the screens were installed on the fleets some months later. We have close to 500+ buses needed to be delivered with the screens 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, Jdog14 said:

 

Understood, however, the pilot buses didnt have the transfers until all the screens were installed on the fleets some months later. We have close to 500+ buses needed to be delivered with the screens 

I don't think it's a big deal per se, but it certainly helps the non-regulars get around and encourages more patronage.

[QM1to6Ave]

8 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

That's exactly what I would do.  There's no point in having the QM5s run via Fresh Meadows when half of the time the drivers skip that part of the trip anyway, leaving people stranded. Have the QM1 do that and the QM5s can run express from points west as you said. With that said you could have 15 minute headways between the QM5 and QM6 combined for most of the day and have both of them run every 30 minutes.  

My only thoughts on this is that if Super Express runs go via the LIE, especially during peak times, it may not save much time. There are a few QM7 (or 8, I forget), that run Super Express, and the people I know who take it say the LIE is always so backed up to Woodhaven Blvd that it does not actually save then any time. Once in a while the super express will go down Union Tpke and not make any stops because it is faster than the LIE. 

The same thing happens with the QM5 Super Express back to Queens--even though it goes via QMT, the LIE is sooo slow that it takes the same amount of time as the regular QM5 that leaves the terminal 2 minutes later. Yet, people love the idea so much that those buses are SRO, which makes me laugh. 

[Cait Sith]

4 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

My only thoughts on this is that if Super Express runs go via the LIE, especially during peak times, it may not save much time. There are a few QM7 (or 8, I forget), that run Super Express, and the people I know who take it say the LIE is always so backed up to Woodhaven Blvd that it does not actually save then any time. Once in a while the super express will go down Union Tpke and not make any stops because it is faster than the LIE. 

The same thing happens with the QM5 Super Express back to Queens--even though it goes via QMT, the LIE is sooo slow that it takes the same amount of time as the regular QM5 that leaves the terminal 2 minutes later. Yet, people love the idea so much that those buses are SRO, which makes me laugh. 

I can vouch for all of this. I've been on the QM5 SE quite a few times....it gets unnecessarily packed for no reason, and the regular QM5s and QM6s tends to catch up because of the LIE traffic, its pretty hilarious. And then you have the ones that miss the Super Express and get sour because they gotta take the regular QM5s.....not realizing that they'll most likely catch up with the Super Express.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

12 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

My only thoughts on this is that if Super Express runs go via the LIE, especially during peak times, it may not save much time. There are a few QM7 (or 8, I forget), that run Super Express, and the people I know who take it say the LIE is always so backed up to Woodhaven Blvd that it does not actually save then any time. Once in a while the super express will go down Union Tpke and not make any stops because it is faster than the LIE. 

The same thing happens with the QM5 Super Express back to Queens--even though it goes via QMT, the LIE is sooo slow that it takes the same amount of time as the regular QM5 that leaves the terminal 2 minutes later. Yet, people love the idea so much that those buses are SRO, which makes me laugh. 

Because in theory it should be faster. Our Super Express trips can save me 20-30 minutes which is crucial in the mornings. I missed one yesterday and it cost me about that much time. I think there's no point in having Super Express trips if you don't mitigate the congestion problem.

[B35 via Church]

On 7/19/2018 at 9:26 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

That whole area (Union Turnpike and partners) needs a redesign. There's no reason why everything during the AM and PM rush should have to make every single stop the way it does. We need more routes the same way the AM QM8 is structured (but during both rush hours).

On 7/19/2018 at 10:31 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The objective is to make it faster for riders further out. Some of the ridership is a resultant of everyone in the morning going through the portion west of 188 Street, regardless of their starting point. The QM1 can be one frequent route during the rush while the QM5 and QM6 both get super express variants during this time, bypassing everything west of 188 Street (with a fair amount of service as well). Same thing would happen with the Downtown variants.

I never drew a google map of this (at least I don't think I did... gotta check), but most of this constitutes my old Union Tpke. restructure proposal... I came up with this before the whole nomenclature change & what not, so I have to pretty much "translate" it to today's times... So here it is.

* Today's Qm1 would be extended to Springfield/HHE (via 73rd av), stopping at 64th/188th & 69th/188th.... (original proposal I had running to 69th/230th w/ the old Q75)

* Today's Qm5 would turn off Union Tpke. at Springfield, then run up Springfield to do the current Qm5 routing to HHE/LNP.... Making that left onto LNP off HHE, would be the last stop..... (this was the original proposal)

* Today's Qm6 would inherit a branch - a Glen Oaks branch (also ending at HHE/LNP) running along Union Tpke & turning up along 260th, to LNP, to HHE... (this was the original proposal)

* Today's Qm7 would get the same extension the Qm1 would get - except it would run further east to Hampton Blvd, to then utilize/loop over to the other side of HHE (meaning, the north side), terminating at HHE/Cloverdale.... (original proposal I had running to Northern/Bell via Springfield & Luke)

* Hmm.... the only portion of today's Qm8 that would be retained, is the portion b/w Douglaston Plaza shopping ctr. & Union Tpke./260th.... Never cared for Union Tpke/260th as a terminal, nor having the Glen Oaks service running via Fresh Meadows & Oakland Gardens (which is why I have the Glen Oaks service running up to HHE/LNP from Union Tpke)....The two downtown services (today's Qm7 & Qm8) would be separated by the CIP on purpose... So today's Qm8 would run along Union Tpke., to 260th, to LNP, to HHE, to Douglaston Pkwy, to end opposite the shopping center....

>>Map Link of the Qm7 & the Qm8's service area in Queens<<

--------------

I wouldn't exactly call it a super express though, because I'd have all Qm5's, Qm6's, and Qm8's not making stops along Union Tpke west of Chevy Chase (well, basically, 188th)..... Those stops would instead be made by Qm1's & Qm7's..... The toughest part AFAIC with all of this isn't even the routing, it would be the scheduling; that part would all have to be more or less done from scratch.....

Edited July 22, 2018 by B35 via Church
added map link...

[QM1to6Ave]

Yeah, the scheduling to make these changes would be a big headache. Plus, if service to all stops is supposed to remain as consistent as it is now, at the end of the day these changes will cost lots of extra $$$ in terms of extra runs and extra buses needed. I doubt the MTA is looking to do that unless there is clear evidence this will lead to much more ridership. 

[B35 via Church]

All the MTA is looking to do at the end of the day is to cut, cut, cut.....

[paulrivera]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

All the MTA is looking to do at the end of the day is to cut, cut, cut.....

Then it'll definitely be like what Andrew Albert said at a board meeting one time: "We've got a lot of new buses on order, and I don't know where they're going to go because one day we're not going to have bus service anymore."

[MHV9218]

Quill XD60s getting trailer ads now.

[Future ENY OP]

10 minutes ago, MHV9218 said:

Quill XD60s getting trailer ads now.

Which bus you spotted the ads on? 

Any pics? 

Edited July 22, 2018 by Future ENY OP

[MHV9218]

22 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

Which bus you spotted the ads on? 

Any pics? 

6115 was the one I saw, no pics yet unfortunately. Probably a matter of time until 6115 gets SBS livery anyway, but they got one for now.

[Future ENY OP]

28 minutes ago, MHV9218 said:

6115 was the one I saw, no pics yet unfortunately. Probably a matter of time until 6115 gets SBS livery anyway, but they got one for now.

That's so weird, last night I was around the union square area and spotted that bus and that bus didn't have any ads until today. 

However, great spotting of that bus.

Hopefully, they put more trailer ads on the other buses at MJQ and other Manhattan Divisions.. That's the only depot in the city that I find very sophisticated with the ads.  

Also, hope they can expand those ads to the Brooklyn Division (FB/ENY/GA/FP/JG/UP)

Unrelated note: JG finally putting ads on their XD40's. 769, 772 are the only ones I've spotted so far.

Edited July 22, 2018 by Future ENY OP

[Around the Horn]

2 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

Hopefully, they put more trailer ads on the other buses at MJQ and other Manhattan Divisions.. That's the only depot in the city that I find very sophisticated with the ads.  

Also, hope they can expand those ads to the Brooklyn Division (FB/ENY/GA/FP/JG/UP)

Manhattan division ads (and ads on express buses) will always be more sophisticated than the outer boroughs because more eyeballs will see them.