MTA Bus Operations: Fleet & Depots

[Future ENY OP]

37 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

They stating so far the 46+ may extend to Flushing ave which i believe would be a bad idea since Broadway to flushing during peak hours is a hot mess. I did have some thoughts  on how I would make the 46+ XD60's turn-around at the original stop, but that would be in a different discussion thread..........

I saw someone mention that FB won't be receiving any new XD40's for local service  which sucks, but a few days ago the union chairman at FB was encouraging operators to go learn the new Artic XD60's since they will be the replacement of the LFSA and he also  mention about how some of the wrap 7600's XD40's would be unwrapped and go to local service once the XD60's officially roles out on the 46+. If that theory does come in play, I can see them pushing out some of the RTS's out of FB.

If the SBS extends to Flushing. Its a good thing and a bad thing.. The good thing is from this layover it can do 2 things..

A) Go down Graham and make the first left on Debevoise than back onto Broadway.

B) Turn right on Flushing than another right on Sumner Place for layover.

The bad part of the layover is between 3pm and 8pm when everything gets so tight around Broadway.

As for the XD40 (additional buses) FB will not receive since the whole order is officially accounted for.

[danielhg121]

So I hear that fed money is given exclusively to BRT which in the MTA’s case is SBS. This is used to purchase things like buses and all the other amenities that SBS has to offer. Can’t the MTA just claim it’s for SBS put them on SBS for a few wks and then unwrap for local service? The XN40’s didn’t even last a full year on the Bx6...

[Express Bus Operator]

8 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

If the SBS extends to Flushing. Its a good thing and a bad thing.. The good thing is from this layover it can do 2 things..

A) Go down Graham and make the first left on Debevoise than back onto Broadway.

B) Turn right on Flushing than another right on Sumner Place for layover.

The bad part of the layover is between 3pm and 8pm when everything gets so tight around Broadway.

As for the XD40 (additional buses) FB will not receive since the whole order is officially accounted for.

Option B is a no go. If I'm having the same vision as you on Broadway make a right on Flushing?

[Future ENY OP]

2 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

Option B is a no go. If I'm having the same vision as you on Broadway make a right on Flushing?

Than you are correct on that one. The turning radius on the XD60 artic is pretty wide for that intersection (if that serves correct).

I think option A would more likely be the choice. However, Flushing Ave is a hard sell for me to terminate.

The back of Woodhull is best suited for this. Only b/c if you take the parking spaces from the B47 stop to the corner of park avenue. That's plenty of layover space and the intersection is wide enough. Move the 47 stop and merge with the 15.

[East New York]

6 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

If the SBS extends to Flushing. Its a good thing and a bad thing.. The good thing is from this layover it can do 2 things..

A) Go down Graham and make the first left on Debevoise than back onto Broadway.

B) Turn right on Flushing than another right on Sumner Place for layover.

The bad part of the layover is between 3pm and 8pm when everything gets so tight around Broadway.

As for the XD40 (additional buses) FB will not receive since the whole order is officially accounted for.

The whole point of artics on the B46+ is for rush hours ops for the most part, and you all have to remember the route ends where it does now because of traffic in the area.

Once the artics hit the line, up to 15 of the XD40’s can be unwrapped for local service. 

5 minutes ago, danielhg121 said:

So I hear that fed money is given exclusively to BRT which in the MTA’s case is SBS. This is used to purchase things like buses and all the other amenities that SBS has to offer. Can’t the MTA just claim it’s for SBS put them on SBS for a few wks and then unwrap for local service? The XN40’s didn’t even last a full year on the Bx6...

What do you mean? That’s the plan. See my above comment. They are all for SBS.

[Melbx15]

2 hours ago, East New York said:

West Farms is now 7 buses over their permanent temp assignment. 

Is this a bad thing that west farms is over there temp assignment ? This should mean that west farms should have enough buses  at the moment 

[Calvin]

17 minutes ago, Melbx15 said:

Is this a bad thing that west farms is over there temp assignment ? This should mean that west farms should have enough buses  at the moment 

By "bad", they are still short as 4 LFS from both KB/GH are there to fill in the gap. There maybe more Nova Artics going to that depot for the Bx36. 

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, danielhg121 said:

So I hear that fed money is given exclusively to BRT which in the MTA’s case is SBS. This is used to purchase things like buses and all the other amenities that SBS has to offer. Can’t the MTA just claim it’s for SBS put them on SBS for a few wks and then unwrap for local service? The XN40’s didn’t even last a full year on the Bx6...

If the TA wants to lose their fed money, they can definitely do that. 

[Future ENY OP]

8 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Still an FP bus, at least for the moment.

ENY is bleeding RTSes. 11 buses retired since the last roster update, now at 22:

4924-4925, 4928, 4932, 4934, 4936-4937, 4943, 4986-4987, 5009, 5012-5013, 5016-5018, 5023-5024, 5040, 5062-5063, 5065

UP has lost 5099. 

As of right now Flatbush will retain most of their  RTS. As more RTS are retired from ENY they are getting some low 65xx buses from Fresh Pond.

On 3/10/2019 at 10:11 PM, Calvin said:

By "bad", they are still short as 4 LFS from both KB/GH are there to fill in the gap. There maybe more Nova Artics going to that depot for the Bx36. 

Hopefully the Flatbush LFSA’s can head to West Farms or TU/100th. 5332 is unwrapped and is still in house at FB awaiting its next move. 

[Express Bus Operator]

6 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

As of right now Flatbush will retain most of their  RTS. As more RTS are retired from ENY they are getting some low 65xx buses from Fresh Pond.

Hopefully the Flatbush LFSA’s can head to West Farms or TU/100th. 5332 is unwrapped and is still in house at FB awaiting its next move. 

Stop hurting my feelings about them RTS's at FB...... The more I see them around, the more I feel sick lol. 

[King Transit]

1 hour ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

Stop hurting my feelings about them RTS's at FB...... The more I see them around, the more I feel sick lol. 

The RTS' are your most favorites ? That's what I was thinking about before.

[Express Bus Operator]

1 minute ago, King Transit said:

The RTS' are your most favorites ? That's what I was thinking about before.

Nope they're not my favorite!.. I love the NF 7000's over anything right now.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

Stop hurting my feelings about them RTS's at FB...... The more I see them around, the more I feel sick lol. 

So if FB management decides to scrap all the RTS. Where to get NG’s from. Jamaica? Yukon? Casey Stengel. You MJQ not giving it up and plus those 3800’s FB had them before going to Manhattan or send back the XD40’s from East New York and Ulmer Park? 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Future ENY OP

[King Transit]

6 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

Nope they're not my favorite!.. I love the NF 7000's over anything right now.

I am an Xcelsior fan/op, they are my favorites too. The XN60s and the XDE40/60s are my most favorite Xcelsiors. I do like the RTS'(2nd favorite model), but my main ones are the 1990-91 TMC units with 6v92(w/V731) and trapoxidyzer( along with the Novabus 1997-99 units). 

[Express Bus Operator]

2 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

So if FB management decides to scrap all the RTS. Where to get NG’s from. Jamaica? Yukon? Casey Stengel. You MJQ not giving it up and plus those 3800’s FB had them before going to Manhattan or send back the XD40’s from East New York and Ulmer Park? 

"I wish"

The AGM at FB was the GS for maint' dept and I heard rumors he favors the RTS's since they use to love repairing them at FB.

The NG will be the future hated buses as more of the NF's comes in play. The only thing sucks with the NG's  are the kneeler takes so long to raise back up.

[Express Bus Operator]

2 minutes ago, King Transit said:

I am an Xcelsior fan/op, they are my favorites too. The XN60s and the XDE40/60s are my most favorite Xcelsiors. I do like the RTS'(2nd favorite model), but my main ones are the 1990-91 TMC units with 6v92(w/V731) and trapoxidyzer( along with the Novabus 1997-99 units). 

During my childhood I use to praise the RTS's especially when they started rolling out with the new blue cushions seats. I use to love the way the engine sounds as the operator accelerates. But now being on the other side sitting behind the wheels of the RTS's I change my mind lol........

Hands down on the B41 I try my best to pull out an XD especially dealing with walkers and wheelchairs passengers they are perfect to kneel and load. When its possible the yard dispatcher try their best to provide me an XD especially on the weekends. When I know I'm pulling out an XD my entire mood swing changes and I know I'm have a great day out there lol.

[King Transit]

8 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

During my childhood I use to praise the RTS's especially when they started rolling out with the new blue cushions seats. I use to love the way the engine sounds as the operator accelerates. But now being on the other side sitting behind the wheels of the RTS's I change my mind lol........

Hands down on the B41 I try my best to pull out an XD especially dealing with walkers and wheelchairs passengers they are perfect to kneel and load. When its possible the yard dispatcher try their best to provide me an XD especially on the weekends. When I know I'm pulling out an XD my entire mood swing changes and I know I'm have a great day out there lol.

I used to hate RTS' since 2012 until early 2018. This is because I over exaggerate alot with their mechanical problems(ex. fires, wheelchair lift stuck, brake noises, etc.) and I hated their Series 50 engine I used to love most as a little boy. Since 2017, I was worried about their braking efforts whilst I was braking that bus at low speed, while others counter argued that these buses have such sharp brakes(I don't believe it, at that heavy duty design).  Those XD40s and other Xcelsiors rule NYC with a perfect value, which is why they became my most favorite bus(top of my list) since Q2 2016.

[trainfan22]

Surprised the NG will be the most hated once the RTS leave. I thought the Orion hybrids in general were the most liked buses overall by MTA drivers. 

[MysteriousBtrain]

51 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Surprised the NG will be the most hated once the RTS leave. I thought the Orion hybrids in general were the most liked buses overall by MTA drivers. 

No. The main problem is that MTA ordered hundreds of NGs for all 5 boroughs without proper testing. They are good for downtown areas, but when it comes to routes that are highway speeds they are very sluggish. 

[trainfan22]

5 minutes ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

No. The main problem is that MTA ordered hundreds of NGs for all 5 boroughs without proper testing. They are good for downtown areas, but when it comes to routes that are highway speeds they are very sluggish. 

I never noticed the NGs to be sluggish on flat ground. Only going uphill (Like the S79 on the VZ Bridge for example). Same goes for the OG Hybrid.

[Express Bus Operator]

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

Surprised the NG will be the most hated once the RTS leave. I thought the Orion hybrids in general were the most liked buses overall by MTA drivers. 

Without a doubt If I had to pull out a bus and they only had an RTS and and NG left, I would pick the NG to be in service. But like always once a vehicle starts to become old people will start to hate it. 

[SevenEleven]

35 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

Without a doubt If I had to pull out a bus and they only had an RTS and and NG left, I would pick the NG to be in service. But like always once a vehicle starts to become old people will start to hate it. 

That's what I get when I work out of every depot, even at Meredith where it's all Prevost. "You want a 2400? A lot of the ops hate them." I won't unilaterally say that "the older the better," but the same is true in the reverse. The newer isn't always the best, either.

[MysteriousBtrain]

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

I never noticed the NGs to be sluggish on flat ground. Only going uphill (Like the S79 on the VZ Bridge for example). Same goes for the OG Hybrid.

To me the NGs don't do well in certain areas like Hylan, VZ and Whitestone bridge. Uphill is a problem too. What they should of done is put OGs in at least 1 depot per division instead of putting them in certain areas only. Like for instance, the 2003-04 and some of the FP units would be delivered, and maybe instead of MV getting the gen IIs they test out of WF or GH followed by CA/YU.

Edited March 12, 2019 by MysteriousBtrain

[East New York]

8 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

Surprised the NG will be the most hated once the RTS leave. I thought the Orion hybrids in general were the most liked buses overall by MTA drivers. 

Naw that will likely always be the NG’s status. Lol. The RTS on the contrary is the most loved. Big difference. Only new ops, and older vets who have driven thousands of them and like change don’t care for them. The aren’t made for y’all people either so a lot of ops that are tall done like them. Others won’t pull out anything other than an RTS. That’s why they are interestingly enough at the 2 most powerful depots in the system. ENY and Quill. They could have been retired years ago easily. 

They are only the least favorite when it comes to that wheel chair lift.

Overall, in every other category they are the favored bus among maintenance, ops, fans, and surprisingly many passengers. 

In Brooklyn, and on many Quill routes, I have seen countless older men and women go for an RTS if 2 buses pull up together. Downside, they take longer to get up the steps lol. 

Until it’s gone it’s hold the title of Queen. Man y’all should see 5249 now! She will be 20 this year, and those delivery specs that she’s in are 🔥🔥🔥

Edited March 13, 2019 by East New York

[FLX9304]

On 3/10/2019 at 7:28 PM, Flatbush SBS Duece said:

They stating so far the 46+ may extend to Flushing ave which i believe would be a bad idea since Broadway to flushing during peak hours is a hot mess. I did have some thoughts  on how I would make the 46+ XD60's turn-around at the original stop, but that would be in a different discussion thread..........

I saw someone mention that FB won't be receiving any new XD40's for local service  which sucks, but a few days ago the union chairman at FB was encouraging operators to go learn the new Artic XD60's since they will be the replacement of the LFSA and he also  mention about how some of the wrap 7600's XD40's would be unwrapped and go to local service once the XD60's officially roles out on the 46+. If that theory does come in play, I can see them pushing out some of the RTS's out of FB.

On what fb group that story is from?