Gorgor Posted October 8, 2011 Share #1 Posted October 8, 2011 This time I'm wondering about the section of the FDR Drive Southbound from the Triborough Bridge to 96th Street. There can't possibly be any restrictions on weight in that area because it's all on level ground and there aren't any overpasses that are too tall for a bus to get under. Are buses not allowed to use it though? Because if they are then buses such as the BxM1 and BxM18 should take the Triborough straight onto the FDR and take 96th across. Traffic might be a bit more heavy on 96th than 106th where the buses usually turn if I recall correctly, but the amount of time they'll save by using the highway instead of 2nd Avenue would significantly outweigh that, right? And just to clarify, I'm not talking about northbound because I doubt a bus can clear the overpass to the northbound 96th Street entrance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotham Bus Co. Posted October 8, 2011 Share #2 Posted October 8, 2011 This time I'm wondering about the section of the FDR Drive Southbound from the Triborough Bridge to 96th Street. There can't possibly be any restrictions on weight in that area because it's all on level ground and there aren't any overpasses that are too tall for a bus to get under. Are buses not allowed to use it though? No, buses are not allowed on the FDR Drive. Used to be, but not anymore. That's part of why the X90 was in such decline and the old X61 was killed back in the early 1990's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted October 8, 2011 No, buses are not allowed on the FDR Drive. Used to be, but not anymore. That's part of why the X90 was in such decline and the old X61 was killed back in the early 1990's. I know there's clearance issues from 42nd to 63rd, and supposedly weight issues north of the 20th Street/Avenue C exit/entrance even though the Queens express buses headed Downtown always get on at 34th Street. But it's all level ground from 96th to the Triborough, so no weight issues there, and no overpasses. If it's for the purpose of decreasing commute times and encouraging the use of mass transit then surely they could make an exception for express buses to use the FDR up there, right? And what was the X61? I can't find anything about it on Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 8, 2011 Share #4 Posted October 8, 2011 its a parkway, only passenger cars allowed. No Trucks, Buses, or Trailers. Its not just clearance and weight issues, the lanes are narrower than an expressway and the on and off ramps are smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datDude Posted October 8, 2011 Share #5 Posted October 8, 2011 I know there's clearance issues from 42nd to 63rd, and supposedly weight issues north of the 20th Street/Avenue C exit/entrance even though the Queens express buses headed Downtown always get on at 34th Street. But it's all level ground from 96th to the Triborough, so no weight issues there, and no overpasses. If it's for the purpose of decreasing commute times and encouraging the use of mass transit then surely they could make an exception for express buses to use the FDR up there, right? And what was the X61? I can't find anything about it on Google. I figured its because the FDR (like most NYC highways) is antiquated and not up to modern highway standards...narrow lanes, sharp curves, no shoulders, short or non existent merging lanes, short exit ramps etc.. The BxM11 drives on the the Bx River Pkwy for a short stretch so they got an exception to the pkwy rules, but its less than a mile and its a straight easy stretch to drive on, with no other reasonable alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 8, 2011 Share #6 Posted October 8, 2011 I figured its because the FDR (like most NYC highways) is antiquated and not up to modern highway standards...narrow lanes, sharp curves, no shoulders, short or non existent merging lanes, short exit ramps etc.. The BxM11 drives on the the Bx River Pkwy for a short stretch so they got an exception to the pkwy rules, but its less than a mile and its a straight easy stretch to drive on, with no other reasonable alternative. that is odd, becasue I drove on that part of the Bronx River Parkway before, and it was no better than the FDR drive in terms of design, but I suppose they found a way to make it work safely, perhaps they know the bridges are tall enough and wont cause a problem. I once saw a not in service bus on the Cross Island Parkway, he kept having to move to the center lane to avoid the bridges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted October 8, 2011 its a parkway, only passenger cars allowed. No Trucks, Buses, or Trailers. Its not just clearance and weight issues, the lanes are narrower than an expressway and the on and off ramps are smaller. Well considering how I used to see full size school buses as well as Access-A-Rides using the FDR Drive along the entire length I highly doubt there would be much of an issue with express buses. If anything they could take it from the bridge to 106th because the exit at 96th is a bit narrow, and the only possible issue would be the merge from the bridge onto the highway but it wouldn't be too much more difficult than a bus merging onto any other highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 8, 2011 Share #8 Posted October 8, 2011 Well considering how I used to see full size school buses as well as Access-A-Rides using the FDR Drive along the entire length I highly doubt there would be much of an issue with express buses. If anything they could take it from the bridge to 106th because the exit at 96th is a bit narrow, and the only possible issue would be the merge from the bridge onto the highway but it wouldn't be too much more difficult than a bus merging onto any other highway. those full size school buses are risking a ticket driving on the FDR. When I was on a field trip to Central Park many years ago when I Was in high school, the bus went I-495 to I-295, over the Throgs Neck Bridge, then I-278 to I-87, then the Willis Avenue Bridge to 5 Avenue and went down towards Central Park, and went back the same way (well whatever the other way equivalent for 5 Avenue is.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysterious2train Posted October 9, 2011 Share #9 Posted October 9, 2011 And what was the X61? I can't find anything about it on Google. According to Wikipedia's page on the express buses, it ran between Riverdale and Wall St, and was axed in the late '80s. No wonder it bit the dust, it seems like nothing more than a distaff counterpart to the BxM18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted October 9, 2011 Share #10 Posted October 9, 2011 Long time ago in few years ago, when I was on school bus to MS 104 via FDR Drive South, I remember RTS Bus going up north on FDR Drive in 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomotion69 Posted October 9, 2011 Share #11 Posted October 9, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61st southbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomotion69 Posted October 9, 2011 Share #12 Posted October 9, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61st southbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted October 9, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61stsouthbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. 2 years ago or so a truck going Southbound crashed into the tunnel part right by 90th Street and York Avenue was just a complete mess down to 80th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted October 9, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61stsouthbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. 2 years ago or so a truck going Southbound crashed into the tunnel part right by 90th Street and York Avenue was just a complete mess down to 80th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted October 10, 2011 Share #15 Posted October 10, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61stsouthbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. I remember. It was Chinese B/O who ignores the rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted October 10, 2011 Share #16 Posted October 10, 2011 This reminds me of that Canadian Tour bus that crashed on the 61stsouthbound overpass on the FDR drive back in 2004. They have signs that say vehicles over 9 ft 6 inches are prohibited. That tour bus had a height of 13 ft 6 inches....:tdown: Most large commercial vehicles are banned from the drive, as they exceed its height and weight restrictions. Vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds are not allowed on the drive; that tour bus weighed 16,000 pounds, according to the police. I remember. It was Chinese B/O who ignores the rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transitfan007 Posted October 10, 2011 Share #17 Posted October 10, 2011 No, buses are not allowed on the FDR Drive. Used to be, but not anymore. That's part of why the X90 was in such decline and the old X61 was killed back in the early 1990's. I can only assume that you are talking about tour/private buses, not MTA. The BM1-4, X38,38 still run between BBT and 23rd St. http://mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transitfan007 Posted October 10, 2011 Share #18 Posted October 10, 2011 No, buses are not allowed on the FDR Drive. Used to be, but not anymore. That's part of why the X90 was in such decline and the old X61 was killed back in the early 1990's. I can only assume that you are talking about tour/private buses, not MTA. The BM1-4, X38,38 still run between BBT and 23rd St. http://mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transitfan007 Posted October 10, 2011 Share #19 Posted October 10, 2011 ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transitfan007 Posted October 10, 2011 Share #20 Posted October 10, 2011 ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted October 10, 2011 I can only assume that you are talking about tour/private buses, not MTA. The BM1-4, X38,38 still run between BBT and 23rd St.http://mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf Yeah, and the QM downtown buses get on the FDR at the 34th Street entrance even though they're technically not allowed on the overpass from 25th to 20th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgor Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted October 10, 2011 I can only assume that you are talking about tour/private buses, not MTA. The BM1-4, X38,38 still run between BBT and 23rd St.http://mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf Yeah, and the QM downtown buses get on the FDR at the 34th Street entrance even though they're technically not allowed on the overpass from 25th to 20th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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