What's the purpose of SBS?

[Engr08]

Hey all I have a question to ask, what's the purpose of SBS? To me it seems like a upgraded limited bus. As we know SBS is now operating on three bus lines but Im not understanding the purpose of SBS? Does it work for NYC bus? Are the police policing the bus lanes so buses can move smoothly without any backup? Are the police making sure passengers are actually paying there fare? Just want to know what you guys think.

[FamousNYLover]

Select Bus Service is like any other Bus Rapid Transit, which has dedicated bus lane or busway or transit signal prioty.

BRT act like subway and runs frequent.

 

Also to speed up boarding bus by off-board payment.

Uses low-floor buses most.

 

 

See all this videos in my playlist

Bus Rapid Transit

[datDude]

Hey all I have a question to ask, what's the purpose of SBS? To me it seems like a upgraded limited bus. As we know SBS is now operating on three bus lines but Im not understanding the purpose of SBS? Does it work for NYC bus? Are the police policing the bus lanes so buses can move smoothly without any backup? Are the police making sure passengers are actually paying there fare? Just want to know what you guys think.

 

In my experience SBS is not perfect but is a significant improvement over limited bus service. I say its not perfect mainly b/c nyc drivers could give a **** about a bus lane, and routinely stand in bus lane, so buses don't really have a straight shot through traffic via bus lanes like they should in theory. Thats more of a problem on Fordham rd then on the M15 since long stretches of the bus lanes on 1st/2nd aves are not at the curb. However Its still alot better than no bus lane at all. The biggest time improvement to me is paying before boarding and 3 door exits/entry. That alone makes SBS wayy better than a limited bus. In fact after getting used to it, its almost unbearable taking a local bus spending an eternity at each stop as everyone pays one by one. I got spoiled since if I need to take the bus its usually the bx12. One thing I hate is its so damn crowded.

 

As for enforcement, MTA officials come and check once in a while. Not very often, you can go for over 20 rides and not run into one, or you could get checked twice in the same day, no pattern to it, so its not often at all, but you never know, so me, and it seems most riders don't take that chance. At first I'd see them get on the bus and check a couple ppl, now i seen them pick a stop and check ppl as they get off. SO you think you made it to your destination for free, then bam! not so fast lol.

 

Im curious if those bus lane cameras are actually taking pics yet, or if its just for show?

[gtNovaBusRTS9369]

Hey all I have a question to ask, what's the purpose of SBS? To me it seems like a upgraded limited bus. As we know SBS is now operating on three bus lines but Im not understanding the purpose of SBS? Does it work for NYC bus? Are the police policing the bus lanes so buses can move smoothly without any backup? Are the police making sure passengers are actually paying there fare? Just want to know what you guys think.

 

Basically the goal of SBS is to be an more efficent LTD (Ironically replacing the portion for some routes) or just more frequent part of a route as well as making travel time more easier for your commute. Not always but sometimes fare inspectors check the buses to make sure passengers pay their fare. I'm not sure if this happens as often as supposed to but I did see 2 police cars on bus lanes out of the few times I rode the (M15) SBS. Most of the time though it's 90% effiecient as promised IMO. One more thing is it's providing 3 doors buses (aka articulated buses) & you can enter through any one of them thus making boarding easier.

[Gorgor]

Out of all the 20+ times I've taken the M15 SBS, only once did fare inspectors come on. They didn't even look at the tickets really, they all just stood by the doors and checked to see if you could produce any ticket at all. They didn't check the time stamp or anything. Tons of people hop the select, and even more (mainly tourists) get on without paying because the instructions aren't clear at all.

 

But making a route SBS does increase ridership a lot. Before SBS was on the M15 I wouldn't even think about taking the limited for more than a mile, and I'm pretty sure that the M34/M34A SBS will attract new riders that have previously been walking along 34th Street.

[B35 via Church]

To give New Yorkers a false sense of speedier commutes.....

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[FamousNYLover]

I have taken M15 SBS and every time I see inspector during rush hour.

 

Only on Bx12SBS, I only saw once.

[BrooklynBus]

To save on operating costs, pure and simple. That is the only reason.

 

If it had the same benefits like faster loading, etc. but would have increased operating costs, it never would be done.

[Gorgor]

To save on operating costs, pure and simple. That is the only reason.

 

If it had the same benefits like faster loading, etc. but would have increased operating costs, it never would be done.

 

Wait, save on operating costs? Please explain.

 

SBS costs that increase:

- SBS fare machines and maintenance

- Exponentially increased amount of fare beating as opposed to a regular limited

- Fare inspectors

 

SBS costs that decrease:

- ???

 

But are those costs saved worth it for saving the average rider probably not even 5 minutes?

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[BrooklynBus]

Wait, save on operating costs? Please explain.

 

SBS costs that increase:

- SBS fare machines and maintenance

- Exponentially increased amount of fare beating as opposed to a regular limited

- Fare inspectors

 

SBS costs that decrease:

- ???

 

But are those costs saved worth it for saving the average rider probably not even 5 minutes?

 

If you look at the MTA report for the B44 SBS, there is a dollar figure in there as to how much they expect to save in operating costs annually due to reduced running times. They do not consider fare machines or maintenance, claim fare beating is reduced, not increased, don't consider cost of fare inspectors or revenue from enforcement.

 

They only talk about bus trips being faster. We hav to take their word that it is not cancelled out by increased walk times to the stops which are further apart and that if you are already using a second bus or a train, you cannot transfer between local and SBS for free on a pay per ride MetroCard which is most of the riders.

 

In other words, their reports are very incomplete and do not tell the whole story to in order to make a fair assessment if SBS is worth it or not.

 

Are you missing the point that ridership increases enough to compensate?

 

Says who? The MTA? They haven't shown that increased SBS ridership is not drawn from parallel bus or subway routes. How many people are leaving their cars home and switched to SBS? I'm waiting for those numbers.

[Gorgor]

If you look at the MTA report for the B44 SBS, there is a dollar figure in there as to how much they expect to save in operating costs annually due to reduced running times. They do not consider fare machines or maintenance, claim fare beating is reduced, not increased, don't consider cost of fare inspectors or revenue from enforcement.

 

They only talk about bus trips being faster. We hav to take their word that it is not cancelled out by increased walk times to the stops which are further apart and that if you are already using a second bus or a train, you cannot transfer between local and SBS for free on a pay per ride MetroCard which is most of the riders.

 

In other words, their reports are very incomplete and do not tell the whole story to in order to make a fair assessment if SBS is worth it or not.

 

 

They claim that fare beating will be reduced with SBS? Can I get some of that stuff they're smoking?

 

Well the major annoyance is that you can't transfer from SBS to local or vice versa and then onto another bus or the subway. Luckily I live close to an SBS stop on the M15, so if I need to go to a local stop I'll just take the select and then transfer to the local and flash the ticket to the driver. I'm not sure if that's what you're supposed to do or not but they've never said anything so I assume it's fine.

 

SBS doesn't always save time, like you said some people have to walk further to the nearest SBS stop. When they talk about the amount of time saved I'm pretty sure they're only referring from one SBS stop to another.

[FamousNYLover]

That's for false.

If you could transfer from SBS to local bus.

When you board the SBS, you use your MetroCard to transfer to local bus.

[Blitz]

They claim that fare beating will be reduced with SBS? Can I get some of that stuff they're smoking?

 

Well the major annoyance is that you can't transfer from SBS to local or vice versa and then onto another bus or the subway. Luckily I live close to an SBS stop on the M15, so if I need to go to a local stop I'll just take the select and then transfer to the local and flash the ticket to the driver. I'm not sure if that's what you're supposed to do or not but they've never said anything so I assume it's fine.

 

SBS doesn't always save time, like you said some people have to walk further to the nearest SBS stop. When they talk about the amount of time saved I'm pretty sure they're only referring from one SBS stop to another.

 

The way I understand it is that the people that they catch farebeating and give the $125 tickets to compensate for those that they don't catch.

[mark1447]

SBS to me is an Enhanced Limited Stop bus service. (NOT an Express bus like people call it) While traffic in certain area really slows down the bus, its still fairly quickly then a Local or regular LTD, when its out of that harm. Boarding is fast, entering in ether entry of the bus.

 

The M34 makes me feel like it became a Limited Stop Crosstown bus, even tho its not.

 

Negative comes in with limited enforcement of fare evasion . I hardly see any SBS inspector. Last time I saw one on the SBS12 was in 2008, SBS15 NEVER, SBS34 on the first day!

 

Some drivers still don't know not to use the Bus lanes for standing to long and using it like a regular lane. Some more enforcement can be done here.

 

But overall its fair!

[checkmatechamp13]

They claim that fare beating will be reduced with SBS? Can I get some of that stuff they're smoking?

 

 

Well, their numbers show it. I know some people don't trust their numbers, but I do trust them (it's how they interpret the numbers that I don't trust).

 

Ridership on the Bx12 (local and +SBS+ together) in 2009 was 20% higher than in 2004. Maybe there are more farebeaters, but they've been counteracted by an increase in paying riders.

 

Personally, I'd be more afraid to farebeat on an +SBS+ route. On the regular bus, once you get past the driver, you're home free. On the +SBS+, you still have to deal with the fare inspectors, who are likely stricter than the drivers about paying the fare (as is evidenced by the many tickets they gave to people who truly had a problem with the system)

[datDude]

I have taken M15 SBS and every time I see inspector during rush hour.

 

Only on Bx12SBS, I only saw once.

 

Probably cuz M15 SBS is much newer. Bx12 SBS been around for years, it got lots of attention and gentle reminders to pay increasing to strict enforcement, and now back down to little attention. Bus lane enforcement went the same way, starting with zero tolerance and quick towing, to enforcement more typical of any other traffic/parking violation.

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

The purpose of +SBS is...

1) Cover up for the lack of subway service along busy corridors

2) Make riders of the most crowded routes feel special (No clue as to how M34 qualifies for SBS)

3) Most importantly a PR stunt (Hence the pointless SBS branding of blue lights and wrapped buses)

 

On a serious note I can say that as a regular rider of Bx12 +SBS that this glorified service is an improvement over LTD especially with load times. Load times are tremendously fast and the service is much more reliable than the LTD was. The only thing that annoys me is bus bunches and part of me thinks that SBS was set up to bunch more often (especially around terminals) than it should. Whatever the purpose of SBS was it's working so I'm fine with it.