Random Thoughts Thread - Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE)

[FamousNYLover]

After I took n24 to Hicksville, I got on 12:05 n20 Flushing #1866 and after Great Neck Station, around 13:00, fully blindman named Paul with her service dog, Yuka the German shepherd boarded the bus at Hillside Av. When bus got less crowded, I asked if he has trouble when bus doesn't make announcement and he told me yes. He is resident of White Plains and he only takes NICE Bus on weekend and he depends on Bee-Line paratransit and Metro-North.  I also help bus operator and make sure passenger wouldn't step on service dog. And after bus arrives at Flushing-Main St at 13:40, I helped him get on R-188 subway car and since I was going toward Grand Central, I helped him from 10th car of TImes Sq-bound train to escalator at 1st car end.

I did good thing today. Some n20 regular riders asked him what was dog's name and he told passenger Yuka and she was 2-years-old and she was very good dog.

When I told Paul my name, passenger laughed.

Like I said earlier the lights need to be fixed. There's backups out of NCC because the lights are not timed for the exiting traffic. Traffic lights need to be "smart", all too often you're sitting in a backup a 2 minute long light while the road that gets the longer green has less traffic. This is a classic example at places like Uniondale Ave & Front St, it delays the n43&45 buses up to 10 min waiting 2 min for each cycle in a backup yet traffic on Front st just sails on by with its 2 min green time. Adding transponders on buses is another good idea, but would have a cost. Adjusting traffic lights properly for traffic flow shouldn't cost much, some even use little camera sensors to monitor traffic conditions. Ideally, all lights should be linked together.

Traffic light for traffic entering Sunrise Mall takes 1 minute and 30 seconds to change, and n19, n54/55, n80/81 lose lots of times going into Sunrise Mall. These light need to change also.

Edited January 14, 2014 by FamousNYLover

[Vistausss]

Like I said earlier the lights need to be fixed. There's backups out of NCC because the lights are not timed for the exiting traffic. Traffic lights need to be "smart", all too often you're sitting in a backup a 2 minute long light while the road that gets the longer green has less traffic. This is a classic example at places like Uniondale Ave & Front St, it delays the n43&45 buses up to 10 min waiting 2 min for each cycle in a backup yet traffic on Front st just sails on by with its 2 min green time. Adding transponders on buses is another good idea, but would have a cost. Adjusting traffic lights properly for traffic flow shouldn't cost much, some even use little camera sensors to monitor traffic conditions. Ideally, all lights should be linked together.

 

Yeah, I've also seen this near Sunrise Mall in one of Brett's videos. They had to wait 3 minutes to enter the mall because of a red light even though traffic on the road it was waiting on was very light but that traffic got green all the time... there was enough time to let one bus go through. Needs to be fixed.

 

I asked if he has trouble when bus doesn't make announcement and he told me yes.

 

Yeah, for them it's very troublesome when there's no announcement being made. Esp. if you're not too familiar with the route or a detour is in place... But that'll always be a problem. Even if the announcement system is in place it may not always be on or the volume may be turned down by the b/o so that you barely hear the announcements. Been there, experienced all of that. Luckily, there are still good people like you in this world who helped him, good job Yuki!

 

Nassau County is not New York City, hence you will probably never see bus lanes or a BRT system in place on Long Island. You're better off pushing for a bus priority lighting system from the county because that's the most feasible idea. Not enough people take the bus system in the county and not enough residents respect it enough to give it it's own lane on some major roads. The traffic patterns just wouldn't work.

 

As far the n20, you're never going to get bus lanes on Northern Blvd, whether in the city on the Q12 or in Nassau County. People would fight that to the end. I know, I'm on Northern Blvd daily.

 

Agreed that there may not be enough ridership right now, but that isn't to say it's not gonna change. You don't always need high ridership levels to try something, sometimes you gain riders by trying something. In this case of bus lanes maybe not but in general: yes.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Vistausss

[FamousNYLover]

Yeah, I've also seen this near Sunrise Mall in one of Brett's videos. They had to wait 3 minutes to enter the mall because of a red light even though traffic on the road it was waiting on was very light but that traffic got green all the time... there was enough time to let one bus go through. Needs to be fixed.

 

 

Yeah, for them it's very troublesome when there's no announcement being made. Esp. if you're not too familiar with the route or a detour is in place... But that'll always be a problem. Even if the announcement system is in place it may not always be on or the volume may be turned down by the b/o so that you barely hear the announcements. Been there, experienced all of that. Luckily, there are still good people like you in this world who helped him, good job Yuki!

 

 

Agreed that there may not be enough ridership right now, but that isn't to say it's not gonna change. You don't always need high ridership levels to try something, sometimes you gain riders by trying something. In this case of bus lanes maybe not but in general: yes.

I helped him all the way to Grand Central via R-188 because he usually get on front car of , close to elevator, but R-188 was leaving soon, so I escorted him to 10th car and helped him onto seat. I even helped to make sure he gets on middle seat.

[Astoria Line]

That n6x runs a lot smoother in the morning. NICE made the headways 7-8 minutes instead of 10-13. I thank them for that, they at least improved SOME service. The buses have more room and are less packed. The trip is smoother and surprisingly shorter as well. I haven't tried it during the PM yet but the good service compared to the n4x's dismal 15 minute headways.

[FamousNYLover]

I helped him all the way to Grand Central via R-188 because he usually get on front car of , close to elevator, but R-188 was leaving soon, so I escorted him to 10th car and helped him onto seat. I even helped to make sure he gets on middle seat.

I meant get middle side seat behind the driver of 12:05 n20 Flushing #1866 because bus was crush loaded as usual.

[N6 Limited]

That n6x runs a lot smoother in the morning. NICE made the headways 7-8 minutes instead of 10-13. I thank them for that, they at least improved SOME service. The buses have more room and are less packed. The trip is smoother and surprisingly shorter as well. I haven't tried it during the PM yet but the good service compared to the n4x's dismal 15 minute headways.

Are those headways between express buses? Or between the N6 and N6x?

[FamousNYLover]

When I helped on n27 on No Pants Subway day, there was one lady and rest of Glen Cove resident want n21 back on weekend.

On Sundays, only n20 going to CW Post will meet n27 Glen Cove.

[Vistausss]

When I helped on n27 on No Pants Subway day, there was one lady and rest of Glen Cove resident want n21 back on weekend.

On Sundays, only n20 going to CW Post will meet n27 Glen Cove.

 

Yeah, they can scream all they want but no one is gonna use it anyway, hence why they scrapped it. I believe PinePower was the one who explained that in a bit more detail

[PinePower]

Yeah, they can scream all they want but no one is gonna use it anyway, hence why they scrapped it. I believe PinePower was the one who explained that in a bit more detail

 

I think they are way too many n21 runs now. All they needed to do was have trips between 6am and 10am and 3pm and 8pm weekdays only, instead of having it run all day. 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

You just don't get it do you? There is not sufficient ridership on the n21-only part of the n21 to bring the n21 back any other time than rush hours only. NICE is throwing money away as it is with full-day service, but that's only because you were annoying the hell out of them and they gave in, which they shouldn't have. Please don't mention anything on the n21 again.

 

Even those are too many runs. You don't need the n21 going until 8 pm in the evening, nor do you need it going until 10 am in the morning, especially when the n20 LIMITED stops running from Flushing at 9 am. A three hour span of the n21 during rush hours is enough.

 

N21 midday service needs to be scrapped too. NICE's funding is low enough as it is.

 

Not only that, but I feel that the n21 shouldn't exist. Just make them into n20's to Roslyn LIRR Station or the clock tower.

[N6 Limited]

21:00 n6 Hempstead, late and flag central, everyone flagged past 179th subway. 9 people got off at Locustwood blvd.

[PinePower]

You just don't get it do you? There is not sufficient ridership on the n21-only part of the n21 to bring the n21 back any other time than rush hours only. NICE is throwing money away as it is with full-day service, but that's only because you were annoying the hell out of them and they gave in, which they shouldn't have. Please don't mention anything on the n21 again.

 

Even those are too many runs. You don't need the n21 going until 8 pm in the evening, nor do you need it going until 10 am in the morning, especially when the n20 LIMITED stops running from Flushing at 9 am. A three hour span of the n21 during rush hours is enough.

 

N21 midday service needs to be scrapped too. NICE's funding is low enough as it is.

 

Problem is the n27 got overcrowded from transfers at Greenvale, the 3pm trip from RF got hammerred at Greenvale at that time with SRO all the way to Glen Cove. Remember the n27 is hourly middays. When the n21 does run rush hours it should only be hourly. First trip out of Flushing was 4pm and it was jammed all the way to Glen Cove, but the next one 30 min later fairly empty, often they got bunched up because of this. So start the n21 at 3pm but run it only every hour till 8pm. The last trip was 6pm out of Flushing which was way too early. I'd have the trips leave Flushing at 3pm,4pm,5pm,6pm,7pm, out of Glen Cove 4pm,5pm,6pm,7pm (ok 8 is pushing it). Another idea is to just restore 30 min service on the n27 middays or start it earlier, it would carry more than the n21 in Glen Cove for sure. 

Edited January 15, 2014 by PinePower

[N6 Limited]

I wouldn't go that far. It's a route that works and gets some riders. It has been a part of the area for many years. During Long Island Bus times, it did well during rush hours.

 

Sounds like you may be interested in my n6 proposal.

The Articulated buses?

That's right, the n27 is hourly now. I don't blame NICE for doing it, since the n23 extension to Hempstead because a north-south route from the n20 to Hempstead, but at the same time, the n27 should have more half-hourly service in my opinion. Some of the n27 buses I've been on did have a good amount of passengers during the midday.

 

Also, not part of the NICE discussion, but I saw this on SUNY Albany campus: [pic]

By making the n27 hourly, they probably extended service with one additional bus. Interesting pic

[N6 Limited]

Yeah I like the n6, n6L, n6x set up. I thought maybe because of the time of night of the crowding you may have been focusing on the articulated bus part of your plan.

[Vistausss]

That's right, the n27 is hourly now. I don't blame NICE for doing it, since the n23 extension to Hempstead because a north-south route from the n20 to Hempstead, but at the same time, the n27 should have more half-hourly service in my opinion. Some of the n27 buses I've been on did have a good amount of passengers during the midday.

 

Also, not part of the NICE discussion, but I saw this on SUNY Albany campus:

 

 

Interesting. But keep in mind that Veolia Environmental Services is not the same as Veolia Transportation. VES is doing stuff like controlling water works and, well, you know, that kind of environmental stuff (to be specific: water, waste, energy and transport). Nice catch, though, all the way out in Albany!

 

(sorry if you already know this but sometimes people are confusing Veolia Transportation with VES, mostly outside of this forum but I do know Yuki did on here a few months ago)

Edited January 15, 2014 by Vistausss

[Vistausss]

@theNICEbus: #NICEALERT Detour on the n43 north of Jerusalem Ave due to police activity. Expect delays. Stay tuned for more info.

 

-- Sent from my TouchPad using Communities

[Hound]

Problem is the n27 got overcrowded from transfers at Greenvale, the 3pm trip from RF got hammerred at Greenvale at that time with SRO all the way to Glen Cove. Remember the n27 is hourly middays. When the n21 does run rush hours it should only be hourly. First trip out of Flushing was 4pm and it was jammed all the way to Glen Cove, but the next one 30 min later fairly empty, often they got bunched up because of this. So start the n21 at 3pm but run it only every hour till 8pm. The last trip was 6pm out of Flushing which was way too early. I'd have the trips leave Flushing at 3pm,4pm,5pm,6pm,7pm, out of Glen Cove 4pm,5pm,6pm,7pm (ok 8 is pushing it). Another idea is to just restore 30 min service on the n27 middays or start it earlier, it would carry more than the n21 in Glen Cove for sure. 

The N21 would do better if it was extended further east in Glen Cove up Forest Ave instead of ending by the police station in the ghetto part of town. It could continue to Locust Valley, terminating at the train station.

[PinePower]

The N21 would do better if it was extended further east in Glen Cove up Forest Ave instead of ending by the police station in the ghetto part of town. It could continue to Locust Valley, terminating at the train station.

 

That would help, also consider all the major shopping centers & supermarkets in Glen Cove are up on Forest Ave where there is no bus service. It's quite f*ed up really, Glen Cove is probably one of the most messed up towns on LI transportation wise. I would not be surprised if local cab companies bribe elected officials to keep the buses off Forest, as they do quite a brisk business with the stores there.

[N6 Limited]

The N21 would do better if it was extended further east in Glen Cove up Forest Ave instead of ending by the police station in the ghetto part of town. It could continue to Locust Valley, terminating at the train station.

 

 

That would help, also consider all the major shopping centers & supermarkets in Glen Cove are up on Forest Ave where there is no bus service. It's quite f*ed up really, Glen Cove is probably one of the most messed up towns on LI transportation wise. I would not be surprised if local cab companies bribe elected officials to keep the buses off Forest, as they do quite a brisk business with the stores there.

Why do both routes end a the police station anyway? Could it be because that's how Glen Cove wants service?

[Orion VII 4 Life]

So apparently drivers on the 3rd Gens can in fact keep the new Clever Device (which is coming to the rest of the fleet) off by logging in with the MTA farebox instead. I didn't think they could since I never saw a sign controller and never saw them off until just last week.

 

Not good, with the new GPS coming in the drivers are gonna have to log in with the Clever Device in order for the bus to show online. I hope when the GPS is all set up the dispatchers can still see the bus on their end and determine whether or not a bus has signed in with the CDs (even if they didn't) and if necessary call the driver to log in. If they still don't sign in when the GPS is all set up just to avoid the damn announcements BusTime is gonna be a miserable failure.

[Vistausss]

Doesn't matter that much. Even if they do sign in on Clever Devices, they can always mute the volume of the announcements.

[N6 Limited]

Is there a way the operator can be shielded from the announcements some how? Because they have to hear it ALLL day, must get annoying.

[Vistausss]

Is there a way the operator can be shielded from the announcements some how? Because they have to hear it ALLL day, must get annoying.

 

Some drivers get used to it (at least, that's what a few drivers said to me), others get annoyed by it and tend to mute the volume. So I guess it depends on the driver: some will like it, some will be hatin'.

[Orion VII 4 Life]

Doesn't matter that much. Even if they do sign in on Clever Devices, they can always mute the volume of the announcements.

AFAIK there is no volume control, it's set by the Clever Device. Though I've heard different buses have different volume levels, that seems to be a problem with the actual sound system on the bus and not the driver's settings. The volume of each announcement can be set differently though, here in NJ though our MCIs will make quiet announcements all the way to the Port Authority or Newark or JC, then make a loud announcement once they get there to wake everyone up. Going back down it will make loud announcements at major stops along the way.

[Vistausss]

AFAIK there is no volume control, it's set by the Clever Device. Though I've heard different buses have different volume levels, that seems to be a problem with the actual sound system on the bus and not the driver's settings. The volume of each announcement can be set differently though, here in NJ though our MCIs will make quiet announcements all the way to the Port Authority or Newark or JC, then make a loud announcement once they get there to wake everyone up. Going back down it will make loud announcements at major stops along the way.

 

There is no volume control but there s a mute button in the software settings. Of course, if NICE or NJt disables that then there s no button. But by default there is.