Staten Islanders get assist from boat to the bus

[Shortline Bus]

"Don't worry about missing your bus connection if the ferry into St. George is running late -- the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has increased its dispatcher presence on the ramps to advise customers about the status of their service, the Advance(Staten Island) has learned.

 

Commuters have long complained about running toward their buses only to see them drive away, despite a loosely enforced MTA policy to hold buses within reason if the ferry is running late.

The lack of coordination between the ferry and the buses is often the subject of testimony at public hearings. It's also an issue elected officials have pressed the MTA to correct.

They've finally heeded the call.

Dispatchers have been added to the MTA bus ramps, its tower at the ferry terminal and the skyline ramp, and dispatchers on each ramp are in continuous communication with the tower during rush hour, according to spokeswoman Deirdre Parker.

Additionally, ramp dispatchers are wearing orange vests to make them more visible to commuters."

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/staten_islanders_get_assist_fr.html

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Oh please... This used to be the case back in the day (with more communication between the tower and management on the ground and the B/Os) and then new management came in and everything became a mess. They used to have buses actually come back because they would leave early.

 

What started happening is more and more buses would just take off early OR there would be NO bus at the ferry even when there wasn't a problem with the boat and sometimes no explanation as to why either, so you're stuck waiting there for another 30+ minutes to catch the next bus and be crushloaded from the next boat load of folks.

 

I don't know what's the deal with some of the B/Os on Staten Island but they're the reason service has been so crappy for years. You have some that adhere to the schedule and others that just do whatever and it creates nothing but inconsistency. I think some of them are truly miserable and do everything possible to make the commutes of the passengers miserable as well, though it seems as if some of the grumpy ones have moved on or something. Now with Bus Time, they really have no excuse to leave early if they still are. I also don't see the need to have all of this personnel around when they can track the buses and still have folks around but fewer of them. I know the express buses generally are not leaving early but rather late or ontime, this way they pick up everybody which is how it is supposed to be. The X12 I took last night was right on time and the X10 was a little late but he was the last bus to the city, so that's understandable and since you can track them now so it isn't too big of a deal, plus at that time of night they can get back on schedule pretty easily.

[S78 via Hylan]

Couldn't have said that better myself. I actually do remember when the dispatcher in the tower would tell the buses at St. George to wait for passengers from the ferry. Now these days, it does not seem like service is improving even though more dispatchers are starting to show up by the ramps...

[Cait Sith]

I don't know...I mean I have seen better coordination as of late within the past few months out at the ferry terminal. Usually 3 guys out at the front who are really cool, then 2 at the back. Weekends though, its a hit or miss....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah during the rush is when they're usually out and about and things are better, but outside of that it is hit or miss. It used to be a big deal to not make the boat, but folks out on Staten Island became more and more complacent. Part of the issue is the scheduling of the buses. They don't have enough time to make the boat if they're delayed and that should also be changed.

[checkmatechamp13]

Yeah during the rush is when they're usually out and about and things are better, but outside of that it is hit or miss. It used to be a big deal to not make the boat, but folks out on Staten Island became more and more complacent. Part of the issue is the scheduling of the buses. They don't have enough time to make the boat if they're delayed and that should also be changed.

 

 

Wait, are you referring to the buses meeting the ferry or the ferry meeting the buses? Because it sounds like you're talking about the first one.

 

In any case, the thing is that some routes don't run at headways that are compatible with the ferry (they might run every 10-12 minutes when the ferry runs every 15 minutes). If they allowed B/Os to speed it up a little when they get near the ferry, more buses could make the ferry, instead of being scheduled to miss it by 2 minutes.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Wait, are you referring to the buses meeting the ferry or the ferry meeting the buses? Because it sounds like you're talking about the first one.

 

In any case, the thing is that some routes don't run at headways that are compatible with the ferry (they might run every 10-12 minutes when the ferry runs every 15 minutes). If they allowed B/Os to speed it up a little when they get near the ferry, more buses could make the ferry, instead of being scheduled to miss it by 2 minutes.

 

 

I'm referring to both.

[qjtransitmaster]

Now you know why I avoid the ferry at ALL COSTS it is not worth the frustration!!!

[Cait Sith]

Now you know why I avoid the ferry at ALL COSTS it is not worth the frustration!!!

 

 

Um, what?

[checkmatechamp13]

Um, what?

 

 

He's saying he avoids the ferry because the buses often don't connect with it.

[LTA1992]

A shame this doesn't matter to me since the s48 ans 98 are almost always there or arrive a few minutes later.

[checkmatechamp13]

The thing is that sometimes the bus doesn't show up at all. I remember one time, two S92s were cancelled in a row. Me personally, I would've had no problem with that because I could just take the S94 or S96 (or in a worse-case scenario, an S90), but the problem is that they didn't give any type of announcement (the dispatchers were calling the depot and weren't getting a response), so I didn't know whether to wait for the bus or just use my backup plan.

[Cait Sith]

A shame this doesn't matter to me since the s48 ans 98 are almost always there or arrive a few minutes later.

 

 

Agreed, same for my 40/90 and 66 connections. I always make my connections after disembarking from the ferry, no complaints here!

[checkmatechamp13]

Agreed, same for my 40/90 and 66 connections. I always make my connections after disembarking from the ferry, no complaints here!

 

 

I've seen people miss the S40 when the ferry came a couple of minutes late. And they were running too. But then again, the bus was kind of crowded and nobody wanted to move back, so that could've been part of the reason why the B/O left.