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Fixing the M60 Route from Delays?


aemoreira81

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I would think it mostly has to do with the fact that they are high floor buses and the dwell time would increase significantly being that quite a few passengers would be boarding and alighting the bus with luggage.

 

 

Makes sense... It also seems like they're trying to spread the older buses around anyway where possible.

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Makes sense... It also seems like they're trying to spread the older buses around anyway where possible.

 

 

Which is what the MTA's been doing for years now mothballing older buses to certain depots.

 

I've always thought that two 40ft buses should be run together in place of an artic at the heaviest of hours. In the case of the M60 it shouldn't be too bad an idea. It would reduce overcrowding with another 40ft bus there. The runs would be like Leader/Follower type. As long as the buses would not be too infrequent as it is at times, it can be useful IMO.

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Which is what the MTA's been doing for years now mothballing older buses to certain depots.

 

I've always thought that two 40ft buses should be run together in place of an artic at the heaviest of hours. In the case of the M60 it shouldn't be too bad an idea. It would reduce overcrowding with another 40ft bus there. The runs would be like Leader/Follower type. As long as the buses would not be too infrequent as it is at times, it can be useful IMO.

 

 

Sounds great in theory but with the traffic along 125th street, one bus is destined to be slammed while the other doesn't really help out. I saw one artic and one 40 footer a while back while on the express bus and one bus was crowded and the other was practically empty.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Time for my bi-weekly M60 rant. Today we flagged three stops, skipped Park, 5th, and Lenox. From Astoria Blvd on you had the bus packed to the front stepwell, and that was with everybody all the way back too. And I'll tell you this, there were some not-so-happy campers when the bus went right by those three stops, not to mention the catfight that broke out between these two chicks over bumping into each other on the bus. How is this kind of over-crowding still happening whatwith all the buses that 126th has available for the M60? I keep seeing LFSAs on the M15 local and they're always empty, not to mention the tons of D60s that for some reason don't go out on the M60. I know the MTA gets enough bitching from customers, but this just doesn't make sense to me. Those new LFSAs can't come soon enough. [The bus was an NG, as always.]

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To get back on topic, let me mention that dediated bus lanes didn't work on 42nd Street. Why would they work on 125th Street? The best long-term solution would be to extend a branch of the Second Avenue Subway down 125th Street. While traffic would still be miserable (and probably even more miserable during the construction of such an extension) it would give commuters a line with a higher average speed of 5MPH!!! It's a pipe dream because of the high price tag that is made higher because the (MTA) would have to deal with the 125th Street fault line. Womp womp. :(

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Well Bx55 was expected, i guess (IRT Bronx Express will be happy :P). M60 sorta expected. Guess the rumors from before may just come true......

 

BTW where is the Bx41 in this? Last I heard it maybe Jan 2013. But not listed here. Might just check around.

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Well Bx55 was expected, i guess (IRT Bronx Express will be happy :P). M60 sorta expected. Guess the rumors from before may just come true......

 

BTW where is the Bx41 in this? Last I heard it maybe Jan 2013. But not listed here. Might just check around.

 

 

Technically, it wasn't a rumor. It was posted on the DOT website a long while back with other "BRT" routes in the works.

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I'm guessing this is the image Amtrak7 is referring to:

BusServiceEnhancements.png

 

Here's the milestones report.

 

As far as I know, the Bx55 isn't getting SBS. The "Webster Av route" is confirmed to be the Bx41. Things could change later on, but that's how it is now. In other words, this is nothing we didn't already know. The Bx55 does run on Webster, but only part time, and it's main street is Third Av, not Webster, like the Bx41. Plus, with the Bx55 is running shorter hours and less frequently than ever (combined with capacity/service increases on the Bx15), it would seem kinda counter-productive to give it SBS now.But I can see why you'd think it's the Bx55.

 

The M60 SBS is new, though. I'm guessing the Q43 didn't make the cut? If so, that would make it the second rejected SBS route for East Queens (Hi there, Q5.) Of course, if you don't like SBS, I guess that's a victory.

BRTPhaseIIPlans.png

 

The picture's from a few years back, so admittedly it's kinda outdated.

 

The M60 is already effectively a Limited everywhere on its route except for 125th St, so I can see why it would be chosen.

 

As for 125th St, I'd personally get rid of the 3 Av and Park Av stops, and get rid of the Morningside Av stop plus have the 8 Av and St. Nicholas Av stops merged on the same block (Although merging 2 or 3 stops together probably won't go down well, especially the Morningside Av stop, although St. Nick Av isn't that far away and there is the 125th/Amsterdam stop for people coming from Morningside Heights Houses). Ok, enough rambling.

 

As a final thought, I'm expecting the M60 and Bx41 to pushed back eventually, given the precedence (B44, M34 and I believe the M15 too.) The M60 almost definitely, it seems a little soon for October of next year, seeing as how we've heard almost nothing about it so far. Or maybe my line of thinking is just influenced by the B44 and M34 SBS being pushed back so much.

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Would the South Brooklyn East-West reference be the B1??

 

 

It could be the B82.

 

The M60 SBS is new, though. I'm guessing the Q43 didn't make the cut? That would make it the second rejected SBS route for East Queens (Hi there, Q5.) Of course, if you don't like SBS, I guess that's a victory.

 

 

It mentions the Hillside Avenue Corridor in that image. (#2 on the short list)

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Yes, but my point was that the intended order for "Phase II" according to the document seemed to be first the Bx41, then the Q43 (which is the only real choice for an SBS route on Hillside) and then the M60 so the lack of a mention of the Q43 indicates at the very least a change of plans.

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Should the M60 be converted to +selectbusservice, these would be the select bus stops for that bus line:

 

On Broadway at:

 

W 106th St

Cathedral Parkway (W 110th St)

W 116th St

 

On Amsterdam Av at:

 

W 122nd St

 

On 125th St at:

 

Amsterdam Av

Saint Nicholas Av

Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Av)

Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd (7th Av)

Malcolm X Blvd-Lenox Av

5th Av

Madison Av

Park Av

Lexington Av

3rd Av

2nd Av

 

On Hoyt Av at:

 

31st St

 

On Astoria Blvd at:

 

Steinway St

49th St

73rd St

 

On 23rd Av at:

 

82nd St

88th St

 

On 94th St at:

 

23rd Av

Ditmars Blvd

 

On LaGuardia Airport at:

 

Delta Terminal

USAirways Shuttle

Continental Terminal

Central Terminal Building

AA Freight

Marine Air Terminal

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If the M60 gets the BRT, hopefully DOT will finally fix up the traffic issues on 125th Street. I noticed a while ago 181st Street got bus lanes (rush hour only). I think 125th Street should of gotten it before that, especially since its longer and heavier then that at times.

 

I'm guessing this is the image Amtrak7 is referring to:

##########

 

As far as I know, the Bx55 isn't getting SBS. The "Webster Av route" is confirmed to be the Bx41. Things could change later on, but that's how it is now. In other words, this is nothing we didn't already know. The Bx55 does run on Webster, but only part time, and it's main street is Third Av, not Webster, like the Bx41. Plus, with the Bx55 is running shorter hours and less frequently than ever (combined with capacity/service increases on the Bx15), it would seem kinda counter-productive to give it SBS now.But I can see why you'd think it's the Bx55.

 

The M60 SBS is new, though. I'm guessing the Q43 didn't make the cut? If so, that would make it the second rejected SBS route for East Queens (Hi there, Q5.) Of course, if you don't like SBS, I guess that's a victory.

BRTPhaseIIPlans.png

 

#######################

 

The M60 is already effectively a Limited everywhere on its route except for 125th St, so I can see why it would be chosen.

 

As for 125th St, I'd personally get rid of the 3 Av and Park Av stops, and get rid of the Morningside Av stop plus have the 8 Av and St. Nicholas Av stops merged on the same block (Although merging 2 or 3 stops together probably won't go down well, especially the Morningside Av stop, although St. Nick Av isn't that far away and there is the 125th/Amsterdam stop for people coming from Morningside Heights Houses). Ok, enough rambling.

 

As a final thought, I'm expecting the M60 and Bx41 to pushed back eventually, given the precedence (B44, M34 and I believe the M15 too.) The M60 almost definitely, it seems a little soon for October of next year, seeing as how we've heard almost nothing about it so far. Or maybe my line of thinking is just influenced by the B44 and M34 SBS being pushed back so much.

 

 

From the last SBS Open house I went for the Bx41, they did mentioned they aim for Jan 2013. But I guess that changed, or the people there were unsure. The Bx55 I did hear is possible in the future for it to get SBS, but still waiting on T/A confirmation, when available.

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Should the M60 be converted to +selectbusservice, these would be the select bus stops for that bus line:

 

On Broadway at:

 

W 106th St

Cathedral Parkway (W 110th St)

W 116th St

 

On Amsterdam Av at:

 

W 122nd St

 

On 125th St at:

 

Amsterdam Av

Saint Nicholas Av

Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Av)

Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd (7th Av)

Malcolm X Blvd-Lenox Av

5th Av

Madison Av

Park Av

Lexington Av

3rd Av

2nd Av

 

On Hoyt Av at:

 

31st St

 

On Astoria Blvd at:

 

Steinway St

49th St

73rd St

 

On 23rd Av at:

 

82nd St

88th St

 

On 94th St at:

 

23rd Av

Ditmars Blvd

 

On LaGuardia Airport at:

 

Delta Terminal

USAirways Shuttle

Continental Terminal

Central Terminal Building

AA Freight

Marine Air Terminal

In Manhattan, outside of those 2 stops on Broadway, there shouldn't be any stops that aren't near a train station. It should be the same in queens. It's the people not using the bus to reach the airport that slow it down so much.

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They should have regular M60 service and M60 SBS service. The M60 SBS would travel nonstop between Manhattan and La Guardia via the Grand Central Parkway. (And I've seen plenty of buses deadheading on the grand central even though it's a parkway)

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If the M60 gets the BRT, hopefully DOT will finally fix up the traffic issues on 125th Street. I noticed a while ago 181st Street got bus lanes (rush hour only). I think 125th Street should of gotten it before that, especially since its longer and heavier then that at times.

 

From the last SBS Open house I went for the Bx41, they did mentioned they aim for Jan 2013. But I guess that changed, or the people there were unsure. The Bx55 I did hear is possible in the future for it to get SBS, but still waiting on T/A confirmation, when available.

 

 

Honestly, you'd think 125th St would be one of the first streets to have a bus lane, it has more than enough bus service to justify it, and the buses are just so slow on that block when traffic is nigh. You could argue that traffic would make it useless, especially traffic headed to the Willis Av and Triboro Bridges, but you could also pull that angle for a few other streets with bus lanes (42nd St and the Lincoln, for example)

 

January seems way too early for me for SBS on the Bx41. I mean, we've haven't seen a list of stops yet, and really the project is still in the design ideas phase. Plus, other sources I've seen say Fall. Maybe the MTA is trying to not drag their feet anymore with this SBS stuff, but I'll believe it when I see it. The MTA considering the idea of the Bx55 too is interesting, although to be effective I think it'd have to start simultaneously with the Bx41.

 

So I guess here's what I do for a list of M60 stops

 

 

 

The stops marked with an asterisk would be super-express stops. Also, the M60 is just one giant loop from Manhattan to Queens to Manhattan again, so that's why all the stops are listed together.

 

Broadway/106 St*

Broadway/110 St*

Broadway/116 St*

120 St/Broadway

Amsterdam Av/122 St

125 St/Amsterdam Av

125 St/St. Nicholas Av*

125 St/7 Av

125 St/Lenox Av*

125 St/5 Av

125 St/Madison Av

125 St/Lexington Av*

125 St/2 Av

Hoyt Av/31 St*

Astoria Blvd/Steinway St

Astoria Blvd/44 St

Astoria Blvd/49 St

Astoria Blvd/73 St

Astoria Blvd/77 St

82 St/Astoria Blvd

23 Av/82 St

23 Av/87 St

94 St/23 Av

94 St/Ditmars Blvd

Parking Lot #1*

Delta Terminal*

US Airways Shuttle*

US Airways Terminal*

Parking Lot #3*

Central Terminal*

AA Freight*

Bowery Bay Lane/Fiorello Lane*

Marine Air Terminal Parking Lot*

Marine Air Terminal*

Ditmars Blvd/82 St

Astoria Blvd/77 St

Astoria Blvd/74 St

Astoria Blvd/49 St

Astoria Blvd/Sound St

Astoria Blvd/Steinway St

Astoria Blvd/33 St

Hoyt Av/31 St*

125 St/2 Av

125 St/Lex Av*

125 St/Madison Av

125 St/5 Av

125 St/Lenox Av*

125 St/7 Av

125 St/St. Nicholas Av*

Amsterdam Av/La Selle St

Amsterdam Av/123 St

Broadway/119 St

Broadway/116 St*

Broadway/110 St*

Broadway/106 St*

 

 

 

All this SBS talk makes me wonder what became of that plan for the B46 East New York cryptically mentioned a few months back. Granted, it might be for the better that it never resurfaced.

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