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MTA BusTime Discussion


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BusTime is very nice and helpful. However I dont see many people using it. People still prefer to look at the Guide A Ride (which is new for MTA bus routes) and walk out into the street to see if the bus is coming.

Yeah... People in Riverdale use it a lot... I think it really depends on the person, their age and their education level... At my stop, I've had several people checking their cell phones to track the express bus and then we take turns checking if our bus is MIA to ensure that it isn't our phone... The elderly generally don't use it, but I find folks my age or middle aged folks have no problem pulling out their cell phones and checking.  For local bus service, I think if the service is frequent enough, people won't bother to check... I use it regardless because I like being able to ride empty buses for short distances, this way I don't have to make a ton of stops.  It's like cab service without paying the fee... It's nice on the local lines that bunch a lot... This way you can avoid getting on a bus that is slammed with passengers... It's also great because my waits are never long... Today for example, I really wanted the M5 but the bus was so far away that I just took a different route to my destination.

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. Today for example, I really wanted the M5 but the bus was so far away that I just took a different route to my destination.

Exactly. It helps you have more control over your trip. I want this passed on to the Subway. Yes the IRT has the next train time but I want the times displayed outside the station so I know if I should stay outside and use my phone, enjoy the weather or go to the store instead of rushing down to simply wait for a train. Let me know if there are delays so I can use another line. Let me know on the IND platform at Herald Square when the next (N)(Q)(R) trains are set to arrive (etc). 

 

At Atlantic Ave Pacific St, let me know in time order the next Manhattan bound trains, Should I wait for the (D) / (N)? or the (Q) / (B)? Should I take the (2)(3)(4)(5) instead?

 

And so that this isn't considered too "off topic". It helps decide if you should wait for the bus, or take another route, or even walk. Now I use it for "exercise". If I see the bus that I need is far off, and I need that particular route then I'll keep walking to the next stop until the bus is close enough. That's how I wound up walking to Springfield Blvd the other day, I walked far enough that I was able to take another bus route instead of waiting forever for bunched buses. The turn out was that I wasn't pissed, simply took another route.

 

 

The same thing can be useful if you're planning to transfer to another route but you see there are delays or a bus won't show up for a while, instead of getting off at your transfer point, you can stay on the bus that you're on to the next route that goes to the same destination. 

 

(NICE Reference for Illustration.) If You're on the Northbound  N25 and you plan to take the N6 to Jamaica, but the next bus is far off, no bus has left the Hempstead Terminal yet. you can stay on and take the N24 or N22 instead

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Exactly. It helps you have more control over your trip. I want this passed on to the Subway. Yes the IRT has the next train time but I want the times displayed outside the station so I know if I should stay outside and use my phone, enjoy the weather or go to the store instead of rushing down to simply wait for a train. Let me know if there are delays so I can use another line. Let me know on the IND platform at Herald Square when the next (N)(Q)(R) trains are set to arrive (etc). 

 

At Atlantic Ave Pacific St, let me know in time order the next Manhattan bound trains, Should I wait for the (D) / (N)? or the (Q) / (B)? Should I take the (2)(3)(4)(5) instead?

It's different with the subway though because most lines are fairly frequent... The thing is though with some lines, the waits can seem like torture... It's hell waiting for a (2) train that's due in 12 minutes...

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BusTime is very nice and helpful. However I dont see many people using it. People still prefer to look at the Guide A Ride (which is new for MTA bus routes) and walk out into the street to see if the bus is coming.

 

It depends on the promotions. At the bus stops in my area, there's no mention of BusTime anywhere. There isn't even a mention of the stop code.

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It depends on the promotions. At the bus stops in my area, there's no mention of BusTime anywhere. There isn't even a mention of the stop code.

I'm sorry but if people don't know about Bus Time by now they'll know about it.  There are some people that could care less.  I'm willing to bet that the people that know about it generally use the (MTA) website for other things too like schedules and so on.  Bus Time wasn't heavily advertised in my neighborhood either, but it's been in the news quite a bit and on the (MTA) website.

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MTA is LAZY to do promotion on BustIme. Almost eveybody has a smartphone and Im betting lots of people do not know you can text message the bus stop code to get estimated arrivals or even how to text the bus stop code. MTA can address this very easy and it may boost the BusTime usage overall if MTA do a DIY video or poster campaign all over the city.

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MTA is LAZY to do promotion on BustIme. Almost eveybody has a smartphone and Im betting lots of people do not know you can text message the bus stop code to get estimated arrivals or even how to text the bus stop code. MTA can address this very easy and it may boost the BusTime usage overall if MTA do a DIY video or poster campaign all over the city.

I actually find the whole text message set up annoying, time consuming and confusing. I tried it recently with my new HTC phone while trying to track the M101, and said screw it because it's easier for me to use the desktop version and track my bus instead of having to get text messages every few minutes.  The newer smartphones now and days allow for you to use the desktop version of most websites, so text messages really aren't needed.

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It depends on the promotions. At the bus stops in my area, there's no mention of BusTime anywhere. There isn't even a mention of the stop code.

Usless your stop doesnt have a guide a ride,the code is there.Look in the bottom right corner of the schedule,there is a 6 digit number...that's your stop code...

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I want this passed on to the Subway. Yes the IRT has the next train time but I want the times displayed outside the station so I know if I should stay outside and use my phone, enjoy the weather or go to the store instead of rushing down to simply wait for a train.

 

If you have a smartphone, you can look up the info for the IRT before you go downstairs.

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MTA is LAZY to do promotion on BustIme. Almost eveybody has a smartphone and Im betting lots of people do not know you can text message the bus stop code to get estimated arrivals or even how to text the bus stop code. MTA can address this very easy and it may boost the BusTime usage overall if MTA do a DIY video or poster campaign all over the city.

 

Agreed. The MTA to me should sacrifice a month of front ads to plaster BusTime posters on the front of every bus (instead of just a few)---including MTA Bus - even the express buses should get the BusTime posters. (The exception would be the buses that can't be tracked.)

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Agreed. The MTA to me should sacrifice a month of front ads to plaster BusTime posters on the front of every bus (instead of just a few)---including MTA Bus - even the express buses should get the BusTime posters. (The exception would be the buses that can't be tracked.)

I think the (MTA) has done more than enough to advertise Bus Time.  It's advertised at just about every bus stop if you're looking at the schedules and so you have to be blind not to see it.  

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I think the (MTA) has done more than enough to advertise Bus Time.  It's advertised at just about every bus stop if you're looking at the schedules and so you have to be blind not to see it.  

No, they did a half ass job. Not all bus stops have bustime schedules. They need fully advertise on buses and subways via audio automatic announcements, ad cards in the interior buses and subway to get more awareness

it's also all over each bus.

Not all buses have the bustime ads.

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No, they did a half ass job. Not all bus stops have bustime schedules. They need fully advertise on buses and subways via audio automatic announcements, ad cards in the interior buses and subway to get more awareness

Not all buses have the bustime ads.

Let's not go crazy now... The (MTA) isn't in charge of the bus stops.  The DOT puts in the new physical bus stops and that has to be done first in some cases before the schedules can even go in.  Give them some time.  I find that most people know about it. The only people that seem to be resistant to it are elderly folks. I tell them about Bus Time, and they reply about how we young folks have all of those fancy gadgets.  :lol:

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A lot of the bus stops don't have bus time one being the Q17 but they are in the process of changing each box for each route. I feel like the MTA could have done more to advertise BusTime. I've seen it on the news a few time bus it should have been on many buses including the MTA Bus and Express Routes. Even posting it on billboards or the MTA's bus shelters would have done the trick. No one really knew when bustime was going to arrive to most boroughs until the day of or the day before.

Of course I've been tracking my routes since bustime came to Queens :) and it's been pretty accurate. I noticed that show buses don't show up on bustime and it's crazy to see huge gaps between buses and how many buses are bunched together.

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Let's not go crazy now... The (MTA) isn't in charge of the bus stops.  The DOT puts in the new physical bus stops and that has to be done first in some cases before the schedules can even go in.  Give them some time.  I find that most people know about it. The only people that seem to be resistant to it are elderly folks. I tell them about Bus Time, and they reply about how we young folks have all of those fancy gadgets.  :lol:

No, MTA is in charge of switching the bus schedule bus stop poles. There are a lot of routes don't have the bus time info and stop code in Brooklyn and Queens local/express bus routes.

 

Its been a year for other boroughs and a lot people just don't know BusTime does exist. This is great time for this year to do a massive PSA campaign for everyone to use Bustime and needs a lot of feedback on addressing some issues.

It's definitely in each bus, or definitely more than 95% of buses. By now if you ride buses daily, you should have seen ads more than 5 times since March 9th. People just don't pay attention.

Again, NOT all buses have BusTime ads; especially in Queens.

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No, MTA is in charge of switching the bus schedule bus stop poles. There are a lot of routes don't have the bus time info and stop code in Brooklyn and Queens local/express bus routes.

 

Its been a year for other boroughs and a lot people just don't know BusTime does exist. This is great time for this year to do a massive PSA campaign for everyone to use Bustime and needs a lot of feedback on addressing some issues.

 

Again, NOT all buses have BusTime ads; especially in Queens.

Well that's Queens problem, might be because it's mostly MTA Bus, but 95% of the buses in Brooklyn have it.

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No, MTA is in charge of switching the bus schedule bus stop poles. There are a lot of routes don't have the bus time info and stop code in Brooklyn and Queens local/express bus routes.

 

Its been a year for other boroughs and a lot people just don't know BusTime does exist. This is great time for this year to do a massive PSA campaign for everyone to use Bustime and needs a lot of feedback on addressing some issues.

 

Again, NOT all buses have BusTime ads; especially in Queens.

I'm not talking about the bus schedules... I'm talking about the actual bus stops as in installing new ones.  The DOT handles that.  Until the newer style bus stops are put in, they can't always put those schedules up.  For example, the DOT just put in a new bus stop at West 230th and Tibbett, which only has (MTA) Bus express buses stopping there.  I imagine (MTA) workers will put in the timetables at some point soon.  They're pretty good about getting to them, as I've seen them on a number of occasions replacing old schedules along the Henry Hudson Parkway.  Queens has a ton of bus routes run by (MTA) Bus, so it will take the DOT a while to replace all of those old school bus stops with the modern day ones.  

 

 

Well that's Queens problem, might be because it's mostly MTA Bus, but 95% of the buses in Brooklyn have it.

That's precisely the reason...

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I'm not talking about the bus schedules... I'm talking about the actual bus stops as in installing new ones. The DOT handles that. Until the newer style bus stops are put in, they can't always put those schedules up. For example, the DOT just put in a new bus stop at West 230th and Tibbett, which only has (MTA) Bus express buses stopping there. I imagine (MTA) workers will put in the timetables at some point soon. They're pretty good about getting to them, as I've seen them on a number of occasions replacing old schedules along the Henry Hudson Parkway. Queens has a ton of bus routes run by (MTA) Bus, so it will take the DOT a while to replace all of those old school bus stops with the modern day ones.

The DOT still puts those old signs up if one falls down or is broken. I've only seen very few changed. Most of them on broadway where the Q53 runs had most of them replace. The Q11,Q21, Q29, Q38, Q52/Q53 at Hoffman and Woodhaven Blvd. The Q10 at its first stop in Kew Gardens and that's pretty much it. All other MTA Bus stops with the newer sign either share or shared it with a NYCt route or they had it for years such as the Q6,Q8, Q41, Q9 at Jamaica and 160st.

 

I wonder why the other boroughs had them replaced a while ago and Queens still has a majority of the old signs up. The Q8, Q7, Q50, Q101, Q60, Q35 have them replace in the borough they enter.

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The DOT still puts those old signs up if one falls down or is broken. I've only seen very few changed. Most of them on broadway where the Q53 runs had most of them replace. The Q11,Q21, Q29, Q38, Q52/Q53 at Hoffman and Woodhaven Blvd. The Q10 at its first stop in Kew Gardens and that's pretty much it. All other MTA Bus stops with the newer sign either share or shared it with a NYCt route or they had it for years such as the Q6,Q8, Q41, Q9 at Jamaica and 160st.

 

I wonder why the other boroughs had them replaced a while ago and Queens still has a majority of the old signs up. The Q8, Q7, Q50, Q101, Q60, Q35 have them replace in the borough they enter.

Actually, we still have some in Riverdale and also down by the Kingsbridge border in the Bronx.  The new bus stop at Tibbett & West 230th is the only bus stop that has been recently changed over.  There is an old one at West 246th street and Henry Hudson Parkway West where the BxM1, BxM2 and BxM18 stop.

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Well that's Queens problem, might be because it's mostly MTA Bus, but 95% of the buses in Brooklyn have it.

Where do you come up 95%?

 

I'm not talking about the bus schedules... I'm talking about the actual bus stops as in installing new ones.  The DOT handles that.  Until the newer style bus stops are put in, they can't always put those schedules up.  For example, the DOT just put in a new bus stop at West 230th and Tibbett, which only has (MTA) Bus express buses stopping there.  I imagine (MTA) workers will put in the timetables at some point soon.  They're pretty good about getting to them, as I've seen them on a number of occasions replacing old schedules along the Henry Hudson Parkway.  Queens has a ton of bus routes run by (MTA) Bus, so it will take the DOT a while to replace all of those old school bus stops with the modern day ones.  

What new bus stop signs?

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There are only a handful of routes in queens that don't have the bustime cards in the stops, it's not that serious. It's been well advertised, I've seen plenty of posters up all over, buses and trains. This is an ongoing problem where no one reads the posters or even cares to follow up. The laziness is the ridership, not the MTA here.

 

 

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