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SBS - The true story (highlighting the proposed B44 SBS)


BrooklynBus

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It's annoying as hell that they got rid of the flashing blue lights to distinguish SBS from local.  Just get a ticket and just walk into the local bus with it in your hand, I've never been stopped or had a bus driver say anything to me from doing that.  If there are bad delays on the SBS then you'll see many people give up and board a local bus like that.

Goes to show how little I utilize SBS'... I didn't know that was permissable to be honest (walking onto a local bus w/ POP in hand)....

 

Just to limit any possible dispute/headache from arising though, I do the whole wait & see thing.... And yeah, it sucks that they no longer have buses flash/flicker those blue lights.....

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another one of these anti-SBS blogs.... Yeah I'm not pro-SBS either, but good grief... We get the point already.

 

 

You get the point. but many others do not.

 

 

Which is what the MTA wants. +SBS+ buses cost less to operate, because the runtime is shorter (so a 20% shorter runtime means you an achieve the same frequencies with 20% less labor, and 20% fewer buses out on the road). When the Bx12 & M15 received +SBS+, overall ridership increased, but ridership on the locals decreased.

 

Plus, in addition to getting people off the locals, all that advertising helps draw new riders (from driving or walking or whatever).

 

 

You also get the point.

 

Goes to show how little I utilize SBS'... I didn't know that was permissable to be honest (walking onto a local bus w/ POP in hand)....

 

Just to limit any possible dispute/headache from arising though, I do the whole wait & see thing.... And yeah, it sucks that they no longer have buses flash/flicker those blue lights.....

 

Technically, it probably isn't permissible. The drivers, however, probably are just using common sense and letting the people on.  The MTA would come up with a dozen reasons why it shouldn't be allowed and probably would punish drivers if they knew they were doing it.

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The situations are not quite identical. I don't know if you drive or not, but even if a lane is partially blocked by double-parked cars it is still somewhat usable. Cars just have to move back and forth between lanes slowing traffic and there is not always double parking all the time. There are a few blocks that are free.  

 

With an exclusive bus lane, that lane is only available for right turns so capacity is just reduced period.. The only advantage of the exclusive lane is that it is somewhat more enforceable. But if there were random checks with summons given, cars would double park less.

 

The problem we have with enforcement is that it is not used as a means to improve traffic flow, but solely as a means to raise revenue.  That means the same attention is given to double parkers on  streets where they cause no traffic problem at all as on streets where they cause traffic to stop completely. Police only give tickets when they have to to fill their quota.

 

I find that very hard to believe and I tell you the NYPD traffic enforcement division is the most useless city agency currently in existence. when I hear the words "traffic enforcement," I cringe. that organization is a total sham and I can agree with no solution involving them. and I hope they are reading every word of this.

 

let it be known that that only applies to that division of NYPD. I do not feel that way about the rest of NYPD.

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Personally, I will not use the service  even though the stop is right under my window. it is too much of a hassle with the machines and the service does not go to where I am going. The once in a while trip to Flatbush Avenue even then I will not take it as the SBS will get stuck in the same traffic problems that were supposed to be solved with the select bus. If  anyone thinks that the traffic enforcement personnel will enforce the rules, then I have a bridge to sell you.

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You get the point. but many others do not.

 

 

 

 

You also get the point.

 

 

Technically, it probably isn't permissible. The drivers, however, probably are just using common sense and letting the people on. The MTA would come up with a dozen reasons why it shouldn't be allowed and probably would punish drivers if they knew they were doing it.

Actually it is legal...you get a free transfer from the SBS to the local and vice versa, so if you pay at the SBS machine and the local just so happens to come first, your ticket counts as the free transfer.

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Actually it is legal...you get a free transfer from the SBS to the local and vice versa, so if you pay at the SBS machine and the local just so happens to come first, your ticket counts as the free transfer.

I don't see how. Aren't you supposed to dip your MetroCard to get your free transfer, not show your SBS receipt to get it?

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I don't see how. Aren't you supposed to dip your MetroCard to get your free transfer, not show your SBS receipt to get it?

 

If you dip your MetroCard then you lose your transfer.

 

Let's say I board an M15 SBS at 34th Street and take it to 68th Street.  Then I transfer to an M15 local and take it to 72nd Street.  From there, I board an M72 and take it to Madison Av.

 

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Dip MetroCard in M15 local (uses up free transfer)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (costs 1 fare)

At the end you've used up two fares.

 

Or you could......

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Show SBS ticket to M15 local driver (uses up nothing)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (uses up free transfer)

At the end you've used up only one fare.

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What's being said is the completely opposite from what I've experienced.

 

Many times I've been waiting for an M15 SBS and see many locals pass by.  A few times after waiting 5+ minutes I've just given up and boarded the local instead and got to my destination (about 2 miles on the bus) without an SBS passing us.

 

I agree 100%

 

Whenever I venture out to the East Side or points South, I always see more locals than SBSs. And when the SBS actually comes, they come in groups of 3s or whatnot. I just get on the Local when one doesn't show up.

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If you dip your MetroCard then you lose your transfer.

 

Let's say I board an M15 SBS at 34th Street and take it to 68th Street.  Then I transfer to an M15 local and take it to 72nd Street.  From there, I board an M72 and take it to Madison Av.

 

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Dip MetroCard in M15 local (uses up free transfer)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (costs 1 fare)

At the end you've used up two fares.

 

Or you could......

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Show SBS ticket to M15 local driver (uses up nothing)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (uses up free transfer)

At the end you've used up only one fare.

Which is exactly what I do when I take the M15 local and there isn't a M15SBS and I have an Unlimited Express Bus Plus card... Half of B/O's don't even look anyway..... lol

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I agree 100%

 

Whenever I venture out to the East Side or points South, I always see more locals than SBSs. And when the SBS actually comes, they come in groups of 3s or whatnot. I just get on the Local when one doesn't show up.

 

I don't understand what it is about 3, but they're always in clusters of 3.  Never more, and rarely just 2.

 

Only once have I been on a select that skipped a stop.  I was on a pretty empty M15 SBS headed uptown and we were the last in the pack of 3.  As we pulled out of 57th Street the driver came on the speaker and said "Pull the cord to get off.  We're not making all stops." Nobody requested the stop and we just cruised past 68th Street and saw the two other selects stopped at the bus stop.

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If you dip your MetroCard then you lose your transfer.

 

Let's say I board an M15 SBS at 34th Street and take it to 68th Street.  Then I transfer to an M15 local and take it to 72nd Street.  From there, I board an M72 and take it to Madison Av.

 

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Dip MetroCard in M15 local (uses up free transfer)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (costs 1 fare)

At the end you've used up two fares.

 

Or you could......

1. Buy SBS ticket and board M15 SBS (costs 1 fare)

2. Show SBS ticket to M15 local driver (uses up nothing)

3. Dip MetroCard in M72 (uses up free transfer)

At the end you've used up only one fare.

 

I understand, but is it supposed to work that way, or does that only work because the local operator is accepting the SBS receipt when he is under no obligation to accept it?

 

Also, if SBS service and local service on the M15 is so unreliable, why so you suppose SBS riders gave it a 90 or 95% approval rating? 

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I understand, but is it supposed to work that way, or does that only work because the local operator is accepting the SBS receipt when he is under no obligation to accept it?

 

Also, if SBS service and local service on the M15 is so unreliable, why so you suppose SBS riders gave it a 90 or 95% approval rating? 

Me thinks gorgor is just unlucky. Manhattan is the only place I've been to where I have shitty luck with buses. To an extent. At least M11 and 20 show up when I am there LOL.

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I understand, but is it supposed to work that way, or does that only work because the local operator is accepting the SBS receipt when he is under no obligation to accept it?

 

Also, if SBS service and local service on the M15 is so unreliable, why so you suppose SBS riders gave it a 90 or 95% approval rating? 

 

Well, remember when you said that they did it on a 1-10 scale, but all they were concerned about was getting a 6 or more? It could be something like that. Either that, or they just got a crummy sample.

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Well, remember when you said that they did it on a 1-10 scale, but all they were concerned about was getting a 6 or more? It could be something like that. Either that, or they just got a crummy sample.

 

You are probably correct in that they probably used the same scale as they did in their general satisfaction surveys, where a 6 or more is considered satisfactory.  That;s how they probably arrived at "99%."  Of course they do not reveal their methodology.  In fact in their entire 24 page first year progress report there are only two paragraphs devoted to customer satisfaction.Here they are:

 

"Customer Satisfaction

 

M15 SBS ridership has been growing and overall customer satisfaction has been very high. Customer

Satisfaction studies were conducted both prior to the implementation of SBS and after its implementation

to gauge and compare overall rider satisfaction. Riders who were interviewed on the SBS overwhelmingly

liked the service and felt service had improved over the prior Limited stop service, while Local M15

riders were evenly divided.

 

Those who favored the M15 SBS cited faster rides and shorter waits. Among those interviewed on the

SBS, 99% are “satisfied” or “very satisfied”; among M15 Local bus riders, this figure is 90%"

 

Even in these two paragraphs, they contradict themselves. How can 90% of local bus riders be satisfied or very satisfied with SBS but only half the M15 passengers "overwhelmingly liked the service"? Bow could all the SBS riders "overwhelmingly" like the service and also "were satsfied" or very "satisfied. So which is it? Do they overwhelmingly like the service or are merely "satisfied."  

 

They also state that surveys were also conducted before SBS implementation but do not show those results.  Could it be that 99% of the riders previously were satisfied with the limited also? But they didn't show that because the satisfaction levels did not improve as much as they expected?  That's why I say they pick and choose their data to show what they want to show to exaggerate the level of success.

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