The Need for Off-Street Bus Terminals

[BrooklynBus]

Someone said afterward that that would become retail space.

Perhaps there might still be some space somewhere that could be used. Like the underground parking (if it's not the kind with the really low ceilings). I'm thinking something like the new Mineola terminal.

Or maybe some space outside the perimeter of the building. Perhaps this should even be worked into the building plans.

That would be great but no one is advocating for it and the selfish merchants want the buses to remain on the street. They don't care about congestion. In fact they want it. The more the pedestrian traffic on the surface, the more business they woud get and they certainly don't want more competition with stores underground.

[bobtehpanda]

That would be great but no one is advocating for it and the selfish merchants want the buses to remain on the street. They don't care about congestion. In fact they want it. The more the pedestrian traffic on the surface, the more business they woud get and they certainly don't want more competition with stores underground.

 

As a bus passenger, I wouldn't want it. I've been in underground, enclosed bus terminals. They're unpleasant to be in - polluted, humid, and hot at all times of year. Plus, the municipal garage they're tearing down is in a rather inconvenient location in Flushing.

[Vistausss]

I would agree with you about Cadman Plaza, but I think Atlantic Terminal woud have been a better choice, but I'm not sure if there is enough empty land there now left, since we must fill every vacant lot with high rises.

 

And what about digging the terminal under Atlantic Terminal? Sure, itll have to dive deep underground but it can be done. Or else on top of Atlantic Terminal but I dont think theres room for an approach structure so Im sticking to the underground level.

(or, as an alternative, they could build the bus terminal under the street so that its on the same level as AT with maybe a passageway b/w the bus terminal and the station)

[bobtehpanda]

And what about digging the terminal under Atlantic Terminal? Sure, itll have to dive deep underground but it can be done. Or else on top of Atlantic Terminal but I dont think theres room for an approach structure so Im sticking to the underground level.

(or, as an alternative, they could build the bus terminal under the street so that its on the same level as AT with maybe a passageway b/w the bus terminal and the station)

 

You do realize that the current terminal configuration is already a giant underground maze... Building a bus station under there would be an absolute nightmare (and be a wayfinding nightmare as well), involving lots of service disruption, expensive underpinning of a train terminal, subway complex, stadium, etc.

 

Also not sure what the downvote is for - bus stations are expensive to build underground. Lots of ventilation (and where would the ventilation buildings go?) requirements, and it still winds up being humid and stuffy. I used to live in Hong Kong during the summers, which has loads of enclosed above-ground and below-ground bus terminals, and it gets just as humid and hot there as it does in New York. An enclosed bus terminal makes things much worse in the summers, especially if they're developer funded, because (as the MTA experience and others have shown) that generally means providing as little amenities as possible.

 

Brisbane has some very nice underground stations on its busways with platform-screen doors and climate control (only possible using platform screen doors), but with all the different buses in the fleets and the 40 and 60 footer differences, that's not possible. Nor is the MTA likely to spend that much money on something with platform screen doors when a significant amount of stations need rehab work, so the reality of an enclosed bus terminal, underground or otherwise, is not a pleasant customer experience.

[Q90]

Well, for starters, the blueprints were already approved by DCP, so any talk of incorporating it is far too late.

 

Even so, here are the list of routes in Flushing. Bolded routes denote a route that terminates in Flushing.

 

Q12

Q13

Q15

Q16

Q17

Q19

Q20

Q25

Q26

Q27

Q28

Q34

Q44

Q48

Q50

Q58

Q65

 

Of these, the Q12, Q13, Q15, Q16, Q26, Q28, and Q58 do not terminate on Main St itself, so they are currenlty unaffected by the congestion. (The Q13, Q16, and Q28 also come from the northeast, so they terminate by the parking garage.)

 

Now, let us look at frequency, during the PM peak.

 

Q17 - every 7 min on the local (~10 BPH), every 9 min on the limited (~6 BPH)

Q19 - every 20 min (3 BPH)

Q20 - every 10 min (6 BPH)

Q25 - every 10 min (6 BPH)

Q27 - every 4 min on the local (15 BPH), every 10 min on the limited (6 BPH) (Note: This doesn't seem to be true - the Q27 is frequent, yeah, but it always seems like there's a Q17 at the Q17 stop, but a Q27 isn't there quite as often.)

Q34 - every 18 min (~3 BPH)

Q44 - every 5 min (12 BPH)

Q48 - every 16 min (~4 BPH)

Q50 - every 15 min (4 BPH)

Q65 - every 10 min on the local (6 BPH), every 10 min on the limited (6 BPH)

 

You forgot the Q66. And it has 6 minute headways.