Random Thoughts Thread - Suffolk County Transit

[mac5689]

Does Suffolk County have funding problems similar to those of Nassau County?

I don't think so. Nassau just doesn't seem to want to fund their system. Suffolk wants to, it's just that Suffolk County's budget(The whole County) didn't do well the last fiscal year because the sales tax had fallen due to the low gas prices at the time. Suffolk's budget is made up off the back of the Sales tax. So it the Sales tax is down then Suffolk won't have enough to use.

 

Suffolk Transit budget is made up mostly from money from the County, then money from the State and Federal governments. The rest is made up from the revenue from the fares. So if the County's budget is down then they have less to give to Transit.

Edited February 24, 2017 by mac5689

[Union Tpke]

Thank you.

[Amtrak7]

New GFI fareboxes coming this month...looks like it comes with magstripe & RFID support

 

http://sct-bus.org/assets/newfarebox.html

[mac5689]

New GFI fareboxes coming this month...looks like it comes with magstripe & RFID support

 

http://sct-bus.org/assets/newfarebox.html

Isn't RFID's only on Credit/Debit cards which are said are not accepted?

[RES2773]

This is more of a question. I am looking to take the ferry from Orient Point to New London in about a month or so. I would rather not drive and take my car. So, I thought, why not take the LIRR to Greenport and the S92 to Orient point. A few things. The schedule says I have about a 40 minute wait from the train to when the bus gets there. I feel like I should wait by the bus stop, cuz I'm scared without live tracking. Also, is the bus timed so that you can get to the ferry at 12:55 and still get on the ferry for 1:00? Has anyone done this before? Thanks.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

This is more of a question. I am looking to take the ferry from Orient Point to New London in about a month or so. I would rather not drive and take my car. So, I thought, why not take the LIRR to Greenport and the S92 to Orient point. A few things. The schedule says I have about a 40 minute wait from the train to when the bus gets there. I feel like I should wait by the bus stop, cuz I'm scared without live tracking. Also, is the bus timed so that you can get to the ferry at 12:55 and still get on the ferry for 1:00? Has anyone done this before? Thanks.

The schedule is not always followed, so nothing is a guarantee. Five minutes is way too tight IMO to be making a connection of that sort. I once waited for the S92 in Hampton Bays in order to get to Riverhead and have 10 minutes to connect to an S62 (going back towards NYC). Needless to say, the bus came 15 minutes late, and although it was catching up to schedule, by the time it arrive at the County Offices, the S62 just left. The bus the follow hour was a no show either (so I said f**k it, and took an S66 to Patchogue, and took the LIRR to Amityville).

[checkmatechamp13]

The schedule is not always followed, so nothing is a guarantee. Five minutes is way too tight IMO to be making a connection of that sort. I once waited for the S92 in Hampton Bays in order to get to Riverhead and have 10 minutes to connect to an S62 (going back towards NYC). Needless to say, the bus came 15 minutes late, and although it was catching up to schedule, by the time it arrive at the County Offices, the S62 just left. The bus the follow hour was a no show either (so I said f**k it, and took an S66 to Patchogue, and took the LIRR to Amityville).

 

The problem is that there's only a couple of trains that run out to Greenport, so he either has to catch that train that gets him to Greenport around noon, and then make the super-tight connection on the S92, or leave significantly earlier, and take the Port Jefferson Branch to either Smithtown or Port Jefferson for the S58/62 (for the S92), and hope he doesn't get screwed on the connections there.

 

But yeah, if time isn't too much of an issue, I would just buy a ticket for the 2PM boat instead of the 1PM boat and call it a day (or maybe get one of those higher priced tickets that allows last-minute changes, so you can take the 1PM boat if it looks like you'll make it)

[RES2773]

The schedule is not always followed, so nothing is a guarantee. Five minutes is way too tight IMO to be making a connection of that sort. I once waited for the S92 in Hampton Bays in order to get to Riverhead and have 10 minutes to connect to an S62 (going back towards NYC). Needless to say, the bus came 15 minutes late, and although it was catching up to schedule, by the time it arrive at the County Offices, the S62 just left. The bus the follow hour was a no show either (so I said f**k it, and took an S66 to Patchogue, and took the LIRR to Amityville).

 

 

The problem is that there's only a couple of trains that run out to Greenport, so he either has to catch that train that gets him to Greenport around noon, and then make the super-tight connection on the S92, or leave significantly earlier, and take the Port Jefferson Branch to either Smithtown or Port Jefferson for the S58/62 (for the S92), and hope he doesn't get screwed on the connections there.

 

But yeah, if time isn't too much of an issue, I would just buy a ticket for the 2PM boat instead of the 1PM boat and call it a day (or maybe get one of those higher priced tickets that allows last-minute changes, so you can take the 1PM boat if it looks like you'll make it)

From what I can tell, I think I would definitely be fine with the train getting there around 12 PM, and the bus picking me up at around 12:40 PM. Considering that the bus is supposed to get to orient point just before the ferry leaves, I thought maybe they'd have a deal with transferring to it. Could the ferry wait? Maybe I'd actually consider calling SCT up about it. For a minute I was considering going to Port Jeff for that bus, but the people I might be doing this with can barely stand one bus, let alone transferring! Thanks again.

[RES2773]

Randomly, has anyone noticed in the most recent version of the SCT bus map, there is no n19? I was thinking it was because the n19 was one of the routes added back at the last second, but then again, the n79 is there...Any thoughts?

[mac5689]

Randomly, has anyone noticed in the most recent version of the SCT bus map, there is no n19? I was thinking it was because the n19 was one of the routes added back at the last second, but then again, the n79 is there...Any thoughts?

My guess would be that at the time it was made (My guess before it was announced the other routes would be cut), the n19 didn't cross into Suffolk so they decided not to included. Either that or since it was cut from going to Babylon and Suffolk picked up the Babyon to Sunrise Mall portion of the n19, whoever created the bus map assumed that the n19 had been completely cut. Again though that's just my guess.

[RES2773]

My guess would be that at the time it was made (My guess before it was announced the other routes would be cut), the n19 didn't cross into Suffolk so they decided not to included. Either that or since it was cut from going to Babylon and Suffolk picked up the Babyon to Sunrise Mall portion of the n19, whoever created the bus map assumed that the n19 had been completely cut. Again though that's just my guess.

That is true. I realized that they actually still have the n72 going to Babylon as well. But that was in the original announcement I believe.

[Mtatransit]

Suffolk transit has new farebox according to their website http://www.sct-bus.org/assets/newfarebox.html

Edited April 15, 2017 by Mtatransit

[mac5689]

Suffolk transit has new farebox according to their website http://www.sct-bus.org/assets/newfarebox.html

 

Yeah, they were installed not that long ago. I personally haven't seen them yet.

[N6 Limited]

Has SCT decided on providing service on Rt 109?

Maybe since Suny Farmingdale has more N70 service SCT should extend the 2A west to make a connection there, since the 2A goes to the Tanger outlet.

 

Suffolk transit has new farebox according to their website http://www.sct-bus.org/assets/newfarebox.html

 

Looks cool. It's about time other companies gave change with bus fares. with WMATA you can tap your card, pay your fare and change goes back on the card.

[mac5689]

Has SCT decided on providing service on Rt 109?

Maybe since Suny Farmingdale has more N70 service SCT should extend the 2A west to make a connection there, since the 2A goes to the Tanger outlet.

 

 

Looks cool. It's about time other companies gave change with bus fares. with WMATA you can tap your card, pay your fare and change goes back on the card.

 

I don't know if Suffolk is deciding to do anything, Though I don't know they were considering about picking up the Sunrise Mall to Babylon portion of the n19 until they announced it so who knows. 

 

As for the SCT change card, I heard form someone who has used it, that you have to dip it, so I assume it has to be inserted into the slot which generates it just like how their transfers work.

[Burrstone]

Any pictures of the new buses yet?

[mac5689]

Any pictures of the new buses yet?

 

Not much that I'm aware of.

 

I know there is one on Instagram of #7015 at a gas station in NJ I believe. Also heard there were photos of #7023 and &027 on Facebook though I haven't been able to find them. 

 

There is a few in a video someone too at SBC's Ronkonkoma Yard on Youtube. 

[RES2773]

Any pictures of the new buses yet?

 

 

Not much that I'm aware of.

 

I know there is one on Instagram of #7015 at a gas station in NJ I believe. Also heard there were photos of #7023 and &027 on Facebook though I haven't been able to find them. 

 

There is a few in a video someone too at SBC's Ronkonkoma Yard on Youtube. 

There are a few videos up on youtube. I believe there is one with the bus in service already on the S33. I will not post the video here without the owners' permission, but just search "Suffolk County Transit XDE40"

[mac5689]

There are a few videos up on youtube. I believe there is one with the bus in service already on the S33. I will not post the video here without the owners' permission, but just search "Suffolk County Transit XDE40"

 

They look neat. Gee #7017 has been busy. It was spotted early last week or the week before on the S41. 

[RES2773]

They look neat. Gee #7017 has been busy. It was spotted early last week or the week before on the S41.

Yeah I really like them. But I will say I would've really liked if they updated the paint scheme. I am not impressed with an additional two horizontal bars.

 

 

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[mac5689]

Yeah I really like them. But I will say I would've really liked if they updated the paint scheme. I am not impressed with an additional two horizontal bars.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yeah but it's probably better then a plain white roof. Not to mention probably cheaper. Remember after having to ax 10 routes, even though they had low ridership and there fore expensive to operate, they can't go about ordering buses with new expensive paint schemes. It will have people asking 'why didn't you just order buses with an less expensive paint scheme and keep any left over money to fund some service on the routes that were cut?'

 

They could defend themselves on buying buses by saying that the money for the base order, of 30 buses, was put away before the money crunching or that buy saving the money on operations that they had enough to buy the buses. Also they could say they got help from the State or Federal Government to help offset the cost of the new buses. 

[RES2773]

Yeah but it's probably better then a plain white roof. Not to mention probably cheaper. Remember after having to ax 10 routes, even though they had low ridership and there fore expensive to operate, they can't go about ordering buses with new expensive paint schemes. It will have people asking 'why didn't you just order buses with an less expensive paint scheme and keep any left over money to fund some service on the routes that were cut?'

 

They could defend themselves on buying buses by saying that the money for the base order, of 30 buses, was put away before the money crunching or that buy saving the money on operations that they had enough to buy the buses. Also they could say they got help from the State or Federal Government to help offset the cost of the new buses.

In that case, I wish the government could've thrown in a bit more for a wrap. When you're talking about a single bus that already cost a few hundred thousand, a wrap or paint job couldn't be much more to top it off.

 

 

 

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[mac5689]

In that case, I wish the government could've thrown in a bit more for a wrap. When you're talking about a single bus that already cost a few hundred thousand, a wrap or paint job couldn't be much more to top it off.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Probably didn't wrap it because the buses will probably end up with ad warps soon anyway. Something tells me a wrap on a wrap wouldn't work so well.

Edited June 20, 2017 by mac5689

[FamousNYLover]

I got lucky yesterday on my way to public hearing for Puppymill at Suffolk County Legislature and I was planning to have vegan food at Thai House in Smithtown but train arrived Smithtown at 2:52pm, I went quickly to get takeout menu and back to train station and guess what. It was #7025 on 3:15pm S45 Bay Shore bus which came 20 minutes late and I miss my stop at North Complex Happague Police Station.

[mac5689]

On 10/4/2017 at 10:09 AM, FamousNYLover said:

I got lucky yesterday on my way to public hearing for Puppymill at Suffolk County Legislature and I was planning to have vegan food at Thai House in Smithtown but train arrived Smithtown at 2:52pm, I went quickly to get takeout menu and back to train station and guess what. It was #7025 on 3:15pm S45 Bay Shore bus which came 20 minutes late and I miss my stop at North Complex Happague Police Station.

Wouldn't be suprised if it had been late the whole day. Not sure what exact S45 run it starts with but #7025 comes off the first S110 run in the Morning.