Why don't buses have doors on the left?

[Burrstone]

As buses travel on multiple lane one way streets you would think this would be an advantage to allow passengers to be able to board and discharge on the left would have its benefits at times.  

 

The only "concerns I could see is the fairbox being by the driver and taking away a couple of seats...

 

What do you think?

[Vistausss]

EMX has a BRT vehicle from New Flyer with doors on the left:

 

[MattTrain]

Bus stops are on the right side of the street in the direction the bus is facing, so having bus doors on the left side of the bus would make no sense, even on one way streets. 

 

As for school buses, I've seen doors on the left side of the bus and are only used on one way streets, but in this particular case, city buses don't need them. 

[Around the Horn]

CTA proposed that for their Ashland BRT and it looks absolutely rediculus.I think they should do the same as the Jeffery Jump with street side station and the same amenities as a L station.

[Burrstone]

Bus stops are on the right side of the street in the direction the bus is facing, so having bus doors on the left side of the bus would make no sense, even on one way streets. 

 

I know bus stops are on the right, if the doors were on the left bus stops *could* be on the left on certain one way streets.  All bus stops wouldn't *need* to stay on the right if the doors were on the left.  I thought this could go without saying LOL

 

The reason I was thinking this is *couldn't* it be faster in some instances if the bus is able to stay to the left either after or before a turn?  Less time trying to change lanes?  No.  

 

Would it really no sense at all for doors to be on the left?  There could be no need for at all?  Really?

[compobus fan]

EMX has a BRT vehicle from New Flyer with doors on the left:

 

 

 

Some of the shuttle busses @ FLL have left doors, as well (I think) as some MIA rental shuttles.

[Burrstone]

I have seen airline shuttles (such as delta) and hertz rental car buses with left doors...  I was specifically talking NYC transit buses, as it seems there could be a benefit to picking up and dropping off on the left hand side of multiple lane one way streets.

[compobus fan]

I have seen airline shuttles (such as delta) and hertz rental car buses with left doors...  I was specifically talking NYC transit buses, as it seems there could be a benefit to picking up and dropping off on the left hand side of multiple lane one way streets.

 

Understood, guess it is similar to passenger jets all entering from the left, as opposed to the right.

[Vistausss]

Understood, guess it is similar to passenger jets all entering from the left, as opposed to the right.

 

Or NYC Subway and LIRR for that matter (express trains open the doors on both sides at some stations).

[bobtehpanda]

I have seen airline shuttles (such as delta) and hertz rental car buses with left doors...  I was specifically talking NYC transit buses, as it seems there could be a benefit to picking up and dropping off on the left hand side of multiple lane one way streets.

 

I mean, it's no different than having a bus drop off on the right side of the street (you can't have buses weaving across from left to right in Manhattan).

 

The main benefit of left side doors would be a median busway or BRT with island platforms, but since NYCDOT has never actually followed on any initial promises of median bus lanes, it isn't really necessary.

[Vistausss]

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[Burrstone]

I mean, it's no different than having a bus drop off on the right side of the street (you can't have buses weaving across from left to right in Manhattan).

 

The main benefit of left side doors would be a median busway or BRT with island platforms, but since NYCDOT has never actually followed on any initial promises of median bus lanes, it isn't really necessary.

 

The point wouldn't be weaving across traffic from left to right just to drop people off, just to have a stop on the left.  The point would be to avoid weaving from the left or the right, to have a stop on the left before or after a left turn so the bus wouldn't have to weave from left to right in an instant like that.

[Cait Sith]

I kinda think it would be an inconvenience. If we ever had a scenario where buses would stop on one side of the street when there are passengers on the other side and can't cross the street to get said bus, it would be a problem.

 

Also, gotta take into mind the street layouts we have like Merrick Blvd, Fordham Road, Queens Blvd, Hillside Avenue, Pelham Parkway and whatnot. While it would seem that it could work in Manhattan(the North-South Avenues), the major con is passenger inconvenience.

[realizm]

Or NYC Subway and LIRR for that matter (express trains open the doors on both sides at some stations).

 

In the case of the MTA Subways, I've only seen this when the train is laid up in a terminal waiting for the T/D  to complete the turnaround. The for example @ Main Street, Flushing. If the T/O is directed by the T/D to terminate the train on the middle track, then the C/R will open both sets of doors on either side of the car. But this in practice if the train is along it's run it is very rarely, if ever, implemented.

[bobtehpanda]

In the case of the MTA Subways, I've only seen this when the train is laid up in a terminal waiting for the T/D  to complete the turnaround. The for example @ Main Street, Flushing. If the T/O is directed by the T/D to terminate the train on the middle track, then the C/R will open both sets of doors on either side of the car. But this in practice if the train is along it's run it is very rarely, if ever, implemented.

 

It used to be possible to do Spanish-solution type boardings in New York (doors on one side open for exits, close, and the others open for entrances) - Columbus Circle was definitely built with that in mind.

 

I have no idea why all those platforms that allowed such boarding were closed, however.

[Burrstone]

I kinda think it would be an inconvenience. If we ever had a scenario where buses would stop on one side of the street when there are passengers on the other side and can't cross the street to get said bus, it would be a problem.

 

 

I only mean certain stops, you wouldn't have stops on both sides, were people would be "oh crap the bus is coming on the other side of the road."  Just certain stops where the stop would be on the left, for instance before or after a left turn, the bus would stop on the left so it could stay to the left before and after the turn...  I never meant random stops on the left for no reason...  

 

 

Also, gotta take into mind the street layouts we have like Merrick Blvd, Fordham Road, Queens Blvd, Hillside Avenue, Pelham Parkway and whatnot. While it would seem that it could work in Manhattan(the North-South Avenues), the major con is passenger inconvenience.

 

I was only thinking of Manhattan, I probably should have mentioned that.   I think with all the delayed buses this might help save time in a scenario where a bus wouldn't have to make a stop on the right, get over to the left to turn, then merge back over to the right (after the turn) before the next stop.

 

I am not that familiar with bus routes in Manhattan, can anyone tell me if there are any routes with a a left turn from or onto a one way street with multiple lanes that could benefit from a stop on the left?

Bus stops are on the right side of the street in the direction the bus is facing, so having bus doors on the left side of the bus would make no sense, even on one way streets. 

 

As for school buses, I've seen doors on the left side of the bus and are only used on one way streets, but in this particular case, city buses don't need them. 

 

This summer I have seen more than one mini school bus dropping children off in the left lane (from the service door on the right), cars in the other lanes ignored the red lights and drove right passed the bus.  These were little kids, granted the mother walked around to get the kid, or the matron got walked the child off, this is SO dangerous and someone is going to get badly injured or killed because of this stupid move! 

[realizm]

It used to be possible to do Spanish-solution type boardings in New York (doors on one side open for exits, close, and the others open for entrances) - Columbus Circle was definitely built with that in mind.

 

I have no idea why all those platforms that allowed such boarding were closed, however.

 

Exactly. The same concept as in the current case @ Main Street Flushing.  As to why the MTA installed barriers where this used to be in practice as far as 59th in the IND or IRT Bowling Green, I believe the ultimate reason is to reduce passenger load times so to ensure stability in the TPH's planned for each route on these lines, as it would take longer for passengers to orient themselves into a car if traffic is coming and going from both sides of the car.

 

Imagine a Manhattan Bound @ 8:30 AM at Bowling Green station with straphangers coming from Brooklyn *and* Staten Island boarding and exiting the trains. Incredible chaos, confusion, and resultantly longer passenger load times, departure times and even delays. I'm sure the C/Rs would attest to this and are grateful the Spanish solution is not implemented at these stations.

[Burrstone]

Why was it called the spanish solution?

[realizm]

Why was it called the spanish solution?

 

The name stuck when the method of platform layout became a widely used practice in the 1930's along the Barcelona Metro in Europe. However in reality the concept was actually first put into practice by the London Underground in 1895 in the King William Street Tube Station, then the MBTA in 1912 with Water Street Station on the current Boston Red line followed by the BMT in Manhattan in 1913 with the layout of the Chambers Street Station on the Nassau Street Line. The rest is history.

[Cait Sith]

I only mean certain stops, you wouldn't have stops on both sides, were people would be "oh crap the bus is coming on the other side of the road."  Just certain stops where the stop would be on the left, for instance before or after a left turn, the bus would stop on the left so it could stay to the left before and after the turn...  I never meant random stops on the left for no reason...  

 

I was only thinking of Manhattan, I probably should have mentioned that.   I think with all the delayed buses this might help save time in a scenario where a bus wouldn't have to make a stop on the right, get over to the left to turn, then merge back over to the right (after the turn) before the next stop.

 

I am not that familiar with bus routes in Manhattan, can anyone tell me if there are any routes with a a left turn from or onto a one way street with multiple lanes that could benefit from a stop on the left?

 

Well, now that we have that cleared up, we can figure things out lol.

 

There aren't much North/South routes that turn onto one-way streets and uses those streets for a long-period of time. The only route I can think of that sticks to one-way streets is the Crosstown M66.

 

But in terms of articulated routes, not many uses one-way streets like that in the city, I think only the M101-103 routes uses one-way streets at 24th Street and the M86 somewhere on the West Side, but used for a short period of time.

[FamousNYLover]

Speaking off the doors on left, remember old Big Apple Tour double-decker bus was only bus that had doors on left and driver's seat on right. Maybe city got get rid off it because tourists had to exit toward oncoming traffic.

[Turbo19]

Speaking off the doors on left, remember old Big Apple Tour double-decker bus was only bus that had doors on left and driver's seat on right. Maybe city got get rid off it because tourists had to exit toward oncoming traffic.

Maybe the dors were for one way street use (as Burrstone described), but they found limited use for them.

[Around the Horn]

Probably old London double-deckers

[Burrstone]

Probably old London double-deckers

 

That's what I was thinking...

[Stengel Depot]

The transit authority is a stickler about covering ur right side at all times,which is why u see us taking up 2 lanes whenever possible. Having a bus stop on the drivers side would have us merging into traffic from left to right and they don't want that