Riders prefer the G shuttle bus to the G train

[QM1to6Ave]

This is a pretty funny article. Obviously this is not a scientific survey of all riders, but I think the point is quite valid and I suspect a lot more riders agree with the sentiment. I took the shuttle once myself and was pleasantly surprised by it. 

 

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140825/greenpoint/g-train-shuttle-bus-runs-better-than-train-did-riders-say

 

 

GREENPOINT — The G train is scheduled to be back in action next week, but some riders are actually bemoaning its return.

The free shuttle bus that runs between Lorimer Street and Court Square has been faster, more consistent and more reliable than the much-maligned G, which has been down between Greenpoint and Long Island City for post-Hurricane Sandy repairs, many riders say.

"It's faster," said George Huarotte, 22, who works in Greenpoint. "I prefer the shuttle."

"The shuttle is always there," said Tiffany Elisca, 25, who also works in Greenpoint. "And it's free."

The G train has been shut down between the Nassau Avenue and Court Square stops since July 25 to allow workers to make "extended repairs" after 3 million gallons of salt water flooded the line during Sandy, according to the MTA.

The five-week closure is set to end on Tuesday, Sept. 2, which will also mean the end of frequent shuttle buses along Manhattan Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard.

The G train has long been derided as one of the city's worst train lines, even though a recent analysis suggests other lines are slower and dirtier.

Shanelly Taveras, 20, commutes from Court Square to the McDonald's near the Greenpoint Avenue stop and called the G "the slowest train" she rides.

Taveras once waited 20 minutes for the train to leave the Court Square station, making her total commute about 30 minutes, she said. But with the shuttle, she said she zips to work in just 10 to 15 minutes.

"I actually get to work on time now," she said. "It is convenient."

For nighttime commuters, the shuttle has been particularly beneficial, said John Monte, 47, who commutes from work in Long Island City to his Greenpoint home at night.

Monte doesn't mind the G train during the day, but after 10 p.m., "it's awful," he said.

"The shuttle comes more often," he said.

Providing the shuttles, according to the MTA, has been "extremely expensive" — and the buses can't accommodate as many riders as the train. An MTA spokesman declined to specify the cost of the shuttles.

The MTA has been running a free shuttle between Lorimer Street and Court Square during a five-week G train shutdown.View Full Caption

DNAinfo/Serena Dai

 

The shuttles, which each fit about 50 people, are scheduled to run every two to three minutes on the McGuinness Boulevard route and every four minutes on the Manhattan Avenue route until 8 p.m., according to a spokesman.

At night, the buses run about every five minutes, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the G train is scheduled to run every 8 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day, with each four-car train fitting about 580 people.

Once the train returns from the shutdown, the schedule will remain the same, the MTA spokesman said.

Though riders said they love the free buses, many people held out hope that repairs would bring a brand-new, better G that's just as consistent as the shuttles.

And even if it's not, having a "crappy" train is better than no train at all, said Renzo Gallardo, 31, who moved to New York from Miami earlier this year, where the lack of public transit means most people drive.

"The trains are pretty good," Gallardo said. "Everything is good to me right now."

[RollOver]

This is pretty much similar to how some others in this site prefer the split than the full via tunnel. Lmao.

[N6 Limited]

I've ridden the via Montague tunnel and the between the 60th St tunnel and Queens Plaza and it's just so slow.

[LTA1992]

Blame the BMT for Montague, BOT for 60th Street connection. I personally want this split to be over. Less ferries missed for me.

[Union Tpke]

Who would prefer buses to trains? Apparently these people.

[B35 via Church]

I recently made a post about this in the bus random thoughts thread....

 

I'll be honest though... I find the G shuttle bus service to be excessive; too many buses are being dedicated for that purpose...

One can go over there by the citibank bldg (the E, G, and M entrance) & see a conga line of buses wrapped around Jackson av, to 44th drive.... This is not factoring in how many buses are in service.....

[RtrainBlues]

Note that the people who prefer the G shuttle bus are people who ONLY ride between Nassau Ave and Court Square, and who don't need to transfer to/from the G train at Nassau Ave.  The person mentioned above only rides between Greenpoint Ave & Court Square, so for her, it may be faster.

 

But anyone who gets on at any stop south of Nassau Avenue (the majority of riders) would prefer the G train, since they would have been on the train anyway and won't have to wait for a bus in addition to the train.

[MHV9218]

Note that the people who prefer the G shuttle bus are people who ONLY ride between Nassau Ave and Court Square, and who don't need to transfer to/from the G train at Nassau Ave.  The person mentioned above only rides between Greenpoint Ave & Court Square, so for her, it may be faster.

 

But anyone who gets on at any stop south of Nassau Avenue (the majority of riders) would prefer the G train, since they would have been on the train anyway and won't have to wait for a bus in addition to the train.

 

I read this a couple times, and I still can't understand what your point is. Yes, obviously, the people who are on the train are probably unhappy to get off the train, but that's clearly not the point of this article. The issue is that, within the segment of service which the shuttle provides, riders prefer the shuttle's frequency and speed to the train's. And that's a fair issue. 

[B35 via Church]

Note that the people who prefer the G shuttle bus are people who ONLY ride between Nassau Ave and Court Square, and who don't need to transfer to/from the G train at Nassau Ave.  The person mentioned above only rides between Greenpoint Ave & Court Square, so for her, it may be faster.

 

But anyone who gets on at any stop south of Nassau Avenue (the majority of riders) would prefer the G train, since they would have been on the train anyway and won't have to wait for a bus in addition to the train.

Transferring to the after coming off the shuttle bus is an irrelevant point....

 

Riders saying that they prefer the shuttle bus over the G train are clearly talking about the segment of the G train b/w Court sq & [Nassau av] (or [Lorimer (L)/Metropolitan (G]).....

 

The shuttle bus can't be compared to the portion of the subway line it doesn't serve.....

[Q43LTD]

This is a damn shame...its like preferring the to be split

[MHV9218]

This is pretty much similar to how some others in this site prefer the split than the full via tunnel. Lmao.

 

 

This is a damn shame...its like preferring the to be split

 

Not really. That has to do with a service change on an existing subway route. This is the change from subway service to bus service, with more frequent intervals at the expense of lower capacities. It begs the question of whether the G should be a bus line in the first place--something nobody asks about the R.

[AndrewJC]

Note that the people who prefer the G shuttle bus are people who ONLY ride between Nassau Ave and Court Square, and who don't need to transfer to/from the G train at Nassau Ave.  The person mentioned above only rides between Greenpoint Ave & Court Square, so for her, it may be faster.

 

But anyone who gets on at any stop south of Nassau Avenue (the majority of riders) would prefer the G train, since they would have been on the train anyway and won't have to wait for a bus in addition to the train.

 

The shuttle bus is also more convenient for people who live or work along McGuinness, since they don't have to walk to Manhattan for the G. If traffic isn't heavy, it probably saves them time.

[MTA Dude]

My parents like the split because they only need the for Canal Street, and they'd rather get the Canal Street than the Canal Street . I don't mind walking.