Governor Cuomo Announces Significant Upgrade of MTA Bus Fleet, With More Than 2,000 New State-of-the

[NewFlyer 230]

They might as well put cushion seating in as well if they are so desperately looking to attract riders. I honestly don't blame some people for taking the ubers. It is certainly much quicker and convenient time wise but price wise it may not be for everyone. I hope the MTA fixes some problems with buses not showing up at all. I can't begin to tell you how many times I am in Flushing at around 10 at night and Q17's are passing frequently but no Q25 even though a bus or two was scheduled to show up. I know not all problems can be fixed but I hope the missing bus problem is fixed. It's one thing if the bus was late or it happened once in a while but if the bus is always missing during that time then that's a problem.

Going back to the wifi and outlets, the way I see it is vandals as well as lazy folks will put garbage in the outlets. Or you will have someone spill something in the outlets. I'm sure they will have covers but all of this will most certainly require the fare to raise once again. All these new wraps and additions to a city bus will cost something to maintain. Only time will tell I guess.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

Yeah but at the end of the day what is more important wifi on buses or service improvements? The MTA is so good at doing everything else than improving service. Like I said before there are plenty of routes that I know of that need improving. Wifi on bus is a luxury so while it's nice to have, it's not totally necessary. The MTA's only responsibility is to get you from point A to point B in a timely fashion. They shouldn't be providing people with WIFI, they are only a bus company. That right there should be the cities responsibility to do. What the MTA should do is provide better service and make sure their service is reliable. That is all a bus company should have to do.

 

Maybe revenue from wi-fi providers can be used to fund service improvements.

[LTA1992]

I read everything so I am aware that new buses are coming. I know that it will help provide more service and the smart card system could help speed up boarding.

 

I can understand if the MTA was to say they would put WIFI on the LIRR and Metro North trains just because of the type of service it is and the premium price you pay. I mean come on dude what else do you want the MTA to provide on buses with your payment of $2.75?

You can't be serious with the last point you made about not having seats and not needing knowing where your bus is. You are basically taking what I said and giving your own meaning to it.

Bustime is different in which it actually helps you track the bus down so you will know how far it is. If the bus arrives late and is crowded and I know that another bus is behind I will instead wait for the second bus. This will actually keep people from ditching the bus all together because they have a chance of getting a seat on the second bus giving if it's not crowded. It is also good to have bus time if you are wondering if you should take an alternative route to your destination. So yeah of course the MTA would want to have something like that because they want people to continue to use their service. As far a bus not having seats what transit company doesn't have seats on their buses. If transit systems didn't have seats you are losing a good portion of the ridership. You are basically saying that the comfort of people especially the disabled and elder don't matter and you are telling them that they are not welcomed to use this service. Having seats on the bus is something that is obviously necessary.

Wifi on a city bus is a total luxury to have and in my opinion I feel like it's a waste. My stance is that the MTA is a company that provides bus service and as long as they do that and provide route information and basic requires like seats, and air conditioning they are doing what they should be doing. The MTA will probably go ahead with the whole wifi thing anyway and if so good for them. They are so quick say they offer wifi on buses but do not added QM3 service or make effective short turns on some routes. They do not improve the reliability of several routes like the B4, B6, Q24, Q25, Bx6 and so on.

Premium or not, me and the other hard workers within this city are paying our hard earned cash for the services provided. There are also a lot of freelancers like myself in this city. You know how we get our jobs? Our contracts? Send out invoices? Internet. Free WiFi would definitely help in that regard. where cell service, 3G/4G, or LTE are shoddy. I've missed out on jobs because I didn't gain access to a computer in time.

 

Also, I did not turn your last statement into a meaning of my own. It's called an analogy. You specifically stated, and I quote:

 

"The MTA's only responsibility is to get you from point A to point B in a timely fashion. They shouldn't be providing people with WIFI, they are only a bus company. That right there should be the cities responsibility to do. What the MTA should do is provide better service and make sure their service is reliable. That is all a bus company should have to do."

 

Bus shelters, seats at the bus stops, and boards stating how far away a bus is DOES NOT fall into that "providing better service" category. It falls into the service amenity category along with WiFi. My analogy was perfectly fitting for that statement. I wasn't talking about buses themselves not having seats, so you need to read what I said again.

 

Next, WiFi on a bus is not a so-called "luxury". We live in the most technological age modern humans have ever experienced, so to call WiFi on buses a "luxury" is a complete disregard for our citizens current needs. Why should it be limited to those paying premium fares? Why should the poorer man no have access to these same services?

 

These amenities that people keep calling useless may be exactly what is needed to boost ridership. The new paint scheme falls under that. I and Around the Horn have already stated our thoughts on the sociological and psychological aspects of this in prior posts. East New York has added the marketing perspective.

 

In three years (my personal estimate as 3 is a secure number), we can come back to this issue and see if things have begun to change for the MTA bus system in the areas affected.

[checkmatechamp13]

These improvements are nice, but I'd rather have the last round of bus cuts reversed

 

Not if it means inefficient routes like the X20 or S60 return.

 

But yes, I'd rather see those funds go towards improvements to the service itself (but improvements that actually benefit riders. Not shuttles to nowhere like the Bx46 & B84 that do a poor job of serving what would normally be a high-demand market if the service were structured properly)

 

For example, If I get on a SMART bus 275 at Telegraph and 16 Mile from my mothers house, with a destination being my best friends at the Detroit/Dearborn border on the west side, its a 2 hour trip and about about 26 miles.

 

It's not a fair comparison. How frequent does that bus run, compared to the frequency of NYC routes? NYC is also much more densely populated, so there's a lower percentage of people who would need to make that 26 mile trip to obtain their daily essentials.

 

Bustime is different in which it actually helps you track the bus down so you will know how far it is. If the bus arrives late and is crowded and I know that another bus is behind I will instead wait for the second bus. This will actually keep people from ditching the bus all together because they have a chance of getting a seat on the second bus giving if it's not crowded.

 

Not only that, but if you see the next bus is 45 minutes away, you can take alternatives. Maybe a different bus and walk a little further, maybe a subway line. Maybe a taxi. Maybe grab a bite to eat while you wait.

 

The MTA's stats (which I would take with a grain of salt) say that ridership is down on Manhattan routes since BusTime was implemented. I'd argue that it isn't that bad, if the ridership loss is from people who would've otherwise waited long periods of time for a bus. For example, when I don't feel like taking the train, I'll take the to 125th Street, and take the M100 or M101 to get up the hill. If I see the next bus is more than say, 7-8 minutes away, I'll start walking and either catch the M11 if it's coming soon, or just walk all the way to my destination.

 

What I've been doing recently is I memorized the BusTime code, so I can check it when I'm still in the subway. If it's not coming soon, I'll just stay on until 145th and walk from there.

[East New York]

It's not a fair comparison. How frequent does that bus run, compared to the frequency of NYC routes? NYC is also much more densely populated, so there's a lower percentage of people who would need to make that 26 mile trip to obtain their daily essentials.

 

 

The whole damn point of my entire argument is that it's NOT a fair comparison. Thank you for reiterating that.......

 

I was born in Detroit.... I have been on (and evaluated) the transit systems of EVERY major TA in the country, Canada, and 3 other countries. I wish people would stop comparing MTA to others TA's. It will never be a fair comparison. The closest TA you could possibly compare is TTC in Toronto, or LA in terms of fleet. No other TA in America even comes close. NJT operates transit for an entire state, and still have nearly 3,000 buses less than MTA. It's the largest bus operation/fleet in the world. There is no comparison.

[Rick44]

I have a question since Dante stated MTA is the largest bus operation/fleet in the world. How big is Berlin's surface fleet compared to the MTA's? It seems pretty vast, I just don't know how vast it is.

[LTA1992]

Berlin BVG has a fleet of about 1,300 buses and about 600 trams. 1,900 surface vehicles total. New York City has 5,700 buses for fixed route service.

[Future ENY OP]

 

But yes, I'd rather see those funds go towards improvements to the service itself (but improvements that actually benefit riders. Not shuttles to nowhere like the Bx46 & B84 that do a poor job of serving what would normally be a high-demand market if the service were structured properly)

 

 

The problem with the B84 is simply this. It doesn't serve enough areas like Canarsie and Spring Creek which can benefit a one seat ride to Gateway and New Lots . The line could use an extension to Rockaway Parkway and Grant Ave , also have it serve the new shopping center on Linden Blvd & 79th.

[Metro CSW]

The problem with the B84 is simply this. It doesn't serve enough areas like Canarsie and Spring Creek which can benefit a one seat ride to Gateway and New Lots . The line could use an extension to Rockaway Parkway and Grant Ave , also have it serve the new shopping center on Linden Blvd & 79th.

1. It's a feeder route from the mall.

2. You may as well extend either the B42 ( via the Belt), B60 or B103 routes.

 

The B84 has no business in Canarsie other than being another redundant route.

[MysteriousBtrain]

1. It's a feeder route from the mall.

2. You may as well extend either the B42 ( via the Belt), B60 or B103 routes.

 

The B84 has no business in Canarsie other than being another redundant route.

Dosen't sound like a bad idea. You could combine the B42 and B84 and make a Canarsie-Spring Creek Towers-Gateway Center-New Lots route all together. Might not do much, but at least more Spring Creek and Canarsie service is covered.

[checkmatechamp13]

The problem with the B84 is simply this. It doesn't serve enough areas like Canarsie and Spring Creek which can benefit a one seat ride to Gateway and New Lots . The line could use an extension to Rockaway Parkway and Grant Ave , also have it serve the new shopping center on Linden Blvd & 79th.

 

The problem is that the entire bus network in that area needs to be restructured. The same way it's sometimes quicker and easier to demolish a whole building/structure and rebuild it from scratch than to do patchwork repairs, is the same way that sometimes you have to just start with a blank bus map and decide which corridors need service, rather than looking at new routes and seeing where they should be extended.

 

What I think should happen is that the B83 runs straight down Pennsylvania Avenue, the B84 runs Broadway Junction-Spring Creek via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Van Siclen Avenue-Flatlands Avenue-Elton Street-Vandalia Avenue-Fountain Avenue-Seaview Avenue-Erskine Street, and then layover and start the trip in reverse via Erskine Street-Vandalia Avenue and so on.

 

Then the B20 should be structured to travel via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Ashford Street-Linden Blvd, and then possibly terminate at either the shopping plaza at 79th Street if there's a safe place to turn around and layover, or the Lefferts Blvd AirTrain station.

[Metro CSW]

The problem is that the entire bus network in that area needs to be restructured. The same way it's sometimes quicker and easier to demolish a whole building/structure and rebuild it from scratch than to do patchwork repairs, is the same way that sometimes you have to just start with a blank bus map and decide which corridors need service, rather than looking at new routes and seeing where they should be extended.

 

What I think should happen is that the B83 runs straight down Pennsylvania Avenue, the B84 runs Broadway Junction-Spring Creek via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Van Siclen Avenue-Flatlands Avenue-Elton Street-Vandalia Avenue-Fountain Avenue-Seaview Avenue-Erskine Street, and then layover and start the trip in reverse via Erskine Street-Vandalia Avenue and so on.

 

Then the B20 should be structured to travel via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Ashford Street-Linden Blvd, and then possibly terminate at either the shopping plaza at 79th Street if there's a safe place to turn around and layover, or the Lefferts Blvd AirTrain station.

Hmm, I'd rather keep the current routes as it is because the students of Family Academy, Van Siclen Middle School, P.S. 273 and Spring Creek Middle School. These schools are one reason why the B83 is on Van Siclen and B20 is on Wortman if not to get to the Boulevard Houses safely without worrying about ones life when gangs are still out in the streets looking to rob someone if the chance is given. The students of Jefferson High School and Maxwell High School that live in the area need these routes coming out of the Boulevard Houses. Don't get me wrong, interesting proposals but you gotta think about kids that care about their education and the way, said proposals, might effect the commutes.... Let's not forget the pink Houses as well.

 

You don't live in the area of East New York, don't you? I'm just realistic speaking on behalf of the community that I live in.

[Metro CSW]

Dosen't sound like a bad idea. You could combine the B42 and B84 and make a Canarsie-Spring Creek Towers-Gateway Center-New Lots route all together. Might not do much, but at least more Spring Creek and Canarsie service is covered.

You know, I think the merger of 42 and 84 can work ridership-wise via the Belt Parkway skipping the Spring Creek Towers in favor of the 82 and 83. Although, I rather see northern extensions of both routes to be honest....

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[checkmatechamp13]

Hmm, I'd rather keep the current routes as it is because the students of Family Academy, Van Siclen Middle School, P.S. 273 and Spring Creek Middle School. These schools are one reason why the B83 is on Van Siclen and B20 is on Wortman if not to get to the Boulevard Houses safely without worrying about ones life when gangs are still out in the streets looking to rob someone if the chance is given. The students of Jefferson High School and Maxwell High School that live in the area need these routes coming out of the Boulevard Houses. Don't get me wrong, interesting proposals but you gotta think about kids that care about their education and the way, said proposals, might effect the commutes.... Let's not forget the pink Houses as well.

 

You don't live in the area of East New York, don't you? I'm just realistic speaking on behalf of the community that I live in.

 

My response in the Brooklyn Proposals Thread. 

[busdude2]

Well this was a surprise...

 

Here are the renderings from the governor's Flickr

Has to be a bus wrap. Way to much detail and lines to be painted on.

[BJC]

The problem is that the entire bus network in that area needs to be restructured. The same way it's sometimes quicker and easier to demolish a whole building/structure and rebuild it from scratch than to do patchwork repairs, is the same way that sometimes you have to just start with a blank bus map and decide which corridors need service, rather than looking at new routes and seeing where they should be extended.

 

What I think should happen is that the B83 runs straight down Pennsylvania Avenue, the B84 runs Broadway Junction-Spring Creek via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Van Siclen Avenue-Flatlands Avenue-Elton Street-Vandalia Avenue-Fountain Avenue-Seaview Avenue-Erskine Street, and then layover and start the trip in reverse via Erskine Street-Vandalia Avenue and so on.

 

Then the B20 should be structured to travel via Pennsylvania Avenue-New Lots Avenue-Ashford Street-Linden Blvd, and then possibly terminate at either the shopping plaza at 79th Street if there's a safe place to turn around and layover, or the Lefferts Blvd AirTrain station.

 

 

 

B84 need to expand their hours and gain ridership,the only way for that happen if the route go past New lots AV STA.Right now B84 is like a school run for kids over at the school in Spring Creek.

[mrmallard]

2000 new bus does this  include  the bus on order  and on option.

[East New York]

2000 new bus does this  include  the bus on order  and on option.

Yes.

[BDNQ2345]

 

 

[QM1to6Ave]

Nice! Where was this video taken? I saw a ghost white artic on Queens Blvd and also one on Main Street a week or so ago. I was wondering if they were going off to get the new livery, or if it was a coincidence

[BDNQ2345]

Nice! Where was this video taken? I saw a ghost white artic on Queens Blvd and also one on Main Street a week or so ago. I was wondering if they were going off to get the new livery, or if it was a coincidence

This morning when i taking the LFS B15 to JFK bus parking lot to wait for XD60 Q10LTD, I saw this bus in the parking lot backing up in the lot so I caught it on my Ipod and My phone. 

 

I can't wait to hear annoucement on the Q10 bus or any other routes.

[Burrstone]

This was at NEBR in Deer Park today.  Where these delivered like this or retrofitted there (they do already have license plates on them.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Around the Horn]

That's Long Island right?

[Burrstone]

Yea.

[B22viaAtlanticAv]

This was at NEBR in Deer Park today.  Where these delivered like this or retrofitted there (they do already have license plates on them.)

 

 

 

 

 

Nice catch and maybe they got wrapped and/or work(USB ports installed) done there; the reason i say this is because a few others have taken unwrap pics of #5400 at JFK vs you who shot a wrapped pic of #5400 that is now in Deer Park.

 

That's Long Island right?

Yes.