Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Xcelsiors

[QM1to6Ave]

I think their current fleet is sufficient due to the fact that the buses are timed to the tram, adding cornell will only add a few minutes to the run time.

How full do the buses get? I hope they won't be overloaded by the new influx of people

[IAlam]

How full do the buses get? I hope they won't be overloaded by the new influx of people

A bus can easily handle the people coming off a full tram and then some. I've never seen people standing, but I've also never ridden during the height of rush. The whole island is small so essentially you can walk from one end to the other, and a lot of people do walk.

[Statty]

I live on Roosevelt Island and the bus does get a standing load during peak rush hour times. Not only does it pickup from the tram, it picks people up from the F subway train right after.  So it'll get pretty packed depending on the time of day.  I think RIOC does a good job of handling rush hour, from personal experience.  Any other time, pretty dead and plenty of seats.

[IAlam]

I live on Roosevelt Island and the bus does get a standing load during peak rush hour times. Not only does it pickup from the tram, it picks people up from the F subway train right after.  So it'll get pretty packed depending on the time of day.  I think RIOC does a good job of handling rush hour, from personal experience.  Any other time, pretty dead and plenty of seats.

Yeah that is true I do notice the station pulling a greater load ... But the service on the Island is amazing. I have never waited for a bus coming off the tram, I always see the bus arriving at the same time the tram is pulling in.

[GojiMet86]

Found this interesting tidbit:

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20170626084458/https://rioc.ny.gov/Board/NB-8.pdf

 

 

 

The Board has asked us to investigate the use of alternative buses on Roosevelt Island prior to

purchasing any additional diesel buses. Environmental and fiscal concerns have prompted interest by the

Board in electric buses.

 

Creating a fleet of electric buses for public transportation requires a review of routes, schedules,

buses, batteries, infrastructure, budget and coordination with utility companies among other things. The

decision to switch from diesel buses to electric buses is a question being reviewed by many municipalities

and the subject of several pilot programs in Vienna, Chicago and London. RIOC has reviewed the use of

electric buses in other municipalities and consulted with transportation expert Leslie Eudy from the

National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

 

Using electric buses requires infrastructure and scheduling choices such as battery size, charging

time and infrastructure decisions on charging stations. Additionally, there are numerous companies that

manufacture electric buses and different batteries. The proper bus and the proper battery must be selected

for the intended use and a charging plan must be determined by a careful study to make the electric buses

efficient and financially attractive. Though Roosevelt Island may be ideal for quick charging buses due

to the short routes, RIOC has not yet taken any steps to create an appropriate plan for a switch to electric

buses.

 

Here in New York, The Metropolitan Transit Authority (“MTA”) engaged Columbia University

to review the use of the electric buses. Subsequently, the MTA launched a pilot program involving the

lease of ten electric buses. The pilot program will enable the MTA to evaluate the bus performance. The

pilot program will also provide valuable data for the bus manufactures and hopefully provide information

for a refined larger electric bus program.

 

Most significantly, the MTA has asked RIOC to participate in an electric bus pilot program for

2018. The program would enable RIOC to use MTA electric buses for several days each season. The

program, at no cost to RIOC, would enable RIOC to review battery options, charging options and as well

as the actual bus itself. The MTA would collect and analyze detailed data from this usage that would be

accessible to RIOC. The MTA has also stated their intent to share any and all additional data they collect

from their larger City-wide pilot program. Participating in the MTA program will better enable RIOC to

make decisions regarding electric buses in the future.

 

However, the current RIOC diesel bus system is in dire need of new buses based on the

amount of currently required repairs and the time such repairs take. According to our own staff:

 

- Buses #1 and #2 are not usable.

- Bus #3 is in need of extensive repairs involving the rear reline, slack adjusters and the

 air-conditioning system.

- Bus #4 needs repairs to the reline and leaks fluid. The bus leaks inside when it rains.

- Bus #6 needs reline work and turbo work.

- Bus #7 has a defective wheelchair ramp.

 

The backlog in bus repair work is caused by the large amount of work that is needed for the rest

of the RIOC fleet (RIOC vehicles that are not buses). The needed repair work on other RIOC vehicles is

causing routine preventative maintenance to fall behind. According to our staff, the purchase of two new

buses is key to the sustainability of the entire RIOC bus fleet as well as other RIOC vehicles. This purchase

cannot wait until a proper evaluation of the use of electric buses on Roosevelt Island is conducted.

 

It is in our interest to have the MTA incur the cost of the pilot program including the creation of

charging stations, procurement of buses and batteries plus training for staff. RIOC’s current fleet cannot

maintain its current level of safe service during this time period unless two new diesel buses are purchased.

Accordingly, I recommend the purchase of diesel buses upon the terms and conditions substantially similar

to those outlined in the memorandum from Cyril Opperman to Shelton J. Haynes/Board of Directors dated

March 10, 2017, attached hereto, while we also proceed down a path in the MTA pilot program.

 

 

[MTA Bus]

I didn't know they were suffering like that on Roosevelt Island. As for the electric buses, I think that's smart for them since there's only one or two routes on the island, and both are short, so electric buses would do well.

 

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[IAlam]

I didn't know they were suffering like that on Roosevelt Island. As for the electric buses, I think that's smart for them since there's only one or two routes on the island, and both are short, so electric buses would do well.

 

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

2 routes? Which is the second because I've only ever seen one.

[danielhg121]

I think the octagon express

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using NYC Transit Forums mobile app

[Eric B]

They once apparently had electric buses. The mini ones. I had never known about it, but when I lived on the island and they were still running the Thomases, they had a bunch of them in the lot next to the garage, (along with some old Carpenters)

[GojiMet86]

There's a photo on Facebook of a new #11 in Parsapanny, so I'm assuming there's also a #10.

[Orion6025]

3 hours ago, GojiMet86 said:

There's a photo on Facebook of a new #11 in Parsapanny, so I'm assuming there's also a #10.

Yes very likely. 2 2005 OGs to replace, 2 2018 XD40s to replace them.

[WestFarms36]

36 minutes ago, Orion6025 said:

Yes very likely. 2 2005 OGs to replace, 2 2018 XD40s to replace them.

They are just Hungry asf for new buses, lame old excuse of 'Its broken but I got no choice but buy a new one.' Those buses should be the best out of the entire city compared to their Counterparts. Constant Stopping, Low Speeds, Smooth roads, not extensively exposed to bad conditions as Buses. They just wanted new buses PERIOD.

[Cait Sith]

1 hour ago, WestFarms36 said:

They are just Hungry asf for new buses, lame old excuse of 'Its broken but I got no choice but buy a new one.' Those buses should be the best out of the entire city compared to their Counterparts. Constant Stopping, Low Speeds, Smooth roads, not extensively exposed to bad conditions as Buses. They just wanted new buses PERIOD.

Um, no.

The majority of what they have now(not including the two Xcelsiors), were already used prior to the island acquiring them, some of them were factory demos as well.