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September 4, 2016 Bus Route and Schedule Changes


BM5 via Woodhaven

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It's interesting how a few buses are missing the new program. A few weeks ago I still saw the QM4 via 3rd Ave destination and I saw another bus with that same program earlier this week. Unfortunately I don't remember the numbers of the buses.

There is always a few buses they miss. One of the 5100's with the orange signs STILL has the January 2010 sign program.
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It's interesting how a few buses are missing the new program. A few weeks ago I still saw the QM4 via 3rd Ave destination and I saw another bus with that same program earlier this week. Unfortunately I don't remember the numbers of the buses.

 

There is always a few buses they miss. One of the 5100's with the orange signs STILL has the January 2010 sign program.

 

Or sometimes they just never update / change old codes. They still have some that have been inactive for more than a decade (I.E. the Bx26 to Fordham Plaza).

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It's interesting how a few buses are missing the new program. A few weeks ago I still saw the QM4 via 3rd Ave destination and I saw another bus with that same program earlier this week. Unfortunately I don't remember the numbers of the buses.

It's not that they are missing.

 

They use the old codes.

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It looks like those new B9 trips in the AM rush that (in the timetable) start at 5 Avenue, actually deadhead up Bay Ridge Avenue (passing full in service B9's on the way <_< ) and start at the (R) train station.

 

Yeah, this new B9 schedule is a complete flop. To put it plainly, it sucks.

 

These "short turns" that start at the Bay Ridge Avenue station are bypassing often full bus stops, plus the buses starting at Shore Road are often no shows, meaning that one bus every 15-20 minutes is handling the crowds in the rush, with not in service buses flying up the avenue to start at 4th. its a mess.

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Yeah, this new B9 schedule is a complete flop. To put it plainly, it sucks.

 

These "short turns" that start at the Bay Ridge Avenue station are bypassing often full bus stops, plus the buses starting at Shore Road are often no shows, meaning that one bus every 15-20 minutes is handling the crowds in the rush, with not in service buses flying up the avenue to start at 4th. its a mess.

those am trips have been pulling out to 5th ave for years.

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Yeah, this new B9 schedule is a complete flop. To put it plainly, it sucks.

 

These "short turns" that start at the Bay Ridge Avenue station are bypassing often full bus stops, plus the buses starting at Shore Road are often no shows, meaning that one bus every 15-20 minutes is handling the crowds in the rush, with not in service buses flying up the avenue to start at 4th. its a mess.

Seems like management at Jackie Gleason is very lax.  The B4 suffers from a similar problem with buses going missing or buses starting at random parts of the route.  Sometimes when I don't feel like walking I'll take the X27 to Shore Rd and then get the B4, but the trips that start at Narrows Rd often times go MIA and start further up.  Ridiculous.  

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That's not the case. Look at an old 2013 schedule and you'll see a similar amount of eastbound AM put-ins.

I stand corrected.

 

At the very least, they weren't running before Labor Day. I've been taking the B9 everyday to go to college since late August, and those buses weren't on the schedule then.

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... the buses starting at Shore Road are often no shows, meaning that one bus every 15-20 minutes is handling the crowds in the rush, with not in service buses flying up the avenue to start at 4th. its a mess.

 

Except that those buses are scheduled to show up. Adding more trips to the schedule won't help if the depot refuses to cover what's already supposed to run.

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Except that those buses are scheduled to show up. Adding more trips to the schedule won't help if the depot refuses to cover what's already supposed to run.

Exactly.  If the depot is going to have MIAs, laxity with call-offs, maintenance supervisory issues, then the printed schedule makes no difference.  And the riders are the ones that have to deal with it.

 

Customer service is something that seems to elude the MTA.  Around here, DDOT is strictly enforcing lots of rules, and becoming customer-centric.  More than a handful of B/Os have been terminated in the last 3 months just for attendance issues alone.  And that was something that was completely unheard of in the not-so-recent past even.  But customers are now being able to look at the schedule and expect that the bus will be there at the time shown -- AND ridership has increased because of it.

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Exactly.  If the depot is going to have MIAs, laxity with call-offs, maintenance supervisory issues, then the printed schedule makes no difference.  And the riders are the ones that have to deal with it.

 

Customer service is something that seems to elude the MTA.  Around here, DDOT is strictly enforcing lots of rules, and becoming customer-centric.  More than a handful of B/Os have been terminated in the last 3 months just for attendance issues alone.  And that was something that was completely unheard of in the not-so-recent past even.  But customers are now being able to look at the schedule and expect that the bus will be there at the time shown -- AND ridership has increased because of it.

With the (MTA), it takes NUMEROUS complaints for some drivers to understand what courteous service is. There is one driver who continues to stop in the street because he is too lazy to pull into the curb. Additionally he used to almost bypass me and did on one occasion. After filing numerous complaints over the years, he seems to finally get the message to kneel the damn bus so that people can get on safely when not pulling into the curb.
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With the (MTA), it takes NUMEROUS complaints for some drivers to understand what courteous service is. There is one driver who continues to stop in the street because he is too lazy to pull into the curb. Additionally he used to almost bypass me and did on one occasion. After filing numerous complaints over the years, he seems to finally get the message to kneel the damn bus so that people can get on safely when not pulling into the curb.

 I hate when the stop in the middle of the street and not kneel, if you're not going to make the effort to pull in at least lower the bus. 

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I hate when the stop in the middle of the street and not kneel, if you're not going to make the effort to pull in at least lower the bus.

 

Exactly. It is usually male drivers that do this if only men are getting on, and I make a note of filing complaints against them because they only are courteous for female passengers. What they don't seem to realize is that it can be high for men too and some have disabilities so you can't just assume anything. I look quite healthy and am overall but suffer from back problems from time to time (have back spasms at times). I had a guy on the BxM2 stop in the street earlier this month. I look up to see if he is going to kneel the bus. He just looks at me like he's bewildered by me wanting to get on. So I go to step on and immediately feel something give in my back because it was too high leading to discomfort for the entire trip. When I saw him not only pull to the curb BUT also kneel the bus for a female passenger at the next stop, that's when I made sure to file a complaint. Disgusting...
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Not wishing to veer the topic, but kneeling should ONLY be used for those VISIBLY at the stop who may need it, or if the curb-street-bus level warrants it at that certain stop.

 

Kneeling should NOT be a "regular practice".  Buses are purposely designed to NOT need kneeling in 99% of usage -- high-floor or low-floor alike.

 

In my book, if you want the bus to kneel, you'd better be flashing your half-fare card once on board to key the farebox if it's less than a 1ft differential between curb-height and bus-step level.  Other than that, you're just plain lazy (remember, IMO).  If I was an operator?  If I had a full load and someone wants to dick-around, that bus ain't lowering -- step up or wait.  But that's just me, as a customer.

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Exactly. It is usually male drivers that do this if only men are getting on, and I make a note of filing complaints against them because they only are courteous for female passengers. What they don't seem to realize is that it can be high for men too and some have disabilities so you can't just assume anything. I look quite healthy and am overall but suffer from back problems from time to time (have back spasms at times). I had a guy on the BxM2 stop in the street earlier this month. I look up to see if he is going to kneel the bus. He just looks at me like he's bewildered by me wanting to get on. So I go to step on and immediately feel something give in my back because it was too high leading to discomfort for the entire trip. When I saw him not only pull to the curb BUT also kneel the bus for a female passenger at the next stop, that's when I made sure to file a complaint. Disgusting...

Saw this after I posted.  But if I was the operator making my schedule (which is the most important in customers' eyes, after all), then you *could* get my bus to kneel upon request.  But for me to read your mind like Dionne Warwick when pulling up to your stop with you standing there?  Not a chance.

 

Other thing is, that all our buses have cameras -- and that complaint would basically be thrown out.  If you appear "healthy" when the bus pulls up, there's no reason for the operator to assume you need assistance without you requesting it directly.  Have seen it before like in this situation, and a customer had no problem requesting the bus kneeling, with the operator complying.

 

Sorry to sound flip, but if you want specialized curb-service, call Access-A-Ride.

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Saw this after I posted. But if I was the operator making my schedule (which is the most important in customers' eyes, after all), then you *could* get my bus to kneel upon request. But for me to read your mind like Dionne Warwick when pulling up to your stop with you standing there? Not a chance.

 

Other thing is, that all our buses have cameras -- and that complaint would basically be thrown out. If you appear "healthy" when the bus pulls up, there's no reason for the operator to assume you need assistance without you requesting it directly. Have seen it before like in this situation, and a customer had no problem requesting the bus kneeling, with the operator complying.

 

Sorry to sound flip, but if you want specialized curb-service, call Access-A-Ride.

Not wishing to veer the topic, but kneeling should ONLY be used for those VISIBLY at the stop who may need it, or if the curb-street-bus level warrants it at that certain stop.

 

Kneeling should NOT be a "regular practice". Buses are purposely designed to NOT need kneeling in 99% of usage -- high-floor or low-floor alike.

 

In my book, if you want the bus to kneel, you'd better be flashing your half-fare card once on board to key the farebox if it's less than a 1ft differential between curb-height and bus-step level. Other than that, you're just plain lazy (remember, IMO). If I was an operator? If I had a full load and someone wants to dick-around, that bus ain't lowering -- step up or wait. But that's just me, as a customer.

Here's the thing with that. If the driver pulls into the curb (which they're supposed to do) then there is no need to kneel the bus. However you have drivers that are just very lazy so they just stop almost in the middle of the street. At that point, the bus should be kneeled as customers now have to step into the street to board. The low floor buses aren't as bad, but express buses require people to step up much higher, so pulling into the curb is almost a must if you aren't going to kneel the bus, and operators know this. The only time complaints are filed is when it is clear that operators are discrimating. Pulling into the curb when women are boarding but not doing so for men and then not kneeling either. That is discrimation. The women boarding are not visibly handicapped either so why do they get the bus pulled to the curb AND kneeled, but the same isn't done with for men (even elderly men)? Equal treatment should apply for all, regardless of sex or age.
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Except that those buses are scheduled to show up. Adding more trips to the schedule won't help if the depot refuses to cover what's already supposed to run.

 

Except in this case, those scheduled buses are showing up: They're just starting their trip further up, while passing customers who they could've picked up had they been instructed to start their run at the first stop.

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Except in this case, those scheduled buses are showing up: They're just starting their trip further up, while passing customers who they could've picked up had they been instructed to start their run at the first stop.

Exactly. The runs that are scheduled to stop there are the ones that are no shows.
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