Horrible Detour

[nostalgia]

On Sept 17, my downtown BxM8 bus was detoured off 5th Avenue due to a parade. (Other express buses were detoured. The locals must have been detoured as well.)

 

The bus went down 5th Avenue, left on 96th street, right on Lex Avenue, right on 57th Street, left on 5th and resumed route.

 

There are NO express bus stops between 2nd Avenue and 121st Street and 5th Avenue and 96th street (the start of the detour.) There's a waste of at least 15 minutes sending the bus across town on 116th street to 5th and then double back on 96th Street to Lex. Since there are NO stops between these two points, the bus should have been detoured from 116th street onto Lex to begin the detour.

 

Does the MTA look at the map before they design detours?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I was getting off of my BxM1 at 86th and Lex. earlier this morning to go to Whole Foods and saw a plethora of buses coming down and figured something was up. What parade was it? In any event, I agree that some of the detours are ridiculous. The BxM8 doesn't stop until 84th and 5th, but Lex. can be very congested from 116th down to 96th at times, while 5th can flow better.

[nostalgia]

I don't know the parade and it started or ended below 96th. (I was unable to find the parade on Google because the day has passed.) Traffic flowed smoothly down Lex though I only saw one other express bus.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I don't know the parade and it started or ended below 96th. (I was unable to find the parade on Google because the day has passed.) Traffic flowed smoothly down Lex though I only saw one other express bus.

I was considering taking the BxM2 to 80th and 5th and then walking to Whole Foods from therr, but I was able to get the BxM1 bus I wanted, so I just missed that mess.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

Does the MTA look at the map before they design detours?

 

The MTA's primary job is to give people things to complain about.

 

(No, that's not meant as a joke. Back in the early 1980's, the Straphangers Campaign complained that its very existence would be threatened by the MTA's then-new Capital Program of system improvements.)

[nostalgia]

Well, they are doing a great job.

 

If there was any logic to it, I wouldn't have written. A few weeks ago, the detour began at 5th and 84th Street. The bus turned left and dropped off passengers. That detour made sense because the detour was very close to a schedule stop. In this case, there are no stops along 5th so why route the bus down 5th to the detour?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well, they are doing a great job.

 

If there was any logic to it, I wouldn't have written. A few weeks ago, the detour began at 5th and 84th Street. The bus turned left and dropped off passengers. That detour made sense because the detour was very close to a schedule stop. In this case, there are no stops along 5th so why route the bus down 5th to the detour?

I already explained why earlier... When congestion is too bad on 5th, buses will run via Lex, but Lex can also be very congested in parts, so the meandering while annoying was still likely faster than going down Lex from say 116th. Considering how poor that part of East Harlem is, the amount of car traffic from 116th down is maddening. This is why the BxM1 was re-routed to run down 5th above 106th street and not via Lex.

[nostalgia]

My trip occurred Saturday morning getting off the Triboro at 10:30. I didn't see any traffic when the bus crossed Lex and there wasn't any traffic after the bus made the right turn onto Lex from 96th.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

My trip occurred Saturday morning getting off the Triboro at 10:30. I didn't see any traffic when the bus crossed Lex and there wasn't any traffic after the bus made the right turn onto Lex from 96th.

I was on the 10:15 BxM1 from Riverdale. We both got lucky as it seemed like there was more traffic once I got off at 86th and Lex. My bus avoided Lex until we came over on 106th from 2nd. The driver I had I've usually had on the BxM2 during the weekday mornings, so he knows me and vice versa. One of the better drivers out of Yonkers.

[B35 via Church]

Speaking of detours, as I was coming home late thursday evening, you had the BM's running straight on the prospect all the way to Church.... I don't know where they turned off at (since I make a left @ Church), but they continued on Ocean Pkwy.... I was right behind a BM1 (at the light at church), a BM3 was in front of it (noticed that after I made my turn), and a BM4 was behind the vehicle that was behind me....

 

I don't know which to scratch my head over more, the diversion, or the fact that the BM1, 3, and 4 were virtually right behind each other like that....

[Eric B]

That's what they should do. And take Beverley all the way across, which would be even faster.

[TeeLow]

Speaking of detours, as I was coming home late thursday evening, you had the BM's running straight on the prospect all the way to Church.... I don't know where they turned off at (since I make a left @ Church), but they continued on Ocean Pkwy.... I was right behind a BM1 (at the light at church), a BM3 was in front of it (noticed that after I made my turn), and a BM4 was behind the vehicle that was behind me....

 

I don't know which to scratch my head over more, the diversion, or the fact that the BM1, 3, and 4 were virtually right behind each other like that....

They probably made their left on Cortelyou Rd (BM1,3,4) and then right on Ocean Ave. BTW, when did DOT put up the left turn arrow from the P.E. onto Church Ave? Is there a left turn lane too?

[Future ENY OP]

They probably made their left on Cortelyou Rd (BM1,3,4) and then right on Ocean Ave. BTW, when did DOT put up the left turn arrow from the P.E. onto Church Ave? Is there a left turn lane too?

That might be an only bus lane turn. As there are no left turns coming from Ocean Parkway and Church.

[TeeLow]

That might be an only bus lane turn. As there are no left turns coming from Ocean Parkway and Church.

That's the way I remember it; no turns from the PE onto Church east or west but I haven't been on there in awhile so I was thinking it might be something new. Usually the BM's get off at 10th Ave, left on McDonald and left on Church.

[Future ENY OP]

That's the way I remember it; no turns from the PE onto Church east or west but I haven't been on there in awhile so I was thinking it might be something new. Usually the BM's get off at 10th Ave, left on McDonald and left on Church.

That is correct. Unless I missed the memo about this expect some bozo with a car to pass thru the bus lane.

 

However, if the DOT is smart. Bus lane turn only on Beverley or Cortelyou and make it a direct route. What you may lose is the Church Avenue crowd as there is NO checkpoint transfer unlike the good ole days of Command bus.

[Eric B]

The B103 could still cover that, since it's really become a local route anyway.

[TeeLow]

That is correct. Unless I missed the memo about this expect some bozo with a car to pass thru the bus lane.

 

However, if the DOT is smart. Bus lane turn only on Beverley or Cortelyou and make it a direct route. What you may lose is the Church Avenue crowd as there is NO checkpoint transfer unlike the good ole days of Command bus.

Now you've piqued my curiosity. I'm gonna have to take a drive across Ocean Pkwy on Church to see what's happening.

 

I think the bus lane turn onto Cortelyou makes sense and wouldn't bump those cars out at Beverly. That's usually a long line in the afternoons.

 

The B103 could still cover that, since it's really become a local route anyway.

Hmm. Sounds like a plan.

[Eric B]

Beverley would be better that Cortelyou, because it's straight across (where Cortelyou starts out further south, and then moves closer to Beverley, which is only one black down the parkway), and thus has easier corners (right angle instead of acute) to turn, and is wider and at the same time with less traffic, no business deliveries, etc. 

[TeeLow]

Beverley would be better that Cortelyou, because it's straight across (where Cortelyou starts out further south, and then moves closer to Beverley, which is only one black down the parkway), and thus has easier corners (right angle instead of acute) to turn, and is wider and at the same time with less traffic, no business deliveries, etc. 

It's possible Beverly might work. Since BM1&2 use Caton Ave to make their way over to CI Ave perhaps those two (and B103 coming over on Church to CI Ave) can take the left at CI & Beverly with the BM1 right-turning on Ocean Ave while BM2 & 103 continue over to Flatbush. BM3&4 use the left at Ocean Pkwy & Cortelyou and then right on Ocean Ave. This could alleviate some of the bus traffic on Cortelyou and remove that little hook turn at Ocean and the left turn at Ocean Pkwy & Beverly can still be used for regular traffic.