New express bus service: MTA continues to answer riders' concerns

[WestFarms36]

1 hour ago, SevenEleven said:

5X and 6Xs will stop at Tysens & Lincoln Ave before the Park and Ride, starting tomorrow. Throw your schedules away again. 

With schedules being made for every little change is just Money Incinerating. They should make this their new slogan...

 

"This is the new  Screwing riders over and Incinerating money since 1965!"

[Via Garibaldi 8]

5 minutes ago, WestFarms36 said:

With schedules being made for every little change is just Money Incinerating. They should make this their new slogan...

 

"This is the new  Screwing riders over and Incinerating money since 1965!"

The worst thing about these changes is they still don't address all of the overcrowding overall.  People are standing at 05:00 and 06:00 in the morning going to Manhattan, and at all hours of the evening.

[WestFarms36]

2 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The worst thing about these changes is they still don't address all of the overcrowding overall.  People are standing at 05:00 and 06:00 in the morning going to Manhattan, and at all hours of the evening.

Lord have mercy on these people. I honestly will take the Subway to get to Staten Island this weekend, even if it takes me 2 hours. I'll just hop on the  to Barclays Center, then transfer to the  and take it to Bay Ridge 86 St, and transfer there to the S79 +SBS+ Instead.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, WestFarms36 said:

Lord have mercy on these people. I honestly will take the Subway to get to Staten Island this weekend, even if it takes me 2 hours. I'll just hop on the  to Barclays Center, then transfer to the  and take it to Bay Ridge 86 St, and transfer there to the S79 +SBS+ Instead.

lol... I have so many stories dealing with the "rarely"  train that I should write a book.  You can have 5  trains show up to 59th street for every  train, so hopefully you get one and aren't stuck waiting almost 20 minutes for it.  The only plus is the S79, which is fairly fast now with SBS, but those little buses don't cut it. Too damn crowded.

[WestFarms36]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

lol... I have so many stories dealing with the "rarely"  train that I should write a book.  You can have 5  trains show up to 59th street for every  train, so hopefully you get one and aren't stuck waiting almost 20 minutes for it.  The only plus is the S79, which is fairly fast now with SBS, but those little buses don't cut it. Too damn crowded.

Yes. I have heard about problems with the , especially with the issues lately. If anything I'll just get an Uber and call it a day. With 495 construction in NJ, I don't feel like taking the SIM8 and sitting in traffic.

[Lil 57]

1 hour ago, SevenEleven said:

5X and 6Xs will stop at Tysens & Lincoln Ave before the Park and Ride, starting tomorrow. Throw your schedules away again. 

Seems like the  is doing a redesign of a redesign 😂

[SevenEleven]

14 minutes ago, Lil 57 said:

Seems like the  is doing a redesign of a redesign 😂

I feel that this is something those two routes need. The 4 and 8X are carrying people. I haven't seen much action for the 5 and 6X. Granted, I haven't been working either Father Cap line so idk what it looks like now, with school in place. 

[checkmatechamp13]

2 hours ago, WestFarms36 said:

Yes. I have heard about problems with the , especially with the issues lately. If anything I'll just get an Uber and call it a day. With 495 construction in NJ, I don't feel like taking the SIM8 and sitting in traffic.

The SIM8 hasn't been bad when I've taken it, thankfully (sure beats the mess Downtown by Battery Place).

2 hours ago, SevenEleven said:

I feel that this is something those two routes need. The 4 and 8X are carrying people. I haven't seen much action for the 5 and 6X. Granted, I haven't been working either Father Cap line so idk what it looks like now, with school in place. 

It'll get more riders on those particular buses, but all it's doing is taking riders from the regular SIM5 & SIM6. In the meantime, the SIM7 is completely jam-packed.

[Future ENY OP]

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

The SIM8 hasn't been bad when I've taken it, thankfully (sure beats the mess Downtown by Battery Place).

It'll get more riders on those particular buses, but all it's doing is taking riders from the regular SIM5 & SIM6. In the meantime, the SIM7 is completely jam-packed.

I wouldn't say that right now.. However, definitely later and expect heavy delays. Also, perhaps running the buses via Brooklyn into Midtown via West Side Highway.

[checkmatechamp13]

5 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

I wouldn't say that right now.. However, definitely later and expect heavy delays. Also, perhaps running the buses via Brooklyn into Midtown via West Side Highway.

I'm on a SIM8 right now. When the Lincoln Tunnel gets backed up around 8:30-9am it might be a different story but depending on when you get it, it's not bad. (I was expecting heavy delays myself)

[B35 via Church]

Thanks to this X17x... erm, 8x , has anyone noticed an influx of vehicles inside (that end of the) SI mall parking lot?

[checkmatechamp13]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Thanks to this X17x... erm, 8x , has anyone noticed an influx of vehicles inside (that end of the) SI mall parking lot?

They actually put out an alert "the ETC & SI Mall lots are at capacity. Use South Beach" (on the other end of the island and deal with AM rush hour traffic on the SIE or Hylan or however you're getting there)

But in any case, somebody pointed out that a lot of parents might park there to drop their kids off at the elementary/high schools across the street and then take the express bus. 

[Lawrence St]

On 9/6/2018 at 1:24 PM, N6 Limited said:

The funny thing is that subway service can make the SIM loads irregular with delays, etc. causing surges of riders to leave the subway at once toward the SIM stops.

This I agree on. When something happens on the and the first train to enter Woodlawn after an interuption has a surge or riders, all the buses below will be jammed pack causing delays to those.

I call it the domino effect.

[checkmatechamp13]

On 9/6/2018 at 8:08 PM, WestFarms36 said:

Yes. I have heard about problems with the , especially with the issues lately. If anything I'll just get an Uber and call it a day. With 495 construction in NJ, I don't feel like taking the SIM8 and sitting in traffic.

 

On 9/6/2018 at 7:59 PM, WestFarms36 said:

Lord have mercy on these people. I honestly will take the Subway to get to Staten Island this weekend, even if it takes me 2 hours. I'll just hop on the  to Barclays Center, then transfer to the  and take it to Bay Ridge 86 St, and transfer there to the S79 +SBS+ Instead.

I just re-read this: The SIM8 doesn't run weekends (neither did the old X17J). From what my dad and brother said, the SIM4C isn't quite as crowded on the weekends as it is on weekdays (which makes sense, because while the frequency isn't quite what it should be, it's not as abysmal as it is on weekdays), so you should be alright, especially if you get on in Midtown.

[SIMplicity]

15 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I'm on a SIM8 right now. When the Lincoln Tunnel gets backed up around 8:30-9am it might be a different story but depending on when you get it, it's not bad. (I was expecting heavy delays myself)

It’s definitely different later in the morning but 495 (bus lane) and the Lincoln Tunnel in the morning around 7:30am is still a breeze and has always been a breeze, except once in a blue moon the bus lane is held up because of a broken-down bus or something. From the Arthur Kill stop it consistently takes btwn 30 and 35 mins to get into the Lincoln Tunnel. The afternoon rush is a completely different story. 42nd, the tunnel, 495 and the turnpike eastern spur are always crawling. I avoided the NJ routes before and with the 495 work I’ll definitely go downtown when I can, even though Broadway and Battery Place is a mess. Vesey Street is by far the fastest option, I used to walk there from Broadway to save time, but unless you live along or park by the SIM7 or 33 you’re out of luck. When they announced the redesign I thought they would run more buses into that West Street tunnel entrance in the afternoon rather than fewer buses. Would it be crazy to start routes at Battery Place, go up Trinity/Church, left on Murray, then loop around to Vesey and into the Tunnel on West St?

9 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

But in any case, somebody pointed out that a lot of parents might park there to drop their kids off at the elementary/high schools across the street and then take the express bus. 

I also heard that teachers from the schools across the street are parking in the mall park and ride (smh). 

On 9/6/2018 at 7:47 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

That's good that they took out the padding, but they have to update it on the public schedules. The GTFS for Battery Place shows 8:26pm (which is reasonable) but the paper schedule & PDF still show 8:37pm. I know a lot of people have apps and stuff, but they need to be aware of what the official schedule is.

The SIM2 coming back to SI runs without even a semblance of a schedule. It’s quite a mess. Yesterday a bus around 5pm left pretty late and the bus was SRO by the last stop. Right behind it were two more SIM2s, with two others bunching by Barclay. Then today the 12:50pm left as usual, getting to Battery Place around 1:05. Then the 1:20 bus left almost 10 minutes late and reached Barclay at 1:33, possibly following the schedule with the 15-minute padding. In that 40-45 minute gap lines had grown a little and the bus ended up about half full (which is a lot for a midday SIM2 that makes only 5 stops in Manhattan). The SIM2 off peak is definitely attracting more riders who otherwise would’ve taken the ferry and train. For Arden Heights/Huguenot it’s a more attractive option than the X17, and I don’t think anyone ever rode the X17 to Tottenville (unfathomably long and windy). 

In other news they tried to put the strange south shore shuttle into BusTime/GTFS as SIM8 trips. The schedule is in, but the only two stops shown are ETC and Woodrow/Vineland, and I don’t think the shuttle buses actually show up on the map.

Sorry for rambling. I’ll end this post with one observation I made when they first released the schedules: the SIM1C time from ETC to Narrows is the same as the X1, and some SIM1 trips in the morning rush are scheduled to take 2 mins longer than the X1. Sure, it’s a possibility that the old schedules were unadjusted to increased traffic levels during peak hours. But, did the removal of almost every other stop on Hylan save any time? Is any time saved being lost because drivers have to slow down to stick to the schedule?...

[checkmatechamp13]

12 hours ago, SIMplicity said:

It’s definitely different later in the morning but 495 (bus lane) and the Lincoln Tunnel in the morning around 7:30am is still a breeze and has always been a breeze, except once in a blue moon the bus lane is held up because of a broken-down bus or something. From the Arthur Kill stop it consistently takes btwn 30 and 35 mins to get into the Lincoln Tunnel. The afternoon rush is a completely different story. 42nd, the tunnel, 495 and the turnpike eastern spur are always crawling. I avoided the NJ routes before and with the 495 work I’ll definitely go downtown when I can, even though Broadway and Battery Place is a mess. Vesey Street is by far the fastest option, I used to walk there from Broadway to save time, but unless you live along or park by the SIM7 or 33 you’re out of luck. When they announced the redesign I thought they would run more buses into that West Street tunnel entrance in the afternoon rather than fewer buses. Would it be crazy to start routes at Battery Place, go up Trinity/Church, left on Murray, then loop around to Vesey and into the Tunnel on West St?

I also heard that teachers from the schools across the street are parking in the mall park and ride (smh). 

The SIM2 coming back to SI runs without even a semblance of a schedule. It’s quite a mess. Yesterday a bus around 5pm left pretty late and the bus was SRO by the last stop. Right behind it were two more SIM2s, with two others bunching by Barclay. Then today the 12:50pm left as usual, getting to Battery Place around 1:05. Then the 1:20 bus left almost 10 minutes late and reached Barclay at 1:33, possibly following the schedule with the 15-minute padding. In that 40-45 minute gap lines had grown a little and the bus ended up about half full (which is a lot for a midday SIM2 that makes only 5 stops in Manhattan). The SIM2 off peak is definitely attracting more riders who otherwise would’ve taken the ferry and train. For Arden Heights/Huguenot it’s a more attractive option than the X17, and I don’t think anyone ever rode the X17 to Tottenville (unfathomably long and windy). 

In other news they tried to put the strange south shore shuttle into BusTime/GTFS as SIM8 trips. The schedule is in, but the only two stops shown are ETC and Woodrow/Vineland, and I don’t think the shuttle buses actually show up on the map.

Sorry for rambling. I’ll end this post with one observation I made when they first released the schedules: the SIM1C time from ETC to Narrows is the same as the X1, and some SIM1 trips in the morning rush are scheduled to take 2 mins longer than the X1. Sure, it’s a possibility that the old schedules were unadjusted to increased traffic levels during peak hours. But, did the removal of almost every other stop on Hylan save any time? Is any time saved being lost because drivers have to slow down to stick to the schedule?...

Hmm, that's not a bad idea (because one of the issues is that the FDR traffic conflicts with the West Street traffic from the south at the traffic light, but it doesn't conflict with West Street from the north because it has its own tunnel connecting to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. The only thing is, I would probably have the Church Street buses skip Vesey (or at least the SIM1/32 and possibly the SIM34) since there's the SIM7/33 there covering the same general area) and leave the SIM7/33 covering it (that stop should also be moved to a cutout along West Street itself so buses don't have to loop through North End Avenue). It's definitely worth consideration, especially since a side benefit is that the South Shore gains service from the WFC on the SIM2/4 if a stop is added there.

The only thing is with the construction around the World Trade Center (where the road narrows to 2 lanes, but buses stop in the light lane at Vesey Street), that should be taken into consideration (as well as the idea of making Murray one-way between Greenwich & West, at least during rush hour).

The other benefit is that for those coming from the north, they get out quicker (so depending on where exactly the stops are located, somebody could get off the  at Chambers or Park Place, or the  at Chambers-WTC and have a fairly straight shot home, as opposed to making extra stops along Broadway). Riders from the  would just get off at Cortlandt instead of Rector and riders from the  just get off at Fulton instead of Bowling Green.

Eh, I meant it's a public parking lot, and they're using it to make it easier for them to get to work (it's just that they work across the street instead of all the way in Manhattan). That park & ride has been there for a while, it's just that it's being advertised more since there's super-express trips from it.

I agree, the speed and reliability of the SIM2 is definitely attracting South Shore riders. 

I noticed that too with the shuttle, that it only lists the two terminals. (Also, on Google Maps, it shows SIM8/S56 when it lists the options, which is interesting)

And I think in the beginning, they assumed that with all of the confusion and overcrowding, that would eat into the time savings from consolidating the stops. But yeah, one of the issues is that it's very difficult to tell if a bus is running on time just by keeping up with the "natural" flow of traffic and passengers, or if the driver is crawling or holding at stops to avoid being early. 

I just realized: If all the SM buses use Church, maybe the QM Downtown buses can use Broadway to make it easier for them to get through the Downtown Loop (so instead of going down Park Row, they can take Broadway to State Street to Water Street and get on the FDR that way). 

[N6 Limited]

23 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

This I agree on. When something happens on the and the first train to enter Woodlawn after an interuption has a surge or riders, all the buses below will be jammed pack causing delays to those.

I call it the domino effect.

This happens in Jamaica as well.

This is one of the reasons I disagree that even headway will magically reduce loads on buses.

I used to commute to the 5 corners area on the N4. Around 5PM there was always a flood of riders at the Jamaica Bound stop. The schedule was to have a n4 every 12 mins or something, but whichever bus arrived around 5pm was PACKED and left riders behind for the next bus which also became packed as more people arrived at the stop. The (3rd) bus was usually light.

From my observations, simply shifting the 2nd bus' scheduled time back to arrive 5 mins after the 5pm bus (or even simultaneously) would have reduced flagging and waiting at no additional cost. Now they have the n4x so I'm not sure if that has helped the situation.