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MTA NYC Transit Announces Community Workshops to Help Reshape the Future of Bronx Busing


Italianstallion

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13 minutes ago, Italianstallion said:

Successful re-design of Staten Island... What a joke... What are they basing that off of?   Will you be attending any of these? I'll be attending two of them.  I don't think the others work.  Too out of the way for me.

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8 minutes ago, limitednyc said:

this cracks me up!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the Bronx and Riverdale express bus routes don't make that many stops as it is, so if anything they'll just eliminate even more stops and make service more inconvenient.  They want to have "high frequency" routes which means eliminating any branches where possible.  That may mean trying to get rid of the City Island trips (there's only four of them but still) and trying to consolidate the Riverdale express bus lines into one line.  I wouldn't put anything past them.  They cannot be trusted.  I'm going to be advocating for the elected officials to demand to see the routes and the schedules in advance to avoid them trying to pull another fast one.  Express bus service is extremely vital to various areas in the Bronx given the horrendous and non-existent subways in many parts.

I could also see them screwing around with Throggs Neck and Pelham Bay and trying to do some sort of consolidating of those lines. Folks out there have not been pleased with service over the years for sure.

 

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16 minutes ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

"Comes on Heels of Successful Redesign of Staten Island Express Bus Network"

 

Oh so that's why the SIMs had so many revisions last month and then some this month.

Even with the changes that they've made, there is MASSIVE overcrowding, delays, missing buses, and the majority of commuters have LONGER commutes of 30 minutes to an hour each way.  They are planning more changes starting tomorrow by trying to fill those Park-and-Ride express buses, but that's still a drop in the bucket given the issues. They reduced the number of lines overall, then gloated about how they added more service overall, but didn't mention that the service covered fewer routes, which is basically a service cut across the board, hence the overcrowding at 06:00 in the morning and late at night on various lines.  They also can't make service. There are so many missing buses both during rush hour and off-peak that it isn't even funny.  

If they couldn't make service, in some cases for days at a time for the same buses, what was point of these schedules?  They also have not trained the drivers. A lot of them don't know what the stops are which is leading to mass confusion, arguments and the like as people are being dropped off much further from where they need to go or drivers pass their stops after people have been waiting 20 - 30 minutes with no bus in 90+ degree heat.  Then they talk about how they have personnel at stops to assist, but half of them don't know anything either.  No idea where stops are located, on and on.  

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5 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Now in what English class were these people taught that "successful" means completed ?

They still have tons of buses with not even standing room and we will almost be a month into this "successful re-design".

 

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This is the SIM33 at 18:00 Downtown... Next two SIM33s are 11 minutes away and will likely be SRO since this one probably left people waiting.

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One of the workshops is literally around the corner from my house.

I can see the Bx10 and Bx28 making less laps around Bedford Park, and maybe just maybe the Bx14 will return and replace the Bx4A while only running every 30 minutes.

Also, I hope VG8 is ready for the BxM1A (old BxM1), BxM1B (old BxM2), BxM1C (a BxM1/BxM2 merger that goes down Lex, across 31/32 St, and goes up 6th Avenue to Columbus Circle), and BxM1X (old BxM18)

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15 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

One of the workshops is literally around the corner from my house.

I can see the Bx10 and Bx28 making less laps around Bedford Park, and maybe just maybe the Bx14 will return and replace the Bx4A while only running every 30 minutes.

Also, I hope VG8 is ready for the BxM1A (old BxM1), BxM1B (old BxM2), BxM1C (a BxM1/BxM2 merger that's extended past Penn Station and goes up to Columbus Circle), and BxM1X (old BxM18)

I'm ready for anything at this point.  I already wrote my elected officials about the meeting in Riverdale. If I don't get an answer in the next week or so, I will be personally calling them and inquiring about their attendance. This is an election year, and if they don't produce on this, we'll be voting them out. I outlined what we're expecting from them with these work shops so they have no excuse when the re-design rolls out.  It's that simple.  We cannot afford to have our commutes screwed up! I expect to see them at these work shops.  I've also wrote to the local newspaper (The Riverdale Press).  We want them at these events to highlight the importance of it and let people know how important this is.

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4 hours ago, Italianstallion said:

 

This is buried in the press releases instead of being posted front and center on the home page. If you didn't already know that these meetings were happening, you would never know that they were happening.

 

Now, who will be the first to ask which routes they have already decided to cut?

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4 minutes ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

 

This is buried in the press releases instead of being posted front and center on the home page. If you didn't already know that these meetings were happening, you would never know that they were happening.

 

Now, who will be the first to ask which routes they have already decided to cut?

I'm writing to Byford and Irick right now talking about these re-designs and their lies about how they're a "success" and questioning how they came to that conclusion. I want to see if I get a response from either of them.

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I hope they are publicizing these meetings through different channels as well. Although this is framed as a redesign, I don't expect any radical changes as far as the Bronx is concerned. The current heavy hitter routes show too much potential (even with the losses in usage) for their physical routing to be altered in any way and the coverage routes are fine as well for the most part. Improvements need to be made to increase trip speed but that needs to be a DOT project improving traffic flow or what I will continue to harp on being necessary are all door boarding and stop consolidation. 

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1 minute ago, JubaionBx12+SBS said:

I hope they are publicizing these meetings through different channels as well. Although this is framed as a redesign, I don't expect any radical changes as far as the Bronx is concerned. The current heavy hitter routes show too much potential (even with the losses in usage) for their physical routing to be altered in any way and the coverage routes are fine as well for the most part. Improvements need to be made to increase trip speed but that needs to be a DOT project improving traffic flow or what I will continue to harp on being necessary are all door boarding and stop consolidation. 

You don't expect any but you better be prepared for them because if you think that routes like the Bx12 won't be touched, you're sadly mistaken.  

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2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Tell me about it (B46, B44)....

I’ ve used the Bx12 a few times. The crowds were insane. The other issue is the line is a must because it goes East-West and is one of the few true “crosstown” routes in the Bronx, but those damn hills make the bus one that people can’t do without. I do wonder though... There are some demographic changes going on along the route that may lead to more loses ridership wise. People that can seem to be buying cars to get around that whole hilly mess.   Tutored a kid near there in an co-op. Family was from Manhattan. Moved to the Bronx and had not one but TWO cars, and they weren’t swimming in money either, as they could barely afford my hourly rate, so I found that very interesting, 

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So Mr. Byford took the time to personally write to me this morning:

 

Quote

Thank you for your feedback. 

 

The Staten Island express network was redesigned in response to customer feedback that people wanted the network to be more direct and to go where they actually want to go. 

 

We continue to make tweaks and alterations - largely driven by continuing to listen to customer feedback. It is impossible to please everyone but a lot of riders have been pleased with the changes because they delivered what was asked for. 

 

Regarding bus lanes, it is indeed a daily challenge but we are already taking action with NYPD and DOT to enforce the existing lanes - while seeking funding via our bus action plan (itself part of the wider Fast Forward modernization of the entire transit system) for more bus lanes and for technology to make enforcement permanent and automated 

 

As you mention, next up for bus redesign is the Bronx and we have some lessons learnt from SI express that we will factor into this much bigger challenge. 

 

I look forward to seeing and hearing from you in the Bronx. 

Best wishes

Andy Byford

I'm going to have lots of questions particularly regarding what sort of timeline we're looking at for traffic signal priority. I'm still baffled at why it's taking this long to implement on more buses and why funding is just now being approved for its expansion.  This has been talked about for years by the agency.  We need more concrete answers on this.  

 

It's only fair that I share what I wrote to both Mr. Byford and Mr. Irick:

Quote

Good morning,

I've been an express bus rider for over 10 years.  I have been following the Staten Island express bus re-design, and I am troubled by the fact that the MTA thinks that this re-design has been a success. It has not.  We have LOTS of missing express buses, LOTS of overcrowding at all hours of the day and night, and poor planning across the board.  As an express bus rider, I am not only insulted by the headlines of this being called a "success" (MTA | Press Release | NYC Transit | MTA NYC Transit Announces Community Workshops to Help Reshape the Future of Bronx Busing), but I am curious as to how the MTA came to such a quick conclusion when the re-design hasn't even been in place for a month?  There are a lot of issues with this re-design.  For starters, the commutes for many residents are NOT faster as promised. They are actually longer, with some enduring 30 - 60 minute increases each way.  Too many passengers now have multiple transfers after paying $6.50 for the express bus, which is unacceptable.  The point of the express bus is to eliminate transfers, not create more of them.

While I am a resident of Riverdale, I have lived on Staten Island for almost a decade, and still frequent the borough regularly going back to the 1990s as a teenager, and I intend to be at the workshop in Riverdale to raise issues about the re-design for the Bronx.  Make no mistake about it.  We see these re-designs as an underhanded way for the MTA to CUT our service, and we will not stand by and continue to pay more and more while getting less service, especially when the MTA will be voting for fare hikes in 2019.  I am in the process of creating an express bus advocacy group for ALL express bus riders on Staten Island, in Brooklyn, in Queens and in the Bronx.  

 

For years we have been taken advantage of with cut after cut and we continue to pay more and more after each fare hike.  We intend to start speaking regularly before the board at the MTA monthly meetings to let the agency know that the service is not a success and that there is a lot of work that is needed and we are tired of paying more for atrocious service. Additionally, I have contacted my elected officials in Riverdale and have requested that they consider the following for the upcoming workshops in the Bronx:

 

-Maintain the current Riverdale Express Bus branches (BxM1, BxM2, BxM18 and BxM3). 

 

-Maintain the same level of service that currently exists, with at least same frequencies and IMPROVE upon them in the re-design.  For example, we have had hourly service now on the BxM1 and BxM2 for almost 10 years or more.  Many people don't travel on Sundays because of the infrequent service and long waits, not to mention having to have a tour Inwood since every single BxM1 has to stop there.  We need more DIRECT buses serving just Riverdale. We also want our 22:30 BxM1 back on Sundays to Manhattan, which I have been requesting for years, along with the 23:40 return trip to Riverdale.  We have many doctors, RNs and other professionals that work at the hospitals, along with a large elderly population, and they all commute to and from Manhattan daily via the express bus, not to mention the plethora of professionals and families here.

 

-The MTA has promised more frequent AND later service, and we need to ensure that they keep their promise.

 

-We also will be inquiring about why the MTA has taken so long to implement traffic signal priority across the city.  Why is this service only available on the Select Bus Routes and why haven't any express bus routes received this to speed up commutes?  

 

-Also, when will the MTA start working with the NYPD and the DOT to more aggressively enforce the bus lanes that have been created DAILY? They are enforced for one day or two and then it's business as usual. They are constantly clogged with cars, delivery trucks or other construction projects, rendering them almost useless, as buses (both local and express) have to meander in and out of traffic.

 

-Finally, we are asking our elected officials to request advance notice of the new express bus schedules, and not a few weeks before either, but rather that we be privy to them well in advance so that we can see just how "frequent" the service will be, so that we aren't railroaded with new schedules with tons of gaps in service.

 

Sincerely,

 

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The Bx12 carries more people along Fordham than along Pelham Pkwy (that's not saying that Pelham Pkwy doesn't carry a lot of riders because it does, but a lot of people ride the Fordham portion every hour of every day, morning, noon and night.)

Maybe they can bring back the old Bx24 that ran from Riverdale to Fordham from 20+ years ago. It would help out the Bx7 in Riverdale and the Bx12 on Fordham. The route was actually ahead of its time because it predated today's ongoing issues in Riverdale and the crowding on Fordham. I don't know how Riverdale let that route get cut...

 

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2 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

The Bx12 carries more people along Fordham than along Pelham Pkwy (that's not saying that Pelham Pkwy doesn't carry a lot of riders because it does, but a lot of people ride the Fordham portion every hour of every day, morning, noon and night.)

Maybe they can bring back the old Bx24 that ran from Riverdale to Fordham from 20+ years ago. It would help out the Bx7 in Riverdale and the Bx12 on Fordham. The route was actually ahead of its time because it predated today's ongoing issues in Riverdale and the crowding on Fordham. I don't know how Riverdale let that route get cut...

 

I can see how.  I think those of us who are residents in Riverdale are primarily focused on travel between Manhattan and Riverdale, not Riverdale and parts of the Bronx.  It would help those riders who work in Riverdale if anything, although even there I don't see a connection. I get the impression that the nannies and home attendants especially live in parts of the Bronx, but that seems to be in areas like Norwood which the Bx10 covers.  I don't really see a connection with Riverdale and parts of Fordham at all.  I'm almost certain that there are black workers who come up here and work in the nursing homes (we have a good six of them by me) come from parts of the Northeast Bronx like Williamsbridge or Wakefield, but those people seem to drive. It's an easier commute that way than using public transit.

Going back historically, the Bronx is a PITA to commute in by public transit, particularly West to East because of the geography/topography, but the borough was split up into sections, which I think still negatively impacts travel. There isn't much you can do about it either, without a major revision to the street grid (or lack thereof). Large parts of Riverdale don't have a true street grid, and even in parts of the Bronx, I'd argue that you don't see a street grid.  You have lots of streets that meander.  I actually often times just commute with the express buses when going to places in the Bronx.  It's a lot easier that way from Riverdale.  Two buses instead of three and you can often connect from one to another if timed right.

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2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

So Mr. Byford took the time to personally write to me this morning:

 

I'm going to have lots of questions particularly regarding what sort of timeline we're looking at for traffic signal priority. I'm still baffled at why it's taking this long to implement on more buses and why funding is just now being approved for its expansion.  This has been talked about for years by the agency.  We need more concrete answers on this.  

 

It's only fair that I share what I wrote to both Mr. Byford and Mr. Irick:

 

At least he responded to you personally... 

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6 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

At least he responded to you personally... 

He's asked that I come and speak with him personally at one of the upcoming workshops.  I told him I would be present and wanted to discuss it further with him. That said, he seems to believe that these re-designs are a work in progress.  I'm not going to hold him completely responsible for this mess. There's a lot of blame to go around.  Polly Trottenberg is another one.  As the commissioner of the DOT, and someone who sits on the (MTA) board, she has a lot of pull in addressing the ongoing congestion problems. I don't think she's doing enough.  I'll be addressing her personally at an upcoming board meeting. I think she needs to be more transparent in terms of how her department is dealing with congestion on a daily basis, and furthermore, what resources can her office provide in the interim to mitigate this problem until a more long-term solution is found.

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DOT has been actively increasing congestion for years now, by removing lanes and restricting movements. A lot of times, it doesn't even make sense. Flatbush Av at Kings Hwy used to have three lanes northbound: 2 thru lanes and 1 left turn lane. As part of the SBS project, they blocked the left turn lane and restriped the center lane so there is now a single thru lane and a single left turn lane. Just wtf?

The notion that DOT wants to reduce congestion in NYC is hilarious. I know some of the idiotic changes have been brought on by de Blasio, but by no means is DOT intending to reduce congestion and increase capacity.

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19 minutes ago, P3F said:

DOT has been actively increasing congestion for years now, by removing lanes and restricting movements. A lot of times, it doesn't even make sense. Flatbush Av at Kings Hwy used to have three lanes northbound: 2 thru lanes and 1 left turn lane. As part of the SBS project, they blocked the left turn lane and restriped the center lane so there is now a single thru lane and a single left turn lane. Just wtf?

The notion that DOT wants to reduce congestion in NYC is hilarious. I know some of the idiotic changes have been brought on by de Blasio, but by no means is DOT intending to reduce congestion and increase capacity.

I won't disagree with that, but at the same time we have too many for hire vehicles, which is exacerbating the problem. The narrowing of streets is just an excuse to hide behind Vision Zero.

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On 9/6/2018 at 6:59 PM, Gotham Bus Co. said:

This is buried in the press releases instead of being posted front and center on the home page. If you didn't already know that these meetings were happening, you would never know that they were happening.

Posters are starting to appear in Bronx subway stations noting the the bus network meetings and their locations, so it's slowly going around.

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