Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share #1426 Posted June 10, 2019 1 minute ago, 7-express said: So this is what the MTA has to say about tonight's express bus commute. I guess everyone should just give up and take the 7 or Queens Blvd line home... Express bus customers: In order to keep you moving, dispatchers may make real-time decisions to send buses on other streets based on traffic conditions. If possible, consider taking the subway to bus stops outside of midtown Manhattan to catch your bus on its regular route. Some QM express buses were running via Madison. The Super Expresses ran on 6th and then took 36th as they normally do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil 57 Posted June 10, 2019 Share #1427 Posted June 10, 2019 1 minute ago, 7-express said: If possible, consider taking the subway to bus stops outside of midtown Manhattan to catch your bus on its regular route. So are express buses doing pick-ups in the drop off only section now? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share #1428 Posted June 10, 2019 17 minutes ago, Lil 57 said: So are express buses doing pick-ups in the drop off only section now? Service is back to normal now. They were running via Madison before then up to 57th or 59th for the QM2 and regular. Had a QM15 rider confirm this earlier... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
161 New York Posted June 10, 2019 Share #1429 Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) 14 hours ago, DetSMART45 said: That is a possibility, BUT -- Lifts are supposed to be cycled as part of the pre-trip checklist. Operators are supposed to sign-off that "Yes, the lift is operational" along with all the other safety points. This is not apart of the pre-trip inspection (PTI) process at NYCT. There is absolutely no room in the SI Division depots, for examples, to cycle a wheelchair lift for a coach bus. We do not check off on working items. Items that are discovered as defective during a PTI are brought to the attention of the yard dispatcher and written up for repairs. Defects discovered on the road or post trip are either called in as a road call depending on severity as dictated by procedures or are simply written up for repair upon pull in. We have 8-10 minutes to pull a bus out of the depot. Edited June 10, 2019 by 161 New York 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share #1430 Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) 5 minutes ago, 161 New York said: This is not apart of the pre-trip inspection (PTI) process at NYCT. There is absolutely no room in the SI Division depots, for examples, to cycle a wheelchair lift for a coach bus. We do not check off on working items. Items that are discovered as defective during a PTI are brought to the attention of the yard dispatcher and written up for repairs. Defects discovered on the road or post trip are either called in as a road call depending on severity as dictated by procedures or are simply written up for repair upon pull in. We have 8-10 minutes to pull a bus out of the depot. Forget about the lifts for a second. Maintenance/cleanliness has been APPALLING, and it is something that we are tired of hearing excuses about. The buses are FILTHY and falling apart. There is NO maintenance to speak of on Staten Island, and for what this service costs, it is unacceptable!! We are not asking bus operators to do more. We are demanding that monies be allocated for cleaning and maintaining the buses to operate safely. These buses aren't even mopped once a month, let alone cleaned. It's ridiculous. The buses should be mopped out once or twice a week and a thorough cleaning should occur once a month. Instead we get nothing... No cleaning. Sweeping if we're lucky, and roach bait put on the floor. Edited June 10, 2019 by Via Garibaldi 8 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-express Posted June 10, 2019 Share #1431 Posted June 10, 2019 I've seen plenty of rotting seat cushions on the CP express buses and the occasional floppy/busted overhead console. But at least I haven't noticed too much in the way of litter. Or roach bait. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted June 10, 2019 Share #1432 Posted June 10, 2019 13 minutes ago, 7-express said: I've seen plenty of rotting seat cushions on the CP express buses and the occasional floppy/busted overhead console. But at least I haven't noticed too much in the way of litter. Or roach bait. Ive never seen roach bait traps on CP buses either. One new thing I've noticed are some long, tan plastic strips missing from the overhead area near the reading lamp console. It seems like no big deal, but then you realize all the air that gets routed into the personal air vents flows through there, so if the plastic strip is missing, all the cold air flows out onto the seat below and significantly reduces airflow to everyone else. I don't understand how the strips go missing in the first place, since they are not holding anything in place. I wonder if they get removed during maintenance and never get replaced 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestFarms36 Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1433 Posted June 11, 2019 5 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: Forget about the lifts for a second. Maintenance/cleanliness has been APPALLING, and it is something that we are tired of hearing excuses about. The buses are FILTHY and falling apart. There is NO maintenance to speak of on Staten Island, and for what this service costs, it is unacceptable!! We are not asking bus operators to do more. We are demanding that monies be allocated for cleaning and maintaining the buses to operate safely. These buses aren't even mopped once a month, let alone cleaned. It's ridiculous. The buses should be mopped out once or twice a week and a thorough cleaning should occur once a month. Instead we get nothing... No cleaning. Sweeping if we're lucky, and roach bait put on the floor. Now you feel my pain. The issue lies on that we the customers are paying for a service, but getting a bus in abhorrent condition in return. The needs to stop the excuses of needing more money, cleaning should be a priority rather than sliding thousands in overtime to some a**hole who probably is smiling all and about with his fat check.. This issue is something that exists in local and express bus fleets in most depots, Many of us are aware that hires cleaners and that they have the tools to perform their job. The question to be asked is if these Cleaners are deployed in every depot, and if they have the tools necessary to perform their job, as well as seeing if there is a protocol in place to make sure these buses are clean. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Around the Horn Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1434 Posted June 11, 2019 5 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: Forget about the lifts for a second. Maintenance/cleanliness has been APPALLING, and it is something that we are tired of hearing excuses about. The buses are FILTHY and falling apart. There is NO maintenance to speak of on Staten Island, and for what this service costs, it is unacceptable!! We are not asking bus operators to do more. We are demanding that monies be allocated for cleaning and maintaining the buses to operate safely. These buses aren't even mopped once a month, let alone cleaned. It's ridiculous. The buses should be mopped out once or twice a week and a thorough cleaning should occur once a month. Instead we get nothing... No cleaning. Sweeping if we're lucky, and roach bait put on the floor. What the MTA Inspector General should be doing is pulling up to these depots unannounced and demanding to inspect the premises. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1435 Posted June 11, 2019 5 hours ago, Around the Horn said: What the MTA Inspector General should be doing is pulling up to these depots unannounced and demanding to inspect the premises. i.e., An audit. The MTA is & has gotten away with murder for far too long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetSMART45 Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1436 Posted June 11, 2019 12 hours ago, 161 New York said: This is not apart of the pre-trip inspection (PTI) process at NYCT. There is absolutely no room in the SI Division depots, for examples, to cycle a wheelchair lift for a coach bus. We do not check off on working items. Items that are discovered as defective during a PTI are brought to the attention of the yard dispatcher and written up for repairs. Defects discovered on the road or post trip are either called in as a road call depending on severity as dictated by procedures or are simply written up for repair upon pull in. We have 8-10 minutes to pull a bus out of the depot. Just.....wow. Ladies and gentlemen, classic illustration of how laws are made, compliance is forced on (mainly) private businesses, and government entities "exempt" themselves. But thanks for giving anyone proceeding with an ADA lawsuit against the MTA a nice advantage. Totally unbelievable how deficient the largest TA in the country's PTI process is. So instead of finding and documenting any problems discovered at the depot -- where repairs can be made -- it's "cheaper/more efficient" to get out on the route and do some kind of road call, and inconvenience customers, then be told the "Oh well, keep going" or "We'll send the mechanics out" or "Wait for a tow" by supervision. 8-10 minutes to do a pull-out, eh? And just when are you expected to punch-in? Certainly can't be right before you're to go to the bus lanes and begin your miniscule PTI. (And I'm sure you don't just return to the depot, park the bus for the porters and run to the timeclock to punch-out, either.) Yes, New York -------- This is your MTA. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 11, 2019 Author Share #1437 Posted June 11, 2019 2 hours ago, B35 via Church said: i.e., An audit. The MTA is & has gotten away with murder for far too long. I’ve been talking to the Comptroller’s Office for a while now. I’m sure they’re informing the and I’m going to keep emailing my contact until they’re forced to do another one. They have plenty of info to use too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetSMART45 Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1438 Posted June 11, 2019 13 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: Forget about the lifts for a second. Maintenance/cleanliness has been APPALLING, and it is something that we are tired of hearing excuses about. The buses are FILTHY and falling apart. There is NO maintenance to speak of on Staten Island, and for what this service costs, it is unacceptable!! We are not asking bus operators to do more. We are demanding that monies be allocated for cleaning and maintaining the buses to operate safely. These buses aren't even mopped once a month, let alone cleaned. It's ridiculous. The buses should be mopped out once or twice a week and a thorough cleaning should occur once a month. Instead we get nothing... No cleaning. Sweeping if we're lucky, and roach bait put on the floor. Those pictures you posted of Express buses are worse than inexcusable. I said it before, and I'll say it again -- if Academy customers complained about those type of conditions, the MTA would be the first in line to tell NYC to pull their contract. The same goes with the Twitter postings on the Random Thoughts topic of Bronx local buses. For all of the lack-of-maintenance I've seen over the years of riding DDOT buses, maybe 20+ years ago was the only period where something close to your MTA conditions happened -- but it was a rare occurrence. Never, though, did I ever see roach baits, floors that looked like they hadn't seen a broom or mop in weeks, seats with filth ground-in (or not seen a wipe in awhile, back when the real oldies had the solid plastic seats), panels missing or hanging, or, as in the first picture, a plastic trash liner rigged up to catch water drips (and with the way MTA operators/unions are, totally floored that was "allowed" since it was practically over the operator's head!). Sure, the odd signal cord drooping or severed and in need of replacement, a "passable" bus in service with a gunshot wound to a window, the A/C roof intake on the Flyers in need of a good vacuum, or a few discarded transfers/minor dirt on the floor -- small issues. What a wonderful impression, especially on Express buses used by tourists on their way to the Bronx Zoo, for example. And if Bronx local buses look like those pictures, the Manhattan locals are probably the same. (Which get tourists on them as well.) 8 hours ago, WestFarms36 said: Now you feel my pain. The issue lies on that we the customers are paying for a service, but getting a bus in abhorrent condition in return. The needs to stop the excuses of needing more money, cleaning should be a priority rather than sliding thousands in overtime to some a**hole who probably is smiling all and about with his fat check.. This issue is something that exists in local and express bus fleets in most depots, Many of us are aware that hires cleaners and that they have the tools to perform their job. The question to be asked is if these Cleaners are deployed in every depot, and if they have the tools necessary to perform their job, as well as seeing if there is a protocol in place to make sure these buses are clean. Someone commented that cleaners/maintainers were already feeling the pinch when I posted about the LIRR overtime issues and how MTA would be "investigating" throughout the organization. Interesting, though, how Byford went all gung-ho on cleanliness at the subway stations, including all the extra payroll devoted to the new "station managers" and supervisors. Must've shifted the cleaning budget over to the subway side, judging by the pictures of the bus side. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
161 New York Posted June 11, 2019 Share #1439 Posted June 11, 2019 15 hours ago, 161 New York said: This is not apart of the pre-trip inspection (PTI) process at NYCT. There is absolutely no room in the SI Division depots, for examples, to cycle a wheelchair lift for a coach bus. We do not check off on working items. Items that are discovered as defective during a PTI are brought to the attention of the yard dispatcher and written up for repairs. Defects discovered on the road or post trip are either called in as a road call depending on severity as dictated by procedures or are simply written up for repair upon pull in. We have 8-10 minutes to pull a bus out of the depot. Original post added for clarification. 2 hours ago, DetSMART45 said: Just.....wow. Ladies and gentlemen, classic illustration of how laws are made, compliance is forced on (mainly) private businesses, and government entities "exempt" themselves. But thanks for giving anyone proceeding with an ADA lawsuit against the MTA a nice advantage. Totally unbelievable how deficient the largest TA in the country's PTI process is. So instead of finding and documenting any problems discovered at the depot -- where repairs can be made -- it's "cheaper/more efficient" to get out on the route and do some kind of road call, and inconvenience customers, then be told the "Oh well, keep going" or "We'll send the mechanics out" or "Wait for a tow" by supervision. 8-10 minutes to do a pull-out, eh? And just when are you expected to punch-in? Certainly can't be right before you're to go to the bus lanes and begin your miniscule PTI. (And I'm sure you don't just return to the depot, park the bus for the porters and run to the timeclock to punch-out, either.) Yes, New York -------- This is your MTA. Where in my reply did I state this? During PTI, if defects are found they are brought it to the attention of the yard dispatcher (so the bus is not given out) and it is written up for repairs (so they can... ummm... be repaired), defective buses I find are not put into service. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78 via Stew Leonards Posted June 12, 2019 Share #1440 Posted June 12, 2019 On 6/9/2019 at 10:54 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said: It should down 5th because 5th has a bus lane from 110th on down in operation for the morning rush. Lexington is a nightmare by comparison. Maybe it can use 5th SOUTH OF 110th then. 5th Ave is a nightmare in Harlem. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share #1441 Posted June 13, 2019 On 6/12/2019 at 1:37 AM, 78 via Stew Leonards said: Maybe it can use 5th SOUTH OF 110th then. 5th Ave is a nightmare in Harlem. And how do you propose it getting to 5th at 110th?? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightlinerNewFlyer Posted June 13, 2019 Share #1442 Posted June 13, 2019 26 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: And how do you propose it getting to 5th at 110th?? This might be what @78 via Stew Leonards proposes: From HRD (southbound): Get off at 106 St, right on 106, left on 5th From Triboro (Southbound): Get on to FDR, Get off at 106, right on 106, left on 5th 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share #1443 Posted June 13, 2019 32 minutes ago, BrightlinerNewFlyer said: This might be what @78 via Stew Leonards proposes: From HRD (southbound): Get off at 106 St, right on 106, left on 5th From Triboro (Southbound): Get on to FDR, Get off at 106, right on 106, left on 5th No point in taking 106th across to 5th when the bus would have to come back across on 96th to Lex. From HRD southbound, you come off right at 5th and 143rd, continue right on 5th and on down to 96th. Left on 96th, right on Lex and done. All of the other proposals have been done and experienced by myself for years and I have protested just about all of them but the current one. 2nd is a nightmare and Lex has become progressively worse north of 96th street, so while 5th has its problems it is still better than the alternatives. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightlinerNewFlyer Posted June 13, 2019 Share #1444 Posted June 13, 2019 12 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: No point in taking 106th across to 5th when the bus would have to come back across on 96th to Lex. From HRD southbound, you come off right at 5th and 143rd, continue right on 5th and on down to 96th. Left on 96th, right on Lex and done. All of the other proposals have been done and experienced by myself for years and I have protested just about all of them but the current one. 2nd is a nightmare and Lex has become progressively worse north of 96th street, so while 5th has its problems it is still better than the alternatives. Yes, I guess that's true, however, they could move the 96/Lex stop to 96/5th 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share #1445 Posted June 13, 2019 3 minutes ago, BrightlinerNewFlyer said: Yes, I guess that's true, however, they could move the 96/Lex stop to 96/5th No, the plan is to have a 96th and 5th (only to replace the BxM2 Mount Sinai stop) and keep the 96th and Lex stop. 96th and Lex is a big transfer stop for the train and the knows this, as is 86th and Lex. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share #1446 Posted June 13, 2019 Latest developments: -Continue to monitor service Citywide. Contacted Senator Biaggi's office regarding the BxM1, BxM2, BxM8 and BxM9. Extremely poor service of late. -Continue to monitor QM1 service which has improved, but the 7pm trip was missing Monday and Tuesday. All other trips have generally been provided, and Wednesday the 7pm trip was provided. -We will be attending the Open House in Pelham Bay next Wednesday to gather information regarding the Bronx Express Bus Redesign -We are looking to partner with the Riders Alliance to continue our push for an new audit on express bus service, as well as other improvements such as a return of the monthly express bus pass, new express buses, and a return of the senior discount. We will discuss these matters via conference hopefully next week, with a specific date to be determined since I have been sick this week. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78 via Stew Leonards Posted June 16, 2019 Share #1447 Posted June 16, 2019 On 6/13/2019 at 3:27 PM, Via Garibaldi 8 said: No point in taking 106th across to 5th when the bus would have to come back across on 96th to Lex. From HRD southbound, you come off right at 5th and 143rd, continue right on 5th and on down to 96th. Left on 96th, right on Lex and done. All of the other proposals have been done and experienced by myself for years and I have protested just about all of them but the current one. 2nd is a nightmare and Lex has become progressively worse north of 96th street, so while 5th has its problems it is still better than the alternatives. I've been using the BxM1 a lot for work lately, its more like you crawl off the HRD at a slow speed, and crawl down 5th Ave taking 15-20 mins from 143rd to 125th, and then turn off 5th at 124th, sometimes taking another 10 min to 116th, and so on. Sometimes, they use Park Ave-132nd-5th Ave which is a little faster. But I wonder if Park-131st-Lexington would be any good? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share #1448 Posted June 17, 2019 56 minutes ago, 78 via Stew Leonards said: I've been using the BxM1 a lot for work lately, its more like you crawl off the HRD at a slow speed, and crawl down 5th Ave taking 15-20 mins from 143rd to 125th, and then turn off 5th at 124th, sometimes taking another 10 min to 116th, and so on. Sometimes, they use Park Ave-132nd-5th Ave which is a little faster. But I wonder if Park-131st-Lexington would be any good? Park isn’t much better. I’ve taken that before. Very narrow so single file line... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union Tpke Posted June 17, 2019 Share #1449 Posted June 17, 2019 @Via Garibaldi 8 @checkmatechamp13TAXPAYERS STEP UP FUNDING FOR PRIVATE STATEN ISLAND BUS LINES LOSING RIDERS Taxpayers will be boosting subsidies to two private bus lines Staten Island commuters call unreliable — and the agency in charge says a ridership drop due to the MTA’s route redesign is to blame. Board members of the city’s Economic Development Corp. have approved an additional $804,000 for Academy Bus, the Hoboken, N.J.-headquartered company that supplies service along the routes now called the SIM23 and SIM24, according to the minutes from a May 8 meeting. The newly approved funding brings to a total of $4.3 million this year’s contract between EDC and Academy, in an arrangement to serve the transit-starved South Shore that’s been in place since 2001. Academy took over in 2014 after a previous company went bankrupt, according to the meeting record. “The redesign has resulted in a significant loss in revenue for Academy due to lower ridership and fewer revenue miles,” the minutes state. Riders waiting in Midtown Manhattan for their rides home sounded off about service they call spotty — and say it doesn’t surprise them that ridership is on the downswing. Jay Reyes, 42, said three scheduled buses had simply not shown when he was waiting for the SIM23 earlier this week on 34th Street. At rush hours, buses are supposed to arrive three to four times an hour. “I can see why they’re losing riders,” said Reyes, a Tottenville resident. “They’re pretty unreliable.” Two commuters waiting for the SIM24 — which like the SIM23 reaches Staten Island via the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey — complained that unlike MTA buses, the Academy routes lack GPS tracking that can tell riders when the next bus will arrive. “There’s no way to track buses, so if I miss a bus there’s no way to track it,” said Lisa Angelo, a 31-year-old Huguenot resident. “So there are no updates except for from other riders on Facebook, and you just have to keep checking that.” Angelo and another commuter both recalled the time that a SIM 24 bus broke down in New Jersey during an evening commute last month. “They break down a lot,” said Ivan Martinez, 54. “I was on the side of the road on the highway and everyone had to get out and wait for another bus to come.” EDC is about to renew the Academy contract for one year in September, while preparing to hand over responsibility to the city Department of Transportation next year. With DOT approval, Academy Bus has made several adjustments to the two routes since New York City Transit’s August 2018 launch of Staten Island’s redesigned bus routes. In Manhattan, they once again run along 34th Street to and from the Lincoln Tunnel, after running into snarls on congested 42 Street. An MTA spokesperson acknowledged that ridership on the two private bus lines has declined since the redesign launched last August, even as the authority reports that bus ridership rose boroughwide. “The Staten Island Express Bus Redesign has been a resounding success that has attracted riders to new routes, increased reliability, added more service, and sped up trips, saving a significant amount of time for customers and saving resources that we have reinvested into making the service better,” said Amanda Kwan, an MTA spokesperson. According to the MTA, ridership on the SIM 23 and 24’s previous iterations, the X23 and X24, was on the decline before the redesign. “We continue to monitor the network closely and keep an open dialogue with all of our stakeholders to improve service, including discussions with the City on how to improve performance on the SIM23 and SIM24 routes so that those customers can also benefit from the improvements resulting from our network redesign,” said Kwan. Route ridership numbers, released annually to the MTA board, are not yet publicly available for the period following the launch of the remapped Staten Island lines. Staten Island was the first of the boroughs to undergo a bus-route redesign at the behest of New York City Transit President Andy Byford, a process rolling ahead in The Bronx and getting underway in Queens. South Shore Councilmember Joe Borelli told THE CITY that he wants the MTA to take over operations of the two bus lines, which service Annadale and Prince’s Bay on Staten Island. “I’m more concerned that this is still the last place in the city that doesn’t have actual MTA service,” Borelli told THE CITY, alluding to past MTA takeovers from private companies of numerous routes in the boroughs. Another effect of the private service, he notes, is that SIM23 and SIM24 riders cannot take advantage of the MTA’s new OMNY contactless fare payment system, which recently rolled out on all other Staten Island buses. “MTA service has been better than private service, and it’s not going to improve much unless the MTA takes over.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestFarms36 Posted June 17, 2019 Share #1450 Posted June 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Union Tpke said: @Via Garibaldi 8 @checkmatechamp13TAXPAYERS STEP UP FUNDING FOR PRIVATE STATEN ISLAND BUS LINES LOSING RIDERS Taxpayers will be boosting subsidies to two private bus lines Staten Island commuters call unreliable — and the agency in charge says a ridership drop due to the MTA’s route redesign is to blame. Board members of the city’s Economic Development Corp. have approved an additional $804,000 for Academy Bus, the Hoboken, N.J.-headquartered company that supplies service along the routes now called the SIM23 and SIM24, according to the minutes from a May 8 meeting. The newly approved funding brings to a total of $4.3 million this year’s contract between EDC and Academy, in an arrangement to serve the transit-starved South Shore that’s been in place since 2001. Academy took over in 2014 after a previous company went bankrupt, according to the meeting record. “The redesign has resulted in a significant loss in revenue for Academy due to lower ridership and fewer revenue miles,” the minutes state. Riders waiting in Midtown Manhattan for their rides home sounded off about service they call spotty — and say it doesn’t surprise them that ridership is on the downswing. Jay Reyes, 42, said three scheduled buses had simply not shown when he was waiting for the SIM23 earlier this week on 34th Street. At rush hours, buses are supposed to arrive three to four times an hour. “I can see why they’re losing riders,” said Reyes, a Tottenville resident. “They’re pretty unreliable.” Two commuters waiting for the SIM24 — which like the SIM23 reaches Staten Island via the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey — complained that unlike MTA buses, the Academy routes lack GPS tracking that can tell riders when the next bus will arrive. “There’s no way to track buses, so if I miss a bus there’s no way to track it,” said Lisa Angelo, a 31-year-old Huguenot resident. “So there are no updates except for from other riders on Facebook, and you just have to keep checking that.” Angelo and another commuter both recalled the time that a SIM 24 bus broke down in New Jersey during an evening commute last month. “They break down a lot,” said Ivan Martinez, 54. “I was on the side of the road on the highway and everyone had to get out and wait for another bus to come.” EDC is about to renew the Academy contract for one year in September, while preparing to hand over responsibility to the city Department of Transportation next year. With DOT approval, Academy Bus has made several adjustments to the two routes since New York City Transit’s August 2018 launch of Staten Island’s redesigned bus routes. In Manhattan, they once again run along 34th Street to and from the Lincoln Tunnel, after running into snarls on congested 42 Street. An MTA spokesperson acknowledged that ridership on the two private bus lines has declined since the redesign launched last August, even as the authority reports that bus ridership rose boroughwide. “The Staten Island Express Bus Redesign has been a resounding success that has attracted riders to new routes, increased reliability, added more service, and sped up trips, saving a significant amount of time for customers and saving resources that we have reinvested into making the service better,” said Amanda Kwan, an MTA spokesperson. According to the MTA, ridership on the SIM 23 and 24’s previous iterations, the X23 and X24, was on the decline before the redesign. “We continue to monitor the network closely and keep an open dialogue with all of our stakeholders to improve service, including discussions with the City on how to improve performance on the SIM23 and SIM24 routes so that those customers can also benefit from the improvements resulting from our network redesign,” said Kwan. Route ridership numbers, released annually to the MTA board, are not yet publicly available for the period following the launch of the remapped Staten Island lines. Staten Island was the first of the boroughs to undergo a bus-route redesign at the behest of New York City Transit President Andy Byford, a process rolling ahead in The Bronx and getting underway in Queens. South Shore Councilmember Joe Borelli told THE CITY that he wants the MTA to take over operations of the two bus lines, which service Annadale and Prince’s Bay on Staten Island. “I’m more concerned that this is still the last place in the city that doesn’t have actual MTA service,” Borelli told THE CITY, alluding to past MTA takeovers from private companies of numerous routes in the boroughs. Another effect of the private service, he notes, is that SIM23 and SIM24 riders cannot take advantage of the MTA’s new OMNY contactless fare payment system, which recently rolled out on all other Staten Island buses. “MTA service has been better than private service, and it’s not going to improve much unless the MTA takes over.” The just has to step up and take over the service. This is something they should've ratted out in August 2018 when they launched the redesign. I either see these routes being cut, or taking over them in the future. The lack of Amenities, USB Charging, WIFI, OMNY, Bus Time is something that also affects customers who need to be somewhere, and this should be something everyone should be fighting and petitioning for, of course the isn't perfect, but it'll be much better than what is being dealt with now. This is something the has to step on to the plate for, and they are right on time. Also another factor of ridership decline besides the unreliability is also the fact that under the redesign there's other alternatives and I would understand the people rushing away from the SIM23/SIM24 for based alternatives, because someone wouldn't put it with crappy buses, no tracking information, lack of amenities, and sub-par service. This is something that has to be done, it is still early for change. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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