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Express Bus Advocacy Group


Via Garibaldi 8

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12 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

That's what  said and who in the hell uses Grand Av to for express bus service? I just don't get any of that... We'll come up with a flier the way that we did for the Bronx and start outreach ASAP.  The whole thing is outrageous.

Let me know whatever steps you and the group take. I want to reach out to my elected officials, but when I've done that in the past, it amounted to zilch. 

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4 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Let me know whatever steps you and the group take. I want to reach out to my elected officials, but when I've done that in the past, it amounted to zilch. 

Yes it has to be a big effort. It was very successful in the Bronx. The MTA basically told me they weren’t going to leave me along until I came in to meet because people they were getting so many complaints about the redesign proposals. We have a lot of Queens riders so hopefully we can get the same kind of turn out. It’s a question of who to contact as well.

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5 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Basically none. Some Saturday service on some lines, no Sunday service at all from what I can tell (someone please correct me if I am wrong like I hope I am)

Looking at the remix website, only the route resembling the QM4 has 7 days a week, with some 6 days (162-168 I believe)

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18 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Basically none. Some Saturday service on some lines, no Sunday service at all from what I can tell (someone please correct me if I am wrong like I hope I am)

Unfortunately, you are right.

 

12 minutes ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

Looking at the remix website, only the route resembling the QM4 has 7 days a week, with some 6 days (162-168 I believe)

The QM4 (new QM162) is a confusing one. The remix map indicates daily service, the MTA website indicates peak only service.

The QM5 and QM6 off peak service will be eliminated and be will be partially replaced by the Fresh Meadows express bus (QM166) middays, Saturdays in both directions, evenings outbound only). This is the worst one of the express bus cuts. 

The QM2 (new QM164) will have Saturday service, will no longer serve Beechurst or Parsons Boulevard. Evening inbound service and early AM service on weekdays will be cut. 

The QM15 (new QM168) will be extended to 163rd Avenue, and retains most Saturday service. The last Saturday inbound and outbound trip will be discontinued, as well as all PM rush inbound service and early midday outbound service on weekdays.

Edited by BM5 via Woodhaven
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On 1/12/2020 at 8:48 PM, Jova42R said:

In the Queens redesign, what will be the extent of weekend express bus service?

 

On 1/12/2020 at 9:58 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

Basically none. Some Saturday service on some lines, no Sunday service at all from what I can tell (someone please correct me if I am wrong like I hope I am)

 

On 1/12/2020 at 10:04 PM, MysteriousBtrain said:

Looking at the remix website, only the route resembling the QM4 has 7 days a week, with some 6 days (162-168 I believe)

 

On 1/12/2020 at 10:16 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Unfortunately, you are right.

 

The QM4 (new QM162) is a confusing one. The remix map indicates daily service, the MTA website indicates peak only service.

The QM5 and QM6 off peak service will be eliminated and be will be partially replaced by the Fresh Meadows express bus (QM166) middays, Saturdays in both directions, evenings outbound only). This is the worst one of the express bus cuts. 

The QM2 (new QM164) will have Saturday service, will no longer serve Beechhurst or Parsons Boulevard. Evening inbound service and early AM service on weekdays will be cut. 

The QM15 (new QM168) will be extended to 163rd Avenue, and retains most Saturday service. The last Saturday inbound and outbound trip will be discontinued, as well as all PM rush inbound service and early midday outbound service on weekdays.

Sorry for the delayed response.  We've been busy advocating and focusing on a number of pressing issues.

Currently, there would be NO Sunday express bus service anywhere in Queens.  The (MTA) claims that Sunday ridership is so low that no service is justified, which is absolutely absurd.  I have used Sunday service, and there is DEFINITELY ridership on lines like the QM2, QM5 and QM6. Even the QM4 gets riders on some trips.  Saturday express bus service would also be curtailed.

The big one is how early outbound service would end... 09:30PM to Queens!!! Unacceptable!!!

-What have we been doing?

-Circulating our fliers to protest the proposed express bus cuts in Queens. We have fliers for the following lines thus far:

-QM1, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM31, QM35, QM36, QM44

-QM2, QM20, QM32

-Outreach to large housing developments via social media such as the North Shore Towers, Baybridge Condo and Le Havre, which would see huge losses in express bus service, and potential declines in property values as a result. This has resulted in our fliers being circulated to various express bus riders about the proposed cuts, including some board members, who are furious about the cuts and have began contacting their elected officials. We also have more media now joining our group to report on these proposed service cuts, so our goal is to push to rescind these cuts. We've also been tweeting Queens elected officials, who are already meeting with the (MTA) about the plan and some have raised concerns about the service cuts and now follow us.  

This a meeting today with numerous Queens elected officials:

81684223_10218592988868381_2437767967706

Additionally, we continue to monitor express bus service. We have seen improvements on a number of express bus lines after contacting elected officials on lines such as the BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, and the QM1 and QM21 have also been much better as a result of our advocacy.

Furthermore, we are still working to improve bus stop conditions and have reached out to the DOT at some locations to address signage issues such as these two stops below:

82071285_10218584863625255_7900134205420

82501489_10218584863865261_1375088154100

More to come...

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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6 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

 

 

 

Sorry for the delayed response.  We've been busy advocating and focusing on a number of pressing issues.

Currently, there would be NO Sunday express bus service anywhere in Queens.  The (MTA) claims that Sunday ridership is so low that no service is justified, which is absolutely absurd.  I have used Sunday service, and there is DEFINITELY ridership on lines like the QM2, QM5 and QM6. Even the QM4 gets riders on some trips.  Saturday express bus service would also be curtailed.

The big one is how early outbound service would end... 09:30PM to Queens!!! Unacceptable!!!

-What have we been doing?

-Circulating our fliers to protest the proposed express bus cuts in Queens. We have fliers for the following lines thus far:

-QM1, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM31, QM35, QM36, QM44

-QM2, QM20, QM32

-Outreach to large housing developments via social media such as the North Shore Towers, Baybridge Condo and Le Havre, which would see huge losses in express bus service, and potential declines in property values as a result. This has resulted in our fliers being circulated to various express bus riders about the proposed cuts, including some board members, who are furious about the cuts and have began contacting their elected officials. We also have more media now joining our group to report on these proposed service cuts, so our goal is to push to rescind these cuts. We've also been tweeting Queens elected officials, who are already meeting with the (MTA) about the plan and some have raised concerns about the service cuts and now follow us.  

This a meeting today with numerous Queens elected officials:

81684223_10218592988868381_2437767967706

Additionally, we continue to monitor express bus service. We have seen improvements on a number of express bus lines after contacting elected officials on lines such as the BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, and the QM1 and QM21 have also been much better as a result of our advocacy.

Furthermore, we are still working to improve bus stop conditions and have reached out to the DOT at some locations to address signage issues such as these two stops below:

82071285_10218584863625255_7900134205420

82501489_10218584863865261_1375088154100

More to come...

Fantastic!! I'm glad to see that some of the officials I emailed about the proposed cuts were at that meeting, and I hope gave Byford hell!

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MTA bus redesign proposal means service cutbacks for express bus riders in Bayside and Whitestone

MTA_LIE_05.jpg

 

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The QM32

By Jenna Bagcal / jbagcal@qns.com / Wednesday, January 15, 2020 / 11:30 AM

Residents in Bayside and Whitestone may soon see severe cutbacks in express bus service to Manhattan following the MTA’s recent bus redesign proposal.

The affected buses include the QM2, QM32 and QM20 lines which the MTA name the QMT163 under the new plan. The route would operate between Beechhurst in Queens and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. But express bus riders said that this new route reduces and eliminates service to areas it previously serviced.

According to a flier created by the Vittorio Bugatti, founder of the Express Bus Advocacy Group on Facebook, the following is how the QMT163 affects Queens riders:

-Severe cuts to off-peak service, including no express bus service on Sundays, and no express bus service in Mitchell Gardens on weekends

-Eliminating all Third Avenue service to Powells Cove Boulevard/Le Havre

-Eliminating all Midtown express bus service along Utopia Parkway in Whitestone and 26th Avenue in Bayside

-Eliminating all Super Express trips on the QM2 and QM20 despite good ridership and saving riders 15 to 30 minutes over regular QM2 and QM20 service

-Service cuts to rush-hour service

MTA data from 2018 showed that the QM2 and QM32 saw an average weekday ridership of 1,690 people while the QM20 served an average of 1,025 every weekday, making these lines the fourth and eleventh most popular bus routes run by the MTA Bus Company.

The agency unveiled the draft proposal at the end of December and called on the community to provide feedback at a series of public workshops across Queens. But residents and politicians complained that eastern Queens residents were once again left out of the transportation discussion since the MTA failed to schedule workshops in neighborhoods like Bayside and Whitestone.

“In northeast #Queens, where there is no subway access and limited public transportation options for commuters, the MTA should be increasing and improving bus service, not creating a more desolate transportation desert. We deserve a seat at the table,” said Councilman Paul Vallone on Twitter in response to a Patch story on this issue.

The Express Bus Advocacy Group flier encouraged bus riders to reach out to local politicians like Grodenchik, Vallone, Assemblymen Ed Braunstein and Ron Kim and Senator John Liu to make them aware of the need for the express buses.

Source: https://qns.com/story/2020/01/15/mta-bus-redesign-proposal-means-service-cutbacks-for-express-bus-riders-in-bayside-and-whitestone/?fbclid=IwAR3jlCi5Tp4Xi8XMTSHbZ7YjJC3Y7luF9hQlZ1zRHIibHLgc9ohCf-iNqfU

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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It looks like the tide is swelling in Northeast Queens.  Cuts to service spans like the ones proposed are outrageous.  What's the logic in curtailing Union Turnpike buses to as far as 188th Street on Saturdays?  Wouldn't it just make more sense to run the QM6 or a modified combined version of the QM5 and QM6 on weekends so that service can continue for people who live in Glen Oaks, Oakland Gardens, and Lake Success? 

I see that there is now a delay on Bronx implementation which is great news for those residents.  My only concern is that all of this noise in Queens is going to just blow up the entire express bus redesign altogether.  I like the majority of the proposed routes and think they'll expand service to areas that need it and speed up commutes for people with some tweaking, but the cuts themselves are egregious and the MTA needs to know that it's NOT okay to turn these buses into commuter only peak service.  Even the spread of service seems strange in that the majority of service is early in the morning to get people to work before 8am and the majority of service to get people back to Queens really picks up at 5:30pm. Meanwhile I consistently see 3:30 and 4pm buses that have adequate ridership on lines like the QM7 and the QM25, it really boggles my mind why they think it's okay to slash service the way they did.

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1 hour ago, ViaWaterViaChurch said:

It looks like the tide is swelling in Northeast Queens.  Cuts to service spans like the ones proposed are outrageous.  What's the logic in curtailing Union Turnpike buses to as far as 188th Street on Saturdays?  Wouldn't it just make more sense to run the QM6 or a modified combined version of the QM5 and QM6 on weekends so that service can continue for people who live in Glen Oaks, Oakland Gardens, and Lake Success? 

I see that there is now a delay on Bronx implementation which is great news for those residents.  My only concern is that all of this noise in Queens is going to just blow up the entire express bus redesign altogether.  I like the majority of the proposed routes and think they'll expand service to areas that need it and speed up commutes for people with some tweaking, but the cuts themselves are egregious and the MTA needs to know that it's NOT okay to turn these buses into commuter only peak service.  Even the spread of service seems strange in that the majority of service is early in the morning to get people to work before 8am and the majority of service to get people back to Queens really picks up at 5:30pm. Meanwhile I consistently see 3:30 and 4pm buses that have adequate ridership on lines like the QM7 and the QM25, it really boggles my mind why they think it's okay to slash service the way they did.

Oh believe me, it is not over. I have a bunch of QM3 riders joining my group that are FURIOUS! I said I was going to raise hell when they started screwing with my service, and they didn’t take me seriously. Well I bet they do now...

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1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Oh believe me, it is not over. I have a bunch of QM3 riders joining my group that are FURIOUS! I said I was going to raise hell when they started screwing with my service, and they didn’t take me seriously. Well I bet they do now...

If anything you would think they would try to attract more ridership by expanding service to Wall Street or 3rd Avenue because that's how you can peel away some riders who take the LIRR.  I bet there would be more people willing to take a cheaper, more convenient commute to those areas in lieu of taking the railroad and then getting on another subway train and vice versa, especially in the morning.

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1 minute ago, ViaWaterViaChurch said:

If anything you would think they would try to attract more ridership by expanding service to Wall Street or 3rd Avenue because that's how you can peel away some riders who take the LIRR.  I bet there would be more people willing to take a cheaper, more convenient commute to those areas in lieu of taking the railroad and then getting on another subway train and vice versa, especially in the morning.

Exactly, but meanwhile they want to axe ALL of the QM3 trips. There's only three of them each way, and they do just fine.

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MTA will delay cuts to express buses between Manhattan, Bronx

Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., says plans to slash service have themselves been slashed

Posted January 16, 2020 

The MTA apparently is no longer looking to cut express bus service between Manhattan and the Bronx, according to borough president Ruben Diaz Jr.

JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / FILE

By MICHAEL HINMAN & KIRSTYN BRENDLEN

It seems the fight by express bus riders to maintain after-hours service connecting the Bronx and Manhattan has ended in victory, at least for a little while.

Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., told his Twitter followers he had just finished a phone call with New York City Transit president Andy Byford and was told the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was abandoning plans to curtail express bus service.

The changes to routes like the BxM1, BxM2 and BxM18 were part of the MTA's overall bus redesign plan for the Bronx. Because of lower ridership off-peak — and the cost of running the larger coach buses through the city — the MTA had hoped to cut many of those routes midday and evenings, while rerouting two of the buses away from the stops Central Park at Mount Sinai Hospital and Museum Mile, and instead taking the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Those changes were slated to go into effect across the board in fall 2020. Now, according to the MTA, only changes to local bus service will be implemented then, while the MTA continues to work out the express bus plan. 

"We have postponed any changes to express bus service," said Tim Minton, communications director for the MTA. "Nothing is happening imminently, it is postponed."

He said Diaz was "absolutely right to take some pride in that accomplishment, which he pressed for, and we worked with him on."

But the idea of cutting express bus service is not completely dead. Minton promises the MTA will take another look at it for 2021.

"I am thrilled that the MTA has granted a reprieve of the drastic cuts to express bus service, which would have disrupted commutes and exacerbated the transportation difficulties faced by senior citizens, people with disabilities, and individuals in low-service areas," said Councilman Andrew Cohen, in a statement. "Bronx commuters throughout the district have expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction with the proposed service cuts, and there is no doubt that the MTA and President Andy Byford have heard our voices."

After the cuts were first announced, Cohen joined other electeds like Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz to bring concerns about the plans from commuters to the MTA.

"Hard work and community organizing pays off," Dinowitz said, in a statement. "It is wonderful news to hear that the MTA has postponed their plans to cut express bus service. Our community is disproportionately reliant on express buses to access Manhattan — especially those along the northern and western borders of the Bronx who do not have nearby subways."

Vittorio Bugatti, a regular express bus rider from Riverdale who leads an advocacy group designed to protect the service, told The Riverdale Pressthat the MTA's announcement was "a start." Otherwise, he called it "great news," and thanked news outlets like The Press for their "ongoing coverage on what is such an important issue here in Riverdale, and throughout the Bronx."

Dan Padernacht, chair of CB8's traffic and transportation committee, said he wasn't surprised that the MTA decided to hold off on changes to the express bus.

"The MTA has embarked on the exhaustive process of redesigning bus service in our borough, and it has been responsive throughout the initiative," Padernacht said, in a statement. "We will continue to work with MTA to collaborate on positive changes and effectively communicate when we disagree with any proposals."

The MTA is planning a public hearing on the final Bronx bus redesign on Feb. 20 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, beginning at 6 p.m. The hearing will concentrate on changes to local routes, Minton said, since express changes have been shelved temporarily.

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1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Before anyone complains, the petition was not created by my advocacy group. Paul Vallone decided to create one because of the amount of phone calls he received after we started circulating our Queens express bus fliers.

That is fantastic! I signed the petition, glad to see some of my representatives on there.

I also sent another email to the MTA saying they should create something like the Atlantic Ticket program, which has actually led to increases in LIRR ridership (as was posted in the other forum sections), so they can advertise and expand ridership on weekends and off-peak to make the most of the existing capacity. 

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13 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

That is fantastic! I signed the petition, glad to see some of my representatives on there.

I also sent another email to the MTA saying they should create something like the Atlantic Ticket program, which has actually led to increases in LIRR ridership (as was posted in the other forum sections), so they can advertise and expand ridership on weekends and off-peak to make the most of the existing capacity. 

Yeah I mentioned it in the November meeting, and everyone looked at me like I had four heads. lol The vibe I got was that's a good idea, but in terms of it being implemented, it would have to approved by the (MTA) Board, so I will mention it again when I speak at the next Public Hearing.

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On 12/31/2019 at 10:56 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

Let me know whatever steps you and the group take. I want to reach out to my elected officials, but when I've done that in the past, it amounted to zilch. 

Well we created fliers for all of the Queens express buses with who to contact based off of districts and which elected official covers what. Lots of people in our group have been calling, and we got coverage from Patch.com and Qns.com:

https://patch.com/new-york/bayside/northeast-queens-residents-decry-mtas-proposed-express-bus-cuts

https://qns.com/story/2020/01/15/mta-bus-redesign-proposal-means-service-cutbacks-for-express-bus-riders-in-bayside-and-whitestone/?fbclid=IwAR3jlCi5Tp4Xi8XMTSHbZ7YjJC3Y7luF9hQlZ1zRHIibHLgc9ohCf-iNqfU

Here's the jpg version if you want to give handouts or hang it anywhere:

81876736_10218586292020964_5723530876722

There's a high resolution PDF version as well:

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Express Bus Advocacy Group - QM1%2C QM3%2C QM4%2C QM5%2C QM6%2C QM7%2C QM8%2C QM31%2C QM35%2C QM36%2C QM44 Express Bus Cuts Flier.pdf?token=AWwVZRXA1B_XmqzbVS4008xgKkpVBN0LKBRNlvyuOw7x_FCGfHd3VMK8SVFu8kRNsm9SzSoSHOZ_FOxbFwaXl3qv7XJvfvYey_9RujenRI0diqAOjCubLg88w8mAQIg5BpQDyhJ1Bjty9yZ07K8EYuVd

 

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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3 hours ago, Jova42R said:

@Via Garibaldi 8 is it true that the BxM2 and 18 will run down the Henry Hudson Parkway? And what will the stops be?

 

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Express bus changes in The Bronx have been postponed for a year while they reevaluate. 

No changes until at least 2021. At that point they stated that they MAY re-evaluate the situation. What they want to focus on is what ridership looks like.

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Latest developments:

We have representation now from the North Shore Towers, which is a big QM6 ridership generator.  We have asked management to spread our QM6 flier throughout the co-op development to inform all residents.

-The (MTA) has agreed to add more open houses for Queens. One in Bellerose and another in Bayside, but there have been requests for more given how horrendous the Queens redesign is for the express bus network.

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35 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Latest developments:

We have representation now from the North Shore Towers, which is a big QM6 ridership generator.  We have asked management to spread our QM6 flier throughout the co-op development to inform all residents.

-The (MTA) has agreed to add more open houses for Queens. One in Bellerose and another in Bayside, but there have been requests for more given how horrendous the Queens redesign is for the express bus network.

This is good news.....NST is an active / persuasive voice in politics within NE Queens. Hopefully the QM6 will remain intact as it is. I was surprised the bus service was drastically reduced within the redesign, given that it serves NST, LIJ Hosp, St. Johns Univ. and it's a straight shot down Union Tpke.

It seems US House Rep Tom Suozzi has already written to Andy Byford (and will hopefully liaise with Cuomo et al....anyone really who could stem the cuts). - - 

 

As for the open houses, that's good news, too. According to info on https://new.mta.info/queensbusredesign, the additional open houses will be held at:

Korean Community Services - 203-05 32nd Ave - Bayside, NY 11361 on Feb. 20, 2020 (Thursday) from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

Cross Island YMCA - 238-10 Hillside Avenue - Bellerose, NY 11426 on Feb. 27, 2020 (Thursday) from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

 

 

Edited by Uncle Floyd Fan
Added additional link from NST facebook page
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