Express Bus Advocacy Group

[R10 2952]

On 9/6/2020 at 2:18 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

I got a canned response from the MTA following my complaint about how "front door boarding has resumed" blah blah, clearly the person was copying and pasting a response and did not really understand what I was complaining about

I absolutely hate it when they do that.  Makes a person feel completely unacknowledged/disregarded.  Years ago I tried to complain to them about late runs and missed runs on the Bx10 and Bx20; they made the process so inert and convoluted I basically gave up.

This was back when dispatchers showing up along KB routes to monitor conditions was a rarity, and Transit was basically telling passengers "if there's a problem, just record the bus and run numbers".  Not everyone has time to stand around a street corner for half the day and do that.  What a myopic organization.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

12 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

I'm glad it is being addressed! That is interesting to hear about the curtains, as I've slowly been seeing more and more B/Os use them. I also wonder if the MTA ever installed the higher quality HVAC filters in all the buses; there was an article recently that said the MTA was going to do that, but I never read any follow up to it. 

My understanding is that it was done on the express buses. I asked about it yesterday. I would assume that they did it for the local buses as well.

Regarding those curtains, overall, they aren't a hit, but it's totally up to the driver. Most don't care for them because of the obstruction they create.

[New Flyer C40LFR]

On 7/31/2020 at 7:12 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

Bus 3215 also had 5 rows all folded up...I think every single CP bus has this set up, to be honest. 

i rode a flipdot on the qm12 the other day, and it only had two rows blocked off with the yellow chain link thing.

[QM1to6Ave]

1 hour ago, New Flyer C40LFR said:

i rode a flipdot on the qm12 the other day, and it only had two rows blocked off with the yellow chain link thing.

The issue has gotten better in the last few weeks, but still pops up 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 9/12/2020 at 10:02 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

The issue has gotten better in the last few weeks, but still pops up 

Yeah, since I inquired about it, it has improved considerably. I used to have the union head out of College Point, but I gave him the boot since he was rude to passengers, but I'm sure he hears what's going on. 

[Q39 to Ridgewood]

Is it just me or the routes from LaGuardia dont have from the front to wheelchair blocked

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Hearing that OMNY has expanded to at least some Bronx express buses this morning. Launch is officially tomorrow, and the  website will be updated then.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On 9/12/2020 at 1:06 AM, R10 2952 said:

I absolutely hate it when they do that.  Makes a person feel completely unacknowledged/disregarded.  Years ago I tried to complain to them about late runs and missed runs on the Bx10 and Bx20; they made the process so inert and convoluted I basically gave up.

This was back when dispatchers showing up along KB routes to monitor conditions was a rarity, and Transit was basically telling passengers "if there's a problem, just record the bus and run numbers".  Not everyone has time to stand around a street corner for half the day and do that.  What a myopic organization.

The best chance you had of getting better Bx20 service went down the drain. The DOT proposed a bus lane along Broadway that Community Board 8, Council member Cohen and various business owners opposed, and that's where the congestion is the worst. With the way the streets are laid out on the Bx10, there aren't many options to improve service, aside from breaking the route up. It transverses through narrow, hilly streets for segments which are what they are.

[Union Tpke]

On 10/14/2020 at 11:02 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The best chance you had of getting better Bx20 service went down the drain. The DOT proposed a bus lane along Broadway that Community Board 8, Council member Cohen and various business owners opposed, and that's where the congestion is the worst. With the way the streets are laid out on the Bx10, there aren't many options to improve service, aside from breaking the route up. It transverses through narrow, hilly streets for segments which are what they are.

Wait, so that lane never got installed at all? I never saw any news that the lane actually never went through. I just saw articles at the time that mentioned opposition.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

13 minutes ago, Union Tpke said:

Wait, so that lane never got installed at all? I never saw any news that the lane actually never went through. I just saw articles at the time that mentioned opposition.

Yeah, it's pretty much dead as far as I know...

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Buses on Broadway? Not with own lane, CB8 says

Posted September 22, 2019

Dan Padernacht, chair of Community Board 8’s traffic and transportation committee, explains the stretch of spots the city’s transportation department seeks to remove with its plan to install a dedicated southbound bus lane on Broadway.

EIAN KANTOR

By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN

A bus lane on Broadway? At least as far as Community Board 8’s traffic and transportation committee is concerned, that’s probably a great big no.

With a rather full house at the Marble Hill Community Center behind them, the committee unanimously adopted an agreement against a plan that would create a dedicated southbound bus lane on Broadway between West 225th and West 230th streets.

How much that resolution will impact the city’s transportation department and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ultimate plans has yet to be seen. But if the debate over bicycle lanes north on Broadway in 2017 are any indicator, probably not much.

DOT’s Bronx borough commissioner Nivardo Lopez presented the proposal for the CB8 committee Sept. 12, expected to remove a southbound travel lane when the bus restrictions are active, as well as remove some parking just above West 225th for a dedicated truck loading zone. DOT also wants to add a bus-only traffic light in a northbound lane of Broadway, which would ban right turns onto Exterior Street.

To compensate for the lost parking near West 225th, DOT wants to add some two-hour metered parking on West 228th Street.

That’s three blocks away, and removing parking from West 225th could be crippling to business, said Hussein Dalia, who has owned Riverdale Furniture nearby for 21 years. 

“If parking is taken from in front of my business, I’m going to have to close my business,” he said.

Dalia does not believe customers will continue to search for parking once they see they can’t park in front of his 5211 Broadway store.

Broadway Deli owner Nagi Mohamed, who operates next to Riverdale Furniture, echoed Dalia’s sentiments. His customers need a place to park while they wait for food. At the same time, delivery drivers who often park or double-park while making pickups, might stop coming to the deli through various online apps not controlled by the deli, meaning Mohamed could lose a critical revenue stream.

Six spots would be removed from Broadway near the two businesses, but it doesn’t mean cars couldn’t still squeeze into the spot, according to committee member Sergio Villaverde. In fact, Villaverde — who also chairs CB8’s economic development committee — asked if DOT might consider implementing the changes gradually to see what works.

“Start with the signal change,” he said, referring to the bus-only traffic light at Exterior. “And expand to more. This is killing flies with sledgehammers.”

The best way to make something like this work however, Lopez said, was to just rip the Band-Aid off immediately. The plans should be implemented all at once, and quickly.

“Ideally with these plans, everything works together,” Lopez said. “We want to expedite this as soon as possible.”

Anthony Del Orbe told the committee he worried about the impact the changes would have on his Marble Hill community, and that DOT should make more of an effort to converse with his neighbors.

“Re-evaluate,” Del Orbe said. “Talk to the people in the community. Talk to the working class.”

The entire study makes little sense to Orlando Kross, owner of Flowers by Zenda at 5217 Broadway, and president of the Marble Hill Merchants Association. He asked the DOT to think about the local businesses. 

Broadway already is chaotic, Kross said, and removing parking and banning cars from one travel lane won’t help.

“It’s a mess out there,” he added. 

Kross has other suggestions as well. After the meeting, the Marble Hill businessman told The Riverdale Press he thinks that changing the timing of stoplights on Broadway will help speed traffic along, as they’re too short right now. 

That causes traffic backups, and are dangerous for pedestrians who have to run across six lanes of traffic to get across Broadway.

“They should start doing a study from 238th Street to 225th Street,” Kross said. “They should have to drive it because these lights are short. During rush hour, it really backs up. They should do a study of the traffic light and traffic flow.”

Yet, not everyone attending the committee meeting last week were against the bus lane. Jessica Haller, an entrepreneurial consultant and sustainability advocate, says such lanes could really benefit local bus riders.

“I hear the concerns of the businesses,” she said, “but the broader picture is what they’re missing, of 5,500 people who are going to move faster. They’ve got to get to work. They’ve got to get to school. 

“The DOT needs to bring the numbers and show us that this is the smart way to do it.”

DOT hasn’t provided a timeline on when it might push a project forward, but the traffic and transportation committee is expected to meet again Oct. 10 to discuss the plan further.

https://riverdalepress.com/stories/buses-broadway-lane-cb8-bronx-nyc,70042

 

-----

If it goes forward, I would be shocked, and I was also shocked by the opposition. There are some people in Riverdale that throw their money around when they need to to get their way, but I have not heard anything from the DOT on this since.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

SOME UPDATES:

1. SAFETY ISSUES WHILE BOARDING/EXITING:

-Spoke with the MTA earlier today about express buses picking up/dropping off from the bus lanes instead of at the curb when there are no obstructions, esp. along 3rd Av on lines like the BxM1 when e-bikes are flying by. They have asked for feedback for other lines. If this is a recurring problem, please let me know the stop or stops and the express bus line.

2. EARLY SIM EXPRESS BUSES:

-Run times along Hylan Blvd will be looked at, as well as along 42nd St. Hopefully any needed changes can be implemented in the next pick - too late to implement them now. For now, the MTA will monitor service to ensure buses are not running very early.

I'll be posting later on updates regarding the Hylan Blvd bus lane situation.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

A few announcements:

Holiday bus stops are now closed along 6th Avenue (they are posted on the  website) and all of the express bus schedules for the Day After Thanksgiving are loaded onto the website. There were a few Bronx ones missing, but we reached out and had them load those up to the website.

Any questions or concerns, let me know.

[QM1to6Ave]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

A few announcements:

Holiday bus stops are now closed along 6th Avenue (they are posted on the  website) and all of the express bus schedules for the Day After Thanksgiving are loaded onto the website. There were a few Bronx ones missing, but we reached out and had them load those up to the website.

Any questions or concerns, let me know.

Thank you for this reminder--I totally forgot about the special schedule. Gonna have to rea-arrange my work schedule a bit on Friday to catch the bus! 

I'm kind of surprised they are doing the holiday bus stop thing...the crowds are going to be minimal, and few events to speak of. 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Interesting that the QM10, QM11, and QM40 will be operating regular service, unlike most other QM- buses (which for the most part, will operate hourly). That wasn't the case last year, so I wonder why the change now?

[checkmatechamp13]

16 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Interesting that the QM10, QM11, and QM40 will be operating regular service, unlike most other QM- buses (which for the most part, will operate hourly). That wasn't the case last year, so I wonder why the change now?

On the GTFS feed, they show hourly service, so it's probably an error. Good catch, I'll let them know.

[checkmatechamp13]

@BM5 via Woodhaven Can you do a quick check for the other boroughs and see if there are other cases where the reduced schedule is exactly the same as the standard weekday schedule? I didn't see any others for Queens.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

19 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

@BM5 via Woodhaven Can you do a quick check for the other boroughs and see if there are other cases where the reduced schedule is exactly the same as the standard weekday schedule? I didn't see any others for Queens.

The other schedules for QMs have a modified hourly schedule, for the most part. The others either have a Saturday schedule or some reduced schedule in place. 

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The other schedules for QMs have a modified hourly schedule, for the most part. The others either have a Saturday schedule or some reduced schedule in place. 

OK good. So it's just one error they have to correct.

Hopefully in the future they'll put up the modified local schedules. On Staten Island especially, where the only limited-stop buses that run are the S89, S93 (and recently the S90 because of Amazon) it's definitely a major change compared to the regular schedules. And then there's a few limited-stop lines in Queens that don't run.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

22 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Thank you for this reminder--I totally forgot about the special schedule. Gonna have to rea-arrange my work schedule a bit on Friday to catch the bus! 

I'm kind of surprised they are doing the holiday bus stop thing...the crowds are going to be minimal, and few events to speak of. 

Good... Speaking of schedules, I heard back from a contact today regarding OMNY. Still on schedule to have them on all buses by the end of the year. Have you seen any OMNY bases on your express buses? They have started in Brooklyn and have "COMING SOON" on the readers.

[QM1to6Ave]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Good... Speaking of schedules, I heard back from a contact today regarding OMNY. Still on schedule to have them on all buses by the end of the year. Have you seen any OMNY bases on your express buses? They have started in Brooklyn and have "COMING SOON" on the readers.

Yes, tonight in fact was the first time I saw someone pay via OMNY on the QM5. Interestingly, it was bus 3020, which was NOT tracking on bustime even though the destination sign was correct. The B/O is a straight shooter, so I am sure it was not due to him playing games (I get him a lot, and his bus always tracks, and he is by-the-books). I'm about to send in a complaint about that. I guess OMNY isn't tied into the GPS/bustime

[Via Garibaldi 8]

5 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Yes, tonight in fact was the first time I saw someone pay via OMNY on the QM5. Interestingly, it was bus 3020, which was NOT tracking on bustime even though the destination sign was correct. The B/O is a straight shooter, so I am sure it was not due to him playing games (I get him a lot, and his bus always tracks, and he is by-the-books). I'm about to send in a complaint about that. I guess OMNY isn't tied into the GPS/bustime

No, to my knowledge it is not, because I have boarded express buses where the bus was on BusTime, but OMNY was not working. 

[QM1to6Ave]

3 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

No, to my knowledge it is not, because I have boarded express buses where the bus was on BusTime, but OMNY was not working. 

And weirdly this morning, bus 3195 also wasn't tracking, even though the sign was correct. Haven't had these issues in a while

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, QM1to6Ave said:

And weirdly this morning, bus 3195 also wasn't tracking, even though the sign was correct. Haven't had these issues in a while

Yeah there were a number of issues this morning that may have been related. Were you impacted by missing buses this morning? There was an issue this morning that I can't go into here, but Yonkers Depot had several missing express bus trips this morning, and College Point Depot and Yonkers are represented by the same union.  It was a mess to say the least. An hour gap in service on some lines. It should be ok this afternoon. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah there were a number of issues this morning that may have been related. Were you impacted by missing buses this morning? There was an issue this morning that I can't go into here, but Yonkers Depot had several missing express bus trips this morning, and College Point Depot and Yonkers are represented by the same union.  It was a mess to say the least. An hour gap in service on some lines. It should be ok this afternoon. 

Never mind. I got a phone call about what happened. This was isolated to Yonkers Depot. 

[QM1to6Ave]

Well, here we go again...covid rates are rising, and 3/4 CP express buses I've been on in the past two days have 3-4 extra rows roped off with plastic tablecloths, twine, or plastic bags, presumably by the Bus Operator. Sigh...I thought we were past this nonsense. @Via Garibaldi 8