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Via Garibaldi 8

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14 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Thank you as usual! Crazy that the bus stop was allowed to get that bad...I expect that from NJT bus stops, not MTA ;)

Re: QM2/20, yeah, sounds like they could do the same adjustments they made to the QM5 to start it earlier but keep it cost-neutral. Those early morning rides QM5 continue to be pretty full when I take them, with everyone still trying to avoid rush hour crowds 

Indeed. That first QM5 5:10am trip gets 20+ every morning, and the two after that do well also.

As for the stop, apparently the homeowner is supposed to manage it but has not, so they were issued a fine before it was cleaned up. Hopefully that will get them to maintain it going forward.

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30 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Thank you as usual! Crazy that the bus stop was allowed to get that bad...I expect that from NJT bus stops, not MTA ;)

Re: QM2/20, yeah, sounds like they could do the same adjustments they made to the QM5 to start it earlier but keep it cost-neutral. Those early morning rides QM5 continue to be pretty full when I take them, with everyone still trying to avoid rush hour crowds 

Yeah I've tracked those early QM5s a few times, the 5:10 usually has somewhere around 15-25 people onboard (depending on the day). Would be kinda interesting if there was even earlier service than that towards Manhattan, but I guess that's pushing it (given it's the MTA). 

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17 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Indeed. That first QM5 5:10am trip gets 20+ every morning, and the two after that do well also.

As for the stop, apparently the homeowner is supposed to manage it but has not, so they were issued a fine before it was cleaned up. Hopefully that will get them to maintain it going forward.

Interesting. I always wondered who was responsible for maintaining the side walk of bus stops, whether DOT or the homeowner. Theroetically, if a bus shelter was there, JC Decaux would.be responsible, I guess. 

Yeah, I've complained about neighbors with gross, overrun curbs and filthy sidewalks, and DSNY is pretty good at ticketing and ensuring they clean it up 

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2 minutes ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Interesting. I always wondered who was responsible for maintaining the side walk of bus stops, whether DOT or the homeowner. Theroetically, if a bus shelter was there, JC Decaux would.be responsible, I guess. 

Yeah, I've complained about neighbors with gross, overrun curbs and filthy sidewalks, and DSNY is pretty good at ticketing and ensuring they clean it up 

It can vary at each stop, which makes it rather complicated in some cases to find out who is responsible for what. On Staten Island, a lot of homeowners buy a house say on a side street that is a corner lot, but their property extends onto a main street where there is a bus stop, so in those cases it is their responsibility to handle things like garbage issues and the grass being cleaned up. I find it hard to believe that a homeowner would be that dense not to know where their property starts and ends.  

Similar situation with the businesses along the street. If there's a bus shelter there, then the bus shelter must be cleared by the company that the DOT hired to clean the bus stops, but they are not required to do the entire bus stop... Just a certain distance around the bus shelter and nothing more. What some businesses try to do is just clean up around their immediate area, but their property line may extend much further than that. It's actually ridiculous. I have learned a ton since I started this advocacy group, and some of the crap I hear is just stupid.  This is why it takes so long to get things done. One person does this and nothing more. Next person does this and nothing more, and then in some cases where it isn't clear who does what, everyone points fingers and nothing gets done.  

Case-in-point... I believe the sidewalks around Bryant Park are the park's responsibility (at least most of them are), but when it snows, they will do the bare minimum unless they are called out on it. Took to social media to blast them after the last snowfall for their terrible performance, as people had to wait in the street at several stops because the sidewalks had no paths shoveled anywhere to get the buses, and about roughly a day later, they had cleared out all of the bus stops on 6th Avenue (as they should've done originally), but everyone has to be pushed to do their part.

Sanitation (DSNY) isn't much better. They should be handing out fines for these violations, but you will find some of them just relaxing in their cars doing nothing. Even when they do hand out fines, they will not clean up the locations for things like trash. They will just keep fining whoever is responsible and leave the bus stop as is, unless it pertains to snow removal, then they will do that, since they are now responsible for it.

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On 5/20/2021 at 6:35 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

On SI, there are some 24 hour express lines. For the other boros, during the height of covid, they (poorly) ran overnight service for healthcare workers and other essential folks. The service barely ran, and buses were initially overrun by homeless people. 

The BxM4, BxM7 (with additional BxM8 stops made), and BM2 still have overnight on paper.

The SIM1C is the only one that officially runs 24/7. The original SIM4C would've been a good candidate for 24/7 service (since it combined the busiest portions of the old X10 & X17), but that was never proposed (It's just something myself and some other riders have requested...maybe a SIM4N or something along those lines). 

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I've spoken with two reporters today re: cancelled trips. One reporter is from NY1. If you'd been having issues with lots of cancelled trips, I'd like to speak with you.  We'd like to get some perspective about what it's been like dealing with the unreliable service. Feel free to DM me ASAP. We'd like to do something this week. Thanks. We will have a story out in the news with another outlet in the coming days.

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4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I've spoken with two reporters today re: cancelled trips. One reporter is from NY1. If you'd been having issues with lots of cancelled trips, I'd like to speak with you.  We'd like to get some perspective about what it's been like dealing with the unreliable service. Feel free to DM me ASAP. We'd like to do something this week. Thanks. We will have a story out in the news with another outlet in the coming days.

I'd like to comment. (MTA) refuses to hire more drivers and the riding public is getting the consequences. They need to hire more drivers IMMEDIATELY and stop waiting around for people to respond to employment requests.

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1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

I'd like to comment. (MTA) refuses to hire more drivers and the riding public is getting the consequences. They need to hire more drivers IMMEDIATELY and stop waiting around for people to respond to employment requests.

I heard about this on local routes and now it has spread to the express routes as well.  I believe that employers need to ditch the MTA and create their own shuttles for their employees as obviously they will lose a lot of productivity and lose a lot of funds in terms of taxes they pay to the MTA which is not helpful.  The MTA has a budget shortfall even after the federal bailout.  They don’t have enough funds to pay drivers competitive wages and to hire more drivers.  It will only get progressively worse.  Drivers have to face lower non competitive wages and more workplace issues including crime.  Also there is a disincentive to work based on unemployment and stimulus and the like.

If the MTA was a business it would have filed for bankruptcy a long time ago.  

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I spoke with three reporters today regarding the driver shortage situation. This is the first story hot off the presses. The other two are from bigger media outlets. Hope to get something together later this week for those.

https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/5/24/22452250/mta-bus-driver-shortage-canceled-trips-and-waits?fbclid=IwAR1sTXBw2AkiSdeyCso2dlFy3h3t_769lE-XSEgXurhAvcDhGFZ0CKUQIuY

 

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On 5/22/2021 at 10:03 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

Thank you as usual! Crazy that the bus stop was allowed to get that bad...I expect that from NJT bus stops, not MTA ;)

Re: QM2/20, yeah, sounds like they could do the same adjustments they made to the QM5 to start it earlier but keep it cost-neutral. Those early morning rides QM5 continue to be pretty full when I take them, with everyone still trying to avoid rush hour crowds 

Yeah I was thinking the same thing with the QM2/20 that they should start them earlier in the morning.  The 5:45am QM2 gets almost a full load even now.  It doesn't get you into the city until about 6:30 which is awesome considering it leaves the last stop in Queens at 6:10, but realistically you can't take that bus if you have to be in for work before 7am.

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On 5/16/2021 at 4:50 PM, AJ023 said:

I don’t get the appeal with the express bus.  Long Island Railroad is a faster ride into Manhattan.  The only convenience to me would be I would be able to get picked up right by where I live.  On the way back, the drop off location is in a different location another block away.  There are also other Express bus routes that have weekend and longer weekly hours which are also a block away for pickup and drop off.  

The Express bus makes sense for a one seat ride in Staten Island so you can bypass the Staten Island ferry and it also makes sense in transit deserts which are far from the Long Island Railroad.  But it doesn’t seem to compete favorably in areas like mine.  

The new Prevost X3-45 arriving at the depot of College Point where the bus are dispatched from in my area are very nice buses.  The seating looks to be the basic standard configuration from photos I have seen but I give MTA credit for using the screens for map and location information.  Greyhound’s X3-45 came standard with the monitors but they were unused but they did change the seats.  But considering there is no time savings for me compared to LIRR, they don’t seem to make sense.  A better usage would be to use Prevost’s on transit desert routes and Staten Island and other high density usage routes and phase down the older equipment.  In areas like mine, a better solution is to have commuter buses connect to the LIRR station rather than multiple express bus routes stopping in the area.  

I take the QM20 because the nearest LIRR station to me is Auburndale, which is a 30-minute walk and gets skipped by many trains. And you don't get a free transfer to the subway (why the MBTA and SEPTA can do free transfers from commuter/regional rail to the subway and the (MTA) can't/won't, I really don't know). The nearest subway stop to me is Main Street-Flushing, which is roughly three miles away, so I'd have to take the Q16 bus to get there when I used to take the (7) before the pandemic. The QM20 is right across the street from me, it runs frequently (but only on weekdays) and I get a free transfer to the subway. The only thing that sucks about it is the car/truck traffic on Midtown Manhattan streets and on the highways in Queens (I really hate that the car traffic had to be one of the things in the City that made a comeback). If there were a closer LIRR or subway stop, I'd probably use it because I don't like sitting in heavy traffic. But there isn't one (I've mentioned in the subway forum many times I'd welcome a Bayside (7) extension with open arms). Fortunately, I managed to squirrel up a lot of money on my WageWorks transit card from all the days I worked from home, so now I have enough on the card to take the QM20 full time. I got a Prevost on my morning ride yesterday and today. They sure are nice and quiet and have that nice, new bus smell - although the seats are a bit narrower and set closer together versus the MCI buses. So going forward, it'll be the QM20 with a transfer to the subway at Herald Square (33rd/Park if I'm running late) for most of my commuting needs. Maybe once in a blue moon, I'll take the railroad and a leisurely walk home from Auburndale if the weather's nice enough.

But I still remain a train/subway guy at heart and if that's the best option, then I will use it. When I lived in Forest Hills, that's exactly what I did. I always took the (M) or (R) in the morning. I left a little earlier because I didn't want to ride crush loaded on an overcrowded (E) or (F) train. The only times I took the express bus when I lived there were on very hot summer evenings when I didn't want to wait in what felt like a giant oven for a (4), (5) or (R) train at Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall. I work in Lower Manhattan. It's kind of ironic that I was able to get a direct express bus, the QM11, from there to subway-rich Forest Hills. Yet in my current Queens neighborhood, subway-less and LIRR-less Whitestone, neither the QM2 nor the QM20 have direct express bus service to Lower Manhattan. So going home, I still have to wait for a subway train in a giant, hot oven during the summer.

On 5/19/2021 at 10:14 AM, ViaWaterViaChurch said:

I wonder when the MTA is planning on getting rid of the "FARE REQUIRED" scroll on the express buses.  I think we get the point by now.  It's so annoying to have to stare at a bus for 10 seconds just to figure out if it's the one you want, especially because unless you have 20/20 vision, you only get a few seconds to flag down the drivers.

I didn't see it on my last two morning buses, which were both Prevosts. I thought I saw it on Prevost bus that came three minutes before mine (which I just missed). That was the only time. I always see it on the MCI buses.

Edited by T to Dyre Avenue
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8 hours ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

I take the QM20 because the nearest LIRR station to me is Auburndale, which is a 30-minute walk and gets skipped by many trains. And you don't get a free transfer to the subway (why the MBTA and SEPTA can do free transfers from commuter/regional rail to the subway and the (MTA) can't/won't, I really don't know). The nearest subway stop to me is Main Street-Flushing, which is roughly three miles away, so I'd have to take the Q16 bus to get there when I used to take the (7) before the pandemic. The QM20 is right across the street from me, it runs frequently (but only on weekdays) and I get a free transfer to the subway. The only thing that sucks about it is the car/truck traffic on Midtown Manhattan streets and on the highways in Queens (I really hate that the car traffic had to be one of the things in the City that made a comeback). If there were a closer LIRR or subway stop, I'd probably use it because I don't like sitting in heavy traffic. But there isn't one (I've mentioned in the subway forum many times I'd welcome a Bayside (7) extension with open arms). Fortunately, I managed to squirrel up a lot of money on my WageWorks transit card from all the days I worked from home, so now I have enough on the card to take the QM20 full time. I got a Prevost on my morning ride yesterday and today. They sure are nice and quiet and have that nice, new bus smell - although the seats are a bit narrower and set closer together versus the MCI buses. So going forward, it'll be the QM20 with a transfer to the subway at Herald Square (33rd/Park if I'm running late) for most of my commuting needs. Maybe once in a blue moon, I'll take the railroad and a leisurely walk home from Auburndale if the weather's nice enough.

But I still remain a train/subway guy at heart and if that's the best option, then I will use it. When I lived in Forest Hills, that's exactly what I did. I always took the (M) or (R) in the morning. I left a little earlier because I didn't want to ride crush loaded on an overcrowded (E) or (F) train. The only times I took the express bus when I lived there were on very hot summer evenings when I didn't want to wait in what felt like a giant oven for a (4), (5) or (R) train at Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall. I work in Lower Manhattan. It's kind of ironic that I was able to get a direct express bus, the QM11, from there to subway-rich Forest Hills. Yet in my current Queens neighborhood, subway-less and LIRR-less Whitestone, neither the QM2 nor the QM20 have direct express bus service to Lower Manhattan. So going home, I still have to wait for a subway train in a giant, hot oven during the summer.

What some people in your area do is drive do Union Turnpike and get the QM7 or QM8 Downtown.

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1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

What some people in your area do is drive do Union Turnpike and get the QM7 or QM8 Downtown.

I do appreciate the suggestion for the QM7 or QM8, but my wife needs the car to drive our younger daughter to/from day care. Even if she didn’t, I’m not  really up for getting in the car and dealing with the unpredictable Clearview Expwy or the traffic-choked Cross Island Pkwy between Willets Points Blvd and 73rd Avenue. One time, I did take the QM8 from Downtown to my friends’ house just a couple blocks off from 73rd. My friend uses that bus on the days he doesn’t work from home. 

Edited by T to Dyre Avenue
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11 hours ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

I take the QM20 because the nearest LIRR station to me is Auburndale, which is a 30-minute walk and gets skipped by many trains. And you don't get a free transfer to the subway (why the MBTA and SEPTA can do free transfers from commuter/regional rail to the subway and the (MTA) can't/won't, I really don't know). The nearest subway stop to me is Main Street-Flushing, which is roughly three miles away, so I'd have to take the Q16 bus to get there when I used to take the (7) before the pandemic. The QM20 is right across the street from me, it runs frequently (but only on weekdays) and I get a free transfer to the subway. The only thing that sucks about it is the car/truck traffic on Midtown Manhattan streets and on the highways in Queens (I really hate that the car traffic had to be one of the things in the City that made a comeback). If there were a closer LIRR or subway stop, I'd probably use it because I don't like sitting in heavy traffic. But there isn't one (I've mentioned in the subway forum many times I'd welcome a Bayside (7) extension with open arms). Fortunately, I managed to squirrel up a lot of money on my WageWorks transit card from all the days I worked from home, so now I have enough on the card to take the QM20 full time. I got a Prevost on my morning ride yesterday and today. They sure are nice and quiet and have that nice, new bus smell - although the seats are a bit narrower and set closer together versus the MCI buses. So going forward, it'll be the QM20 with a transfer to the subway at Herald Square (33rd/Park if I'm running late) for most of my commuting needs. Maybe once in a blue moon, I'll take the railroad and a leisurely walk home from Auburndale if the weather's nice enough.

But I still remain a train/subway guy at heart and if that's the best option, then I will use it. When I lived in Forest Hills, that's exactly what I did. I always took the (M) or (R) in the morning. I left a little earlier because I didn't want to ride crush loaded on an overcrowded (E) or (F) train. The only times I took the express bus when I lived there were on very hot summer evenings when I didn't want to wait in what felt like a giant oven for a (4), (5) or (R) train at Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall. I work in Lower Manhattan. It's kind of ironic that I was able to get a direct express bus, the QM11, from there to subway-rich Forest Hills. Yet in my current Queens neighborhood, subway-less and LIRR-less Whitestone, neither the QM2 nor the QM20 have direct express bus service to Lower Manhattan. So going home, I still have to wait for a subway train in a giant, hot oven during the summer.

I didn't see it on my last two morning buses, which were both Prevosts. I thought I saw it on Prevost bus that came three minutes before mine (which I just missed). That was the only time. I always see it on the MCI buses.

You and I both have very similar commutes from Whitestone/Bayside to lower Manhattan.  I've tried every which-way to try and speed up my commute because the QM2/20 is usually about 1hr 30min door to door for me coming home. In the morning I've found the QM2/20 is faster than the local bus to the 7 train by 15-30 minutes, coming home they're both about the same.  I was considering permanently switching to the LIRR, but like you I would have to transfer and take a train downtown so it would wind up costing me another $100 a month on top of what I already paid for my unlimited express bus pass.   

From what I understand, there is (was?) demand for Bayside to Lower Manhattan express bus service and there were planning on adding the line when they did the Queens bus redesign, but now that everything is paused due to the pandemic I fear the MTA will just scrap the idea of that route.

I know a lot of people drive to Union Turnpike and grab the QM7 or QM8 to get downtown and avoid the subway but I just find that it takes too long.  Leaving a little before 5pm it takes me almost 2 hours to get home door to door.  I actually find it faster overall to drive to/from Middle Village and grab the QM25 and deal with the LIE/Whitestone Expressway traffic then drive down the Clearview and take the QM7/8 which has to go down Queens Boulevard and all the way down Union Turnpike.

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10 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Last night I spoke with Greg Mocker from PIX11 regarding the ongoing service issues. He told me that the (MTA) has finally started hiring bus operators again, but they are still short about 400 operators. The story aired last night on the 10pm news.

Of course they're short 400 operators, and they're going at an even slower pace then they were before because of the pandemic. 

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10 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Of course they're short 400 operators, and they're going at an even slower pace then they were before because of the pandemic. 

If they were hiring pre-pandemic, the situation wouldn't be so dire now, but they had a hiring freeze well before COVID started. There have been a lot of excuses made, but ultimately this falls on the (MTA) . They knew that even before COVID, drivers were retiring, but they were not moving to replace them, so this is what it is. It is very concerning, as people that depend on bus service off-peak are really being hit hard. There are some lines with gaps of almost two hours between buses during the weekday and on weekends.

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On 5/26/2021 at 9:21 PM, ViaWaterViaChurch said:

You and I both have very similar commutes from Whitestone/Bayside to lower Manhattan.  I've tried every which-way to try and speed up my commute because the QM2/20 is usually about 1hr 30min door to door for me coming home. In the morning I've found the QM2/20 is faster than the local bus to the 7 train by 15-30 minutes, coming home they're both about the same.  I was considering permanently switching to the LIRR, but like you I would have to transfer and take a train downtown so it would wind up costing me another $100 a month on top of what I already paid for my unlimited express bus pass.   

From what I understand, there is (was?) demand for Bayside to Lower Manhattan express bus service and there were planning on adding the line when they did the Queens bus redesign, but now that everything is paused due to the pandemic I fear the MTA will just scrap the idea of that route.

I know a lot of people drive to Union Turnpike and grab the QM7 or QM8 to get downtown and avoid the subway but I just find that it takes too long.  Leaving a little before 5pm it takes me almost 2 hours to get home door to door.  I actually find it faster overall to drive to/from Middle Village and grab the QM25 and deal with the LIE/Whitestone Expressway traffic then drive down the Clearview and take the QM7/8 which has to go down Queens Boulevard and all the way down Union Turnpike.

I don’t really mind transferring to the subway. I just don’t enjoy doing it at Main Street with throngs of other people coming off the dozens of buses there to transfer onto the (7). But I wouldn’t want to deal with the traffic on the LIE/Whitestone in my own car, so I just stick with the QM20. But I make sure to get one of the three PM super expresses are because they just make the first stop at 36th and 6th, then go straight to Queens. 

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NY1 would like to do a story regarding the ongoing delays and missing express bus trips to see how badly it's impacting riders. If you are interested in being interviewed, please let me know. The reporter reached out to me a few weeks ago, and I would like to use folks that are traveling more than I am. Even if you commute twice a week, that's fine. TIA.

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So here is the latest regarding service requests:

-We have requested a 5am BM2, BxM4 

-We have requested an earlier QM2 and QM20

These trips are not out of the question, which was good to hear. Since the Summer pick is done already, we will revisit the idea for the Fall pick. At that time, the (MTA) MAY have more data on ridership patterns, which is currently all over the place.
 

We are looking at some other things as well, including perhaps seeing if we can revisit more bus shelters (project was dead because of a limit in new bus shelters).

Schedule adjustments on some lines is something else we're looking at.

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I just have to say that since moving to Middle Village the QM15 is heaven-sent. It runs like water during the rush but the fact is has reverse-commute service and Saturday service is amazing. Is there any chance the MTA will consider running the Saturday schedule on Sundays as well? Should I write to the MTA directly or to my local council member?

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24 minutes ago, shiznit1987 said:

I just have to say that since moving to Middle Village the QM15 is heaven-sent. It runs like water during the rush but the fact is has reverse-commute service and Saturday service is amazing. Is there any chance the MTA will consider running the Saturday schedule on Sundays as well? Should I write to the MTA directly or to my local council member?

When I first started the group, I put out a survey in it asking QM15 customers if they would like Sunday service. The answer was an overwhelming YES. The issue even then was the (MTA) 's budget issues, and that was when the economy was great. Asking for Sunday service at this time would be a tough one, as it would likely be declined, so I am trying to get them to do mainly cost neutral moves that involve things like expanding service by say half an hour. Even that is tough from a logistics standpoint, but it's a start. I used to use the QM15 on Saturdays when I had to be out near Woodhaven Blvd, so I know the service is important. I keep all of the e-mails and requests related to service and other things. When we get denied, we keep things on the back burner, then try again when an opportunity presents itself. I would say that you should write both your local Assemblyman and State Senator just for an official paper trail, this way they (the (MTA) ) can see that this is something that the community needs. When we got the X28 back on weekends in Brooklyn, we continued to circulate various petitions. Each time they would deny our request, but we kept circulating them, and six years later when the opportunity presented itself, we got the service back, with the help of elected officials and the union that covers Ulmer Park. 

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7 hours ago, shiznit1987 said:

I just have to say that since moving to Middle Village the QM15 is heaven-sent. It runs like water during the rush but the fact is has reverse-commute service and Saturday service is amazing. Is there any chance the MTA will consider running the Saturday schedule on Sundays as well? Should I write to the MTA directly or to my local council member?

 

6 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

When I first started the group, I put out a survey in it asking QM15 customers if they would like Sunday service. The answer was an overwhelming YES. The issue even then was the (MTA) 's budget issues, and that was when the economy was great. Asking for Sunday service at this time would be a tough one, as it would likely be declined, so I am trying to get them to do mainly cost neutral moves that involve things like expanding service by say half an hour. Even that is tough from a logistics standpoint, but it's a start. I used to use the QM15 on Saturdays when I had to be out near Woodhaven Blvd, so I know the service is important. I keep all of the e-mails and requests related to service and other things. When we get denied, we keep things on the back burner, then try again when an opportunity presents itself. I would say that you should write both your local Assemblyman and State Senator just for an official paper trail, this way they (the (MTA) ) can see that this is something that the community needs. When we got the X28 back on weekends in Brooklyn, we continued to circulate various petitions. Each time they would deny our request, but we kept circulating them, and six years later when the opportunity presented itself, we got the service back, with the help of elected officials and the union that covers Ulmer Park. 

The QM15 is beneficial, and I also wished it had Sunday service. I definitely believe something similar as was done to get weekend X28 service is needed in this case. I would be down to write to my local lawmakers & sign petitions as well. I've personally written to lawmakers multiple times in the past about it.

As for local council member, I'm assuming you (shiznit) live in district 30 (most of Middle Village is within it). Personally I'm not too impressed with Robert Holden, as he basically ran on wanting to improve transportation. However, he's been against bus lanes on both Woodhaven Boulevard and Fresh Pond Road, and pushed for the subway shutdown (before it happened). The only improvement during his term was to the AM QM25 schedule, but I'm not even sure if he had a part in that.  He's been spending more time on talking about culture war issues too, so IDK exactly how much correspondence you'll get from him. State senator Addabbo is another one that not only was vehemently against bus lanes along Woodhaven Boulevard, but hasn't been active in any other transportation related issues, AFAIC. I've written to my assemblyman (Brian Barnwell) and he sounds more proactive about transportation issues, IMO. 

 

Edited by BM5 via Woodhaven
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1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

 

The QM15 is beneficial, and I also wished it had Sunday service. I definitely believe something similar as was done to get weekend X28 service is needed in this case. I would be down to write to my local lawmakers & sign petitions as well. I've personally written to lawmakers multiple times in the past about it.

As for local council member, I'm assuming you (shiznit) live in district 30 (most of Middle Village is within it). Personally I'm not too impressed with Robert Holden, as he basically ran on wanting to improve transportation. However, he's been against bus lanes on both Woodhaven Boulevard and Fresh Pond Road, and pushed for the subway shutdown (before it happened). The only improvement during his term was to the AM QM25 schedule, but I'm not even sure if he had a part in that.  He's been spending more time on talking about culture war issues too, so IDK exactly how much correspondence you'll get from him. State senator Addabbo is another one that not only was vehemently against bus lanes along Woodhaven Boulevard, but hasn't been active in any other transportation related issues, AFAIC. I've written to my assemblyman (Brian Barnwell) and he sounds more proactive about transportation issues, IMO. 

 

I'm down for it. Someone in my group actually e-mailed me tonight about BM Sunday service. A BM2 rider. I gave him a call a little while ago since it was easier to talk over the phone.  Apparently, a lot of his colleagues are BM riders and would like Sunday service to get to work so they don't have to drive in, etc. I'm creating a petition for them probably on Sunday and we'll go from there. He already knows it's an uphill climb, since the ridership isn't that high, but doesn't hurt to try.

This has been the most receptive the (MTA) has been in not flat out saying NO, but rather that they were willing to look at data and revisit the issue, which is pretty much what I was asking for.

The challenge for the QM15 would definitely be similar, though I do know quite a few riders would like Sunday service. Addabbo I have reached out to, but he's not consistent with anything. Holden I'm familiar with, but I have never dealt with. One of the best elected officials I have worked with in Queens was David Weprin. He was great in working with me to get a number of express bus lines to run more reliably, like the QM1, and immediately wrote to then president Darryl Irick to get the ball rolling.

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
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55 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I'm down for it. Someone in my group actually e-mailed me tonight about BM Sunday service. A BM2 rider. I gave him a call a little while ago since it was easier to talk over the phone.  Apparently, a lot of his colleagues are BM riders and would like Sunday service to get to work so they don't have to drive in, etc. I'm creating a petition for them probably on Sunday and we'll go from there. He already knows it's an uphill climb, since the ridership isn't that high, but doesn't hurt to try.

This has been the most receptive the (MTA) has been in not flat out saying NO, but rather that they were willing to look at data and revisit the issue, which is pretty much what I was asking for.

The challenge for the QM15 would definitely be similar, though I do know quite a few riders would like Sunday service. Addabbo I have reached out to, but he's not consistent with anything. Holden I'm familiar with, but I have never dealt with. One of the best elected officials I have worked with in Queens was David Weprin. He was great in working with me to get a number of express bus lines to run more reliably, like the QM1, and immediately wrote to then president Darryl Irick to get the ball rolling.

Weprin seems like a good pick for Comptroller in the upcoming primary, though I also like a lot of Corey Johnson's work. Good thing with ranked voting I can put both of them in 

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