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Hudson Link starts October 29th; TZExpress ends 28th


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https://patch.com/new-york/nanuet/last-day-tzx-bus-service-oct-28


 

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Last Day of TZx Bus Service Is Oct. 28

HudsonLink is coming.

By Lanning Taliaferro, Patch Staff | Oct 15, 2018 3:22 pm ET | Updated Oct 16, 2018 7:52 am ET

 

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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The last day of TZx service will be Oct. 28. Hudson Link service begins on Monday, Oct. 29. It's part of the Lower Hudson Transit Link, a program of integrated projects aimed at improving traffic and transit in Rockland and Westchester counties.

Schedules for commuters to Metro-North rail stations in Tarrytown or White Plains in Westchester County are now available here.

The new transit service will feature four routes with new and upgraded bus stops, providing frequent connections between major employment, residential, medical, and entertainment centers, officials said. These are the routes: 1) Suffern, Rockland County, to Palisades Center, Rockland County, 2) Monsey, Rockland County, to White Plains, Westchester County, 3) Palisades Center to White Plains, and 4) Palisades Center to Tarrytown, with both local and express service being maintained between Lot J at the Palisades Center and Tarrytown. 

The new service is designed to enhance connectivity, making transfers to other local bus services as seamless as possible, officials said.

Most bus stops will be located adjacent to, or within a block of, Bee-Line or Transportation of Rockland stops.

Info will be made available at www.RideHudsonLink.com. However, as of Oct. 14 the site was not yet active.

Fall 2018 student discount passes for Rockland Community College, Dominican College and St. Thomas Aquinas College will be accepted on the new Hudson Link buses through Dec. 21, 2018.

In a press release issued Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 31 state-of-the-art buses will be fully operational in time for the launch of Hudson Link.

The new transit service, state officials said, will be one of the most advanced in the nation, featuring new buses, manufactured by Prevost in Plattsburgh, NY, and intelligent transportation management technology with real-time traffic information for commuters. The system will help reduce travel times for bus riders, improve travel time reliability, enable the buses to operate at more consistent speeds and enhance safety.

In the announcement, Assembly Member Ken Zebrowski said, "The opening of the new Hudson Link bus service is an exciting time for Rockland commuters. The new and improved buses, traffic enhancements and state of the art customer interfaces will provide riders with a more enjoyable and faster commuting option. I am pleased that the Hudson Link will provide an array of routes including the preservation of the express service from Lot J to Tarrytown; a popular route for Rockland commuters. This new service will hopefully improve existing riders' commutes and attract new riders to the system."

Hudson Link, run by an operation named Transdev, will provide more than 230 one-way rides per day between Rockland and Westchester counties with an estimated annual ridership of more than 400,000.

The bus network will utilize Integrated Corridor Management, using technology and real-time traffic information to operate efficiently, helping to control traffic flow and manage congestion, officials said.

Sensors collecting traffic and transit data will assist in routing and give the buses travel priority at some intersections that have traffic signals, making the new transit service one of most advanced in the nation. Cameras on the buses will assist with traffic monitoring along the I-287 corridor.

"The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge embodies New York's unwavering commitment to building a 21st century infrastructure that will meet the needs of residents and visitors for decades to come," Cuomo said. "The innovative Hudson Link bus service, with capabilities to analyze real-time traffic, will not only help to ease congestion and improve air quality, but ultimately provide New Yorkers with a safer, more convenient way to commute."

The 45-foot fully accessible buses will provide several passenger amenities, including free wireless network service, USB charging stations and bike racks on the front of the buses. The buses will be equipped with LED panels to provide passengers with real-time travel information and provide overhead storage and personal lighting for passengers.

Most bus shelters also will have free WiFi connectivity. Bike racks will be placed at or near bus stops, as space permits.

"The new Hudson Link bus service will be a valuable and welcomed addition to the transportation landscape in the lower Hudson Valley," Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said in the announcement. "We look forward to Rockland and Westchester commuters having a seamless ride across the I-87/I-287 corridor and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge."

In response to community interest, routing plans call for buses to maintain existing express service from Lot J at the Palisades Center in West Nyack, Rockland County to the Metro North stations in Tarrytown and White Plains.

The new service will offer multiple payment options, including cash, credit/debit, tickets, and a new mobile application.

Transdev has New York offices on Long Island, and has established a Hudson Valley office in Hillburn, Rockland County.

Image via New York Department of Transportation

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/10/15/hudson-link-see-new-westchester-rockland-bus-systems-schedule/1653903002/

 

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Hudson Link: See the new Westchester-Rockland bus system's schedule

Matt Coyne, Rockland/Westchester Journal NewsPublished 7:57 p.m. ET Oct. 15, 2018

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The Hudson Link schedule is ready.

And the Palisades-to-Tarrytown express shuttles are included.

Three of the system's four lines — the H03 from Monsey to White Plains with a stop at Palisades Center Lot J, the H05 from Lot J to White Plains with stops in Nyack and the H07 from Tarrytown to Lot J — will run between around 4 a.m. to around midnight.

The fourth, the H01 Suffern to Lot J, will only run during the morning and evening rush hours.

The Palisades-to-Tarrytown bus, a bone of contention between Rocklanders, Westchester officials and the state, was added back in earlier this year. Those buses will be a an express version of the H07, called the H07x, and will run seven times a day to Tarrytown, between 5:12 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and six times a day to Lot J, between 4:58 p.m. and 6:42 p.m.

The new system, which will replace the Tappan ZEExpress, will feature new buses and shelters, plus a bus-only lane across the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and technology at intersections and on-ramps to help traffic move more quickly.

Trips will cost $2.75, down 25 cents from the Tappan ZEExpress, and $1 transfers. Fares can be paid on the bus or via mobile app, which TransDev, the contractor running the system, has not yet released.

Schedule here:

https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/HL_Timetable_Brochures_v11_RVSD.pdf

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The only thing I'm worried about is...will the Hudson Link routes be accepting paper transfers issued from other bus routes (i.e.; Bee-Line, TOR, CT Transit, etc; )?

Edited by Axis
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On 10/27/2018 at 2:29 PM, Axis said:

The only thing I'm worried about is...will the Hudson Link routes be accepting paper transfers issued from other bus routes (i.e.; Bee-Line, TOR, CT Transit, etc; )?

Hudson Link's web site says that it will issue transfers to other systems, so it will probably accept transfers from other systems. 

 

This leads to a question... Wouldn't it make more sense to pay the fee when using the transfer rather than when obtaining it? Why should I pay one agency $1 extra for the privilege of riding another agency's bus?

 

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On 10/17/2018 at 9:33 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Also, Suffern got the short end of the stick

We sure did.  The TZx was useful, we still had some mid-day service, absolutely nothing now.  I am not even sure if they got rid of the Shortline mid-day OWL buses.  This new service does not seem as robust as the TZx and has no where near the service to Tarrytown, its feels like Tarrytown was a forced after thought, all in all a chance to do something great, instead we got something mediocre.  Transdev as of 11/1 is also taking over TOR operations too.  I hope they don't turn it into NICE.  

The MCIs that were on the TZx were in horrible condition.  They all were retired.  Such a sad situation.  The whole entire bridge was missed opportunity to do something about the traffic and create connections instead we got the same ole bridge with the same ole Thruway traffic troubles and no real improvement.  What a waste!

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/17/2018 at 9:33 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Also, Suffern got the short end of the stick

Two thoughts...

 

(1) I'm surprised that Suffern got only a shuttle to Palisades Center rather than an extension of the H3, H5, or H7/7x.

 

(2) Why only odd numbers? Are there no plans for H2, H4, etc.?

Edited by Gotham Bus Co.
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  • 3 weeks later...

This entire bus line is a complete waste of money.  I work across the street from the LOT J at Palisades Center.  The buses run very frequent but very empty.  The buses don't line up with where people go.  Example: The H03 going to Monsey but does not stop at the bottom stop at Palisades Center.  It skips those stops, people that work at the mall could take as an alternative to the 59 for Spring. Valley.  The shuttle to Suffern is completely useless.  The entire 59 corridor got the bus signals but they don't use them yet.  The entire thing seems like a waste when the TZx worked and worked well.  The money could have went elsewhere to doing the train over the bridge or even the MTA and why did Transdev have to run the bus, why not give it to the MTA, this would have given us something for the money we put into the system.  The entire thing needs a massive cut and be streamlined.  It is basically useless.  

Edited by eaw3c1
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12 hours ago, eaw3c1 said:

This entire bus line is a complete waste of money.  I work across the street from the LOT J at Palisades Center.  The buses run very frequent but very empty.  The buses don't line up with where people go.  Example: The H03 going to Monsey but does not stop at the bottom stop at Palisades Center.  It skips those stops, people that work at the mall could take as an alternative to the 59 for Spring. Valley.  The shuttle to Suffern is completely useless.  The entire 59 corridor got the bus signals but they don't use them yet.  The entire thing seems like a waste when the TZx worked and worked well.  The money could have went elsewhere to doing the train over the bridge or even the MTA and why did Transdev have to run the bus, why not give it to the MTA, this would have given us something for the money we put into the system.  The entire thing needs a massive cut and be streamlined.  It is basically useless.  

IDK if a massive cut is required. It's still pretty early, and it'll take some time before ridership grows. What I think should happen is maybe some streamlining.

 

For starters, I would have the H01 combined with the H03. The H01 would then operate from White Plains to Pallisades, and then to Nanuet, Spring Valley, Monsey, Airmont, and Suffern. Service would run every 30 or so minutes as it currently does (and maybe train the evening service to hourly, IDK). That way, Suffern gets daily service. 

The H05 could get combined with the H07. I don't see Palisades and Nyack riders needing to be separated onto different buses like that. They can probably remain separate during the rush hour, but outside the rush, buses should serve both Tarrytown and White Plains, every 30 minutes or so.

Edited by BM5 via Woodhaven
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On 12/7/2018 at 1:57 AM, eaw3c1 said:

The money could have went elsewhere to doing the train over the bridge or even the MTA and why did Transdev have to run the bus, why not give it to the MTA, this would have given us something for the money we put into the system.  The entire thing needs a massive cut and be streamlined.  It is basically useless.  

 

Isn't some of the Hudson Link's funding coming from the MTA?

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One can definitely tell that these Hudson Link routes are too frequent, when you look at the frequency of the previous TZX routing, then compare it to the frequency of even just one of these routes (imagine combining the schedules into one big timetable, and seeing just how much more frequent the TZX's successor is compared to itself).

The only two changes I'd make to the routing network imo (ignoring the actual frequencies for now), are the following:

H01 -- Extend to White Plains (maybe introduce a Tarrytown-bound variant too?).

H07x -- To make this route more like a Tarrytown-based variant of the H03, extend all trips to Nanuet, Spring Valley, and Monsey (similar to an H03).

 

Also, I think I could see why the H03 doesn't go to the Palisades Shops, the way the H05 & H07 do. If you had both the H03 AND H05 as your White Plains to Palisades Shops routes, no one is going to ride the H05, once they figure the H03 would be faster anyways. Could they just do away with the H05, and have the H03 stop at Downtown Nyack & Palisades Shops? Yes, they could. Should they though? That, I actually don't know. Because on one hand, the sound of taking only 20-30 minutes (as opposed to nearly an hour, maybe more) to get between downtown White Plains & Palisades Shops sounds like a huge improvement from back in the day. But on the other hand, there's just so many routes now, and buses per route...it probably won't be too unusual to eventually find yourself being the only person on the entirety of an H05 trip from Palisades to White Plains (or vice versa).

Edited by Axis
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  • 4 weeks later...

Found myself being the only person riding the 8:30 PM H05 trip on December 26th from Palisades Shops to White Plains. Makes you wonder just how many of these buses/trips run completely empty for the duration of their trips...

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On 1/5/2019 at 7:38 AM, Axis said:

Found myself being the only person riding the 8:30 PM H05 trip on December 26th from Palisades Shops to White Plains. Makes you wonder just how many of these buses/trips run completely empty for the duration of their trips...

 

The theory of "if you build it, they will come" works only when "they" know about "it."

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  • 5 months later...

Well, I rode this service for the first time today; the H03 from Lot J to White Plains and the H05 on the return.  I can attest to what many others have said here, and unfortunately, 8 months or so in, it looks like not much has changed in terms of ridership, at least on the buses that I rode.

Going from Lot J to White Plains, there was only one other person.  Same on the return.  I cannot speak for the Tarrytown buses but I am assuming (and hoping) that they are more patronized.  Lot J was pretty full when I got there in the mid afternoon, but not sure how many riders were for the Hudson Link vs. the Rockland Coaches 49.  

The system and concept itself seems well thought out and user friendly, with lots of convenient features like countdown times at each stop, scan and go boarding, and TV screens on board outlining the upcoming stops and ETA's.  It's a shame that more people aren't using it.  

That said, I agree that this level of service cannot be justified with the current ridership levels.  Streamlining is almost certain to happen at some point, with maybe two off-peak routes; a combination of the H01 and H03; and another a combination of the H05 and H07, each running every 30 minutes or so, and maybe the H07X during rush hours.  

Hopefully, more people will try out and use the service.  

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/31/2018 at 11:42 PM, eaw3c1 said:

The TZx was useful, we still had some mid-day service, absolutely nothing now.

The whole entire bridge was missed opportunity to do something about the traffic and create connections instead we got the same ole bridge with the same ole Thruway traffic troubles and no real improvement.  What a waste!

 

The H3, H5, and H7 do have midday service (and weekends, too). 

 

On the bridge, buses get to use the right shoulder. It's not much, but it's something. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I rode the Hudson Link today. My observation is also that there is WAY too much service being run. I was the only one on the trip back to White Plain and none of the buses I've been on has been even half full.

I believe

The H07x/H07 should be combined into one bus Tarrytown- Monsey via Nyack every 30 min peak, 60 min off peak

H05/H05X/H03x should be combined into one bus White Plain- Monsey via Spring Valley/Nyack every 30 min peak 60 min off peak

H01 would make all stops from Suffern to White Plain going express after J Lot every 30 min peak, 60 min off peak.

 

Service will be coordinated between H05/H03 to provide service every 15 minutes peak, 30 min off peak between J Lot and Metro North RR connections

 

During Weekends

I would just run White Plain to Monsey all local no Tarrytown, no Suffern. Every 30 minutes

 

Edited by Mtatransit
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