MTA Proposals for Toll, Subway and Commuter Rail Hikes Revealed Ahead of Thursday Board Meeting

[Gotham Bus Co.]

12 hours ago, GreatOne2k said:

The blank check means that MTA wouldn't be saving anything by cutting MTA Bus, though NYC would save money

The "blank check" won't last forever.

[checkmatechamp13]

At the public hearing, a college student at John Jay from Long Beach complained about having to walk from Penn Station to John Jay to save money on the subway fare since the LIRR was already too expensive. Apparently she hasn't heard of the n33 to the  (or at least the LIRR to Jamaica and then the subway from there). @N6 Limited You think she might be related to the woman in Long Beach who complained about being stuck in Mineola when the n15 runs directly there during rush hour?

[Gotham Bus Co.]

9 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

At the public hearing, a college student at John Jay from Long Beach complained about having to walk from Penn Station to John Jay to save money on the subway fare since the LIRR was already too expensive. Apparently she hasn't heard of the n33 to the  (or at least the LIRR to Jamaica and then the subway from there)

 

Maybe she wants to leave home and get to school the same day.

[checkmatechamp13]

1 minute ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

Maybe she wants to leave home and get to school the same day.

And walking from Penn Station to John Jay is saving her so much time?

[QM1to6Ave]

Do we think this longer term plan to cut express service and B/O positions is related to the (theoretical) eventual wider spread implementation of CBTC, which (theoretically) will increase subway capacity, like on QBL? 

Otherwise, it's hard for me to understand where they think all these riders will go instead of the bus? Yes, if Atlantic Ticket and similar plans work that may increase railroad ridership, but that only helps people near the railroads 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

9 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Do we think this longer term plan to cut express service and B/O positions is related to the (theoretical) eventual wider spread implementation of CBTC, which (theoretically) will increase subway capacity, like on QBL? 

Otherwise, it's hard for me to understand where they think all these riders will go instead of the bus? Yes, if Atlantic Ticket and similar plans work that may increase railroad ridership, but that only helps people near the railroads 

They don’t care. I was speaking with someone about this yesterday who is in the know, and as they said, it’s a numbers game with the MTA. I also told the agency in my meeting that we can’t have these trips taking longer and longer, because what they did since that 2015 audit on on-time performance for express bus service is they elongated the run times on some lines so that the schedules are more realistic, but by doing that the trips are now officially longer and the drivers still may arrive late, even with that schedule pushed back by 20 minutes, so you have some trips that are now scheduled for run time just over an hour and a half... Almost two hours one way for trips that really should be maybe 45 minutes to an hour tops, but it’s the traffic and lower speeds creating this. This is when the  looks to see how they can cut down those run times. They’ll package it is a “redesign” and improved service for passengers. Maybe it will be and maybe it won’t, but ultimately they’re thinking about getting those run times lower and thus the cost of those trips lower, or they’ll start chopping away at service if need be to achieve that goal.

I could be wrong, but part of me feels that the agency will sabotage service if need be to get ridership lower to keep their costs low. I mean on Staten Island, we have some lines that are supposed to see a bus every 4-5 minutes. That is a headway that isn’t so common overall on the express bus system and it can be expensive to run that kind of service. Look at the scheduled run times of those trips. For Staten Island, anything around an hour to an hour 20 minutes isn’t nearly as bad as some of the old trips. I’ve been hearing all of this about not enough time, traffic, not enough buses yada yada yada, but ultimately, most of this mess out there is due to poor planning, and let me tell you something, every person at the  that I have met knows their stuff. If there are a few of them that don’t, it’s mainly because they are too arrogant to be bothered as is the case with one person I met during my meeting, but these people aren’t stupid. Very capable and sharp folks, so to have what is going on Staten Island tells me either it’s poor planning from a competence standpoint (the primarily people dealing with things with the redesign I have not met), but I did meet the chick handling the Bronx redesign and she and I definitely agreed on a number of things, so she is more than capable. The question is do these people ride the lines to gather enough info, and if they do, do they then run things purposely to deter ridership, but the  isn’t stupid. When they want to increase ridership, they know to market service. I’ve seen it first hand with Metro-North in my neighborhood. They had ads at all of our bus shelters. Then they increased off-peak and weekend service, and they got folks like me even start buying a monthly when aI was an express bus rider when I first moved there. Just goes to show you...

[Q101viaSteinway]

7 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

They don’t care. I was speaking with someone about this yesterday who is in the know, and as they said, it’s a numbers game with the MTA. I also told the agency in my meeting that we can’t have these trips taking longer and longer, because what they did since that 2015 audit on on-time performance for express bus service is they elongated the run times on some lines so that the schedules are more realistic, but by doing that the trips are now officially longer and the drivers still may arrive late, even with that schedule pushed back by 20 minutes, so you have some trips that are now scheduled for run time just over an hour and a half... Almost two hours one way for trips that really should be maybe 45 minutes to an hour tops, but it’s the traffic and lower speeds creating this. This is when the  looks to see how they can cut down those run times. They’ll package it is a “redesign” and improved service for passengers. Maybe it will be and maybe it won’t, but ultimately they’re thinking about getting those run times lower and thus the cost of those trips lower, or they’ll start chopping away at service if need be to achieve that goal.

I could be wrong, but part of me feels that the agency will sabotage service if need be to get ridership lower to keep their costs low. I mean on Staten Island, we have some lines that are supposed to see a bus every 4-5 minutes. That is a headway that isn’t so common overall on the express bus system and it can be expensive to run that kind of service. Look at the scheduled run times of those trips. For Staten Island, anything around an hour to an hour 20 minutes isn’t nearly as bad as some of the old trips. I’ve been hearing all of this about not enough time, traffic, not enough buses yada yada yada, but ultimately, most of this mess out there is due to poor planning, and let me tell you something, every person at the  that I have met knows their stuff. If there are a few of them that don’t, it’s mainly because they are too arrogant to be bothered as is the case with one person I met during my meeting, but these people aren’t stupid. Very capable and sharp folks, so to have what is going on Staten Island tells me either it’s poor planning from a competence standpoint (the primarily people dealing with things with the redesign I have not met), but I did meet the chick handling the Bronx redesign and she and I definitely agreed on a number of things, so she is more than capable. The question is do these people ride the lines to gather enough info, and if they do, do they then run things purposely to deter ridership, but the  isn’t stupid. When they want to increase ridership, they know to market service. I’ve seen it first hand with Metro-North in my neighborhood. They had ads at all of our bus shelters. Then they increased off-peak and weekend service, and they got folks like me even start buying a monthly when aI was an express bus rider when I first moved there. Just goes to show you...

MTA does not want people to take buses. What NICE bus has done to the bus system in Nassau county is what MTA wants to do to the bus network in the boroughs and that is the huge problem we are having. What I think MTA wants for the boroughs is what Nassau/Suffolk have, like how most people think everyone drives or takes the LIRR in Nassau/Suffolk, they want everyone to take the subway or drive/uber/lyft everywhere in the boroughs. Problem is there are people very open to taking a bus in the boroughs if MTA actually care about providing bus service. MTA is more subtle about its hate of bus service where Nassau county is more straight up honest about its hate of bus service. 

[Brillant93]

2 hours ago, Q101viaSteinway said:

MTA does not want people to take buses. What NICE bus has done to the bus system in Nassau county is what MTA wants to do to the bus network in the boroughs and that is the huge problem we are having. What I think MTA wants for the boroughs is what Nassau/Suffolk have, like how most people think everyone drives or takes the LIRR in Nassau/Suffolk, they want everyone to take the subway or drive/uber/lyft everywhere in the boroughs. Problem is there are people very open to taking a bus in the boroughs if MTA actually care about providing bus service. MTA is more subtle about its hate of bus service where Nassau county is more straight up honest about its hate of bus service. 

Thats way too far of an assumption to claim the MTA doesn't want people to take buses. You have to keep in mind money is a big issue for the MTA. If Money wasn't an issue we would have had a better bus and subway system years ago but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Then on top of that we have other agencies who don't give two craps about our traffic conditions. Everyone is blaming the MTA on certain things they cannot control at all. Speed limits, vision zero, congestion, and so on. Yeah the MTA can do better, but better in their own power of things. Yeah they could probably add more service to routes, change up how they distribute buses and disrupted service and what have you not. But all of those efforts won't be fully effective unless our traffic conditions in this city actually is controlled much better than what it is. Its also a cultural thing as well. When I talk to people from different places they are amazed to how much people can get away when it comes down traffic violations. In places outside of NYC you park in a bus stop that is a guaranteed tow and ticket. Some places you literally get tickets for speeding anywhere in the city and they are so strict with controlling parking that in certain areas a city might make a lot from tickets themselves. NYC is just too forgiving of people who violate parking laws.

If people really want change they need to start holding the DOT and NYPD accountable to making sure traffic conditions are controlled. Not only that but politicians need to care about those who do take the bus. Our mayor controls the buses but yet he doesn't care much about it.  

[Jdog14]

11 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

Thats way too far of an assumption to claim the MTA doesn't want people to take buses. You have to keep in mind money is a big issue for the MTA. If Money wasn't an issue we would have had a better bus and subway system years ago but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Then on top of that we have other agencies who don't give two craps about our traffic conditions. Everyone is blaming the MTA on certain things they cannot control at all. Speed limits, vision zero, congestion, and so on. Yeah the MTA can do better, but better in their own power of things. Yeah they could probably add more service to routes, change up how they distribute buses and disrupted service and what have you not. But all of those efforts won't be fully effective unless our traffic conditions in this city actually is controlled much better than what it is. Its also a cultural thing as well. When I talk to people from different places they are amazed to how much people can get away when it comes down traffic violations. In places outside of NYC you park in a bus stop that is a guaranteed tow and ticket. Some places you literally get tickets for speeding anywhere in the city and they are so strict with controlling parking that in certain areas a city might make a lot from tickets themselves. NYC is just too forgiving of people who violate parking laws.

If people really want change they need to start holding the DOT and NYPD accountable to making sure traffic conditions are controlled. Not only that but politicians need to care about those who do take the bus. Our mayor controls the buses but yet he doesn't care much about it.  

 

If they cared about Bus Service then they would make an effort to fill runs where possible. Straight up abandoning intervals sounds like they give/gave up. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

10 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

Thats way too far of an assumption to claim the MTA doesn't want people to take buses. You have to keep in mind money is a big issue for the MTA. If Money wasn't an issue we would have had a better bus and subway system years ago but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Then on top of that we have other agencies who don't give two craps about our traffic conditions. Everyone is blaming the MTA on certain things they cannot control at all. Speed limits, vision zero, congestion, and so on. Yeah the MTA can do better, but better in their own power of things. Yeah they could probably add more service to routes, change up how they distribute buses and disrupted service and what have you not. But all of those efforts won't be fully effective unless our traffic conditions in this city actually is controlled much better than what it is. Its also a cultural thing as well. When I talk to people from different places they are amazed to how much people can get away when it comes down traffic violations. In places outside of NYC you park in a bus stop that is a guaranteed tow and ticket. Some places you literally get tickets for speeding anywhere in the city and they are so strict with controlling parking that in certain areas a city might make a lot from tickets themselves. NYC is just too forgiving of people who violate parking laws.

If people really want change they need to start holding the DOT and NYPD accountable to making sure traffic conditions are controlled. Not only that but politicians need to care about those who do take the bus. Our mayor controls the buses but yet he doesn't care much about it.  

The mayor does NOT control the buses. The  does. Not sure what you mean by “control” exactly...

[Brillant93]

15 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The mayor does NOT control the buses. The  does. Not sure what you mean by “control” exactly...

Pretty sure I read somewhere the buses were his responsibility while the subway was the governors. Either way he does have some involvement in it.... Well lack there of. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

21 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

Pretty sure I read somewhere the buses were his responsibility while the subway was the governors. Either way he does have some involvement in it.... Well lack there of. 

No that is not correct. The City DOT does control the city streets, but the buses still fall under the MTA. They make the schedules, the routes and all of that. The City does have a hand in things like Select Bus Service and traffic signal priority, both of which falls under the City DOT, but all bus service is still run by the MTA.

[Brillant93]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

No that is not correct. The City DOT does control the city streets, but the buses still fall under the MTA. They make the schedules, the routes and all of that. The City does have a hand in things like Select Bus Service and traffic signal priority, both of which falls under the City DOT, but all bus service is still run by the MTA.

Understood 

[Q101viaSteinway]

On 12/1/2018 at 7:36 PM, Brillant93 said:

Thats way too far of an assumption to claim the MTA doesn't want people to take buses. You have to keep in mind money is a big issue for the MTA. If Money wasn't an issue we would have had a better bus and subway system years ago but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Then on top of that we have other agencies who don't give two craps about our traffic conditions. Everyone is blaming the MTA on certain things they cannot control at all. Speed limits, vision zero, congestion, and so on. Yeah the MTA can do better, but better in their own power of things. Yeah they could probably add more service to routes, change up how they distribute buses and disrupted service and what have you not. But all of those efforts won't be fully effective unless our traffic conditions in this city actually is controlled much better than what it is. Its also a cultural thing as well. When I talk to people from different places they are amazed to how much people can get away when it comes down traffic violations. In places outside of NYC you park in a bus stop that is a guaranteed tow and ticket. Some places you literally get tickets for speeding anywhere in the city and they are so strict with controlling parking that in certain areas a city might make a lot from tickets themselves. NYC is just too forgiving of people who violate parking laws.

If people really want change they need to start holding the DOT and NYPD accountable to making sure traffic conditions are controlled. Not only that but politicians need to care about those who do take the bus. Our mayor controls the buses but yet he doesn't care much about it.  

The MTA has always been broke since they first started. They never have enough resources for improving service except when it fits what they want and not what the community want. It does not help that Peter Cafiero the person in charge of operations planning for the NYCT bus system is seen as a subway buff to the core because there are subway buffs out there that don't like or truly care for the buses. 

[Union Tpke]

Bus Service Reduction to S.I. Ferry
• When NYC DOT increased Staten Island Ferry service from 1 trip to 2 trips per hour during overnight hours, NYCT increased bus service 6 to meet the ferry schedule; however ridership has been very low. This proposal reduces the trips to one per hour with a staggered
schedule. Modifying the frequency of service to meet every other SI Ferry will reduce Bus Operator requirements. Revised start date will change from mid-year 2018 to January 2019.

Delay and Re-Estimate Bus Service Reduction to S.I. Ferry

@brokecrazy

Auxiliary Booth Staffing Efficiencies
• NYCT has reduced and/or eliminated staffing at auxiliary booths and has maintained at least one full-time booth in each station and/or station complex. This auxiliary booth staffing reduction expands upon a prior plan and will de-staff 8 full-time and 4 part-time
auxiliary booths and reduce coverage at 7 auxiliary booths from full-time to part-time.

Delay Auxiliary Booth Closures (to 2020 from 2019)

 

This is interesting:

NYCT Train Car Temperature Adjustment Savings (captures BTL)
• Pilot program to obtain energy savings from adjusting temperature.

Traffic Checking
• Reduce Traffic Checking Operations through staffing and overtime reductions. Reduce Passenger Environment Survey data collection and eliminate bus schedule information that is periodically replaced in bus stop signage stands. Alternatively bus schedules are available on Bus Time.

• $30M in annual net savings from bus service guideline adjustments reflecting both increases and decreases in the frequency of busservice based on customer demand.
• $10M in annual savings from better aligning evening and weekend service to be consistent with the level of service required formaintenance and capital work. Revise duplicative midday, evening, and late night off-peak service patterns on a small number of routes.

[bobtehpanda]

1 hour ago, Union Tpke said:

This is interesting:

NYCT Train Car Temperature Adjustment Savings (captures BTL)
• Pilot program to obtain energy savings from adjusting temperature.

If the MTA turns down the AC in the summer, maybe all the grandmas in New York can stop bugging their grandchildren to wear a sweater /s