Fast Forward Buses Update/Network Redesign Discussion Thread

[Union Tpke]

Screen Shot 2019-05-20 at 2.49.11 PM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

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Screen Shot 2019-05-20 at 2.51.56 PM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

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[BM5 via Woodhaven]

All that redesign for the SI Express buses to only save 'up to 5 minutes'. If it wasn't such a colossal failure, I would actually be laughing.

[B35 via Church]

They need to stop with this TSP farce already.....

[Lil 57]

1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

All that redesign for the SI Express buses to only save 'up to 5 minutes'. If it wasn't such a colossal failure, I would actually be laughing.

The key word is "up to". How about the people that had their commute worsened by over 20 minutes?

Edited May 21, 2019 by Lil 57

[Lex]

21 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

They need to stop with this TSP farce already.....

Honestly, the city really needs to do better about transit improvements in general.

[Around the Horn]

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

They need to stop with this TSP farce already.....

TSP actually works elsewhere but with this mayor and this DOT they're incompetent enough to neuter it before it's even implemented.

[RR503]

The traffic control infrastructure for universal TSP actually exists (not that you’d necessarily want that); it’s a matter of engineering implementation correctly...which, as ATH points out, is, uh, difficult for this admin. 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

with everything going on re: the staten island express network "redesign", I'm not holding out hope for anything positive re: the other redesigns on the docket, specifically the bronx, Brooklyn & Queens. I'm not worried so much about Manhattan... i feel as if they'll maintain the network below 125 street as is pretty much... in exception of the madison/5 av lines & the lex/3rd avenue lines. anything above 125 will be adversely affected. as much as I'd like to believe that Byford isn't a dirtbag, i feel this whole process is a ploy to cut runs... I'm borderline convinced. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

with everything going on re: the staten island express network "redesign", I'm not holding out hope for anything positive re: the other redesigns on the docket, specifically the bronx, Brooklyn & Queens. I'm not worried so much about Manhattan... i feel as if they'll maintain the network below 125 street as is pretty much... in exception of the madison/5 av lines & the lex/3rd avenue lines. anything above 125 will be adversely affected. as much as I'd like to believe that Byford isn't a dirtbag, i feel this whole process is a ploy to cut runs... I'm borderline convinced. 

People that I know in the know say exactly the same thing, and they’re trying to sell it to the public as “better service”. Some people while skeptical say “oh well that’s nice, they’re trying to do something “. I said to myself, the only thing they’re trying to do is cut down on operational costs. We’re going to see very soon. The redesign for the Bronx is supposed to be out at the end of the month, and the amount of information collected thus far has been a joke.

[EastFlatbushLarry]

15 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

People that I know in the know say exactly the same thing, and they’re trying to sell it to the public as “better service”. Some people while skeptical say “oh well that’s nice, they’re trying to do something “. I said to myself, the only thing they’re trying to do is cut down on operational costs. We’re going to see very soon. The redesign for the Bronx is supposed to be out at the end of the month, and the amount of information collected thus far has been a joke.

That's exactly why I bring it up. i work the 'X' & VR lists, and I'm "intrigued" to see how many runs the division, specifically KB, will lose. b/o's throughout the entire division are concerned, regardless of if it's immediate cuts or gradual, due to "over saturation" on lines within this newly created network. i can't necessarily say YO or EC shouldn't be alarmed, being that they basically are the express network... but i view areas like Riverdale & co-op city like staten island: they'll pitch a b***h if they attempt to jerk them around line/run-wise. interesting times indeed

[Via Garibaldi 8]

44 minutes ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

That's exactly why I bring it up. i work the 'X' & VR lists, and I'm "intrigued" to see how many runs the division, specifically KB, will lose. b/o's throughout the entire division are concerned, regardless of if it's immediate cuts or gradual, due to "over saturation" on lines within this newly created network. i can't necessarily say YO or EC shouldn't be alarmed, being that they basically are the express network... but i view areas like Riverdale & co-op city like staten island: they'll pitch a b***h if they attempt to jerk them around line/run-wise. interesting times indeed

Well historically speaking, areas like Co-op City as well as Riverdale were developed with the promise of good bus service in part because the subway was never finished. In both neighborhoods they have no problems starting petitions to get the service that is needed. The local buses esp. in my area have been horrendous for years, but it would be even worse if we didn’t keep up the pressure. Morning service esp. along Henry Hudson Parkway is good. In the evening, the waits can be 20-25 minutes with train load after train load of  riders dumped at 231st, leading to packed buses. That is one reason I started the advocacy group because we had no one really fighting for express bus service and we’ve been an easy target. I am not letting them come in and cut service without push back. The other thing that they’ve been getting away with is not filling trips and before they could come up with an excuse. Now we have over a thousand people Citywide reporting on service issues with elected officials and the media all watching. Having eyes on them certainly helps, and service in some cases has been better compared to where it was before. They also have a hiring freeze, so this complicates things as well on the management side. What they are doing is promoting people and giving them more work and lines to oversee.

If Craig Cipriano is the new guy to replace Irick, he knows I’m going to be a bulldog. We met in the last meeting. He sat right across from me and I didn’t hold back about missing buses, the Staten Island Redesign and the like. I would say that most drivers would be wise to join the most recent advocacy groups. Most of them are focusing on issuse that pertain to fighting for better service, cleaner buses, etc., all things that benefit the B/Os. For example, yesterday I spoke before the board calling for that depending order of express buses to be finalized to allow for service to be expanded. The money is actually there for more express bus service.... $50 million for the Outerborough Transit Fund specifically for things like better bus service in transportation deserts...

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Via Garibaldi 8

[B35 via Church]

14 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

All that redesign for the SI Express buses to only save 'up to 5 minutes'. If it wasn't such a colossal failure, I would actually be laughing.

I get your point.... To have d*cked around with the entire network the way they did, with the aim & intent for your (supposed) typical SI exp. rider to shave a maximum of 300 seconds off their commute, is a joke.... To be perfectly honest, I think they threw the quantity of  '5 minutes' up there because it sounds like a believable number.... They don't care about the typical rider, so why should I believe they actually had riders' commuting times in mind when they came up with this concoction..... That isn't to say that there weren't riders whose commutes were made better with this plan, but I don't believe that was the intent going into the whole thing... At all.

I'm still of the ilk that says that SI's express network didn't need an overhaul in the first place....

9 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

TSP actually works elsewhere but with this mayor and this DOT they're incompetent enough to neuter it before it's even implemented.

I should've been more specific....

I was referring to TSP here in NYC & the farcical notion that it's making a(ny) difference in people's commutes.....

8 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

with everything going on re: the staten island express network "redesign", I'm not holding out hope for anything positive re: the other redesigns on the docket, specifically the bronx, Brooklyn & Queens. I'm not worried so much about Manhattan... i feel as if they'll maintain the network below 125 street as is pretty much... in exception of the madison/5 av lines & the lex/3rd avenue lines. anything above 125 will be adversely affected. as much as I'd like to believe that Byford isn't a dirtbag, i feel this whole process is a ploy to cut runs... I'm borderline convinced. 

AFAIC, there's nothing borderline about it & I don't have a tinge of optimism whatever about these redesigns.... MTA hasn't remotely conveyed or portrayed that they have any real knowledge of the riderbases of each & every bus route they operate (which I personally find embarrassing)..... So how are you seriously going to quell riders' commuting woes any further, if you're operating on a foundation of ignorance??!?!!?

They can spare me the façade of ultimate rider benefit with these redesigns..... They are looking for ways to "redesign" the budget - and of course, it always starts with the f***ing buses.....

[Future ENY OP]

There’s no way in 20 years that the whole fleet is going to be electric. Miss me with the bulls*it.

As long as you have Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk politicians trying to tell the city what to do there’s no way to carry our ambitions on a cleaner bus system and .  In plain English politics need to stay off the  and let them do the work they need to do. 

[Orion6025]

2 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

There’s no way in 20 years that the whole fleet is going to be electric. Miss me with the bulls*it.

Maybe for the coaches but at least for the locals, as long as the 40 foot hybrid and the MTAB Xcelsior top off order are the last non-all electric bus orders, it’s possible. It’s not like any of these recently purchased low floors will last 20 years and as long as zero emissions remains fashionable, funding should be streaming in to buy all electric buses to satisfy the environmentalists

[Around the Horn]

5 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

There’s no way in 20 years that the whole fleet is going to be electric. Miss me with the bulls*it.

That's absolutely possible on the local fleet. If the 2020-2021 hybrid order is the last non-electric order and they last for say 15 years, the last bus would retire in 2036.

[Future ENY OP]

24 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

That's absolutely possible on the local fleet. If the 2020-2021 hybrid order is the last non-electric order and they last for say 15 years, the last bus would retire in 2036.

Copy ATM. 

However, sometimes the TA doesn’t like to stick with the 12-15 year guidelines. 

You are correct with the 2036 retirement and I won’t dispute that. 

[Lawrence St]

What's an MTA fare card?

[Orion6025]

Nvm

Edited May 22, 2019 by Orion6025
Redacted

[Lawrence St]

Just now, Orion6025 said:

... a metrocard?

So why does it say release of MTA fare card...?

[Around the Horn]

8 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

So why does it say release of MTA fare card...?

They're referring to the OMNY smart card.

[Lawrence St]

8 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

They're referring to the OMNY smart card.

That's an odd choice of wording. But still looking forward to it!

But how would this "all door boarding" work? What's stopping someone from bypassing the reader in the rear two doors?

[Lil 57]

5 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

That's an odd choice of wording. But still looking forward to it!

But how would this "all door boarding" work? What's stopping someone from bypassing the reader in the rear two doors?

IMO until the  can strongly enforce fare evasion, all door boarding should be put on hold. People would just stroll through the back door w/o paying anything.

[Union Tpke]

37 minutes ago, Lil 57 said:

IMO until the  can strongly enforce fare evasion, all door boarding should be put on hold. People would just stroll through the back door w/o paying anything.

Expect more Eagle Teams. My issue is that they only go to areas with minorities. On the M60 they are always waiting in Harlem, but never in Astoria.

[Lil 57]

50 minutes ago, Union Tpke said:

Expect more Eagle Teams. My issue is that they only go to areas with minorities. On the M60 they are always waiting in Harlem, but never in Astoria.

The eagle teams should travel to Staten Island and ride some of the buses and bust anyone trying to not pay the fare. Farebeating is rampant especially among the younger population. (IMO I would cut service from areas with high rates of fare evasion or have buses skip that area, forcing them to walk until they start to pay the fare again. Why do areas with little to no farebeating have to suffer from cuts because people from another area don't want to pay their fare? That would teach them a lesson. No fare, no service.)

[B35 via Church]

6 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

They're referring to the OMNY smart card.

6 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

That's an odd choice of wording. But still looking forward to it!

I'll say it - The term "OMNY" should be more ubiquitous in this city than the term "Metrocard" ever was... I gotta admit, the shit is catchy.

The MTA (still) won't shut up about Select Bus Service, but aren't zealous enough in their advertising of OMNY, IMO...

27 minutes ago, Lil 57 said:

IMO until the  can strongly enforce fare evasion, all door boarding should be put on hold. People would just stroll through the back door w/o paying anything.

LOL... They already do that now !

8 minutes ago, Union Tpke said:

Expect more Eagle Teams. My issue is that they only go to areas with minorities. On the M60 they are always waiting in Harlem, but never in Astoria.

Honestly, I've never seen them in the airport itself either..... Anyway, it's akin to suburban areas (generally) having low crime rates, yet some of its inhabitants being the same people coming over exacerbating crime rates in urban areas after a night out or whatever (no matter how slight, or how petty the crime is).....

Whole bit is reminiscent of that video that was put out some time ago of people farebeating at 86th  & 86th  (some coincidence), and a couple other stations as well, walking through the gate themselves and/or holding the gate for OTHERS to walk through.... But the placement of these retired cops Eagle Team would have you believe that only a] low class & b] Blacks & Hispanics (I hate that term minority) are the only people capable of wanting to getting over.... As if those of us with well paying jobs/careers aren't looking to keep an extra buck (or.... $2.75) in our pockets.....

Farebeating has gotten so bad in this city, that I'm actually of the belief that transients & foreigners/tourists come here & think that public transit is free, due to the permeated culture that has been bred.....

I'll put it this way - A tree isn't the only thing growing in Brooklyn... Manhattan.... or any of the other boroughs !