Service Cuts May Start This Year

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I just received word today that massive service cuts of 40% or more may be coming if Congress does not provide the  with the funding it needs, and these cuts would start THIS YEAR, not next year as has been stated previously.  I have spoken with some drivers and other people that are aware of this. This would be devastating because even for those that don't need transit now, more people are starting to return to work or school, and the service cuts would be happening in a matter of weeks from now.

[MHV9218]

If the money doesn't come, it's all over.

Unfortunately, Trump's outrageous decision to push to replace Justice Ginsburg – breaking every precedent the Republicans have claimed to follow – has derailed the chance of stimulus bill passing. And before somebody who doesn't read the news tries to argue this is 'bringing in politics,' this is an inarguable reality. The new goal in the Senate and the Trump administration is to ram the court nominee through the Senate, rather than to focus on the stimulus.

I will quote from the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/us-stimulus-prospects-darken-with-partisan-strains-over-court/2020/09/21/1981d416-fc3c-11ea-b0e4-350e4e60cc91_story.html.

Quote

Besides the ill-will it’s sparked between the parties, the prospect of a contentious Senate confirmation process along with the need to pass a vital stopgap spending bill by the end of this month raises the challenge for lawmakers to get a coronavirus relief package done before they’re scheduled to break for campaigning.

It further diminishes the small hopes for a potential deal that emerged last week when Trump signaled he’d back a much bigger stimulus than the administration previously supported, and called on Republican lawmakers to shift tack as well. Democratic leaders continue to insist on a $2.2 trillion plan, after cutting their offer by more than $1 trillion, but the two sides remain far apart.

Now, the focus for the White House and Senate leadership is likely to be on Trump’s push to alter the balance of the nation’s top court, with just 43 days to go until the presidential and congressional elections.

The MTA's fate essentially hinges on the election in November. Go vote.

[JAzumah]

My gut tells me that they have already begun to cut service involuntarily and they want to formalize it to have less chaos. There is not a week that goes by that I haven't received e-mails about buses running less frequently than normal.

 

12 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

If the money doesn't come, it's all over.

That is the summary in a nutshell all over the country. 
 

12 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

The new goal in the Senate and the Trump administration is to ram the court nominee through the Senate, rather than to focus on the stimulus.

They will have to do both if they plan on ever coming home. They have had plenty of time to do the stimulus and it has to be bigger than $1.5T now.

 

[Mtatransit]

13 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I just received word today that massive service cuts of 40% or more may be coming if Congress does not provide the  with the funding it needs, and these cuts would start THIS YEAR, not next year as has been stated previously.  I have spoken with some drivers and other people that are aware of this. This would be devastating because even for those that don't need transit now, more people are starting to return to work or school, and the service cuts would be happening in a matter of weeks from now.

I thought they were going to generate a list of service reductions and present them for the November board meeting so they can cut service next year.

I don't see how they can cut service this year, September picks is over at this point. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

9 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

I thought they were going to generate a list of service reductions and present them for the November board meeting so they can cut service next year.

I don't see how they can cut service this year, September picks is over at this point. 

They are starting already by cutting overtime, so when drivers are out on vacation or sick, etc., those trips will go left unfilled. That is on the express and local side, so people will be waiting longer. Then you have the pick coming up for Winter. That will show exactly what they plan on cutting.

@JAzumah You are correct about missing trips and less frequent service.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Deucey]

On 9/22/2020 at 1:38 PM, MHV9218 said:

And before somebody who doesn't read the news tries to argue this is 'bringing in politics,' this is an inarguable reality.

I hate passive-aggro behavior. Since you feel a way about my response to your personal attacks on @Via Garibaldi 8's voting choice, and don't see the difference between that and discussing the politicians' choices to act on the bailout requests his rally and  were/are calling for, I invite you to get in my DMs to discuss in depth.

As for the news part: I admin three Facebook politics groups, used to write for my college newspaper and one of my older brothers is a staff political analyst for CBS News.

Trust that I'm more informed about news and political goings-on than you perceive.

And here's me, Mama Deuce, and that CBS Analyst (Jamal Simmons) all together - if you need proof (pic will disappear soon):

/digression

[MHV9218]

1 hour ago, Deucey said:

I hate passive-aggro behavior. Since you feel a way about my response to your personal attacks on @Via Garibaldi 8's voting choice, and don't see the difference between that and discussing the politicians' choices to act on the bailout requests his rally and  were/are calling for, I invite you to get in my DMs to discuss in depth.

As for the news part: I admin three Facebook politics groups, used to write for my college newspaper and one of my older brothers is a staff political analyst for CBS News.

Trust that I'm more informed about news and political goings-on than you perceive.

And here's me, Mama Deuce, and that CBS Analyst (Jamal Simmons) all together - if you need proof (pic will disappear soon):

[pulled pic for space]

/digression

Hey, that was general – four different people in the last thread said or implied I was 'bringing in politics,' and some guy called me an "idiot" for "downplaying" Trump (whatever downplaying is supposed to mean). That's really who I was getting at. I trust you know what's going on politically, I can tell that from your posts. We might disagree about how much the politics are relevant to it, but I never said (or meant to imply) you weren't up on things.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Today's rally at the Eltingville Transit Center...

 

 

 

[ViaWaterViaChurch]

I saw some Supervisors out on Wednesday the 23rd at Union Turnpike and Main Street and also at the downtown loop for the QM buses in the morning and afternoon.  It might have been to make sure buses weren't running hot but I wouldn't doubt it was to get headcounts for service cuts.  Queens downtown buses in particular are doing pretty bad right now with ridership.  Sometimes I'm the only person on the QM7 I take in the morning and it seems like half the time the driver doesn't pick up any on Union because I see on bustime he goes down Union and then doesn't make the trip into Manhattan.  It also doesn't help that The QM8 comes literally 3-5 minutes before the QM7 is scheduled. 

Interestingly enough, I took the 2:15pm QM7 back to Queens yesterday and that bus had the highest passenger count I've seen since I've been back 5 days a week in July.  I've taken QM7s, QM8s, QM25s at various times between 3 and 5:30pm and if these buses have 10 people on them it's a lot.  I guess people are trying to get the hell out of the city as soon as possible during the day. 

[B35 via Church]

Everytime I see that O7 QM17, I cringe.... But to its credit I guess, as I was walking towards 34th st. early this morning (around a quarter after 5), it was absolutely crushloaded.....

Before that though, I also saw a SIM4c while I was walking, but I wasn't paying attention to how many people was on it (too busy looking at these 2 old strung out dudes fighting, tbh.... pretty sure one of them lost a couple of whatever teefus-es he had left.... that faceplant on the sidewalk had to hurt.... ouch.... lol)...

Edited September 25, 2020 by B35 via Church

[Lex]

17 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Everytime I see that O7 QM17, I cringe.... But to its credit I guess, as I was walking towards 34th st. early this morning (around a quarter after 5), it was absolutely crushloaded.....

It definitely helps that they're not charging $6.75 for that trip. If they were, there's no way in hell you could say that.

[B35 via Church]

16 minutes ago, Lex said:

It definitely helps that they're not charging $6.75 for that trip. If they were, there's no way in hell you could say that.

Yeah, riding a low floor from the Rockaways (hell, even from down along X-bay) to Midtown's gotta be brutal.... I used to abhor those O5's that SC used to randomly throw out on the BM's a good while back.....

Edited September 25, 2020 by B35 via Church

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, ViaWaterViaChurch said:

I saw some Supervisors out on Wednesday the 23rd at Union Turnpike and Main Street and also at the downtown loop for the QM buses in the morning and afternoon.  It might have been to make sure buses weren't running hot but I wouldn't doubt it was to get headcounts for service cuts.  Queens downtown buses in particular are doing pretty bad right now with ridership.  Sometimes I'm the only person on the QM7 I take in the morning and it seems like half the time the driver doesn't pick up any on Union because I see on bustime he goes down Union and then doesn't make the trip into Manhattan.  It also doesn't help that The QM8 comes literally 3-5 minutes before the QM7 is scheduled. 

Interestingly enough, I took the 2:15pm QM7 back to Queens yesterday and that bus had the highest passenger count I've seen since I've been back 5 days a week in July.  I've taken QM7s, QM8s, QM25s at various times between 3 and 5:30pm and if these buses have 10 people on them it's a lot.  I guess people are trying to get the hell out of the city as soon as possible during the day. 

You have to keep in mind that Downtown is mainly the financial hub, so that sector is still coming back in phases, with many people still working from home. Normally, the QM7 and QM8 is packed. Even people like myself that work in Midtown, we have continued to work from home. I go in a few times a week if I want to do a few things in person, but we will continue to work from home for the near future, into 2021. Most things can be done remotely, even things like trading and the technology has improved considerably. I created an area where I can work at home and have FiOS 1GB for internet, so my internet is actually faster at home than in the office, since it isn't being shared with several people.

[R10 2952]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

Yeah, riding a low floor from the Rockaways (hell, even from down along X-bay) to Midtown's gotta be brutal.... I used to abhor those O5's that SC used to randomly throw out on the BM's a good while back.....

Eh, it beats those Fishbowl wrecks that New York Bus Service ran on their express routes.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

1 hour ago, Lex said:

It definitely helps that they're not charging $6.75 for that trip. If they were, there's no way in hell you could say that.

The 3500-3700 series Hybrids are a mess on the LIE. They don't move as fast as the MCIs, and they rattle a lot. Some of them feel like the bus is going break apart in two with how they rattle. 

The 6500 and 6600 series Hybrids hold up better on the LIE, but it's still nothing compared an MCI. 

The QM17 has a lot of sections where it's moving relatively fast, the main ones being Cross Bay Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard. The issue arises because they basically used the daytime QM17 schedules for the most part to make the night schedule. As a result they're behind schedule when they get on the LIE. They make up time in Manhattan because the schedule gives it way too much time in Manhattan. 

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, R10 2952 said:

Eh, it beats those Fishbowl wrecks that New York Bus Service ran on their express routes.

Never rode those NYBS express routes, so I can't speak to it.

1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The 3500-3700 series Hybrids are a mess on the LIE. They don't move as fast as the MCIs, and they rattle a lot. Some of them feel like the bus is going break apart in two with how they rattle.

Exactly why I say that ride's gotta be brutal.

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You have to keep in mind that Downtown is mainly the financial hub, so that sector is still coming back in phases, with many people still working from home. Normally, the QM7 and QM8 is packed. Even people like myself that work in Midtown, we have continued to work from home. I go in a few times a week if I want to do a few things in person, but we will continue to work from home for the near future, into 2021. Most things can be done remotely, even things like trading and the technology has improved considerably. I created an area where I can work at home and have FiOS 1GB for internet, so my internet is actually faster at home than in the office, since it isn't being shared with several people.

Yeah, the Wall st. area, etc. features a slew of white collar workers, so those buses being lowly patronized shouldn't be too surprising... It's not that people are leaving Manhattan earlier or whatever he's surmising, as to why those aforementioned routes haven't been as packed as they normally are.....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

Never rode those NYBS express routes, so I can't speak to it.

Exactly why I say that ride's gotta be brutal.

Yeah, the Wall st. area, etc. features a slew of white collar workers, so those buses being lowly patronized shouldn't be too surprising... It's not that people are leaving Manhattan earlier or whatever he's surmising, as to why those aforementioned routes haven't been as packed as they normally are.....

Yeah. The other problem is some firms are telling their employees they have to come back. They return and some have tested positive for COVID, so that's another problem. Those big open plans with people close together just don't work in this environment.

[checkmatechamp13]

5 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Everytime I see that O7 QM17, I cringe.... But to its credit I guess, as I was walking towards 34th st. early this morning (around a quarter after 5), it was absolutely crushloaded.....

Before that though, I also saw a SIM4c while I was walking, but I wasn't paying attention to how many people was on it (too busy looking at these 2 old strung out dudes fighting, tbh.... pretty sure one of them lost a couple of whatever teefus-es he had left.... that faceplant on the sidewalk had to hurt.... ouch.... lol)...

Probably a handful of people if even that (that was probably the first SIM4C of the day, and the first SIM8 will get you to Midtown around the same time while getting you an extra 15 minutes of shut-eye lol)

3 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The 3500-3700 series Hybrids are a mess on the LIE. They don't move as fast as the MCIs, and they rattle a lot. Some of them feel like the bus is going break apart in two with how they rattle. 

The 6500 and 6600 series Hybrids hold up better on the LIE, but it's still nothing compared an MCI. 

The QM17 has a lot of sections where it's moving relatively fast, the main ones being Cross Bay Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard. The issue arises because they basically used the daytime QM17 schedules for the most part to make the night schedule. As a result they're behind schedule when they get on the LIE. They make up time in Manhattan because the schedule gives it way too much time in Manhattan. 

Are they all still governed at 40 mph or did they bump it up a bit?

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

Never rode those NYBS express routes, so I can't speak to it.

Exactly why I say that ride's gotta be brutal.

Yeah, the Wall st. area, etc. features a slew of white collar workers, so those buses being lowly patronized shouldn't be too surprising... It's not that people are leaving Manhattan earlier or whatever he's surmising, as to why those aforementioned routes haven't been as packed as they normally are.....

Probably because out of the remaining people that are taking those buses, a higher percentage of them work in industries like construction which tend to start early and end early.

[trainfan22]

I loved when 40FT buses ran on express routes, riding the CNGs on the BM was so much fun, my first ever express bus ride was an Orion CNG on the BM1.

 

Hard seaters on Express routes seemed to be common prior to takeover, well at Jamaica Bus and Queens Surface at least. I'm so bummed I never got to fan the PBL Express bus routes prior to takeover, and it sucks that era isn't well documented photography wise. Command Bus express routes was well documented, the other PBL, not so much.

 

 

[R10 2952]

Green Lines and Triboro were reasonably well-documented.  One thing I never understood is why certain Green and Jamaica Bus RTSes had vertical taillights though; anyone remember the story behind that?

Edited September 25, 2020 by R10 2952

[B35 via Church]

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah. The other problem is some firms are telling their employees they have to come back. They return and some have tested positive for COVID, so that's another problem. Those big open plans with people close together just don't work in this environment.

...hence WFH.

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Probably a handful of people if even that (that was probably the first SIM4C of the day, and the first SIM8 will get you to Midtown around the same time while getting you an extra 15 minutes of shut-eye lol)

Getting to around 40th st around 5:15-ish, you're probably right.

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Probably because out of the remaining people that are taking those buses, a higher percentage of them work in industries like construction which tend to start early and end early.

I was thinking along the lines of the food service industry (the restaurants that serve breakfast & what not, which obv. starts early), but construction workers also fit the bill.... The one thing I will say is that is, interesting, to see those breakfast carts setting up shop, since I've been riding these B99's/M99's into Manhattan.....

[Deucey]

3 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah. The other problem is some firms are telling their employees they have to come back. They return and some have tested positive for COVID, so that's another problem. Those big open plans with people close together just don't work in this environment.

Imagine how bad it is at a WeWork or Greendesk building - small Manhattan studio apartment sized offices with 9-10 people sharing kitchens with 30 other companies.

Adam Neumann was smart AF to take the money last September.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, Deucey said:

Imagine how bad it is at a WeWork or Greendesk building - small Manhattan studio apartment sized offices with 9-10 people sharing kitchens with 30 other companies.

Adam Neumann was smart AF to take the money last September.

Nuts!!

[Via Garibaldi 8]

5 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

...hence WFH.

Yeah, but they're still trying though...

[bobtehpanda]

8 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah. The other problem is some firms are telling their employees they have to come back. They return and some have tested positive for COVID, so that's another problem. Those big open plans with people close together just don't work in this environment.

What I've heard is that some of this is also indirect pressure. Retail is balking at paying rents premised upon office foot traffic that currently isn't materializing, so some landlords are pressuring tenants to bring somebody, anybody back.