30- Day Unlimited Express bus plus?

[Jamall Hayden]

Why did the M.T.A discontinue the 30 day unlimited express bus plus MetroCard? This would be a great help to areas with little or no subway service like (Staten island, Yonkers, Lake Success, Southeast Queens, East Bronx, e.t.c) providing a comfortable one seat ride to Manhattan. It would also provide a good alternative (cost wise) to the commuter rail (Lirr, Metro North) in certain overlapping service areas outside the city terminal zone (Yonkers, Floral Park and Bellrose). The price for a Weekly ticket from Floral Park/Bellrose to Manhattan costs $86.50 and the Weekly ticket from Yonkers to Manhattan costs $79.25 vs the 7 day unlimited express bus plus MetroCard which costs $62. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the Bee line bus Bxm4c used to accept the 7 day unlimited express bus plus Metro Card route if Bee line bus never raised the fare to $7.50 the overlapping areas would also include (White plains,Greensburg, Hartsdale, Scarsdale)! 


 

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

16 hours ago, Jamall Hayden said:

Why did the M.T.A discontinue the 30 day unlimited express bus plus MetroCard? This would be a great help to areas with little or no subway service like (Staten island, Yonkers, Lake Success, Southeast Queens, East Bronx, e.t.c) providing a comfortable one seat ride to Manhattan. It would also provide a good alternative (cost wise) to the commuter rail (Lirr, Metro North) in certain overlapping service areas outside the city terminal zone (Yonkers, Floral Park and Bellrose). The price for a Weekly ticket from Floral Park/Bellrose to Manhattan costs $86.50 and the Weekly ticket from Yonkers to Manhattan costs $79.25 vs the 7 day unlimited express bus plus MetroCard which costs $62. 


 

 

For a number of reasons.

The  responded to me formally about this in 2021.

Quote

The monthly Express Bus Metrocard was discontinued in 2003 and replaced with a weekly Express Bus Plus Metrocard for the following reasons per the :

-A weekly pass was a more affordable in that someone would only have to outlay $62.00 vs. $269 (what the  said at the time a monthly express bus pass would cost)

-The level of discount reflected in the express pass is determined by the  Board. It is not a primarily a function of the pass time period, and there is no basis to assume that a higher discount would be provided for a 30 day [pass] as compared with the 7-day pass.

-The superiority of the 7-day express pass is demonstrated by its popularity. In 2019, the 7-day express bus pass was used for 20% of total express bus trips, while in 2002, the monthly express bus pass was used for just 3% of total express trips.

 

[QM1to6Ave]

I wish it was still around! I hate having to refill my card every damn week, when there is still no option for the Express Bus Plus Pass on OMNY. It would have saved me a lot of headaches over the years.

I personally think part of the issue was that the MTA didn't want to deal with angry customers whose $269 Metrocard stops working and needs to be replaced. But that's the jaded person in me...

[checkmatechamp13]

On 10/24/2022 at 11:53 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

I wish it was still around! I hate having to refill my card every damn week, when there is still no option for the Express Bus Plus Pass on OMNY. It would have saved me a lot of headaches over the years.

I personally think part of the issue was that the MTA didn't want to deal with angry customers whose $269 Metrocard stops working and needs to be replaced. But that's the jaded person in me...

I mean they have monthly commuter rail passes that are over $400...I don't see how a (let's say) $240 express bus pass is any different, other than the fact that it's a bit more susceptible to wear-and-tear.

[QM1to6Ave]

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I mean they have monthly commuter rail passes that are over $400...I don't see how a (let's say) $240 express bus pass is any different, other than the fact that it's a bit more susceptible to wear-and-tear.

I think the wear and tear is the issue, since the monthly cards don't get swiped in a machine or farebox and get worn out. Plus the RR ticket gets replaced every month but the metrocard can be refilled over and over till it stops working. I still have cards go bad on me and need to be mailed in every so often

[IAlam]

On 11/19/2022 at 6:27 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

I mean they have monthly commuter rail passes that are over $400...I don't see how a (let's say) $240 express bus pass is any different, other than the fact that it's a bit more susceptible to wear-and-tear.

 

On 11/19/2022 at 8:58 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

I think the wear and tear is the issue, since the monthly cards don't get swiped in a machine or farebox and get worn out. Plus the RR ticket gets replaced every month but the metrocard can be refilled over and over till it stops working. I still have cards go bad on me and need to be mailed in every so often

Honestly I feel like this problem could be solved overnight if the MTA just implemented fare capping for express buses. But there’s still no time frame as to when the MTA will introduce express bus fare capping or the ability to purchase passes directly. 

[checkmatechamp13]

6 hours ago, IAlam said:

Honestly I feel like this problem could be solved overnight if the MTA just implemented fare capping for express buses. But there’s still no time frame as to when the MTA will introduce express bus fare capping or the ability to purchase passes directly. 

Proper fare capping...it should be that certain amount of fares paid during a rolling 7 day timeframe, not just Monday - Sunday or whatever timeframe they said.

The other big thing is they should allow you to pay with commuter benefits.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

7 hours ago, IAlam said:

 

Honestly I feel like this problem could be solved overnight if the MTA just implemented fare capping for express buses. But there’s still no time frame as to when the MTA will introduce express bus fare capping or the ability to purchase passes directly. 

You're jumping the gun.  Fare capping is still in the pilot phase, meaning that they wanted to see how people took to it, evaluate the results from that and then go from there.  From speaking with the  they have stated that it has been successful, and the plan is to roll it out for express buses down the line.  They have not decided yet on things like what the threshold will be and there is also programming issues to sort out.  That was one of the reasons given as to why express buses were not initially included, and from the  Board Meetings, it was definitely clear that there were programming issues, which is why they were so delayed with rolling out the reduced fare OMNY cards (that and the pandemic). You also must understand that anything fare related has to be decided and voted on by the  Board and from the very beginning, the  was unclear as to whether they were keeping passes, doing fare capping or what. The initial focus for them was ensuring that the payment system worked and was secure.  Without those two things, nothing else matters because if people can rely on it and can't trust their information to be secure, then the system couldn't be successful.

As for the programming issues, I am not sure if the issues have been on the  's end or on the vendor's end, but they have struggled.  For example, there have been instances where my OMNY card was suspended while I was still traveling and I still had a transfer that I should've had access to. I only fill my OMNY card with whatever I need to travel since I only take the express bus now occasionally being work from home, so I would've been pissed if I had to pay again to access a transfer that should've been available while I traveled (I was alerted that my card was suspended maybe 15 minutes after tapping to pay).  They seem to have fixed that because after keeping money on the card, I again decided to just load it with the exact amount needed recently and my transfer was available for the duration of the time that it should've been.

I am also finding fewer broken OMNY readers.  The OMNY website is still a bit buggy, but better overall. Sometimes I have been unable to reload my card and have had to wait or it times out when trying to reload.  I was interviewed by phone earlier this year about the whole fare capping situation by the Staten Island Advance. The interview delves more into why express buses weren't included:

Quote

“Because the Express Bus pass includes both express bus rides, which costs more per trip, and rides on the regular buses and subways, it is taking more time to identify the most cost effective options that will bring fare capping benefits to Express Bus customers in a meaningful way,” according to the MTA.

That said, I've been very clear in my discussions with the  that there must be fare capping for express bus commuters.  That was why I agreed to be interviewed to use the media to advocate further:

Quote

“When you’re paying almost $7 each way, it’s hard to justify not getting any other sorts of benefits when it comes to fare capping, or any savings or discounts to entice people to get out of their cars, especially those who are commuting into Manhattan,” said Vittorio Bugatti, founder of the Express Bus Advocacy Group.

Bugatti, a former Staten Islander who represents a group of express bus riders from throughout the outer boroughs, said that express bus riders, who typically have limited alternate transit options, often feel neglected by the MTA.

“The majority of New Yorkers live in the outer boroughs, so there needs to be more focus on those outer borough residents,” he said. “There is a feeling among some of us that depend on the express bus that the MTA does not listen to us, and we need to have a seat at the table, and that includes when it comes to fare structure equality.”

Source: https://www.silive.com/news/2022/03/why-doesnt-mtas-omny-fare-capping-program-include-higher-priced-express-bus-trips.html#:~:text=“Because the Express Bus pass,%2C” according to the MTA.

[Transit222]

The MTA is ripping people off under their Fare-Capping Policy.  The MTA needs to add a Daily Fare Cap of $5.80 per day (on all local buses and subways) to address riders that only use the system sparingly and could never meet the seven-day fare cap amount because they don't travel on the transit system seven days in a row.  Use of an express bus would change the daily fare cap amount to $14.00.

[Transit222]

On 11/22/2022 at 12:47 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You're jumping the gun.  Fare capping is still in the pilot phase, meaning that they wanted to see how people took to it, evaluate the results from that and then go from there.  From speaking with the  they have stated that it has been successful, and the plan is to roll it out for express buses down the line.  They have not decided yet on things like what the threshold will be and there is also programming issues to sort out.  That was one of the reasons given as to why express buses were not initially included, and from the  Board Meetings, it was definitely clear that there were programming issues, which is why they were so delayed with rolling out the reduced fare OMNY cards (that and the pandemic). You also must understand that anything fare related has to be decided and voted on by the  Board and from the very beginning, the  was unclear as to whether they were keeping passes, doing fare capping or what. The initial focus for them was ensuring that the payment system worked and was secure.  Without those two things, nothing else matters because if people can rely on it and can't trust their information to be secure, then the system couldn't be successful.

As for the programming issues, I am not sure if the issues have been on the  's end or on the vendor's end, but they have struggled.  For example, there have been instances where my OMNY card was suspended while I was still traveling and I still had a transfer that I should've had access to. I only fill my OMNY card with whatever I need to travel since I only take the express bus now occasionally being work from home, so I would've been pissed if I had to pay again to access a transfer that should've been available while I traveled (I was alerted that my card was suspended maybe 15 minutes after tapping to pay).  They seem to have fixed that because after keeping money on the card, I again decided to just load it with the exact amount needed recently and my transfer was available for the duration of the time that it should've been.

I am also finding fewer broken OMNY readers.  The OMNY website is still a bit buggy, but better overall. Sometimes I have been unable to reload my card and have had to wait or it times out when trying to reload.  I was interviewed by phone earlier this year about the whole fare capping situation by the Staten Island Advance. The interview delves more into why express buses weren't included:

That said, I've been very clear in my discussions with the  that there must be fare capping for express bus commuters.  That was why I agreed to be interviewed to use the media to advocate further:

Source: https://www.silive.com/news/2022/03/why-doesnt-mtas-omny-fare-capping-program-include-higher-priced-express-bus-trips.html#:~:text=“Because the Express Bus pass,%2C” according to the MTA.

I believe it will be a logistical nightmare for CUBIC vendor for the MTA to implement OMNY for express buses as it would be difficult for the OMNY system to calculate two separate fare capping threshold amounts one for the current local buses and subways and another for express buses.   This is due to that although an express bus fare is $7.00 if a rider first pays a local fare of $2.90 they would only be charged a step-up fee of $4.10, however I'm not sure the fare capping system would give credit under the Express Bus fare Cap for $7.00 or $4.10?   From the start with Seven Day Express Bus MetroCard, riders now get unlimited rides from Day 1 of the seven-day period which would be impossible under the current fare capping OMNY system unless something is changed.  For example, what might work would be for having OMNY Express Buys Riders being able to purchase an OMNY Express Bus Card (similar to that of a Seven -Day Express Bus MetroCard) but the OMNY Express Bus card could be tapped instead of swiped, and this card could be prepaid and refilled through a person's OMNY account either for a seven-day period or thirty-day period.  After the card is prepaid through a person's OMNY account, then the day the rider first taps would actually start Day 1 of either the seven-day or thirty-day period.   

Edited October 14, 2023 by Transit222

[QM1to6Ave]

4 hours ago, Transit222 said:

I believe it will be a logistical nightmare for CUBIC vendor for the MTA to implement OMNY for express buses as it would be difficult for the OMNY system to calculate two separate fare capping threshold amounts one for the current local buses and subways and another for express buses.   This is due to that although an express bus fare is $7.00 if a rider first pays a local fare of $2.90 they would only be charged a step-up fee of $4.10, however I'm not sure the fare capping system would give credit under the Express Bus fare Cap for $7.00 or $4.10?   From the start with Seven Day Express Bus MetroCard, riders now get unlimited rides from Day 1 of the seven-day period which would be impossible under the current fare capping OMNY system unless something is changed.  For example, what might work would be for having OMNY Express Buys Riders being able to purchase an OMNY Express Bus Card (similar to that of a Seven -Day Express Bus MetroCard) but the OMNY Express Bus card could be tapped instead of swiped, and this card could be prepaid and refilled through a person's OMNY account either for a seven-day period or thirty-day period.  After the card is prepaid through a person's OMNY account, then the day the rider first taps would actually start Day 1 of either the seven-day or thirty-day period.   

I don't think it would be complicated. No one says an EXP fare cap needs to be based on money spent. It could be programmed that after X number of taps on any EXP bus within a 7 day period, any additional exp bus taps for the rest of the 7 days are free, for example. They could do all sorts of things with the technology.