Gothamist: Tell the MTA What You Think About Buses!

Bdwy

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:15:59 -0500

I take Q19A every morning. Schedule says it's running at an interval of about 8-10 minutes, but of course that's not what you get. Even in the morning hours, sometimes you have to wait nearly half an hour until you see a pack of buses--2 most of the time but sometimes more. The first bus carries full load of people and the second one's half-empty cuz it's running right behind. Nonsense.

An MTA Bus Driver

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:36:04 -0500

Kojak: You have not a clue what you are talking about. Don't comment on what you don't understand. Think Twice: What about the car drivers who assume that Bus Stops are parking spaces, what is you take on that? Andrew J. Lederer: Shut Up! BusGirl: I totally agree with you.

c

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 10:09:40 -0500

Toby, don't base your vision of BRT on one city. BRT has worked fantasically well in London, Paris, and other cities around the world.

Toby

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 22:49:37 -0500

I forgot to mention the MTA should also get bike racks for buses which only cost a couple hundred dollars per bus, but have benefits which would be far greater.

Think twice

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 20:33:40 -0500

They should've put cameras on buses to catch and ticket drivers who park/idle on bus stops/lanes a looooooong time ago. It'll be the only way to enforce the bus's primacy on the road. That and curb extensions.

fshk

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 17:11:31 -0500

This seems like a good idea. The Bx12 (Fordham Road) runs frequently, but that trip can be epic if there's traffic. I'd like to see more crosstown buses get bus lanes (particularly 125th St., so I'm happy to see that on the list, but 23rd and 34th, too) because that's really where all the congestion is. I'm not sure how you'd do it, though, since those streets are not that wide, and adding a bus lane would make bad traffic even worse.

Busgirl

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:29:01 -0500

BRT is not just one thing. In NYC it will not be on dedicated busways, but rather use dedicated lanes which are actually enforced to keep cars from violating the lanes. Other treatments include branding, faster running times, headway based scheduling, and stations that are farther apart. It can work here, but the key will be political will. Go to the workshops and participate for a change rather than just bitching about your bus service!

Toby

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:26:34 -0500

Taking the bus is ususally very slow in Manhattan and places in the outerboroughs where there is congestion. On the other hand, buses are cheaper than light rail or subway, as there is less infrastructure needed. The notion of "bus rapid transit" is joke. I have seen it in action in Ottawa where it basically blighted the landscape with "Busways" which appeared to have a heavier environmental impact than a rail line would. Plus buses pollute in the city while electric powered light rail and subways can get power from elsewhere and that power can be more environmentally friendly. This bus rapid transit idea is just putting a band-aid over a problem that requires surgery.

Samantha T

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:07:47 -0500

The B35 bus in Brooklyn is excellent. I always get a seat and I have to wait for it about 20% of the time - even then, it shows up within moments.

Andrew J. Lederer

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:55:38 -0500

Another thing is that when they are ahead of schedule, they will slow the bus down to a crawl and sometimes hang around at a bus stop for a few minutes, with passengers on board! That pisses me off beyond anything. [5] Posted by: Kojak | June 2, 2006 12:42 PM ************************************************ They have to wait. Otherwise, they'll get to the next bus stop before the scheduled time and when people arrive to get the bus, it will have been and gone.

Kojak

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:42:00 -0500

"The bus has never once adhered to the schedule" Never ever follow the schedules unless its 5:30 in the morning at the beginning of the line. Another thing is that when they are ahead of schedule, they will slow the bus down to a crawl and sometimes hang around at a bus stop for a few minutes, with passengers on board! That pisses me off beyond anything.

Andrew J. Lederer

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:38:15 -0500

the M11 (9th ave and 10th ave) bus sucks. It has to be one of the worst bus routes in the city. The bus has never once adhered to the schedule (if the roads are clear and there's no traffic, it's still no where to be found), the drivers are usually the meanest of the mean, and most of them drive well under the posted speed limit of 35MPH (close to 15MPH). When the bus(es) finally does arrive it comes in a pack of 4 or more. 4-5 M11 buses at the same time? WTF!!! [1] Posted by: edEx | June 2, 2006 12:14 PM ******************************************* I think it's called caravaning. The bus drivers hang out together at the end of the line, then all show up a the same time. Meanwhile, the passengers have waited several times longer than they should have. They cracked down on it when I was a kid and things were good for a long while, but it has crept back into full-blown (non-)operation and the MTA doesn't seem to want to address it punitively anymore. They are instead counting on technology fixes. We'll see.

smash

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:35:38 -0500

I thought we could all agree that the M23 was the slowest and most hated bus in Manhattan. OT: Does anyone ride Metro-North? I heard that a truck hit an overpass and delayed a train yesterday. Where can I find out more about that?

tien

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:20:22 -0500

i think this would be great, but i wonder if it's feasible for nyc.

edEx

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:14:19 -0500