Allan Rosen is a former director of MTA NYCT Bus Planning with three decades of experience in transportation and a Master's Degree in Urban Planning.
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: In Part 4 [/commute-need-moratorium-future-sbs-routes-part-4-5/], we discussed installing true Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for the Woodhaven Boulevard Corridor. Now we will look at general problems with Select Bus Service (SBS), which the MTA and DOT ignore in their “infomercials” misnamed community involvement. The Problem With Transfers You
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: In Part 3 [/commute-need-moratorium-future-sbs-routes-part-3-5/], we discussed community involvement. SBS Future Plans New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced at a February 10, 2015 City Council hearing [http://www.streetsblog.org/2015/02/10/trottenberg-dot-goes-parking-space-by-parking-space-in-sbs-planning/] that the next Select Bus Service (SBS) route
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Last week, in Part 2 [/commute-need-moratorium-future-sbs-routes-part-2-5/], we discussed the misrepresentation of facts, contradictions, and how so many are fooled. We now continue that discussion. Separating Fact From Fiction None of the problems that current Select Bus Service (SBS) routes have encountered are mentioned at these sales
Photo by Allan RosenTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Last week in Part 1 [/commute-need-moratorium-future-sbs-routes-part-1-5/], we discussed unsubstantiated claims and outright lies used to mislead the public that Select Bus Service (SBS) is a greater success than it is, if in fact it is a success at all. At the February 10th
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: The B44 Nostrand Avenue Route was one-year-old in November 2014. Yet we still don’t have the first year assessment for that route. Its implementation was plagued with problems [/b44-sbs-update-initial-reviews-are-in-part-3-of-3/]. There still has not been a single report that shows SBS has been beneficial. By that
A Metro-North train on the Harlem Line. Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: First we had massive delays on Metro-North last Monday due to snow and ice. Passengers were stuck on a cold train [http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/02/02/weather-related-problems-halt-metro-north-train-for-2-hours-near-pelham/] for two hours when they were promised a train
Opinion
Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Did Governor Andrew Cuomo make the correct decision to shut down the subways because of an impending blizzard that just missed New York City? No. Did Mayor Bill de Blasio make the correct decision to close all roadways to non-emergency traffic? Yes. Why the discrepancy?
Source: The ScepterTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: The MTA has a problem and they know it. How do you most efficiently transport 1,500 passengers by bus from Kingsborough Community College to the subway every afternoon during the peak 30 minutes [/rosen-kcc-bus-service-could-be-cut-by-a-third-on-friday-afternoons/] between Monday and Thursday? I wrote about this problem
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Last week, we criticized [/commute-reinventing-mta-part-2-3/] the MTA Reinvention Commission Report for the lack of specifics it provided. Rather than discussing how to reinvent the MTA, the report provided justification regarding past and current MTA projects and suggested some new directions the MTA should take. This is
opinions
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: Last week, we started speaking about reinventing the MTA [/commute-reinventing-mta-part-1-3/], a subject we should have gotten to in 2014. We started criticizing the MTA Reinvention Committee’s report [http://web.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/pdf/MTA_Reinvention_Report_141125.pdf]. One of those criticisms was
THE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: The MTA didn’t receive the nickname “More Trouble Ahead” in the 1970s for no reason. Deadlines are routinely missed and capital projects are over budget. The MTA is like a lumbering elephant slowly moving forward. That is except for during times of crisis, when the
Click to enlargeTHE COMMUTE [/tag/the-commute/]: It’s time again for our yearly wrap-up as The Commute ends its fourth year. So just as we did in 2013 [/the-commute-reflecting-on-2013s-mass-transit-news/], we will summarize the Commute’s top stories. Vision Zero The biggest story of the year was Mayor Bill de Blasio’