buses - Bklyner

Politicians Push New Transit Options, But Are They Viable L Train Alternatives?

With the L Train shutdown six months away—and weekend closures of the entire line in the meantime—Brooklyn residents and local politicians are looking into any kind of alternative transportation they can find. Of course, the MTA has its plans: bolster service on adjacent lines to absorb passengers, a

News

Slower Than ‘A Herd Of Lumbering Elephants’: New Study Seeks To Improve Bus Service

A bus stopping at the corner of Fort Greene Place and Lafayette Avenue. (Photo by Mitchell Trinka)Transit advocates have rolled out a new drive to improve NYC’s buses and their ridership. Elected officials and activists introduced a busload of new ideas during a call to adopt the recommendations

Police & Fire

Sen. Golden’s New Bill Will Make Subway & Bus Crimes Easier To Track

Photo by Robert SSafety advocated are hailing a new law, sponsored by Senator Marty Golden and Assemblyman James Brennan, as an important tool in protecting commuters and MTA workers from crime and sexual assault. The bill, signed into law this week by Governor Andrew Cuomo, will require the NYPD to

Opinion

The Commute: Dangerous Road Conditions

The Cypress Hills Street exit and entrance to the Jackie Robinson Parkway. Yellow and white pavement markings are gone when you exit the parkway. (Photo: Google Maps)THE COMMUTE: In July, I discussed confusing signage on the Gowanus Expressway regarding the Belt Parkway exit existing for months. It could lead

bus

Brooklyn Mela Will Be Celebrated On Coney Island Avenue This Sunday; Watch Out For Street Closures And Bus Changes

A food vendor at last year’s mela. Photo by Ditmas Park CornerMusic and food will fill Coney Island Avenue, between Avenue H and Newkirk Avenue, this Sunday, August 16, for the annual Brooklyn Mela, which celebrates Pakistan’s independence day. Sponsored by the Pakistani American Merchants Association, the festival

Opinion

The Commute: The MTA And DOT Still Are Not Answering Questions

THE COMMUTE: The first Woodhaven / Cross Bay Select Bus Service (SBS) newsletter has been released. It claims to provide the latest updated information on the project. However, all it does is reiterate the same information that had previously been provided. The DOT promised, at an April workshop, to provide on

Opinion

The Commute: NYC Department Of Transportation (DOT) Announces Final Plans For Woodhaven Boulevard

Click to enlargeTHE COMMUTE: Why should this concern readers of Sheepshead Bites? Well, if you drive to Queens using Woodhaven Boulevard, chances are this will no longer be an option for you. Due to greatly increased traffic congestion, Woodhaven Boulevard will no longer be the best alternative. Your remaining choices

Opinion

The Commute: The Elephant In The Room

Source: WikipediaTHE 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? Because the

allan rosen

The Commute: How To Meaningfully Improve Traffic Safety — Part 2 Of 2

The famed Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, which connects Queens and Manhattan. Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE: In Part 1, we asked if the real purpose for the new 25 MPH speed limit is increased safety or increased revenue. If the city is as concerned with increased safety as much as it claims,

allan rosen

The Commute: A History Of Street Signage – Part 1 Of 3

Photo by Allan RosenTHE COMMUTE: Street signage is as old as New York, first appearing on the sides of buildings, usually in white letters on a dark blue background. It also appeared early on in rural areas at intersections atop a small pole in a crisscross fashion in white on

Opinion

The Commute: Why Is Transit Planning For Large-Scale Events So Difficult?

It’s all your fault, California Chrome. Bad horsey! Source: WikipediaTHE COMMUTE: Last winter, thousands of people waited three hours for New Jersey Transit trains at the Meadowlands to go home from the Super Bowl. That was mentioned last February in our discussion about how transit riders continually get screwed.

Opinion

Of Government Hypocrisy: Part 2 Of 2

Fun times…not. Source: Wilderbee / FlickrTHE COMMUTE: Last week in Part 1, we discussed city hypocrisy regarding transportation issues. The MTA isn’t innocent in this regard either. It was revealed last week that Metro-North gave a higher priority to on-time performance than to safety, possibly contributing to last December’

Opinion

What Can We Expect From The City’s New Transportation Commissioner?

Polly Trottenberg, the city’s new DOT commissioner. Source: Transportation for America / FlickrTHE COMMUTE: On the day before he took office, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he was appointing Polly Trottenberg as Transportation Commissioner. She replaced the controversial Janette Sadik-Khan who held the position for the past six years. Trottenberg

86th St.

Golden, Quaglione Renew Call For Restoration Of Weekend Bus Service On X28

Photo Courtesy Of Justin BrannanState Senator Marty Golden and Republican City Council candidate John Quaglione are renewing their calls for a restoration of weekend bus service on the X28 line from Bath Beach to Manhattan. The duo sent a letter, along with “hundreds of petitions,” to the MTA calling for

buses

Morning Commutes Ruined By Cortelyou Bus Reroutes, Fire At Church Subway

Did you get to work on time this morning, and not smelling like smoke? Count yourself lucky, because multiple transportation issues converged today, making the commute worse than usual for many Ditmas Park residents. We came across this sign being put up at 8:15am, long after many folks had

buses

Let’s Talk Subway And Bus Signage

Photo by Allan RosenTHE COMMUTE: Last week we discussed DOT street and parking signage. In January we mentioned the lack of clarity of the subway fare signs at the station agent booths. What about the rest of the MTA signage? In this area, the MTA scores rather well, making significant

B103

NYPD Searching for Robbery Suspects Who Attacked a Girl on the B103 Bus

On Monday, March 11 at about 4pm, three teen girls punched a 15-year-old girl in the face while riding the B103 bus and stole her iPhone, police say. The attackers then fled the bus in the vicinity of Church Avenue and East 3rd Street. The victim suffered minor injuries. The

b39

EXCLUSIVE: Bus Service Restorations, Improvements To Be Implemented January 6

Photo by Allan RosenYOU READ IT HERE FIRST: The MTA will announce next week that most bus lines identified earlier this year for service restorations, investments and improvements will take effect on January 6. Other improvements will not kick in until January 20. Sheepshead Bites first got wind of the

Opinion

A Tale Of Two Cities: Chicago and New York – Part 1 Of 2

All photos by and courtesy of Allan RosenTHE COMMUTE: Hey, let’s give Chicago top billing for a change. I’ve always wondered why Downtown Chicago retained its Els when New York City decided to get rid of them in Downtown and Midtown. I think I figured out the reason

allan rosen

MTA May Restore Some Service Cutbacks: The Latest On Fare-Beating And Much More

Source: MTATHE COMMUTE: As the second anniversary of the largest service cutbacks in New York City History quietly passed on June 27th, the MTA hinted at its monthly board meeting for the first time that they were considering the restoration of some cuts. The New York Times has the story.

accidents

Photo: Car Vs. Bus Shelter, Avenue Z & E. 13th Street

Photo by David T.In the ongoing war between private and public transportation, there is no compassion, no kindness, no mercy. No one is spared, not even innocent bus shelters standing by the side of the road, doing nothin’ to nobody. Everything is fair game, and curbs mean nothing to

buses

Video: Do Buses In The Morning Smell Like Victory?

One person seems to know why New York is the city that never sleeps. IMASCORPIO25 has posted the above video, apparently shot in Bensonhurst, on YouTube. In the video, loud buses, sneezing passerby and other assorted street noises show why sleeping in our metropolis can be so difficult. At least

Opinion

B4 Cuts Revised, But Still Problematic

Allan Rosen is a 25-year veteran of the MTA, including a former Director of Bus Planning. He’s also a Sheepshead Bay-area resident and one of the original planners behind the B4 route. He previously criticized the MTA’s latest round of cuts, and here he questions the revisions made