Photo by Allan Rosen
THE COMMUTE: Last Wednesday, I rode the B4 bus to obtain some signatures for the petition started by the Sheepshead Bay-Plumb Beach Civic Association to restore service to Plumb Beach on mid-days, evenings and weekends. I boarded the first bus of the afternoon that was due to arrive at Avenue Z and East 16th Street at 1:52 p.m. because it would, presumably, have more passengers than the following buses. There were between 15 and 20 on board and not enough time for me to ask everyone to sign the petition. Most were very eager to sign; a few declined. On my two round trips I collected about 30 signatures.
It gave me the opportunity to speak to the passengers as well as the bus drivers. What was most surprising was that about five riders on the first trip had no idea that they were on the first bus since 9:00 a.m. That tells me that, after two years, there still are people waiting for the bus all day long, eventually giving up after waiting 30 minutes or an hour when they finally decide to check the bus schedule.
One of the passengers who did not know she was on the first bus, asked the driver when we were approaching Knapp Street, and where to get off for the fishing boats. I told her we already passed them because you cannot see them from the Belt Parkway service road and she should wait until the last stop and ride back. It was her first time in Sheepshead Bay and she made the trip just to see the bay because she heard it was such a nice place to visit.
Now the MTA believes everyone who rides a bus does it because they have to get somewhere and have no other choice. They don’t believe anyone makes discretionary trips, just because a service exists. There are many other things the MTA does not know about its passengers, like those who are forced to take car service during times the B4 does not operate. If they had sent a representative to last week’s Transit Town Hall, they would have known that.
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THE COMMUTE: In Part 1, I outlined my reasons for a new bus route to the Rockaways, an extension of the B31 to Bensonhurst, combination of the B2 and B100, and partially restoring the B4 to serve Neptune Avenue in Brighton Beach. Today I discuss the remaining proposals.
Operation Of MTA’s Proposed B44 Select Bus Service (SBS) to Sheepshead Bay Station Instead Of To Knapp Street
The MTA maintains that they cannot afford to operate routes such as the B4, which carry as little as six passengers per bus, yet they are proposing to boost B44 Nostrand Avenue service from every four minutes in the rush hours — when you count both locals and limiteds — to every three minutes. The B44 will also only carry about six passengers per bus south of Avenue Z, operating much more frequently than the B4, when it operates at all. Where is the logic?
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Fans reach out to touch Judy Garland during her historic 1961 performance at Carnegie Hall. It is possible that one of those people near the front of the stage is my Mom. Source: Biography.com
BETWEEN THE LINES: All these years after her passing, I still think of my Mom, especially on Mother’s Day. I can’t send her a greeting card, so this remembrance will have to suffice.
When the commercials for sales and deals start popping up on television, days before Mother’s Day, I tune them out since they don’t concern me.
My mother died on December 24, 1998. It was Christmas Eve. For the last 14 years, even though I never observed Christmas — because I’m Jewish — Christmas Eve is a time of recollection, not celebration.
For that matter, so is Mother’s Day. Other than thinking about her and sending a silent message on the second Sunday in May, ever since the first one, five months after she died at age 76, its impact fades with each passing year.
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THE COMMUTE: Above is the map I created showing my proposed bus routing changes for Southern Brooklyn. Yesterday, I discussed why changes are needed in Sheepshead Bay and surrounding neighborhoods — to build ridership on our bus routes, so that the MTA does not continue on its destructive path of cutting service and severing bus connections, as I discussed at the recent NYC Bus Riders’ Forum. There is untapped demand, yet the MTA refuses to acknowledge this, wanting us to believe that buses are only necessary to reach subway stations, so many routes — especially the ones with light patronage — can be discontinued inconveniencing just a few.
They do this by distorting the effects a route’s discontinuation will have, always citing alternate nearby routes that could be used, even if they are not practical. They do not understand the role that the bus can play in our mass transit system. They do not recognize that many seniors are not able to walk stairs to use the subway system because few stations are handicapped accessible. They are so shortsighted that they do not recognize that fewer and shorter bus routes, or routes that do not operate on weekends, will only drive up the cost of providing Access-A-Ride. There is a deficit that has to be plugged and the best way to do that is to reduce operating costs by cutting service. That is the extent of their thinking.
Now is the time to show them they are wrong and that more needs to be done — that they need to start thinking about expanding bus service. Now is the time to recognize untapped demand that has always existed, that the MTA is not aware of because they keep zero statistics on the number of trips that can only be conveniently made by car service.
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Flier for our Town Hall meeting this Thursday. Come and make a difference!
THE COMMUTE: I have been planning bus routes for my entire professional life, 10 years of which was in some type of official capacity. It is what I most enjoy doing. However, this article is not about me. It is about you. It is about how Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Bensonhurst, and Brighton Beach can get better bus service by having fewer transfers and shorter walks with little added costs.
I developed a set of bus route proposals, including a few routing changes, some extensions, one new route, and elimination of another. It would involve a small investment in our bus system, which is why the MTA will say it cannot be done since their policy is to only implement zero cost changes. They want to reduce the size of our bus system to encourage more subway use even if those trips are indirect and cause much inconvenience. They are not interested in increasing bus connections to make bus service more convenient.
You can show support for these ideas, which I will explain tomorrow and Wednesday, or any others you may have to improve bus service, at Thursday’s Town Hall (click here for details).
If we stick together as a community and work with our neighboring communities and our elected officials, the MTA will have to hear and listen to us. Communities in the past have rarely initiated bus routing changes. They just sat back and merely accepted whatever the MTA has doled out. The only time they speak up is to oppose a change the MTA is proposing. That is not the way it has to be. Now is the time to be proactive instead of reactive.
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We all got a little bruised up for our daring escapades as children; adults are there to prevent worse when we don't know better. (Source: sugarsnaptastic/Flickr)
BETWEEN THE LINES: In the aftermath of the death of the 12-year-old Brownsville boy who was crushed to death last Sunday when he got stuck in an ascending automatic parking lot gate, everyone’s been quick to point the finger in blame.
Some residents of the project where the incident occurred hold the management responsible due to the lack of recreational facilities on the property. Some criticized the mentality left over from the pop cultural craze known as Jackass, where daring — reckless seems more appropriate — people performed stupid and dangerous stunts just to get fleeting attention on Facebook or YouTube.
For those who may not know, Jackass was a popular MTV reality show for three seasons. It ended a decade ago, yet spawned three movies, a web site and a bunch of controversy, including condemnation by Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman after a teenager from his state got severely burned. MTV responded by programming the series after 10 p.m., when its youngest viewers were supposed to be fast asleep.
You can imagine how effective that was, knowing from personal experience that when youngsters, especially teenagers, are prohibited from participating in an activity, they routinely attempt to elude the ban.
This tragedy triggered a memory of a personal Jackass moment from my youth, which, thankfully, did not end in tragedy.
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Source: MTAPhotos / Flickr
THE COMMUTE: MTA funding always seems to be in the news. Another fare hike is scheduled for January 2013. The MTA’s continuing money woes are primarily due to the large debt it has to repay on the money it borrows through its bonds. Repealing a portion of the payroll tax, reduced state funding, and the MTA’s own inefficiencies did not help either.
Last January, I wrote how the MTA has the opportunity to refinance a portion of its debt at lower interest rates. It was also revealed at that time that whenever the MTA takes on debt, it must also pay the state a fee of $8.40 for every $1,000 it borrows. The fees can be substantial considering how much the MTA needs to borrow. These fees may have once made sense to discourage unnecessary borrowing, but do not make sense today with very limited federal, state, and city aid. The Staten Island Advance has a well-written editorial on the subject.
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“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, and hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent.” — Stephen King
BETWEEN THE LINES: That statement sums up my love of books. But, I write this not to praise the prolific, best-selling author, but to extol the joy of reading that has given me untold hours of pleasure.
Reading is my favorite leisure time diversion. A rock and roll enthusiast since I first heard Elvis Presley in my youth, I’ve enjoyed books even longer. While rock music may energize my spirit, opening a new book with its just-printed scent and crisp, yet fragile, pages stimulates my mind from the opening sentence that transports me to unexplored worlds.
To help broaden my passion for books and reading to others, I volunteered to be a “book giver” on April 23, which was designated the second annual World Book Night. The event is the brainchild of a Scottish book publisher, who kicked it off last year in Ireland and the United Kingdom, to spread a love of reading and books. (I’m still not clear why the word “night” is used, as opposed to “day,” so, from here, I will refer to the event as World Book Day [or WBD]).
Keep reading, and tell us what kind of things you like to read!
THE COMMUTE: About 25 bus riders asked questions of the MTA during the NYC Transit Riders Council Bus Forum last Wednesday before an audience of approximately 100.
Disabled riders were given priority and spoke for the first 45 minutes. Seniors were also adequately represented. Complaints ranged from buses skipping stops and stops eliminated on Manhattan crosstown routes at key transfer points, to those about bus drivers and service cutbacks of 2010. Several seniors complained that Select Bus Service (SBS) is inconvenient for them because the bus stops are too far apart. Only a few riders praised SBS as speeding their trip. The SBS route receiving the most criticism was the M34. One person stated that he is a regular user of it and it saves him a whopping 30 seconds. He added that because of the money spent on it, none is left for bus improvements in the outer boroughs. A question was asked why there are no bus stops along Ocean Parkway at Avenue Y and Avenue Z for the B1. I responded for the MTA that it was a Department of Transportation (DOT) decision to omit those stops which the MTA wanted, since I attended those discussions with DOT in 1978.
Unlike MTA hearings where Board members seem generally disinterested and do not reply to questions being asked, an attempt was made to answer every question and a promise was made to investigate ones that could not be answered. Andrew Albert, chair of the NYC Transit Riders Council, did a good job moderating and most of those on the panel listened intently and constantly took notes. The two-minute time limit was not really enforced, although speakers were advised to quickly conclude their remarks if they ran over. The meeting lasted 30 minutes longer than scheduled in order to give everyone who signed up an opportunity to speak.
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Ned’s risking a lot today by letting me write the Open Thread, but, frankly, I don’t care. This has been bothering me for some time now and I need to vent.
DRIVING IN SHEEPSHEAD BAY SUCKS.
There, I said it. I feel much better. Today, due to various road closures and ass-hat drivers it took me over 30 minutes to drive from Avenue W and 23rd Street to Avenue Z and Homecrest Avenue. Usually this drive takes less than five minutes, but not today. No, today it seemed that every street was either blocked or had some idiot driver causing chaos.
First, I encountered a Mercedes making an illegal U-turn on Avenue X. This schmuck couldn’t even accomplish this simple feat in the standard three-point turn. Instead, they needed six attempts to turn the car around.
Next, a Nissan heading south on Ocean Avenue couldn’t decide if it wanted the left or right lane. Instead it drove down middle of both lanes at less than 20 miles an hour all the while swerving from side to side to keep me from passing. Turning onto Avenue Y – guess what? Another car performing another illegal U-turn!
And look there, the MTA has the overpass closed off, forcing me to turn onto East 16th Street. Three lights later I finally make it to the intersection with Avenue Z. Here traffic is backed up in both directions while a black pickup is double parked and a tow truck is perpendicular to the street as it tries to lift a Lexus onto its bed. After a couple of futile attempts, the tow truck driver abandons his vehicle mid-street to talk with the driver of the pickup!
And what the hell is going on with the timing of the lights around here lately? Have you tried to cross Coney Island Avenue via Avenue Y or Avenue Z lately? Late afternoon traffic backs up almost to the tracks, EVERY day.
It’s bad enough that the DOT and the MTA conspire against us, but why the hell aren’t we more cognizant of our fellow drivers? C’mon everyone. I know we can do better than this.
