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[ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:33:27 2010 Brooklyn Eagle Article LinkTunnel Tours Were Popular, But Trolley Plans Weren’t By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle BROOKLYN — Bob Diamond — the Flatbush transit buff whose discovery of the old Long Island Railroad tunnel under Atlantic Avenue and his tunnel tours were met with enthusiasm but whose efforts to revive trolleys in Red Hook were sidetracked — informed the Eagle Wednesday that he is retiring and leaving Brooklyn. “The last public tunnel tour will be on Sept. 12. After that, I’m discontinuing them and leaving Brooklyn,” he said in an e-mail. He also made angry comments about Joseph Palmieri, the city Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Brooklyn commissioner, accusing him of not only stymieing his Red Hook project but also sitting on grants secured by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and others that could have been used for a streetcar system in the borough. The DOT did not reply to a request for comment by press time. In the late 1970s, Diamond, a young engineering student at what was then Polytechnic University, discovered an entrance to the old LIRR tunnel, unused since the mid-1960s, after poring over old maps at Borough Hall. With the help of other transit enthusiasts, he was able to dig out the tunnel after accessing it from a manhole, and soon began his popular tunnel tours. The tunnel itself, which ran to the waterfront, was filled in around 1864 after a law supported by real-estate interests banned steam trains from Downtown Brooklyn. Recently, National Geographic Television had expressed interest in filming a TV show in the tunnel in which crews would break through one of the tunnel’s walls. It has long been rumored that an 1860s-era steam locomotive is buried behind the wall. “If they can get us together, we’ll still do that — National Geographic has the money,” said Diamond. He again blamed city bureaucracy for holding up the necessary permits. The idea of a streetcar line in Downtown Brooklyn was suggested to Diamond by former Congressman Fred Richmond, although that plan fell through. After Diamond’s interests in trolleys became known when he appeared on a local radio show, a Staten Island resident donated a circa-1897 Norwegian trolley to him. Diamond was able to find storage space in DUMBO, and in 1985 ran the trolley through the area on old tracks using a temporarily-hooked-up overhead wire. In the 1990s, developer Greg O’Connell, owner of Pier 41 and the Beard Street warehouses, heard about Diamond’s plans, liked them, and offered him space in one of his warehouses. Eventually, Diamond was able to collect a small group of early-1950s “PCC” trolley cars from Buffalo. The space was eventually supposed to become a trolley museum. Diamond organized a volunteer group known as the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association and formulated a plan for a Red Hook trolley loop. Diamond was able to get a federal grant for his trolley project with the support of the city DOT and started laying tracks and overhead wire, not only on O’Connell’s property but on the streets of Red Hook. However, the city denied him support for a second grant, claiming he hadn’t tried hard enough to raise private funds for the project. "We’re not clear exactly what he is referring to and what federal grants he believes he is unable to obtain," said a DOT spokesperson. "We hope to start a study soon on the feasibility of a streetcar service in Brooklyn, so it may be early to discuss federal grants for a system whose need has not been determined." In 2003, the tracks on the nearby streets together with their accompanying trolley poles and overhead wire were ripped up. “At that time,” Diamond told the Eagle Wednesday, “the incoming [Bloomberg] administration decided to scrap the project, at a cost to them of about $800,000, rather than complete it for $300,000.” Today, one of Diamond’s trolleys remains in the Beard Street warehouse space; three are behind the Red Hook fairway, exposed to the elements; and the rest, which were stored at the Navy Yard, were “disposed of” by the city after financial troubles. The 1897 Norwegian trolley is now in a museum upstate. O’Connell, around the same time, began eviction proceedings against Diamond. In 2006, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez was able to secure several grants for “design and construction of a light-rail system along the Brooklyn waterfront from Red Hook to Downtown Brooklyn.” At the time, Diamond remarked about how the plan was similar to his own. “They’re still sitting on it,” he said. About 10 years ago, one of Diamond’s former volunteers, former teacher Arthur Melnick, formed his own organization that aims to reintroduce trolleys to Coney Island. “I wish him well in trying to deal with the city,” said Diamond Bill Newkirk |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 19:39:14 2010, in response to [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:33:27 2010. And the drama continues.... |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:45:11 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 19:39:14 2010. And the drama continues....But, of course ! Bill Newkirk |
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iPhone 6 (4.7 Inch) Premium PU Leather Wallet Case - Red w/ Floral Interior - by Notch-It |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Thu Sep 2 19:45:45 2010, in response to [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:33:27 2010. I would think the fiasco that was Al Capone's vault would preclude any televised special revolving around an unproven artifact entombed behind a wall. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Sep 2 19:53:27 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Thu Sep 2 19:45:45 2010. ... or under 76th Street. :) |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 19:55:39 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Thu Sep 2 19:45:45 2010. "the fiasco that was Al Capone's vault"What was that about? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 19:57:52 2010, in response to [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:33:27 2010. If the government will not allow private bus companies to take over abandoned express bus routes they certainly will never allow a privately owned trolley line to operate anywhere in the city.NYC is socialist to the core and has no room for private transit |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:17:13 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 19:57:52 2010. Well, to be honest the last private transit was so bad that the MTA had to take it over (Green Bus, Triboro Coach, Jamaica Bus, Command, Queens Surface, NY Bus Svc and Liberty Lines - although the last three suffered because of the incompetince (?sp) of the first four :()If they did allow his trolley and it was actually successful, the city probably would take it over so they can get the $$ :( |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by R36 #9346 on Thu Sep 2 20:19:42 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 19:55:39 2010. See for yourself. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Grand Concourse on Thu Sep 2 20:34:17 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:17:13 2010. Command was ok as well as JB. It was GL and TBC that had really terrible buses. If they had gotten newer buses, then maybe it wouldn't have been so bad as the media made them out to be. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:40:27 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by R36 #9346 on Thu Sep 2 20:19:42 2010. Thank you I never heard this before. Very interesting, I appreciate it :)I agree maybe it would be good if NatGeo didn't try it with the tunnel. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:57:34 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Grand Concourse on Thu Sep 2 20:34:17 2010. Wrong. The guy who owned the four companies Jerome Cooper was really bad in how he ran the companies. Command you are right wasn't as bad as the other three. But, they weren't good either. Jamiaca too wasn't too bad as that was his favorite system as he grew up on a JB line. Triboro was bad but none of them as bad as GB. I grew up with them and I can say this from many years experience dealing with the privates operated under Cooper since the mid-late 80s. You can ask several long time Queens bus riders and you will see I am not blowing smoke.GB had gotten new buses and they ran them into the ground. The buses weren't terrible they weren't maintained there is a difference. I usually don't side w/ the media but in fact they didn't accurately depict just how bad they were. In fact the service is SOOOOOOOOO much better since the MTA took over. But, not perfect as many drivers who are holdovers from the privates still sometimes act as if they were still private. What did suck tho is QS, NYBS, and LL did a good job in maintaining their buses, service and customer service but because Jerome Cooper et al at the 4 companies he and his company ran were incompetent those companies got screwed. What gets me is Jerome Cooper is still making $$ from the takeover as his company is renting some depots to the MTA. Varsity transit is a school bus company he owns. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:59:33 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Grand Concourse on Thu Sep 2 20:34:17 2010. BTW in the mid-late 80's then Mayor Koch held a town hall type meeting at the local school in my area about the private buses and the auditorium was packed with standees and not one person had anything good to say about the private bus service. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:06:39 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:17:13 2010. It was a self fulfilling prophesy - the city destroyed the private companies by refusing to either sufficiently cover their operating expenses or to allow for fare increases. It also failed to live up to its contractual obligation to provide new buses. The private companies did not fail on their own - the city GOVERNMENT drove them to failure! |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Thu Sep 2 22:07:57 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 19:57:52 2010. So is B. O. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:11:34 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 20:59:33 2010. I'm not breaking balls but how do you remember Koch at a meeting in the 80s but dont know about capone's vault? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:15:34 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:06:39 2010. They helped, but even when they got the new buses they didn't maintain them. Queens Surface, NY Bus Svc and Liberty Lines were fine and did a great job but were the victims of Jerome Cooper and the way he ran Green Bus, Triboro Coach, Jamaica Bus and Commane (worst to best) which really hit the death knell for private transit. The MTA is doing a far better job on these lines than Jerome Cooper and his cronies ever did |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:18:13 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:11:34 2010. TBH, I don't know but I remember the meeting b/c of how bad the privates were and it was my first ever civic type meeting (I think I was 9 or 10 at the time IIRC), but it did stand out b/c not one compliment was given. What I also found interesting was no one from any of the privates showed up to defend themselves :( |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:26:09 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:18:13 2010. What could they defend the buses smelled like urine and ran like shit. I can imagine Koch at the meeting saying something like "err ummm aaaa how are err the ummmm buses ahh doing?" |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:36:10 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:26:09 2010. He was pretty overwhelmed, I didn't think he was prepared for all the complaints and yelling despite the meeting being solely focused on the private buses. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:40:46 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:36:10 2010. of course who gives a damn in city hall about the outer boroughs? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by WillD on Thu Sep 2 22:42:03 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:06:39 2010. It was a self fulfilling prophesy - the city destroyed the private companies by refusing to either sufficiently cover their operating expenses or to allow for fare increases. It also failed to live up to its contractual obligation to provide new buses. The private companies did not fail on their own - the city GOVERNMENT drove them to failure!But with all those subsidies how can that be called a private industry? With the city supplying buses and an operating subsidy, and the 'private' lines using those subsidies to provide service which is subpar when compared to NYCT services, then what was the point of the private operators? It seems they didn't provide any cost competitiveness with the city's other buses, so other than enriching the superfluous management and ownership of the PBLs, why did they bother with these private operations? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:44:42 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 22:40:46 2010. Sad but very true.I will say this was one thing the local gov't and MTA did right as service on the 4 companies mentioned greatly improvved. It isn't perfect, but it is heaven compared to what the service used to be and I am not exaggerating :( |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:51:45 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:15:34 2010. The MTA has DOUBLE the subsidy that Cooper had, New buses, AND DOUBLE the fare. If they were not doing better then they would really be PATHETIC indeed!IF the MTA were receiving the same subsidy, the same buses, and the same fare that Cooper had then I would agree with you. Apples and Oranges! |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:54:23 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by WillD on Thu Sep 2 22:42:03 2010. The operating subsidy was required because the city refused to allow them to increase fares to sufficiently cover their costs. That was the city's choice. Also the subsidy was maintained at an artificially low level - The MTA is now receiving DOUBLE or close to TRIPLE the subsidy the privates did even after DOUBLING the fare! |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:20:00 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 22:44:42 2010. Oh I Iknow man. Bus service is much better on the Q35 and 22 now. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:20:23 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:51:45 2010. Sorry we will have to agree to disagree.5 Years before the MTA took over they were given brand new buses and guess what? Within 2 years they started having issues. The fact of the matter is Cooper did not maintain his fleet. Cooper had the same subsidy for his four companies as Queens Surface, Liberty Lines and NY Bus Service. How come they had far better service and a fleet of buses that were in much better shape?? Because they used the $$ they did get right and maintained their fleet whereas Cooper did not. I agree NYC DOT could have done better too, I am not as I said in previous posts placing the entire blame on Cooper as NYC DOT did have a hand in it, but Cooper does deserve 98% of the blame. Sorry not apples and oranges. I still say kudos to the city and MTA for fixing a problem that needed fixing. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:23:36 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:20:00 2010. Yes, and I can tell you that service on the Q60 (which many of my neighbors called the Q Shitty) is much better. Service on the Q38, 72 is much better. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:27:17 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:23:36 2010. Going back, does this mean you don't remember the live tv special when they opened the Andrea Doria's safe? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:34:07 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:27:17 2010. Sadly no. Around that time TBH I wasn't much interested in much trains, and buses was it at that time, now I am interested in a lot more and now trying to play catch up.I will look up if I can get a copy of that and the Al Capone Fiasco. It is funny as I am interested in Capone so I am ashamed I didn't know about the vault. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 23:38:26 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:20:23 2010. I would give credit to the MTA ONLY if they fixed it with the SAME subsidy. Instead they doubled the fare AND doubled the subsidy. They deserve nothingWhat good is it to give the privates new buses IF the city did not give them sufficient funds to maintain them? The city refused to live up to its contract. Why should the companies maintain buses out of their own pockets? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:44:22 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 23:38:26 2010. Again, Cooper was given the same % of funds for his companies as Queens Surface, NY Bus Service and Liberty Lines. They were able to maintain their buses, follow a schedule and hire decent staff with the same amount of $$. So, answer this: How were they able to do it with the same % of $$ and Cooper couldn't?? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 23:47:02 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:44:22 2010. Then why does the MTA require double the subsidy and double the fare? Just proves how incompetent and inefficient the MTA is |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:51:13 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:34:07 2010. we're about the same age and I saw that stuff back then and got a kick out of it. look up the andrea doria safe thing too, although the capone vault thing was much more dramatic. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:55:28 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 23:47:02 2010. Yes but Cooper was more incompetent.You know I have a lot of respect for you, and we do agree on most things, but I must ask why you are dodging this question that I asked twice: "How were they able to do it with the same % of $$ and Cooper couldn't??" Sad to say there isn't really an answer because he was incompetent. The other 3 companies were able to maintain their buses and follow a timetable, while Cooper was busy not maintaining his buses, and running subpar service. A telling tale was right after the MTA took over the private lines, at both Green Bus depots they had to tow out buses that were so bad off they had to scrap them as they were killed by Cooper's lack of maintenance. And do you know where some of that extra $$ the MTA is getting goes to?? I'll tell you: right back to our friend Cooper who as part of the deal to get the MTA to finally give mercy to us, is to rent the depots he owned. I am not saying the MTA is a total angel but they did give us pax mercy. They need the extra $$ to help pay for the depots that Cooper is renting to the MTA. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:59:18 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:51:13 2010. For me while growing up I didn't have interests except trains and buses. I was very sheltered as a kid by my parents. It wasn't until I got older that I realized what all of my interests were now I am playing catch up.In addition to being a railfan, I am becoming a history buff. But always learning. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Sep 3 00:05:18 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:59:18 2010. 10_4 what were your favorite buses and trains as a kid? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Fri Sep 3 00:07:14 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Thu Sep 2 23:55:28 2010. If the other three companies were able to maintain their service then why was the city hell bent on driving them out of business too? Seems to me the city and the MTA have no solution for transit in NY other than the socialist solution. Lets face it the city does not want private transportation of any kind to exist - it drove the IRT and BMT out of business and continues the same pattern to this date.Lets assume that the MTA requires double the subsidy to cover the rentals. Why does it also require double the fare then too? Seems to me they are quadruple dipping. As for the Cooper companies receiving the same subsidy as the other three - I will do some research on that |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Fri Sep 3 00:15:25 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Thu Sep 2 22:54:23 2010. because the city refused to allow them to increase fares to sufficiently cover their costs.And you'd complain about the high fares being charged by the private operators to maintain service and generate a profit... |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Olog-hai on Fri Sep 3 00:19:04 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Fri Sep 3 00:15:25 2010. High fares? Nope. O.N.E. Bus Company was able to run route 24 (Orange-Elizabeth) out of the farebox for many years while keeping in line with NJT's fares. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Olog-hai on Fri Sep 3 00:20:11 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Fri Sep 3 00:07:14 2010. Agreed; certainly looked like a big socialist experiment being engaged in. Hasn't worked though, has it. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Fri Sep 3 00:21:42 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Fri Sep 3 00:05:18 2010. Fishbowls. I remember them on the Q38. I have rode a few on the Q60. I liked the private Grummans they used to appear frequently on the Q60. Of course the RTS's. Growing up on the QBlvd line my favos were the R32s pre and post GOH. It is funny though, because I remember seeing them with their blue doors original fronts and then when they came back I initiallt thought they were new lol, it took me a while to realize these were the same cars fixed up. But I preferred them pre GOH. The R46s before GOH I miss the windows that the R44s have but they took that out in GOH :( I used to love the redbirds when my parents took me to Shea and I never wanted to get off the 7.How about u? |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by BMTLines on Fri Sep 3 00:24:11 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Fri Sep 3 00:15:25 2010. No - but I do complain about the high taxes we pay to maintain the MTA in addition to the fare. We are paying the full price for the service regardless of whether it comes from the farebox or exorbitant taxes. A private operator would be more efficient even allowing for a profit, |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Fri Sep 3 00:30:56 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Olog-hai on Fri Sep 3 00:19:04 2010. O.N.E. Bus Company was able to run route 24 (Orange-Elizabeth) out of the fareboxDid they employ drivers a wage and fringe benefits package like those given to New Jersey Transit employees or did they pay crap wages? Did they maintain the buses to high standards* or did they cut corners and get "free" buses from the state to cover their capital costs? Did they maintain frequent service during off-peak hours that was reasonable, or did they magically disappear middays and after 7 PM? And did they have to cross subsidize less profitable services like NJT does in order to provide some semblance of state-wide service... *IIRC, the Academy RTSes that I rode in Hoboken rode like crap compared to NJT's aged Flxible buses and those were crap compared to the ancient RTSes we had in Queens... |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Olog-hai on Fri Sep 3 00:31:11 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by arnine on Fri Sep 3 00:21:42 2010. The Fishbowl was at least the first bus that didn't look like a trolley after the "old look" types.  |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Fri Sep 3 00:32:34 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Fri Sep 3 00:07:14 2010. I agree and when the takeover happened I was annoyed at all 7 seven being taken over.I think but can be wrong that it was said they couldn't take over just the four that needed it. If it was up to me, I would have had them just take the 4 companies over. The other three were great. But, TBH I am not sorry the takeover happened as now many riders have good service compared to the sh*t Cooper provided. I think the fare thing was to make everything uniform which is not always a bad idea, but I think the subsidy hike is not efficient and agree the MTA should be more efficient I was not disputing that part of your comments. Cooper did receive 4 x the subsidy as each of the other 3 companies since he had 4 companies. Which, actually make it worse that he didn't maintain the buses and did not provide service (the service TBH he did provide really doesn't deserve to be called service - sorry) as if he was efficent and pooled the resources he could have made a profit. When the takeover happened I remember a DOT rep at a local community meeting saying the subsidy rates for each company was the same. It wasn't a set amount in $$ but a % of the entire pot based on the amount of routes and size of each company which means Cooper received 47% of the pot if my math is ok. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Grand Concourse on Fri Sep 3 00:36:08 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Catfish 44 on Thu Sep 2 23:20:00 2010. For the Q35, it's consistant and the drivers stops at the designated marks. Before sometimes the drivers just assumed the B41 was going to pick up the riders and skipped the stop and they could be back to back or have like 30min b/w buses and this is midday hours. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by arnine on Fri Sep 3 00:37:26 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Olog-hai on Fri Sep 3 00:31:11 2010. Yes. I also liked the old looks even though my only experience w/them was at the NYTM bus festivals. I liked the fishbowls and when I was in the Philippines last year I saw a few there and hope they are still there when I go in Dec. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Grand Concourse on Fri Sep 3 00:39:25 2010, in response to Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by BMTLines on Fri Sep 3 00:24:11 2010. Yup. The way some routes like the Bm4 is running now, it's not very efficent. The MTA in general should probably let the private operators takeover mose of the lowest use express bus lines. Higher 'priority lines' like the X1 and such would probably be kept. |
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Re: [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn |
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Posted by Triangle Junction on Fri Sep 3 00:56:08 2010, in response to [ARTICLE] Bob Diamond Leaving Brooklyn, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Sep 2 19:33:27 2010. For all the hate the cooper 4 get, I NEVER had a problem with Command Bus Lines. Their fleet was well maintained and they ran fairly on time.OTOH, the guys at LL and (especially) NYBS HATE the take over. |
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