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Re: B44 Progress Report Released

Posted by R30A on Thu Jul 21 23:26:49 2016, in response to Re: B44 Progress Report Released, posted by R30A on Thu Jul 21 23:11:20 2016.

Page 5.
"The Need to Pay an Extra FareSince the local terminates at Flushing Avenue with onlytheSBS traveling the entire route to Williamsburg Plaza, those transferring at the Plaza must either initially board an SBS bus or pay an extra fare when transferring to a third bus or train after changing from the local to the SBS. Since SBS bus stops are placed as much as a mile apart, some must rely on the local. Anyone else who wants to transfer between the local and SBS and also use another bus or train, must also pay an additional fare unless they are in possession of an unlimited MetroCard which is used only by about half the riders. Nowhere in this Progress Report does the MTA quantify how many are paying extra fares to usethe B44 SBS and this need will even becomegreater with the B46 SBS."
This is a nonissue which has nothing at all to do with SBS. If the MTA wanted they could institute an additional free transfer.

"Inadequate Public Noticeand Unfair Fair Evasion SummonsesThere was poor public notice regarding the shift of buses from New York to Rogers Avenue and the new payment system resultingin initial mass confusion for B44 passengers. It wasnot until weeks after implementation that notices were placed inside buses notifying passengers of the route change.If one hasn't heard of SBS prior to boarding, most likely he will be confused regarding the need to pay your fare before youboard. That is because the fare machines are sometimes located more than 20 feet from the front of the bus and look similar to muni-meter machines. The large print on the sign only says "Get Ticket Here" and there is no sign on the outside of the bus warning passengers not to board without a receipt.Additionally, to add to the confusion, SBS in Staten Island allows you to pay on the bus and some bus stops are shared by SBS and regular buses. Once I was aboard the 34 Street SBS that was not painted in the SBS color scheme, so it can be very confusing especially fortourists or when English is not your first language. One lawyer is taking SBS fare evasion cases pro bonofor that reason.Bus Operators have been known to tell passengers they could board and pay at the following SBS Bus Stop if all the fare machines are out of order. However, enforcement agents have given these passengers $100 summonses before they had the opportunity to alight the bus to get a receipt even if they were in possession of an unlimited ride card."
This is almost entirely false. There are signs placed as part of the SBS conversion. Every SBS Bus has a fare payment sign on its door. Non SBS buses on SBS lines are incredibly rare. Enforcement agents are alerted to the locations of broken Machines and are instructed NOT to ticket passengers boarding at those locations.

"The Need for Additional SBS Bus StopsPassengers had to fight for monthsto get two additional SBS bus stopswhere the Limited previously stopped, engaging their elected officials and gathering petitions, while a request to add a third SBS bus stopwas denied due to low transfer volumes from other bus routes. Instead of that being the only factor, the MTA needed to consider that the closestSBS stops are a half mile away in either direction and how many would use an SBS stop at Avenue R if one were in place by considering the present number of boardings not only at Avenue R, but also at Quentin Road and Avenue S as well. Also, they usedthe excuse that existing driveways prevented longer bus stops when driveways exist in bus stops throughout the city.Yet, theMTA makes it appear that these stops were added willingly in response to community requests.Inadequate Local Service, Poor Bus Reliabilityand Nearly Empty SBS Buses During the Peak HourWe know from media reports that local passengers initially complained about a denigration in local bus service claiming routine 40minute waits for a localbus after SBS began. They had to wait months for local service to be increased. SBS buses still routinely arrive three at a time with no reduction in bus bunching despite the exclusive bus lanes."
Yes, to make the B44 SBS an effective limited route, many of the absurdly close stops at the south end of the B44 had to be eliminated for the SBS. That is a feature, not a bug. Having to walk a half mile to a limited station is not a bad thing. That is what makes it a limited. If you don't want to ride a limited bus, there is always the local.


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