Deucey Posted March 20, 2020 Share #1 Posted March 20, 2020 https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/transit/2020/03/20/mta-local-bus-riders-to-essentially-ride-for-free-starting-monday?cid=twitter_NY1 MTA Local Bus Riders to Essentially Ride for Free Starting Monday By Dan Rivoli New York City PUBLISHED 6:34 PM ET Mar. 20, 2020 Passengers on local buses will be riding for free, as part of the MTA’s effort to safeguard riders and bus drivers from the outbreak of coronavirus. Starting Monday, bus riders on local and Select Bus Service routes must enter and exit through rear doors. Officially, the $2.75 fare is in effect. But practically, riders will be unable to dip their MetroCards or toss in their coins into the farebox next to the driver. Riders on Select Bus Service routes, however, still must pay at curbside fareboxes that give riders a receipt that gets checked periodically. "Rear-door boarding will help ensure a safe social distance," Sarah Feinberg, interim NYC Transit president overseeing subways and buses, said in a statement. "The safety of our employees and customers is priority one." The new policy was hashed out between the MTA and the two unions representing bus drivers across the city. Riders who are disabled or use wheelchairs can still board at the front of buses as normal. Express bus riders will also board as normal, but the first three rows will be off limits, to protect drivers. "This is the right move," said Tony Utano, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100. "It will better protect our bus operators, give them some peace of mind, and demonstrate that their concerns have been heard." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtehpanda Posted March 21, 2020 Share #2 Posted March 21, 2020 Interestingly enough, front-door payment on entry is not the norm around the world. In Japan, on some bus systems you enter through the back door, take a slip or scan your card as you enter via the rear, and pay on exit. This is how they do zoned fares. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted March 21, 2020 10 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said: Interestingly enough, front-door payment on entry is not the norm around the world. In Japan, on some bus systems you enter through the back door, take a slip or scan your card as you enter via the rear, and pay on exit. This is how they do zoned fares. London had the tap card scanners at every door when I was there in November. Now it’s just front and middle doors since they closed the rear. Guess that $4 billion bailout request is going to be higher. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainfan22 Posted March 21, 2020 Share #4 Posted March 21, 2020 Well, this is something different. I would say they could just leave the wheelchair seats folded up but people would just stand in that area so I can see why they went with this method. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lornaevo Posted March 21, 2020 Share #5 Posted March 21, 2020 Starting on monday? So today and tomorrow we can just F Off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenEleven Posted March 21, 2020 Share #6 Posted March 21, 2020 2 hours ago, lornaevo said: Starting on monday? So today and tomorrow we can just F Off. Well the buses have to be prepped for this. It's just not switching to rear door boarding that's going on. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted March 21, 2020 Share #7 Posted March 21, 2020 Sounds painful. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted March 22, 2020 Share #8 Posted March 22, 2020 Some B/Os already took this upon themselves, I've seen front sections of buses cordoned off with caution tape and such 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted March 22, 2020 7 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said: Some B/Os already took this upon themselves, I've seen front sections of buses cordoned off with caution tape and such 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted March 22, 2020 14 hours ago, B35 via Church said: Sounds painful. You saw what I did there and elevated it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lupojohn Posted March 22, 2020 Share #11 Posted March 22, 2020 The right move by the MTA, but they better have extra law enforcement on hand since there will be many fights over seats and such. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAzumah Posted March 22, 2020 Share #12 Posted March 22, 2020 3 hours ago, lupojohn said: The right move by the MTA, but they better have extra law enforcement on hand since there will be many fights over seats and such. If you are in the buffer zone and someone has to come off of a checkpoint to deal with you (NYPD/State Trooper/Army National Guard), they will be very upset. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHV9218 Posted March 22, 2020 Share #13 Posted March 22, 2020 8 hours ago, lupojohn said: The right move by the MTA, but they better have extra law enforcement on hand since there will be many fights over seats and such. I don't know about you, but I haven't seen more than five people on a bus in week and a half. Maybe some subway shuttles, but even then. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Express Bus Operator Posted March 22, 2020 Share #14 Posted March 22, 2020 I Just want to confirm the rear door boarding process which temporary starts effectively tomorrow March 23, 2020. All local/Limited buses only will allowed passengers to board/un-board through the back door with free of charge. The only passengers that will be allowed to board the front door is ADA passengers or passengers who are unable to board the rear door due to complication where they need the bus to kneel lower. For express buses passengers will still have to load through the front door and pay their fare but will not be allowed to sit at the first 3 front seats. Select Buses Service will do the same as local/limited buses service but will have to continue paying their fare by using the normal paying method and load at the rear doors. It also has been instructed due to the COVID-19 we are not allowed to load not more than 20 passengers "Which will be very hard to maintain". As a B41 Operator today we started the rear boarding a day earlier on the route and had buses either equipped with chain links or used the W/C seat belts to block off the area where passengers were not allowed temporary. As a operator point of view it made my day go a whole lot easier and quicker to maneuver down the routes. We shall see how will this turn out as the days follows during this crisis. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share #15 Posted March 22, 2020 6 hours ago, JAzumah said: If you are in the buffer zone and someone has to come off of a checkpoint to deal with you (NYPD/State Trooper/Army National Guard), they will be very upset. Since there aren’t any checkpoints... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 via Mosholu Posted March 23, 2020 Share #16 Posted March 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said: I Just want to confirm the rear door boarding process which temporary starts effectively tomorrow March 23, 2020. All local/Limited buses only will allowed passengers to board/un-board through the back door with free of charge. The only passengers that will be allowed to board the front door is ADA passengers or passengers who are unable to board the rear door due to complication where they need the bus to kneel lower. For express buses passengers will still have to load through the front door and pay their fare but will not be allowed to sit at the first 3 front seats. Select Buses Service will do the same as local/limited buses service but will have to continue paying their fare by using the normal paying method and load at the rear doors. It also has been instructed due to the COVID-19 we are not allowed to load not more than 20 passengers "Which will be very hard to maintain". As a B41 Operator today we started the rear boarding a day earlier on the route and had buses either equipped with chain links or used the W/C seat belts to block off the area where passengers were not allowed temporary. As a operator point of view it made my day go a whole lot easier and quicker to maneuver down the routes. We shall see how will this turn out as the days follows during this crisis. This actually began with Gun Hill and Kingsbridge too; in fact, it began this morning for most. A bus driver on the 16 that did run number 18 nearly opened the front at Seton Avenue, but looked behind to see that a chainlink was on the wheelchair area and opened the back door in the process. Some folks were expecting the front door to be opened for them, but for some reason there was no note on that bus on the front. The back door stickers were taken off, though. I believe it was unit #8340 or 8326, but I gotta look right around Pitman for that unit when I have the chance to be out doing laundry nearby my place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoSpectacular Posted March 23, 2020 Share #17 Posted March 23, 2020 Here at Gleason they've already thrown on the chains for the buses since a majority of them went out on the L shuttles this weekend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted March 23, 2020 Share #18 Posted March 23, 2020 Yesterday, I took the B41, B63, B61, and the B68.... All 4 buses I boarded had chains on em. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted March 23, 2020 Share #19 Posted March 23, 2020 1 hour ago, B35 via Church said: Yesterday, I took the B41, B63, B61, and the B68.... All 4 buses I boarded had chains on em. Flatbush and Gleason don't play. I hope Ulmer Park's been trying to keep up, for once... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Future ENY OP Posted March 24, 2020 Share #20 Posted March 24, 2020 On 3/23/2020 at 3:26 AM, Lex said: Flatbush and Gleason don't play. I hope Ulmer Park's been trying to keep up, for once... Flatbush & Gleason had them since Saturday. Boarded the B44, B46, B35, and B43. Plus East New York had chains ⛓ on Sunday. Dunno about UP tho. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemoreira81 Posted March 25, 2020 Share #21 Posted March 25, 2020 Doing backdoor only? That’s what she said! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Express Bus Operator Posted March 25, 2020 Share #22 Posted March 25, 2020 On 3/23/2020 at 3:26 AM, Lex said: Flatbush and Gleason don't play. I hope Ulmer Park's been trying to keep up, for once... 22 hours ago, Future ENY OP said: Flatbush & Gleason had them since Saturday. Boarded the B44, B46, B35, and B43. Plus East New York had chains ⛓ on Sunday. Dunno about UP tho. LOL we sure don't play.... We even made our own blockage beside the transit chain links.. We took the W/C seat belts strap and hook it across the other side W/C seat belt clips to form it like an "X" shape or just ran one across the lower level of the chain links just so if any passenger is trying to sneak underneath the chain, they wont be able to fully unless you're flexible. I'll tell you from an operator point, It feels so great to not have anyone boarding the front of the bus and really feel secured. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Future ENY OP Posted March 25, 2020 Share #23 Posted March 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Flatbush SBS Duece said: LOL we sure don't play.... We even made our own blockage beside the transit chain links.. We took the W/C seat belts strap and hook it across the other side W/C seat belt clips to form it like an "X" shape or just ran one across the lower level of the chain links just so if any passenger is trying to sneak underneath the chain, they wont be able to fully unless you're flexible. I'll tell you from an operator point, It feels so great to not have anyone boarding the front of the bus and really feel secured. First off: Operator safety is FIRST. I saw the blockage on several rides on the 44 on Saturday. Kinda wish this was implemented weeks ago. However, glad that transit is addressing this. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBTA Posted March 26, 2020 Share #24 Posted March 26, 2020 I don't know about you guys, but this backdoor thing has been working, making pick ups not only faster, but even drivers operate faster because of this. Except for a few cases where dudes feel like going 5-8 MPH on the Bx36 Limited and M11.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Express Bus Operator Posted March 26, 2020 Share #25 Posted March 26, 2020 48 minutes ago, NBTA said: I don't know about you guys, but this backdoor thing has been working, making pick ups not only faster, but even drivers operate faster because of this. Except for a few cases where dudes feel like going 5-8 MPH on the Bx36 Limited and M11.. Totally Faster and better! This week has been the best time of my career to work freely and not worry to much about the schedule. I mean its sooooo hard to stay on the time that its to the point we all keep pulling over to try to delay the time because majority of us are way ahead of schedule..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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