MTA Announces Brooklyn & Bronx Bus Changes
Just a short time ago, MTA NYC Transit officially announced some bus changes that will occur in tbe Brooklyn & Bronx boroughs beginning between December & January. The changes include the implementation of new routes. Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:
B54 in Downtown Brooklyn:
MTA New York City Transit announces the rerouting of the B54 through the MetroTech Center to begin by the end of the year. Due to security measures adopted by the New York City Police Department following 9/11, the B54 has not been able to travel through the MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. The tenant that required these security measures is leaving MetroTech and the B54 can once again travel through the area as it did prior to 9/11.
The reroute via the internal roadway, MetroTech Walk, will remove the B54 buses from the traffic-congested Flatbush Avenue extension and Tillary Street. The move is expected to improve reliability and provide a more direct route for customers traveling to the Jay Street-MetroTech (A,C, F) station. The bus stops on Jay Street at Tillary Street and Myrtle Avenue will be discontinued. The new stop will be on MetroTech Walk at Lawrence Street.
Eastern Bronx Revisions:
As part of NYCT’s 2010 Service Reduction Plan implemented on June 27, 2010, the Bx14 route was discontinued and the Bx8 was rerouted away from Layton and Crosby Avenues to operate via Stadium Avenue to serve Country Club and Spencer Estates.
As with all changes, Transit’s Operations Planning unit closely monitors the ridership and the new routes. After such monitoring of these restructured routes, Transit concluded that the changes left some communities with limited access to commercial areas, certain schools and medical centers.
As a result, MTA NYC Transit announces the Bx8 route will be restored to its original pre-June 2010 routing via Layton Avenue and Crosby Avenue to the Buhre Avenue (6) station. Crosby Avenue is an active commercial corridor and will benefit from the services of both the Bx5 and Bx8.
The Bx24 will now serve Country Club and Spencer Estates on the route of the discontinued Bx14 between Country Club and the Pelham Bay (6) station. The Bx24 will operate as a loop every 30 minutes between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
In Parkchester, alternate trips of the Bx4 (called the Bx4A) will serve Metropolitan Avenue between Hugh Grant Circle and Westchester Square. The Bx4 and Bx4A would operate on the same route between Hugh Grant Circle and the Hub.
The Bx4A would allow a one seat ride to destinations along Westchester Avenue to the Hub. It would operate the same span as the former Bx14: peak hours on weekdays – every 14-20 minutes, off-peak – every 24 minutes, Saturdays – every 16-22 minutes and Sundays – every 22-30 minutes.
These reroutings should more closely meet the needs of the residents at no additional cost to the Authority. Changes will be implemented beginning January 2011.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Bx4A & Bx24 Debuts Today
- B54 Returns To MetroTech Center
- Manhattan Bus Changes Take Effect Memorial Day
- Parkchester Residents Still Fight For Bx14
- Bx14 Changes Eliminated
5 Metro-North Workers Honored
John Fisher, Ray Castrovinci, Pat Matwijec, Joe Hyatt, & Scott Cole being honored for saving co-worker Robert DeStefano. Photo courtesy of the MTA Metro-North Railroad.
I find it refreshing to post a positive story which I admit does not happen often. Today’s story comes courtesy of the MTA Metro-North Railroad where 5 employees were honored this morning for saving a co-worker at the Croton-Harmon shop. Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:
Five Metro-North employees were honored Monday for their quick action and life-saving efforts when a fellow employee collapsed at the Croton-Harmon shop where they all work.
“They did a yeoman’s job saving my life,” said Robert DeStefano, who is recovering at home.
DeStefano, an electrician who works in shop maintenance, collapsed last May 26 while walking to the parking lot. One of his co-workers, John Fisher, saw the man collapse and immediately realized that he was not breathing and had no pulse. John called for help and began CPR.
Other Harmon Shop employees who are members of the Metro-North Railroad Harmon Shop Fire Brigade, Ray Castrovinci, Pat Matwijec, Scott Cole and Joe Hyatt, heard the call for help and rushed to the scene. Hyatt carried an Automatic External Defibrillator and was prepared in the event it was needed.
While Cole continued with rescue breathing, DeStefano returned to a normal heart rhythm and it was not necessary to use the defibrillator. The Croton EMS ambulance arrived and took over.
“The quick actions of this group of co-workers saved his life,” Metro-North President Howard Permut said at a recognition ceremony held today at by the Railroads Committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board. “They are to be commended and thanked for their selfless actions, and are a great illustration that in the workplace, employee safety is everyone’s concern.”
Let me first offer my well wishes to Mr. DeStefano for a speedy recovery. The 5 workers who rushed into action deserve a round of applause for not only caring enough to save a co-worker but being prepared at a moment’s notice to do so. Great job guys!
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Metro-North Service Plan For Tonight
- Harmon Shop & Yard Earn The MTA Chairman’s Safety Award
- Metro-North To Resume Partial Service
- Metro North To Run Reduced Schedule
- New Metro-North Timetables Effective June 27th
LIRR Expects Normal Service Today
The first part of the signal modernization in & around the Long Island Rail Road’s Jamaica station will be wrapped up in a few hours. Late yesterday afternoon, the LIRR sent out a press release to announce that they expect normal weekday service. Here are the details:
MTA Long Island Rail Road customers should expect normal weekday service Monday following successful weekend testing of a new computerized switch and signal control system at Jamaica Station.
The new control system will replace three antiquated signal towers just east and west of Jamaica Station, promising greater flexibility for train traffic, better back up systems and more reliability for LIRR customers. As of late Sunday afternoon, more than 90 percent of the testing scheduled for Oct. 23-24 in the area west of Jamaica had been completed, paving the way for normal Monday AM rush hour service.
The second part of the testing – in the area east of Jamaica – will be conducted during the weekend of Nov. 6-7 when, once again, there will be extremely limited LIRR service as the final installation of the new system is completed. Customers attending the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7th are advised to take the Port Washington, Long Beach or Babylon branches for direct service to Penn Station without bus or subway transfers.
“We greatly appreciated the cooperation and understanding of customers who traveled the LIRR this weekend in the face of significantly reduced train service into and out of New York City,” said LIRR President Helena E. Williams. “We worked hard to get the word out about the weekend work and the success of that plan made it possible to accomplish our goal.”
“I commend the hundreds of LIRR employees who worked around the clock on Saturday and Sunday to complete this critical task,” Williams added. “They will be back out again over the weekend of November 6 and November 7 to wrap up our testing at Jamaica and bring this 21st century technology to one of the busiest rail hubs in the nation.”
Trains from 10 of the LIRR’s 11 branches travel through Jamaica each day with weekday ridership exceeding 200,000 customers. LIRR ridership on Sunday was down about 54 percent compared to a normal Sunday while ridership on the Port Washington branch – the only one not impacted by the weekend work – increased by about 43 percent, according to westbound customer counts conducted between 6 am and Noon.
The $56 million Jamaica Cut-Over project is upgrading the control of LIRR’s switches and signals at Jamaica Station from electro-mechanical to state-of-the-art computerized microprocessor technology. The new more reliable system will increase operational flexibility for the large volume of trains that pass through this area, helping to reduce customer delays. The new system also will provide redundant signal control systems and will allow for quicker recovery time in the event of a power surge, or lightning storm or fire-related service disruption. The new system consolidates three tower operations into one, centralized control facility at Jamaica.
Customers are urged to pick up special weekend schedules for the second weekend of work on Nov. 6-7th. Information can also be obtained on the MTA/LIRR website at www.mta.info/lirr, customer e-mails, on-train brochures, NYS DOT highway INFORM signs, station posters, electronic message boards at Jamaica, Penn Station, and Atlantic Terminal, public address system announcements, radio and newspaper advertisements, on-train announcements, and an internally produced video posted on the LIRR website and on Penn Station and Jamaica monitors.
Project and service information is also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mtalirr and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lirralerts. Customers can also obtain schedule information via the CooCoo text messaging service by texting 266-266, typing in their departure and destination stations.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- LIRR Expects Normal Weekday Service
- LIRR Expects Normal AM Rush On 2 Branches
- LIRR Anticipates Normal Rush Hour Service
- LIRR Weekend Service Information
- LIRR Tuesday P.M. Service Changes
Service Diversions 10-23-10
I just updated the “Service Diversions” page by removing all of the scheduled work that wrapped up by 11:59 PM last night. The weekend diversions which I posted on Thursday have now moved to the top followed by the subsequent work during the week.
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) riders, remember to click here for complete information on the major service shortage this weekend due to part 1 of the signal modernization in and around Jamaica Station. Please note the limited amount of service & the additional time you should add on to your commute.
I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. The next update will be on Monday at 5:01 AM when the weekend work scheduled to wrap up by 5 AM is removed. Everyone have a wonderful weekend & as always stay safe!
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Service Diversions 07-09-10
- Service Diversions 08-20-10
- Service Diversions 08-13-10
- Service Diversions 06-29-10
- Service Diversions 08-14-10
Service Diversions 10-21-10
I have just updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest weekend diversions. The remaining diversions scheduled to end by 11:59 PM tomorrow are still listed. The next update will be at 12:01 AM Saturday when those diversions are officially over & the subsequent ones are moved up.
Also for the many readers who use the Long Island Rail Road, please remember that there will be extremely limited service this weekend due to the first part 1 of the major signal modernization program at & around Jamaica Station. Click here for complete information.
I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. Try to stay warm & as always, have safe travels!
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:
