I’d like to say this question came to me totally in the spirit of public service, but, I mean, of course it didn’t. Of course I’ve spent the better part of the week trying to figure out this labyrinth (and the better part of Sunday afternoon sitting at a bar frantically jamming “HOW TO REPORT BAD BUS DRIVER MTA NYC?” into my phone) because this weekend, on the shuttle replacing the J train, I had what you could call a Very Bad Bus Driver. Maybe even The Very Worst Bus Driver. The details here aren’t so important, other than the fact that I was right, he was crazily wrong, and it’s been surprisingly hard to figure out how to communicate this crucial truth to any human who works for the MTA. 311 directed me to 511, which in turn led me in circles, and is disconnected entirely. And I can’t have been the first person to wonder about all this. Turns out, I’m not!
Back in 2008, turning up a number of phone lines (again, disconnected, at least the numbers relevant to my particular complaint), the general MTA email form, and options for snail mail and walk-ins. None of it seems particularly promising, and if, say, you’re looking to fire off a strongly worded tirade, the general-sounding It is, however, actually the best option. Even an effective one!
It’s what MTA press official Aaron Donovan recommended to me (alongside ), promising, “Every person who emails us through this method will receive a written response from the MTA explaining a solution as best we can.” At least in my case, this turned out to be completely true. Less than a day after sending out the greatest, most strongly worded complaint of my short career, I got an email back from a real life MTA employee, reading, “With the information you provided, we will be able to identify this employee for questioning and the appropriate further action as warranted.” The most satisfying words I have ever read. Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter.
After The Brew published a city bus rider’s cri de coeur – Brian Levy’s of trying to get to and from work on the horribly crowded, frequently late #13 bus on North Avenue – the Maryland Transit Administration said it would respond. The agency had much to respond to judging by the reaction to Levy’s piece. More than 100 overwhelmingly negative comments were offered by readers, many of them bus riders, about years of poor service and perceived deep institutional problems at MTA ranging from mismanagement to a poorly designed system and a lack of commitment to city-dwelling transit users. MTA spokesman Paul Shepard promised an an op-ed response that would presumably address the big themes but also sent some emailed answers to our initial questions about the #13 and put two MTA officials on the phone to talk to The Brew about it. Shepard now says the promised op-ed is taking longer than the agency thought. As we wait for the article, we thought we’d share what MTA sees as the problems plaguing #13, a major east-west carrier that runs the length of North Avenue, and what it plans to do about them.
The short answer: it’s all being studied. “The MTA has launched a route study. Violin concertos best. To determine whether the overcrowding is, in fact, occurring,” Shepard told The Brew. If overcrowding is found, articulated buses might be used to solve the problem in the short-term. Sock template illustrator torrent.
As part of a broader solution, the agency is analyzing the 13 route as part of a comprehensive review of the system known as the Bus Network Improvement Project (BNIP). No On-time Data What is the MTA doing right now to improve reliability?
“Improving our on-street monitoring processes, adding staff and improving use of technology to streamline real-time management of the bus system,” Shepard replied. What are the on-time statistics for the #13? The agency doesn’t know. It only has data for the system overall, but not particular lines.
Those monthly averages say that city buses have operated between 77.2% and 89.6% “on time” in 2014, Shepard said. MTA said they are studying how to correct problems on the #13 bus, described by a passenger as chronically late and crowded. (Photo by Fern Shen) This was confusing since the officials earlier said the route study was part of systemwide study of routes commenced as part of the BNIP, which began more than a year ago. So did a spike in complaints prompt the study of the 13 route? When did the spike start, we asked.
“The spike has been going on for. I would have to get the people from customer service here, but it’s just been a matter of weeks,” Shepard said. “And we’re not talking about a dramatic, dramatic increase. We’re just seeing more than we would want to see. We don’t want to see any complaints coming in.” Asking for Rider Patience Moving back to the apparently linchpin BNIP study, when will it be completed? As part of this question, we read to the officials some observations from Brew commenters who described the BNIP as not serious and who called the, released last February, as “laughably limited.” (When the BNIP was announced in September 2013 by MTA administrator Robert L.
Smith, he said the whole thing would be.) Walk responded, “We’ve always communicated the same message, which is, we have the timeline. Instead of releasing the whole plan, we’re still working on the entire plan which is that multi-year, multi-phase approach.” He continued, “There are issues that we address over time. I mean that’s not the end of the story, you know, there is more to come. I can understand this person, the frustration.We got out the door what we could of the Phase One plan rather than making people wait for that until we finish whole thing. I mean, we we are still working on the whole thing, and we just ask people for patience.” Not Even a Guesstimate? At this point, we asked, when did they think the study would be completed? “When was the last time there has been a comprehensive look at the schedule?” Shepard asked Walk.
Walk responded, in agreement, “It’s been over a decade and, really, there was a lot of work to be done.” Given all that, we asked, when does MTA estimate it will be finished? “What I learned from the last time. People are working very hard on it,” Walk said. “I don’t want to put a date out it right now in terms of doing it right and getting it out right.
We’re asking all the people who subscribe to the program to have patience. And it will come when it is the right plan.” Having no luck getting a timeline on BNIP, we thought we might nail down the expected date for a particular feature that city buses don’t have but Charm City Circulators do – the Real Time Departures function.
When working properly, this feature lets riders know when the bus is actually coming, and how much it’s running early or late. At “the end of the year or maybe next year” there will be a soft launch, Shepard said. Asked if a “soft launch” meant that just a few lines would get it, he said, “That hasn’t been finalized.” Touching on a theme of some of the harsher Brew commenters, who suggested the MTA is a state agency with little regard for city transit users, we asked Walk and Bush if they live in the city. Neither employee does. To which point, Shepard said that MTA employees use the service to get from office to office downtown and, regardless of where they live, all employees consider good service “to be a serious matter.” “We want people to be happy,” he said.
On August 21, 2009 at about 8:40 p.m., on the M31 bus, bus number 8766, going east on 57th Street between 3rd Avenue and 1st Avenue, an MTA bus driver was extremely rude when I asked him to turn down the A/C. First he barked 'no' at me, then when I asked why not, since many other bus drivers have turned down the A/C when I asked them to, he screamed, shouted, and was extremely dismissive and disrespectful towards me. When I asked him why he was being so rude, he raised his voice even more and told me 'this conversation is over.' I reminded him that I was his customer and told him that there was no need to speak in a rude and disrespectful tone, but he continued to raise his voice at me. I hope that the MTA takes measures to stop this type of behavior by its drivers, and that it disciplines this one in particular by removing him from the M31 bus line.
I have been a long time Bus rider and never had a complain about bus drivers but this past year I have seen a decline in customer service with the MTA. Today as me and my elderly mother rode the bx 12 s/w at 130pm we decided to transfer to Bx2 we decided to ask the driver for a transfer as we left the bus. The bus just looked at my mother and just stared and yelled 'you should of just asked for a transfer when you got on!' My mother received her transfer and got off and I was directly behind her and asked for the transfer.
He looked at me and rolled his eyes and ignored me. I thought he might of not heard me so I repeated again 'may i have a transfer' He replied 'I'm closing the door so get off or stay on!' I don't understand why or what the big deal was to ask for a transfer at the end of the ride. We were only on the bus for 15mins so its not like we were planning to transfer. I am very disappointed and confused on why the quality of customer service has declined after the hikes in fare. It seems like all employees are miserable and just don't seem interested in helping customers with questions and concerns.
I would hope that employees are receiving proper training when dealing with concerns regarding customers. I have never dealt with such disrespect and belittled in front of people like I was today.
Mta Bus Driver
Me and my mother paid full fare for the ride so its not like your dealing with people who aren't paying for services. I wish to speak with someone regarding this matter and hope this never happens again Thank you. In my 30 years of bus riding, I've never had an issue with the professionalism of MTA bus jockey until today. Today is Saturday, got on 10:20AM Q32 bus from Penn Station to Queens. Bus driver wearing a Yankees jacket seemed to have woken up with a pinecone up his ###. One of my Metro cards was expired, and I asked him what to do, he brusquely told me to throw it away. I responded I thought money was on it, and he grumbled something unintelligable, basically telling me off.
Mta Express Bus Complaints
Driving Manhattan streets he was shockingly aggressive, even though there wasn't much traffic, there was typical weekend contrunction delays. He honked his horns over 3 typical NYC traffic delays, shaking his fists and cursing. Only car honks I heard all day. MTA - MTA bus stop location change at 68th street MTA United StatesFor some reasons beyond the residents and the commuters of 1st Avenue 68th Street, recently bus stop relocated to one block South to 67th Street. This new location is very inconvenient for many reasons like there is no way to put a bus stop/shelter in this location. So we are using the Laurel building's (East block) entrance canopy in rainy days.
It is a high-rise residential building and this situation crates big hassle for them and for us. This shelter-canopy is also 100' far from the bus stop. So bus waiting until people reach the bus from the shelter and from the other side of the 67th street. MTA should monitor this immense delays on the bus service. Transfer from the 1st ave bus to cross-town bus is start to be dangerous too.
If the bus waiting on the stop, many people doesn't care about the traffic lights and running cross 1st ave and or 67th street. Also people from the hospital(s) should wait and cross the 67th street to reach the bus stop. It is very big hassle especially people using wheel chairs, which is very-very common here. Plus, these new 'beeping buses' makes crazy both east and west side residents. There are no residential facilities at 68th (previous location) street block. (office building at the east and a park at the west) Please consider that this stop for both limited and local bus stop and we have also cross-town bus stop at 1st and 67th street NW corner.
Time to time 3-4 buses beeping at the same time, it is a big noise pollution too. Please correct this mistake as soon as possible. We want our bus stop back to good ol' place at 68th Street. At or around 6:36 pm, on april 1st, 2012, in the pouring rain, on the limited sunday schedule @150th street and jamaica ave, two #24 buses and a #56 bus deliberately passed about five or six people waiting at that bus stop. These bus drivers did not make an attempt to stop to pick up these customers. There is no way that these customers were not seen by these drivers.
One disabled customer was even waving her cane. Why should we be treated this way by those or ANY mta drivers? There seems to be an outbreak of extremely rude and mean, uncaring acts by some drivers at this time, making it bad for other drivers who may be more conscientious. Patrons are not happy having to PAY to be mistreated, disrespected, and insulted. It seems that these drivers can easily be replaced by some others who would appreciate having a job! I was acrossing the street, and I saw the bus that I want to take, and it was approching the station very slowly. I tell myself how luck i am when I realize that I would have enough time to get on the bus.
Because it is a red light. The bus can not leave. But, to my suplise, when I step in front the door of the bus, the driver show me only a finge and tell me no. He will not open the door again!
I do not want lost my mind, so I step back and sit in the chair watching this bus leaving for 3 mins. Start from that moment, I always drive now.
If someone ask me about NY, when I go back to china. I will tell them It make me sike! Today I got on the 10bx bus on the stop w232 and Henry Hudson parkway in the Bronx at around 4:30 I was there since 4:10going towards yonkers. A few stops before the last stop there was a street closing and we were stuck at a light no cars infront of us just cops so the driver should have see. The long yellow tape from one corner to the other but he chose to still go he must of not payed attention. He turned the bus off with about 6 passengers in it and didn't say anything didn't announce anything so I got up and asked, so this is going to be the last stop right?
And he started screaming 'do you want to walk get of stay I stopped listening after I heard the attitude and the pitch of his voice, so I told him okay I asked u a simple question you don't have to be rude none the less he didn't hear a word because he kept talking over me repeating the same thing, mind you through out he whole bus ride while people were swiping the card he would close be door on the last person right behind them so they would have to squeeze themselves and not get caught. Very rude driver that came late, doesn't have manners very rude and hates his job. Please do something about this cause everyone has hard days and wants to get home but if the job is going to make you be rude towards people then the job isn't for you. I am kindly requesting that the Q8 bus be on time.
It does not run as frequently as the other buses, so a timely departure will be very much appreciated, particularly at the starting point at Gateway Mall in Brooklyn. Some of us riders have recently moved into the neighborhood in the new community, and many of us are having a difficult time commuting, because buses are often really late, or skip certain departure times altogether.
For instance, 3 weekdays last week, I arrived at the bus stop at 7:30 am, 7:20am, and 7:44am, and twice I had to wait until 7:55 and once, until 8:07 to board a bus. According to the published schedule, buses should be departing at 7:22, 7:37, and 7:52. I am really disappointed that the 7:37 bus is never on time. I push myself to get there by 7:30 and it is very disheartening when it's 7:55 and I'm still waiting at the bus stop.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |