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RBA is on the way
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Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:52 am    Post subject: RBA is on the way Reply with quote

According to today's Newsday, the Ravitch report detailing ideas on how to close the deficit will be reccomending the MTA take over Bee-Line Weschester, L.I. Bus and Suffolk Transit.

No mention if the tentacles of the MTA octopus is going to grab HART or Private Transportation
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 1757
Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HART Bus i hate to tell you this but Newsday lied. Newsday thinks Suffolk Transit is run by the MTA which its not. i know this because when they opened the Tanger in Deer Park they incrorrectly said the MTA extended routes to service there when it was really Suffolk Transit that did it.

Suffolk Transit is a county run program and still will be (hence ordering new BRT Gilligs and adding bike racks to their buses two things the MTA doesn't have)

taken over SCT will cost money not save it.

and RBS has already started, the MTA took over control of LIB months ago from what i heard.

and the article said COULD DO ALL THAT STUFF, but the fact is that SCT is a county owned and run operation, they have contracts with the private companies to run the buses. that run for a long time, i don't think the county would not want to be sued, and Levy would need their money since many if not all the companies funded his campaigns.
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ripta42
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Age: 44
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 1035
Location: Pawtucket, RI / Woburn, MA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Newspapers frequently do make mistakes with regard to transit, but in this case, I think the Ravitch Report actually did recommend that the MTA take over Suffolk County Transit operations.
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RailBus63
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When is the report due to be released?
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 1757
Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ripta42 wrote:
Newspapers frequently do make mistakes with regard to transit, but in this case, I think the Ravitch Report actually did recommend that the MTA take over Suffolk County Transit operations.


No it didn't, i reread the article, when i was typing my response; and it said SHOULD. however the regional thing has been running since May of this year, and LIB has already been merged into it.

the county won't let the transit go since it needs it. when rumors of an MTA takeover started by bus drivers in 2005 surfaced the county said they were untrue and that they weren't going to give up the system. and everyone has to remember that when the MTA wanted to raise fares on the LIRR a few years ago, Suffolk County was against it.

and the MTA and State doesn't have the money to pay Suffolk for their System so there.

they wouldn't be cutting cost or saving money if they were to take over SCT, which would defeat the purpose of the report, or from what i heard it was surpose to be doing.

the county has contracts with the private companies, some of which would go "bye-bye" if the MTA were to come in. and the drivers are with many diffrent unions, so i don't see how it would work.
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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hope that Suffolk and Westchester stay out of the MTA fold. The MTA is probably already too big and will always be dominated by New York City concerns. I'm not convinced that the economies of scale will result in significant savings, and the counties will lose control over their bus systems. I believe that directly operating the systems keeps the county leadership closer to the needs of its riders - I think Long Island Bus is a mess right now because Nassau politicians believe it's the MTA's problem to deal with and not theirs.

Some folks on BusChat have noted that sharing Metrocard revenues is an issue between the MTA and Bee Line and that it would be much cleaner to have the bigger agency run the whole show. I don't believe that sharing Metrocard revenues and even transfer privileges should be that big of a stumbling block. In the modern age of high-tech, how difficult should it be to track swipes and then divide the revenues based on a formula agreed-upon between the agencies?

Finally, as a bus fan, I've seen enough of the MTA taking over interesting independent operations and repainting everything in the same white and blue scheme. New York-are busfanning will be a lot less interesting if we have the same colors and eventually the same Orion VII buses from Peekskill to Montauk.

Jim D.
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 1757
Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

like i said, what i read in todays paper only talked about saving money, nothing about takeing over any other systems.

Suffolk's Executive hates what they report said, so it seams like the MTA won't get its grabby hands on it. or at least not while he's in office.

and besides the County Lawmakers would have to vote on weather or not to give it up (since the county owns it) and since they can't agree on what to do with the John J Foley Nursing Home and who should be manning the LIE and Sunrise, i don;t think they would agree on what to do with SCT either.
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The Don of All Buses



Age: 36
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Yonkers, NY

PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63 wrote:
I hope that Suffolk and Westchester stay out of the MTA fold. The MTA is probably already too big and will always be dominated by New York City concerns. I'm not convinced that the economies of scale will result in significant savings, and the counties will lose control over their bus systems. I believe that directly operating the systems keeps the county leadership closer to the needs of its riders - I think Long Island Bus is a mess right now because Nassau politicians believe it's the MTA's problem to deal with and not theirs.

Some folks on BusChat have noted that sharing Metrocard revenues is an issue between the MTA and Bee Line and that it would be much cleaner to have the bigger agency run the whole show. I don't believe that sharing Metrocard revenues and even transfer privileges should be that big of a stumbling block. In the modern age of high-tech, how difficult should it be to track swipes and then divide the revenues based on a formula agreed-upon between the agencies?

Finally, as a bus fan, I've seen enough of the MTA taking over interesting independent operations and repainting everything in the same white and blue scheme. New York-are busfanning will be a lot less interesting if we have the same colors and eventually the same Orion VII buses from Peekskill to Montauk.

Jim D.


I totaly agree with you, word for word!
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JA




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 30
Location: Brooklyn, NY

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ask the city about their "savings" from MTA operations.

Suffolk won't go easily unless they are completely relieved from paying any subsidies and this is what the Ravitch Commission is proposing. So it can happen.
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
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Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JA wrote:
Ask the city about their "savings" from MTA operations.

Suffolk won't go easily unless they are completely relieved from paying any subsidies and this is what the Ravitch Commission is proposing. So it can happen.


Suffolk County hates the MTA, County Executive Levy hates the plan that the Ravitch Commission came up with. and the county opposed the fare hikes the MTA wanted on the LIRR a few years ago.

Suffolk would never give their operation to the MTA. i mean the legislators don't want to get ride of the John J Foley nursing home, so i doubt they would agree to give up SCT.
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d.marra



Age: 90
Joined: 23 Jun 2008
Posts: 16

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I heard last week from a MTA official that the MTA takeover plans include taking over Suffolk Transportation as they are in the same union TWU-Local 252 as Long Island Bus.
I did not want to tell this yutz to keep dreaming, as he is full of it. The Long Island Nassau & Suffolk systems are not the same as NY City, No Way, No How!!
MTA wants to run the transit buses, but wants no part of school operations.
That leaves the MTA with all of Suffolk Countys buses, and no place to store, service and repair them. The private SCHOOL BUS operators own most or all of their depots.
Does anyone know of any huge properties where MTA could build new depots?? IF they do happen to find space, it will cost the TAX Payers millions. Then there is the well known "NIMBY" factor which will prevent the MTA from building a two car garage.
Film at Eleven, like 3011!!

Daniel, aka Mr. Schenck
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 1757
Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

d.marra wrote:
I heard last week from a MTA official that the MTA takeover plans include taking over Suffolk Transportation as they are in the same union TWU-Local 252 as Long Island Bus.
I did not want to tell this yutz to keep dreaming, as he is full of it. The Long Island Nassau & Suffolk systems are not the same as NY City, No Way, No How!!
MTA wants to run the transit buses, but wants no part of school operations.
That leaves the MTA with all of Suffolk Countys buses, and no place to store, service and repair them. The private SCHOOL BUS operators own most or all of their depots.
Does anyone know of any huge properties where MTA could build new depots?? IF they do happen to find space, it will cost the TAX Payers millions. Then there is the well known "NIMBY" factor which will prevent the MTA from building a two car garage.
Film at Eleven, like 3011!!

Daniel, aka Mr. Schenck


the diffrent bus companies that operate SCT have diffrent unions.

Suffolk won't sell their operations partly because they just settled a law suite that they had with the operaters, and those operators back Mr. Levies campaigns. not only that but at least two bus companies will go out of business.

SCT fleet is made up of Gilligs, with only one set of buses being Orions. ur telling me the MTA would want to scrap almost 90% of the buses Suffolk has?

it won't happen and never will.
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d.marra



Age: 90
Joined: 23 Jun 2008
Posts: 16

PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did not say the MTA would get rid of all of Suffolks buses, but they most likely would get rid of all buses that did not fit into their criterior, i.e., 40 ft white buses with blue stripes.
I agree with you 100%, It ain't going to happen, not ever!!

In the 1960's, the MTA was created by NY State solely as an "Operating Agency" Federally, state and county/city funded through UMTA aka United Mass Transportation Authority.

The concept, was to co-ordinate mass transit into better controlled systems with newer safe equipment, and to keep cost to the riders lower than the private companies needed. The MTA itself did not own anything, buses, trains, property, etc., and utilizes city, or state owned buildings for their headquarters, and city/county owned structures for depots and terminals.
As far as I know, that is still s.o.p today. The MTA is fighting an uphill battle with Nassau County over funding that Nassau does not have.
Suffolk County has little or no funding to lay out the funds that the MTA would want to take over the bus system.
If Suffolk had the funding, MSBA would have been running buses in Suffolk back in the 1970's.
Suffolk County's Transit system is "Subsidized" with Federal, State, & County funds.
Nassau County's bus system was also subsidized through Mass Transit funding prior to the MSBA takeover which turned out to be and still is "a financial money pit."

Daniel / aka Mr. Schenck
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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any takeover of Suffolk or Westchester bus services will depend on what the MTA can offer the politicians in those counties. The Authority already collects the mortgage recording tax in both counties so it cannot offer increased revenues through this mechanism the way that Centro did when they took over bus services in Oneida County. The agency is also facing its own well-publicized financial hardships and is in no position to help fund new services. I'm just not sure what the MTA can do to convince those counties that they would be better off giving up control of their transit services.
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S-60 To Smith Haven Mall




Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 1757
Location: Suffolk County, NY

PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63 wrote:
Any takeover of Suffolk or Westchester bus services will depend on what the MTA can offer the politicians in those counties. The Authority already collects the mortgage recording tax in both counties so it cannot offer increased revenues through this mechanism the way that Centro did when they took over bus services in Oneida County. The agency is also facing its own well-publicized financial hardships and is in no position to help fund new services. I'm just not sure what the MTA can do to convince those counties that they would be better off giving up control of their transit services.


Suffolk County hates the MTA, Mr.Levy has already announced his hatred for the plan they came up with, by putting tolls on the bridges that don't have tolls, and by having businesses pay them (or something like that)

Suffolk also was against an LIRR fare hike a few years ago.

and if anything like that were to happen Suffolk County Legislators wouldn't even agree on what to do with it. i mean just look at the John J. Foley nursing home, Mr.Levy wants to sell it and the Legislators don't. and thats been going on for at least three months. and look with the SCPD Highway patrol, Mr. Levy disbanded it but the Legislators don't want it to.

face it the MTA will never get Suffolk Transit because the MTA doesn't have anything Suffolk wants.
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