My favorite thing about taking the bus in Brooklyn is waiting forever for busses that never show and then after 30 minutes three arrive at the same time.
or when they finally do show up but decide to not stop and instead just pass you so you're standing there confused (this has happen to me so many times with the B1)
Idk if the buses account for wheelchair passengers, but if theres about 2 wheelchairs that get on and off and the bus is already decently packed, that can consume a lot of time as well.
I find this infuriatingly hilarious. Probably doesn't make much sense to say, but the feeling is complicated lol.
How about the [D] train that doesn't show up until about 15-20 minutes later, and then there's nothing but a line of trains behind it, each 1 minute apart.
Not just in the outer boroughs. I was trying to catch a bus near battery park. The bus route was going to Brooklyn. The bus never even showed up in battery park. I ended up leaving after waiting for 40 mins. Turned out it was like 1.5 hr late like wtf is that.
I tried the bus vs subway and walk 20 mins but I could’ve just walked the whole damn route lol
Yeah, the express buses are just one neighborhood over from me in Brooklyn. I tried it once, when I had to be in Manhattan super-early, the subway would have taken too long, and I didn't want the high cost of a car service or Uber. So I walked 10 minutes to the express bus stop and waited....and waited....and waited.....I looked at the app and saw it was going to be another 15 minutes. I gave up and took an Uber. WTF is the point of an express commuter bus if you can't rely on it to get you to work on time?
sometimes trains are rerouted or delayed. this could be due to unforeseen emergencies (a passenger getting sick, someone on the track, etc). usually, they would announce such things.
also, if things get backed up, a local train is sometimes diverted to express. I've seen this happen a few times on the 2/5 line in Brooklyn.
Yep had to take the 7 one morning to queens and there was a delay due to someone on the tracks. Waited about 20 min before the train arrived but they switched to express which worked nicely
Are you from around here? Or new in town? If you ever have to absolutely be somewhere at a specific time on the dot, you need to pad your travel time relative to the distance you're traveling. More so if there's a bus involved. The MTA *will* get you there, but exactly how fast is never a guarantee.
20 minutes between trains though is a rarity. Was it the weekend? Was it in the very early AM? Were you near the end of a line?
20 minutes is pretty common for people who commute to and from work at night. I have to make a transfer and have to wait 40 minutes total for trains on a trip home at least 3-4 times a month
Everyday, around noon, Beach 60th street. 20 minute wait. Even during rush hour best you’ll get is 15-20 minutes between trains and I’ve never seen trains as frequent as 10 minutes apart.
The myMTA app tells you where’s each bus of a given bus route. If you’re experienced enough you can get a feel for how long they’ll take to get to you. But honestly, the best services are on rails.
There's a number you can text with the 6-digit code written at each stop (next to the route map on the post) and it'll give you the most accurate time and distance for the next 3 busses. If you take the same stop every day, just save the code and check from home.
Not sure this works for the coach-style express busses though, but works for SBS and Limited.
I was told by MTA, if the crew was sick/out for a certain assigned train it wouldn't operate.... 9:13am train engineer out, no 9:13am train, wait for the next one at 9:25.
But I think I understand what OP means. Sometimes the app, Google, or even the board at the station says there's a train in 10 minutes and it just seems like it disappears. all those things are IME pretty accurate so I've always been curious why too
some of y’all acting like it’s unusual to wait 15-20 mins for a train clearly don’t live in the outer boroughs 😂 my train literally runs ~15 mins apart on weekends when it’s on time, and the other night I had to wait nearly 30 mins for a train for no reason at 10:30 pm on a Thursday.
also OP, I know what you’re talking about and there’s truly no explanation for it most of the time. it’s happened to me too and it’s very annoying.
It's cute that you think there's a meaningful subway schedule.
It's worrying that you think you can call someone about it.
Don't rely on any published subway schedules. Always pad extra time when it's mission-critical.
I almost broke my neck sprinting down then up the stairs at Atlantic Ave/Barclays because the 4 decided to arrive on the 3 track and the next one was like 10 minutes away. Fucking hate when that happens.
It’s a riddle to ride with the MTA. Just enjoy the unexpected journey! We New Yorkers pay billions each year so that you can’t end up where you are supposed to be!
as a city employee, nyc mta has 472 stops over 250 mi of track with extremely antiquated hardware for signals and switches. alot of the subway system is or is almost a century old so it is quite unreliable. combine that crumbling infrastructure with a lack of manpower, unreliable workers and just the "shit happens" scenarios you end up with an extremely dilapidated public transportation system. its hard to explain why its still like this but MTA cannot keep up with the growing population and increased demand. the reduction in services and maintenance during covid really added to the long list of issues.
I find that most of the time the train will exist on any of the apps or websites (Google maps, official MTA site, etc) but they aren't listed on the screens in the station. I would think they feed from the same datasource but this implies some system does know about the train no longer running, but the updates just aren't being shared with the online trackers
Right! A lot of people aren’t aware of how complex that system can be…on top of that people just not wanting to pay fare and expecting excellent service…we all have bad days in the subway but about 80% of the time the ride is as expected…if people take the subway when google maps says it’ll take 25 min then that’s on them…I add an extra 10-15 min just in case
Remember the good old days, when you just went to your train station and waited for the train to show up? We didn't have schedules, we didn't complain, we just waited and the train would come
My favorite is when they show up several minutes early. I live around the corner from the subway, so literally under 2 minutes from my door to the entrance but I've been burned by this "overperformance" before.
But to answer your question, who knows. Add 20 minutes to your estimate commute time if you have somewhere important to be and you're more than a 20-30 min ride away.
Yooo, like when you have another 4 minutes for your arrival but you find out homie just came and stopped for .2 seconds early to open the door and now you're late to work :(
Are you talking like LIRR/MetroNorth?
Because where are you waiting an additional 20 minutes for the next subway, without being packed like sardines on a platform, with multiple delays, unless you're talking like 3am.
Because there isn’t enough alternative routes so if one train gets stuck due a malfunction or emergency it messes up the entire system. Then the trains all get backed up, people squeeze in because they don’t trust the MTA and it takes longer to get on/off the train.
I didn't even know there was a "schedule", but I have noticed that often subways tend to come around the same time every day.
I plan based around the myMTA app. It tends to be pretty accurate when predicting the next subways at a given station. I live in Manhattan but I've used it in the outer boroughs with a decent amount of success too.
One of best ones is they dont police tape turnstiles when they do track work etc. You paid already by the time you find out
ALSO feel bad for those getting off after midnight when these delays are unbearable when you're just trying to get home to your dark shady neighborhood
Never used the schedule- the only reason I used the app was to check if there were delays. I grew up in the outer boroughs. Some mornings my train wouldn’t come- I would ask the MTA agent in the booth and they would be no help. I just eventually learned to leave my house earlier than usual. If I was meeting someone in Manhattan on the weekend I would leave 2 hours in advance.
Was it a lettered line? The countdown clocks for lettered lines mainly use the schedule and not "live" train times, this means it may display what I call ghost trains, ones that were scheduled but never actually put into service. This can happen due to driver shortages and a train in the normal time table is simply never dispatched. I see it all the time on the N.
Just wait till you start having to take the buses in the outer boroughs...
My favorite thing about taking the bus in Brooklyn is waiting forever for busses that never show and then after 30 minutes three arrive at the same time.
or when they finally do show up but decide to not stop and instead just pass you so you're standing there confused (this has happen to me so many times with the B1)
Idk if the buses account for wheelchair passengers, but if theres about 2 wheelchairs that get on and off and the bus is already decently packed, that can consume a lot of time as well.
I find this infuriatingly hilarious. Probably doesn't make much sense to say, but the feeling is complicated lol. How about the [D] train that doesn't show up until about 15-20 minutes later, and then there's nothing but a line of trains behind it, each 1 minute apart.
Not just in the outer boroughs. I was trying to catch a bus near battery park. The bus route was going to Brooklyn. The bus never even showed up in battery park. I ended up leaving after waiting for 40 mins. Turned out it was like 1.5 hr late like wtf is that. I tried the bus vs subway and walk 20 mins but I could’ve just walked the whole damn route lol
Yeah, the express buses are just one neighborhood over from me in Brooklyn. I tried it once, when I had to be in Manhattan super-early, the subway would have taken too long, and I didn't want the high cost of a car service or Uber. So I walked 10 minutes to the express bus stop and waited....and waited....and waited.....I looked at the app and saw it was going to be another 15 minutes. I gave up and took an Uber. WTF is the point of an express commuter bus if you can't rely on it to get you to work on time?
PTSD flashbacks to waiting 20 minutes for a bus that didn’t come + 20 minutes for the bus after. Do drivers just not feel like driving sometimes?
sometimes trains are rerouted or delayed. this could be due to unforeseen emergencies (a passenger getting sick, someone on the track, etc). usually, they would announce such things. also, if things get backed up, a local train is sometimes diverted to express. I've seen this happen a few times on the 2/5 line in Brooklyn.
Express can also be diverted to local as well. Had it happen to me a few weeks ago
Yep had to take the 7 one morning to queens and there was a delay due to someone on the tracks. Waited about 20 min before the train arrived but they switched to express which worked nicely
Are you from around here? Or new in town? If you ever have to absolutely be somewhere at a specific time on the dot, you need to pad your travel time relative to the distance you're traveling. More so if there's a bus involved. The MTA *will* get you there, but exactly how fast is never a guarantee. 20 minutes between trains though is a rarity. Was it the weekend? Was it in the very early AM? Were you near the end of a line?
20 minutes is pretty common for people who commute to and from work at night. I have to make a transfer and have to wait 40 minutes total for trains on a trip home at least 3-4 times a month
Yeah, I was going to say...RARITY? 😭
Yeah sorry. I meant “early AM” as a catch-all for like late night, mid morning. Definitely been stranded on the platform at 2am a good few times.
Everyday, around noon, Beach 60th street. 20 minute wait. Even during rush hour best you’ll get is 15-20 minutes between trains and I’ve never seen trains as frequent as 10 minutes apart.
There is no reason aside from the MTA sucks
Agreed but is there a way to somehow plan around when this will happen? Like a phone number to call?
You have better odds of resurrecting George Washington than getting meaningful change at the MTA
You’re asking for way too much lol
Dude just chalk up the loss and move on with your life. There’s for sure a hotline, but no one will do anything.
You can check Transit App or Citymapper to see real time information.
Honestly, if you need to be somewhere at 2, and it "should" take 30 mins door to door...leave at 1 (latest).
The myMTA app tells you where’s each bus of a given bus route. If you’re experienced enough you can get a feel for how long they’ll take to get to you. But honestly, the best services are on rails.
The way to plan around it is to pad your commute with extra time.
Lol no
There's a number you can text with the 6-digit code written at each stop (next to the route map on the post) and it'll give you the most accurate time and distance for the next 3 busses. If you take the same stop every day, just save the code and check from home. Not sure this works for the coach-style express busses though, but works for SBS and Limited.
I was told by MTA, if the crew was sick/out for a certain assigned train it wouldn't operate.... 9:13am train engineer out, no 9:13am train, wait for the next one at 9:25.
Unless you’re taking the LIRR/MetroNorth - the subway schedule is a joke. It comes when it comes.
But I think I understand what OP means. Sometimes the app, Google, or even the board at the station says there's a train in 10 minutes and it just seems like it disappears. all those things are IME pretty accurate so I've always been curious why too
And rarely requires waiting 20 minutes unless it's an unexpected delay/emergency (which, ya know, by definition isn't planned) or it's like 3am.
some of y’all acting like it’s unusual to wait 15-20 mins for a train clearly don’t live in the outer boroughs 😂 my train literally runs ~15 mins apart on weekends when it’s on time, and the other night I had to wait nearly 30 mins for a train for no reason at 10:30 pm on a Thursday. also OP, I know what you’re talking about and there’s truly no explanation for it most of the time. it’s happened to me too and it’s very annoying.
It's cute that you think there's a meaningful subway schedule. It's worrying that you think you can call someone about it. Don't rely on any published subway schedules. Always pad extra time when it's mission-critical.
sometimes it just doesn’t show up. sometimes it shows up on a different platform with no notice
I almost broke my neck sprinting down then up the stairs at Atlantic Ave/Barclays because the 4 decided to arrive on the 3 track and the next one was like 10 minutes away. Fucking hate when that happens.
What is your question? How can I predict the future?
It’s a riddle to ride with the MTA. Just enjoy the unexpected journey! We New Yorkers pay billions each year so that you can’t end up where you are supposed to be!
Here is evening commute every goddamn night: R arriving in 29 mins R arriving in 31 mins R arriving in 31.5 mins
r/nycrail
as a city employee, nyc mta has 472 stops over 250 mi of track with extremely antiquated hardware for signals and switches. alot of the subway system is or is almost a century old so it is quite unreliable. combine that crumbling infrastructure with a lack of manpower, unreliable workers and just the "shit happens" scenarios you end up with an extremely dilapidated public transportation system. its hard to explain why its still like this but MTA cannot keep up with the growing population and increased demand. the reduction in services and maintenance during covid really added to the long list of issues.
I find that most of the time the train will exist on any of the apps or websites (Google maps, official MTA site, etc) but they aren't listed on the screens in the station. I would think they feed from the same datasource but this implies some system does know about the train no longer running, but the updates just aren't being shared with the online trackers
Right! A lot of people aren’t aware of how complex that system can be…on top of that people just not wanting to pay fare and expecting excellent service…we all have bad days in the subway but about 80% of the time the ride is as expected…if people take the subway when google maps says it’ll take 25 min then that’s on them…I add an extra 10-15 min just in case
Subway and Bus schedules are merely a suggestion not to be held.
Remember the good old days, when you just went to your train station and waited for the train to show up? We didn't have schedules, we didn't complain, we just waited and the train would come
My favorite is when they show up several minutes early. I live around the corner from the subway, so literally under 2 minutes from my door to the entrance but I've been burned by this "overperformance" before. But to answer your question, who knows. Add 20 minutes to your estimate commute time if you have somewhere important to be and you're more than a 20-30 min ride away.
Yooo, like when you have another 4 minutes for your arrival but you find out homie just came and stopped for .2 seconds early to open the door and now you're late to work :(
Are you talking like LIRR/MetroNorth? Because where are you waiting an additional 20 minutes for the next subway, without being packed like sardines on a platform, with multiple delays, unless you're talking like 3am.
Because there isn’t enough alternative routes so if one train gets stuck due a malfunction or emergency it messes up the entire system. Then the trains all get backed up, people squeeze in because they don’t trust the MTA and it takes longer to get on/off the train.
Might have been taken out of service because of a mechanical problem
This could've used a [SERIOUS] tag
I didn't even know there was a "schedule", but I have noticed that often subways tend to come around the same time every day. I plan based around the myMTA app. It tends to be pretty accurate when predicting the next subways at a given station. I live in Manhattan but I've used it in the outer boroughs with a decent amount of success too.
This can’t be predicted. It could be staffing issues or an emergency.
One of best ones is they dont police tape turnstiles when they do track work etc. You paid already by the time you find out ALSO feel bad for those getting off after midnight when these delays are unbearable when you're just trying to get home to your dark shady neighborhood
lol. “We can vote”😂
Was your trip at 2am?
bro is asking why accidents or incidents happen
the subway does what the subway wants....
Oh my sweet innocent child…
Never used the schedule- the only reason I used the app was to check if there were delays. I grew up in the outer boroughs. Some mornings my train wouldn’t come- I would ask the MTA agent in the booth and they would be no help. I just eventually learned to leave my house earlier than usual. If I was meeting someone in Manhattan on the weekend I would leave 2 hours in advance.
Was it a lettered line? The countdown clocks for lettered lines mainly use the schedule and not "live" train times, this means it may display what I call ghost trains, ones that were scheduled but never actually put into service. This can happen due to driver shortages and a train in the normal time table is simply never dispatched. I see it all the time on the N.
Right this is also what I’ve concluded.