Bus Question please

Maybe a few stupid questions... but need to clarify:

For example...

Looking at the M42 bus schedule at mta.com. Appears as if it only has 6 stops. Hopstop tells me I can get on at W. 42nd and 10th but it%26#39;s not listed as one of the 6 stops. Are there other stops besides what is listed in the schedule?

Next ?: In order to get off at one of the listed 6 stops, you don%26#39;t have to push/pull bell or anything do you? How about if there are other stops besides those listed in the schedule?

Also, looks like there are buses every 2-3 minutes in the morning, every 5-7 minutes thereafter. Does that sound about right?

Finally, I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll see it when I get there, but just want to verify that there are bus stop signs/locations on the side of the sidewalk?

Thanks!

Bus Question please

I just looked at my bus map and it does not seem to be a limited bus route. Some routes have the regular one and a limited one. That means the limited one (like the M5) runs weekdays at rush hour time and does not stop everywhere. The bus signs on the streets are very vell indicated and you cannot miss them. If you see a limited sign, that means it only runs at certain hours of the day.

I don%26#39;t think that%26#39;s the case of the M42. I%26#39;m pretty sure there is more than six stops on the whole circuit from east to west and back.

You have to signal your intention to get off by pushing or ringing (don%26#39;t worry you will see it very clearly, it cannot be missed) because you cannot step in front of the white line that%26#39;s beside the driver. They are really strict about it in NY. I live in Mtl and not a driver says a thing when you get in the door before the stop and out of habit I do it in NY and the driver always tells me to step back and to push the thing to make the bell ring. Most of the drivers are super nice in NY and you can ask them any questions and they will answer. People always ask me when coming on the bus if it stops at a particular street and they always answer.

If you are in town for a couple of days, you should buy an unlimited metro card. They sell them in subway stations and certains delis. The first times I went to NY, I was always searching for 2$ in change but now I buy the metro card. You save money and it is more convenient.

Bus Question please

another tip: sometimes when the bus driver opens the door to let people on/off at a stop, the back door doesn%26#39;t always open. i mean, 99 percent of the time it does, but if you%26#39;re trying to get off and the back door is not opening, don%26#39;t panic. just yell ';BACK DOOR!'; and the driver will open it. :)

Since the schedule handouts would be very long %26amp; cumbersome if they included every stop (often just 2 blocks apart), the MTA%26#39;s bus schedules only indicate some of the stops along a route to give one a general idea of time in transit.

I predict you%26#39;ll do just fine :-)

I forgot to say that it is the best way to see Manhattan north to south and east to west for not much money. I don%26#39;t take cabs since I buy a metro card. You will save a lot of money, and contrary to Montreal, the buses are climatised (not sure about the expression, because my first language is French) so you don%26#39;t suffer the terrible heat in July or August!!!! It can get really hot in summer time in NY and it is a nice way to escape the heat.

The M42 does indeed stop at 42nd and 10th in both directions. The stops are approximately one block apart, but as they are avenues the blocks are quite long.

Port Authority is the busiest stop on 42nd and 8th. During morning rush hour going east the bus gets quite full there and in the evening rush hour going west ,many people get off. There is also traffic from Grand Central Station, the Javits Center if there is a big show, and The Circle Line, Intrepid and Ferry service.

Are you staying at the Travel Inn?

Crosstown buses stop at every corner and so far as I know so does the M42. Forget the bus schedule since most buses arrive later than the scheduled time except in the dead of night when there is little or no traffic.

Thank you all! Yes, I think we%26#39;re staying at Travel Inn for at least part of the trip. Going with my Mom who thinks walking to 7th Avenue is W-A-Y too far! :) Was hoping to take a bit of the walking off of her. And yes, was planning on a 7 day pass - seems the best economical deal of the trip! :)

Yes - do plan on the 7 day unlimited stop metro card for you both - it makes travel on bus or subway so easy. And bus travel, either cross town (East to West to East) or up/down town (North to South to North) is a super way to see the city. And yes, buses are A/C%26#39;d - however - if it has made a lot of stops with a lot of opening doors - it may not seem to have much AC.

Enjoy your trip. Ta. MMM!

And bus travel, either cross town (East to West to East) or up/down town (North to South to North) is a super way to see the city

GWB, are you reading this thread? :)

I was away for the holiday, and just read it this minute.

One thing that confuses some people about the bus and subway schedules is the problem cited, and that CockleCove answered properly. Because a bus route may be quite long (think of the B41 running ALLLLL the way down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn!!), and there is a bus stop every two or three blocks, it would be impossible to give a manageable-sized schedule that lists every stop. Instead, what you are told is the ';headway'; between buses (so you know whether you have to wait two minutes or twenty minutes until the next one), and you are given major streets along the route to give you and idea of how long it should take you to get from point A to point B. If The schedule says, for example, that it takes 50 minutes to get from 14th Street to 125th Street, and you are travelling from 12th to 120th, you can calculate the difference based on that.

You should also keep in mind that north-south (Avenue) traffic in Manhattan is always faster than crosstown (street) travel. A bus that is travelling one mile north on Third Avenue, for example, will probably arrive at its destination sooner than a bus travelling across 50th Street for only half that distance.

What this means is that it could make sense to sightsee along a north-south bus route, but an east-west (Manhattan) bus route may just be frustrating in heavy traffic.

good toner