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I am planning another day trip to NYC this December. I will need to get down to the Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights area from Manhattan. From what I understand, the fastest way to do this is to take the X17 express bus from Manhattan down to the Gatling Place- 86 St. Station. However, I have heard this bus rarely exits I-278 in order to stop here. I want to make sure I get off here. How do I make it overly obvious to the driver that I would like to get off the bus at Gatling Place- 86 St. Station? The last thing I want is to end up in Staten Island, especially since it is a day trip and I need to get back to Massachusetts.
Thank you
Where exactly do you have to go in Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights and where are you coming from in Manhattan (don't give exact locations but enough to give readers an idea so that we can better help you). Depending on where you're coming from and where you're going, it may be faster to take the N (and/or R train) or D train.
In Manhattan, I will be coming from Battery Park. Then, I will be going to Dyker Heights near 12th Ave (I will be going in Mid-December to see the Christmas Lights). This will be a SATURDAY, and according to Hopstop, making this trip (Battery Park to Dyker Heights, Saturday, 4:45) will take 30 minutes using the X17 bus compared to the N/R train which would take 60 minutes. Just trying to get some insider advice about the best way to make this route.
I doubt that if you pressed the stop button sufficiently in advance of the exit that the bus driver would fail to stop. I would press it around 6 av exit to give him enough time to exit the highway. Remember it's not a car, a bus needs time to maneuver and nobody wants to let a bus merge in front of them.
Thanks for the advice, edubz. One more question: when I need to return to Manhattan, can I rest assured the bus will exit and stop for me at that station (Dahlgren Pl.) so I can get back to Manhattan?
I live along the X17 route on Staten Island, so I'm familiar with the service to Dyker Heights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguyfromqueens
I am planning another day trip to NYC this December. I will need to get down to the Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights area from Manhattan. From what I understand, the fastest way to do this is to take the X17 express bus from Manhattan down to the Gatling Place- 86 St. Station. However, I have heard this bus rarely exits I-278 in order to stop here. I want to make sure I get off here. How do I make it overly obvious to the driver that I would like to get off the bus at Gatling Place- 86 St. Station? The last thing I want is to end up in Staten Island, especially since it is a day trip and I need to get back to Massachusetts.
Thank you
Simply ring the bell while you're on the bus so the driver knows to exit the highway.
The people who have issues are the ones traveling from Bay Ridge to Staten Island, not Bay Ridge to Manhattan. If nobody on the X17 wants to get off in Bay Ridge, the buses often stay on the highway, forcing people to wait for the next bus. The MTA's argument is that it's drop-off only (even though the sign says Arden Heights, which indicates that passengers should be able to wait for a Staten Island-bound bus there).
Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguyfromqueens
Thanks for the advice, edubz. One more question: when I need to return to Manhattan, can I rest assured the bus will exit and stop for me at that station (Dahlgren Pl.) so I can get back to Manhattan?
Yes. Going towards Manhattan, buses always stop at 86th Street.
You can also verify the stops when you get on the express bus, just as the driver as you pay the fare to be sure that the bus will stop where you need to get off. Sometimes they do skip stops, once the pickups have been completed, and I have known a bus driver to ask what stop an express bus rider needed on an empty bus, so they did not waste time going to stops that were not desired as they are drop-off only.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Nobody is going to pay $6.50 to go from 86th St and Gatling Place to Staten Island when the s79 or s53 take you there for $2.50. Express buses are mainly for outer borough travel to and from Manhattan, not between the outer boroughs.
Don't bother with the express bus---it's a waste of money. Do yourself a favor when using HopStop---pretty sure you can turn off using express buses---so unless you WANT to go out of your way for it, forget them.
Get off at 86th Street and take the B1. Not sure but the stops might be 11th and 13th---so get off wherever and walk. It goes up 86th.
OR
Take the R to Bay Ridge Avenue. Get off and transfer to the B64. This will bring you to 13th avenue and 82nd street.
Hopstop is telling me the only way to avoid the express bus is to take the R, which is double the time. Should I just do this and deal with it?
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