Hudson Link Yesterday Was a TOTAL S**t Show
I came back from the city yesterday during rush hour and the scene at Tarrytown waiting for the Hudson Link was NUTS. I took the train that arrived in Tarrytown at 5:55, and then an H07 (local) and an H07X (express) were supposed to leave at 6:00. When I got there I saw the biggest crowd I've ever seen at the bus stop (let me know if anyone knows if there was a ghost bus before this to explain the crowds). The countdown clock was turned off, and people were mad about it. We went on the app and it had status for some other buses but nothing for the two 6:00 buses.
An H07 pulled up a few minutes late, and most of the crowd rushed it. But the few of us like myself that wanted the H07X went up to the dispatcher (who spent most of the time in his car) and asked if the H07X is coming. He radios over and says that it's "on the bridge" and it's "running late" so we "may want to take the local". I decided to wait it out.
A couple minutes after the H07 leaves, two buses that say H07 Eastbound to Tarrytown arrive at the station. Both drivers get out of their buses and say to the dispatcher "What do I do now?" The dispatcher tells the first H07 bus to leave and tells the second one "You're the express bus now". Are they just making stuff up?
We get on the bus, and the driver says "We're not leaving for 10 minutes!" It turns out they combined this H07X and the following one. People getting off the next train see the express train there but then are told the next local is late. People are yelling at the dispatcher both on and off the bus complaining about the poor service and no countdown clocks. All of the screens on board the bus are off.
This is bad. This was supposed to be a train, then bus rapid transit, then an "enhanced" bus service. Transdev had a LOT of flaws but at least they had bus trackers so you could know in most cases where the bus is. I'm very concerned this is going to lead to the degrading or downright canceling of this service. When people stop riding because the service is crap, they'll say "Well I guess the demand isn't there." So so so mad and working on it 😡.
REDDITORS: If anyone has had any experiences, positive or negative, since the Coach USA takeover let me know!
