Ikea Shuttle Bests MTA Service for Some

how nice - better check the seats for "sharpies."

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:44 AM

IKEA subsidizing the transport of junkies is akin to subsidizing Native American casinos.

The guilt of the uber rich.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:48 AM

Maybe IKEA should take over the rest of the city's bus and subway lines too. Surely they would manage them better than the MTA.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:52 AM

What should they not let the junkies on the bus?! And these supposed junkies are in ‘recovery’ or trying to recover since they are on their way to the methadone clinic. But then again I’m sure this story is way overblown. Free write-up for Ikea and free bus ride to New Yorkers- that’s what I call a win-win.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:52 AM

I have taken the boat and the busses for commutting and it is great - I also think (as long as it doesnt result in overcrowding) it is a brilliant marketing move.

What does Ikea care if it is paying for the busses anyway and the 'commuters' are bound to be shoppers soon enough. Adds a 'public benefit' to their P.R. arsenal.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:53 AM

if Ikea is going to subsidize transportation couldn't they at least put some cleaner buses on the road.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:54 AM

It's just like Stockholm.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:54 AM

This blog had better stick to real estate.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:56 AM

I've done this myself--I grabbed the IKEA shuttle downtown and went shopping at Fairway. I remembered to stuff everything into a blue IKEA bag before reboarding--however it doesn't seem that they're going to care about a few grocery shoppers if they're shuttling junkies back and forth. It literally saved me a whole hour of time, though I have a monthly MetroCard so it didn't save me any money. It was so much more pleasant than the B61 all around.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:57 AM

Dear city,

Learn a lesson from this, The MTA sucks! Please hire IKEA to take over our public transportation and fire the MTA NOW!

https://www.cafepress.com/firethemtanow

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:57 AM

oops, i meant:

http://www.cafepress.com/FireMTANow

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 9:59 AM

As quoted from the Daily News Article -

"It's such a nice ride, I'd almost be happy to pay for it," said Steve Riley, 40, who lives in Park Slope, takes the Ikea bus and then transfers to the Ikea water taxi for his job in SoHo. "It was so very different from the miserable experience of the subway and I got to see all four of the waterfalls."

So a guy who lives in park slope takes a bus to red hook, then hops a ferry to wall street, presumably to catch a subway upto soho, when he could just take the F train right into soho @ west 4th street. I don't care how pleasant all this ikea transport is, what a waste of time!

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:03 AM

My question is did they not anticipate that folks would take advantage of the free shuttle? What they should have done is had people pay for shuttle up front and give them a $4 credit at the end of their purchase. It's just that simple.

A ClintonHillLady

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:07 AM

Mr. B,

We BEG of you - institute a character limit, PLEASE!!!!

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:10 AM

Is the grey type troll back? Seems so.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:11 AM

two words: methadone meatballs.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:46 AM

Of course they don't care - this was obviously one of the ways they got permits to build there - providing some public transit to city residents. I think it's all fabulous. Sort of sad how much I love IKEA. Now when walmart opens next door, that's when things are going to start being depressing.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:49 AM

So I gotta deal with Ikea shuttling people through my neighborhood all day long in their old over-sized buses that spew diesel fumes all over that place and these people taking their shuttle service are not even shopping at Ikea. I would rather that everyone used the public buses. At least they are much cleaner. If Ikea has started shuttling commuters then they need to reduce the number of times the shuttle goes back and forth or get smaller cleaner shuttles. Show some f***ing respect for the neighborhoods around you Ikea.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:51 AM

10:51 = bitter

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:59 AM

I live in Cobble Hill and work at World Financial Center. I take the water taxi home every day from Wall Street, and then either get 61 bus or meet wife in ikea lot with car...Or, my wife and son meet me in manahattan and we take it back together, it's great.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 10:59 AM

Brownstoner,
Instead of being a part of the Ikea marketing machine and posting a photo of their two shiny new buses, why don't you do some real reporting and post a photo of all the old crappy buses that they are shuttling people back and forth in. Maybe find out exactly how old these buses are. How often they only carry 5 or 10 passengers. What the impact is on the neighborhoods where these shuttles pass through. That would be an interesting story.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:10 AM

I guarantee that there will come a time when the honeymoon is over and Ikea will go back to their bottom dollar ways and there will be no more free shuttle service.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:11 AM

This weekend I saw a woman who had just missed the B61 ask the IKEA shuttle driver if he could let her off at Atlantic Avenue instead of at the downtown stop. When he said he couldn't stop, she went with her one bag back to wait for the next B61 rather than walking the--what--three? four?--extra blocks from Borough Hall to Atlantic Avenue herself. I hope she had to wait there for the next 40 minutes thinking about how stupid and lazy she was.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:12 AM

right on 11:10!
those are the crappy buses i see speeding all over the hood.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:21 AM

"What should they not let the junkies on the bus?! And these supposed junkies are in ‘recovery’ or trying to recover since they are on their way to the methadone clinic."

methodoneis not a recovery tool. it is far more addictive than heroin and more damaging to the body. it's a governmental crutch that destroys the lives of addicts.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:25 AM

I'm betting they will cut this back to weekends only in another month--that's all they do with the Elizabeth store, so why should they continue to provide 7-day transportation in Brooklyn? You actually CAN get there without a car if you simply must buy a SKRAAG or a SKÅNKHØ on a Tuesday.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:27 AM

11:12

You don't know a damn thing about that woman. I look like a young healthy able bodied person, but I happen to have a degenerative joint disorder. Walking 3-4 extra blocks can be excruciating for some of us. What difference does it make to you? Why does her not wanting to walk put you out so badly that you would comment about it here days later? I hope your physical health never goes and I hope your mental health improves.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:28 AM

This thread is proof positive that Brownstoner is filled with anti-everything curmudgeons and morons.

Ikea is (currently) providing FREE transportation on beautiful water taxis and Coach buses to an area of Brooklyn that is notoriously under served by mass transit. They are even knowingly providing this service to non-shoppers (currently) and are happy about it. And what is a widely expressed view here - Ikea sucks b/c they use big diesel buses. (I guess the Ikea=Armageddon for Brooklyn hasnt worked out huh? - down to criticizing free transportation)

Please look in the mirror and realize that you are simply useless misanthropes who hate everything and everybody - then kill yourself - you will be improving the boro and doing an environmental good deed.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:37 AM

11:27,

The "SKANKHO" name is priceless! Thanks for that...

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 11:56 AM

I actually tried to take this shuttle to Ikea yesterday morning from Borough Hall, but I waited around at the plaza for about a half-hour and never saw it. Does anyone know exactly where it turns up? (I ended up biking there instead, which was easy enough if a little sweaty...)

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:25 PM

"This weekend I saw a woman who had just missed the B61 ask the IKEA shuttle driver if he could let her off at Atlantic Avenue instead of at the downtown stop. When he said he couldn't stop, she went with her one bag back to wait for the next B61 rather than walking the--what--three? four?--extra blocks from Borough Hall to Atlantic Avenue herself."

So?? What the hell do you care? Why don't you just mind your own damned business? Rule #1 of the streets.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:27 PM

11:28

I'm guessing its possible to infer some things about a person who chose to slog their way around a store that is the size of four or five football fields.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:30 PM

10:51 = bitter renter

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:33 PM

But 11.37, then those people would have to actually acknowledge that they're the ones who are gentrifying their neighborhood.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:34 PM

I'm all for anything that destroys the lives of addicts.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:34 PM

12:25

The bus stops at the back of Borough Hall across from the Municipal Building. There's a sign that says where it stops.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:42 PM

11:37
At first I was going to tell you to walk in front of a bus, but on a second thought, why don't you get behind one of those Ikea buses because it will just as certainly kill you, just more slowly and painfully.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 1:17 PM

I can't believe Brownstoner has come to posting the right wing pro development propaganda of the Daily News. I thought you were lefty gentrifying scum Brownstoner?

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 1:20 PM

1:37
Why should I kill myself - I am having a wonderful life enjoying the turf field (with thousands of others) that you opposed at Cadman Plaza, free Water Taxi rides to Manhattan (that you opposed), the beginnings of the Brooklyn Bridge Park (that you opposed), enjoying the accessible waterfront parks built by Ikea and Fairway (both of which you oppossed), Cyclone games at Keyspan Park (that you opposed) and am looking forward to a rejuvenated JJ Byrne Park financed by the new development on 4th Ave (that you oppose), and spending a day enjoying the beach at a rejuvinated CI (which you oppose)

Kill myself - never, I am enjoying life too much - how about you? - didnt think so

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 1:43 PM

12:33 = bitter bus driver

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 2:02 PM

1:43 why would you believe that I opposed all those things. The only one you were right about was Ikea. Isn't it possible that there are a lot of different people on brownstoner who all object to different things. I suppose it is somehow easier for you to label the lot under one ubermonster. Yes, go on enjoying your made-up little world.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 2:08 PM

I think the world is here to serve me, so I think this is great. Now I can save my pennies and continue stealing food from my landlord. :-)

- bxgrl

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 2:19 PM

2:08 - it is important to occasionally use your brain -

It doesn't matter if you personally opposed each and everyone of those things - you probably didn't - mainly because you are likely only concerned about your own 'Back Yard' but the agenda is all the same - so you might as well be the same person=

"No changes, nothing new, I like it the way it is/was and I am only concerned about me me me"

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 3:08 PM

3:08
I have found that it is usually the people in life who say things like, "it is important to occasionally use your brain," who are the most unhappy with themselves and their lives.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 3:33 PM

3:33 like your predictions about Ikea, your conclusions are incorrect once again.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 4:13 PM

how often are Biff and bxgrl posting as guests now?

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 5:54 PM

Can we get back to the issue here. To show a photo of that pristine Ikea bus is just bad journalism. Most of the buses they are using are old and spew black diesel fumes into our surrounding neighborhoods.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 6:30 PM

The funny thing is that the route they use down Columbia from Degraw up to Hamilton is illegal. The street is for local traffic only, buses besides MTA are restricted.

so if you wanna have a gripe about the buses, how about the routes that violate traffic laws.

and beyond my own interests, wouldn't have been better to donate some money to the MTA to run more B61s. ok even I think that stupid.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 7:36 PM

too bad that trolley along the water front never took off. How cool would it be to trolly along the water front with harbor views right to Ikea.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 7:37 PM