The MTA Has Released an Official New Plan for Redrawing Queens Bus Routes

Back in April, the MTA asked Queens residents for feedback as they worked to completely redraw Queens bus routes, and now they have an actual draft of the plan. In a press release that went out yesterday, December 31, they announced they will redesign the Queens bus network for the first time in 100 years, addressing concerns customers expressed during that first stage of outreach.

According to the release, the new design will better serve customers by “shortening commute times, speeding up buses, increasing intermodal connections and provide more frequency and choices to travel within the borough and to Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.”

The Proposals

You can view the full plan draft on their website here. It is quite a dense report, but some of the highlights for Astoria include proposed routes that will connect Astoria to nearby neighborhoods in Brooklyn much more efficiently. This includes a route along the Pulaski Bridge that will connect Astoria, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Downtown Brooklyn (will be the QT1, formerly the Q100 & B62). Another proposed route will cross the Kosciuszko Bridge to connect Steinway, Astoria, Sunnyside, and Williamsburg (will be the QT2, formerly the Q101 & B24). Another will cross the Kosciuszko Bridge to connect Steinway, Astoria, Sunnyside, and Williamsburg (will be the QT76, formerly the Q101 & B62).

Another essential element of the plan is to further space out the bus stops, as right now they are the closest spaced stops in the country, at an average of 850 feet apart (some are as close as two blocks apart). “On average,” it states, “a bus takes 20 seconds to more than 1 minute to pull into a bus stop and then reenter traffic.” They hope to expand them to about 1,400 feet.

They are also looking to expand Transit Signal Priority (TSP), which is a technology that helps buses move through intersections quickly by holding a traffic light green, or changing the traffic light to green sooner.

The Feedback

They will be sharing the proposals in person at different public workshops around the borough and at subway stations. Make your voice heard here:

• Tuesday, Jan. 7, 4-7 p.m.
  Flushing-Main St 

 

• Wednesday, Jan. 8, 4-7 p.m.
  74 St-Broadway/Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av 

 

• Thursday, Jan. 9, 6-9 a.m.
  30 Av 

 

• Saturday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  Queens Center Mall
  (Woodhaven Blvd  or by bus: Q11, Q21, Q29, Q38, Q52/53 SBS, Q59, Q60, Q88, QM10, QM11, QM40)

 

• Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6-9 a.m.
  Court Sq-23 St 

 

• Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m.
  Jacob Riis Settlement
  10-25 41^st Avenue, Long Island City

You can also add comments to specific routes/stops on this interactive map here, and leave a more general comment online here. They will incorporate this feedback and release the proposed final plan in spring 2020.

This is all part of the “Fast Forward plan” which is set to redesign the bus networks in every borough of New York City. It began with the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign implemented in August 2018.

What are your thoughts on the proposals? Make sure to let the MTA know so they incorporate your feedback into the final plan!

One Comment

cynthia nardin January 3rd, 2020

Is the MTA cancelling the Q29 bus route?

Reply