mzxeternal

I think Penn and GCT will both be nearly equally as popular. If you're heading to midtown or uptown, GCT is the ideal destination. But if you're heading Midtown West, Downtown or Downtown Brooklyn, Penn is the better bet. 2/3 or the A subway from Penn is a faster route downtown most of the time than the 4/5 N/R/W from GCT. But GCT is the ticket East side and central midtown.

I'd create a loop line in Flushing with extensive service, from Main Street & Roosevelt, along the Q17 route to 164th Street & Horace Harding, looping back the way it came to Main Street, and change the q17, 25, and 27 to a more limited route for all runs in the area (Stops at Terminal, Beech Ave, Holly Ave, Rose Ave and Horace Harding, before going to normal route). An overwhelming amount of people get on these buses at Main/Roosevelt and get off before Horace Harding. Making those existing 17/25/27 lines limited in that area would discourage their use for the short trip riders, and providing a loop for local service would improve run-times and limit congestion. A lot of people only take those routes two or three stops, slowing down the longer routes in the process. I'd also create a Q66 limited service on Northern Blvd along the complete Flushing-LIC route, only stopping at major intersections. Additionally, I'd create a Airport connector route, operating between LGA, Citi-Field LIRR, Union Tpke Station and JFK. Citi-Field and Union TPKE would be the only non-airport stops. Lastly i'd create an express bus service to JFK, from Penn Station, stopping at several stops in midtown, via the midtown tunnel, LIE, Woodhaven to JFK

This would be one hell of a catastrophe to rival 9/11 if not exceed it. In such a situation, extraordinary measures would have to be taken. from 237th Street to 49th Street from 34th-Penn to South Ferry Service from Main Street to Grand Central. No Express service, see (8) (8) Since this is an emergency, i'm getting creative and turning the LIRR Port Washington Branch into a Subway line. Tracks 20-21 at Penn Station converted to emergency subway use. Free Metrocard transfers at Woodside, Flushing (for local 7), Penn Station. Astoria-57th Street - Free Metrocard transfer at Queensboro Plaza for Queens Plaza service 95th Street Brooklyn - 34th Street Herald Square via Broadway rerouted to 6th Avenue, runs local to 71st Continental to replace R service and E local night hours. Since it wasn't mentioned that the or stations were damaged, i would make the following changes Service runs 24 hours Increase Frequency of Service Run local between 168 St and World Trade all times (Increase service) Run Express in Queens after 71-Continental all times, switch to F line after W4 St, last stop Church Avenue. Service Terminates at Hoyt-Schermehorn in Brooklyn, Extended to 71st Continental in Queens. Finally above ground, I would remove all of Bloomberg's sidewalk sitting areas, making Broadway a bus only street with free shuttle buses running from 33rd Street -57th Street in both directions. No Thru traffic would be allowed within the route area from 6AM-9PM, and HOV 3+ restrictions would be in place for all of Manhattan south of 96th Street.

All the talk about LaGuardia got me thinking, why not make LIRR Willets Point a full time station, and institute a shuttle bus line from Willets Point to LGA. It's only about 5 minutes from the Airport, plus local street reroutes are feasible when the GCP is congested. Might require some light construction in the area, could even adapt the unused platforms at the LIRR station to be a bus waiting area. Would be serviced by both the LIRR and the #7 in a mostly sparsely traveled area. (except during Met games and the US Open) Not exactly the most elegant solution, but would probably be much more affordable than building a LaGuardia Airtrain.

That stretch where the q31 would be eliminated (along 47 avenue) would still be served by the q27, and the walk to Northern for the Q12 is not a lengthy one. Extending the 31 into QCC would give direct access from South Bayside to QCC, which currently is not possible and where there would be a ridership for it. Currently those people have to take the 31 as it is, get off and transfer to the q27, or walk from 47 and Bell. It would also encourage ridership from the college, as Bay Terrace hosts the closest Barnes and Noble to the school for example. As far as the 27, there isn't much you can do about Main Street, it is what it is. But Kissena Blvd is a bottleneck as well, it's one lane on either side with chronic double parking and heavy traffic. If anything get's stuck, everything gets stuck. Moving anything off Kissena Blvd would be an improvement. Parsons Blvd is underutilized (especially since the q26 became rush hours only during the 1990s). Moving the Q27 limited on to Parsons Blvd and eliminating it's existing stops would speed things up. That small stretch can take 5 minutes if traffic is flowing well, but if it isn't it can take 25. The reason I chose the 27 Limited as opposed to the 25 or 17 is that the 27 is longest route, and doesn't serve as many schools as the other lines do. Finally, your new q14 would be one seriously long trip. The old Q14 took about 15 minutes to get to it's terminal, maybe 20. The 15A probably takes about 25-30. The route you propose would take 45, I think it would not be utilized, And rerouting the 76 at Northern would be bad news, it's the only bus in Northern Queens East of Flushing that goes into Jamaica 7-Days a week. When it was gone on weekends, a 30 minute trip turned into an hour and 30 minute trip via Flushing and multiple buses. During the week, plenty of school children use the route to get to and from Jamaica as there are several schools along the route.

Some new proposals i've thought up Q31 - Northern Terminus Changed to Bay Terrace Shopping Center, travels Bell Blvd to 47th avenue. Instead of following Q27 in the direction of Utopia, follows Q27 to Queensboro College. Down LIE with Q30 to Francis Lewis Blvd. North on Hollis Court Blvd, to partially replace q26 service, continue regular route. Restore Saturday Service 6AM-7PM, Sunday Service 9AM-5PM Q26 - Eliminate service, partially replace with revised Q31. Q27 - Run Limited Service down Parsons Blvd from 46/Holly Avenue, to Sanford Ave (with new stops at Flushing Hospital, and Sanford Ave/Parsons). Run down Sanford to Kissena and Normal Route. This reroute would eliminate the Kissena Blvd Bottlenecks from the 27 Limited. 27 Local, 17/17Ltd, 25/25Ltd and 34 would continue to service Kissena Blvd. Q88 LTD - Weekdays 6AM-9:30AM and 4PM-8PM Stops only at: Queens Center Mall, Junction Blvd and LIE, 108 St., Main Street, Kissena Blvd, 164 St, Utopia Pkwy, 188 Street and LIE, 73rd Avenue and Francis Lewis, 73rd avenue and Bell Blvd, Springfield Blvd and 73 Ave. All Stops after Springfield and Union Tpke. Q76 - Extend North Terminal to match q20A, Extend South Terminal to Jamaica LIRR.

It did have it's users. I lived in Fresh Meadows from 2001-03 and again from 2007-09, a few blocks from Utopia Parkway and Fresh Meadow Lane. The key things about Q30 night service was, even though it only ran hourly, it was extremely reliable and consistent. It was much faster to get to that area if coming from Manhattan, by taking the F train to 169th and making the transfer to the 30, as opposed to taking the Q17, which would leave you on the wrong side of the LIE, or going through Flushing (7 Train to Q17). The crowds would vary, but I remember on the Midnight and 1am runs at least having 8-20 riders each on average, but nearly everyone would be off before Springfield Blvd (the times I took it that far to go to friend's houses at night). They should have left the 30 overnight service and truncated back to Springfield, maybe running it as a loop, perhaps with a 90 minute headway. The service was utilized. If I still lived in that area, it would have been a hardship to lose the Q30 at nights. Also i'm still shocked they got rid of the q31 weekend service. While not jam packed, it was utilized a lot heavier than the Q76 was on Saturdays. Plenty of people along the line would take it all the way to Jamaica LIRR. That line would have been utilized more so had it terminated at Bay Terrace Shopping Center instead of in a quiet part of Francis Lewis Blvd.

I like this idea, except for the U-Turn which I couldn't see being realistic, they would probably have to go to the depot and turn around there, or Terminate at the South-East Corner of Roosevelt Ave/College Pt. Blvd, and turn up one of the side streets to turn around. I also like it more for the Q12, since it's a more used and more frequent route. Q15 schedule is terrible, and they cut it further despite it being tasked to replace the Q14 as well.

My Ideas, mostly centered around North-East Queens. Existing Q12 - New Limited Service added serving major intersections up to Bell Blvd, local to City Line Q13- Same Q15 - Eliminate 15A, restore original service pattern. See my plans for Q34 Q17 - Same. Q20A/B - Q20B Rerouted to cover previous Q74 route, then via Queens Blvd to Jamaica Weekdays. Q25 - Reduce 1 bus hourly 8am-11pm weekends for substitution on Q34. Limited Buses run non-stop from Main Street to Queens College. Q26 - Eliminate existing, recycle number into new line (See below) Q27 - Limited runs via Parsons Blvd (Q26 Routing, no stops), bypassing Kissena Blvd bottleneck. Non-Limited the Same. Q28 - New Limited Stop Service, Rush Hours Only (Non-Stop Between Francis Lewis Blvd and Main Street) Q30 - Reinstate Overnight Service, Terminus shifted from LIE and Little Neck Blvd to Northern Blvd to partially replace Q79 and provide transfer to Q12, N20/21 Q31 - Reinstate Weekend Service hourly Q34 - Extend from existing terminal at 149th Street & Willets Point down 149th Street to previous Q14 terminal, replaces Q14 with similar service (34 from Main Street to it's terminal is very similar to old Q14). Run hourly on Weekends to replace Q14/Q15A, or Twice an Hour in the pattern of the current weeknight Main Street only Shuttle. Q44 - Institute SBS Service Q48 - Eliminate all Roosevelt Avenue Stops excluding 111th Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Stops on Roosevelt Avenue are redundant to existing 7 Train service. Q88 - New Limited Service, Rush Hours and Evenings along LIE corridor only New Service Q26 LIMITED Loop Service - Main Street Flushing - 164 St, Horace Harding Expressway, Weekday Rush Hours (Serves Kissena Blvd in Flushing Only.) Stops at only: Main Street/Roosevelt Avenue Kissena Blvd & Beech Avenue/Cherry Avenue, Holly Avenue, Rose Avenue, Long Island Expressway/Queens College Then a final stop at 164 and LIE, where the bus can turn around at 164th Street and loop back in the reverse direction. Considering the high volume of passengers at these few stops along the heavily traveled Kissena Blvd corridor heading to and from Main Street Station, this line could speed up commutes on Q17/25/34/27 to/from Main Street Significantly. Extending this line one more Limited Stop further to Utopia Parkway may make sense as well, considering the volume of Students traveling to/from Francis Lewis High School.