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X68 Express Bus From Midtown to Floral Park, Queens


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X68 Express Bus From Midtown to Floral Park, Queens

By BILLIE COHEN

NEW YORK TIMES

January 3, 2008

 

[float=right]190-comm.jpg

The X68 runs from East 23rd Street

and First Avenue in Manhattan to

Floral Park, in Queens, passing

through Kew Gardens, Jamaica,

Hollis, Queens Village and Bellerose.[/float]People who take the express bus are a special breed. They are willing to pay more — express tickets are $5 for a one-way ride, gamble on the potential for traffic and stand out in the cold.

 

The commuters on the x68 heading back to Queens last night had to wait about 10 minutes longer than usual for their ride (which, I’m told, has been late every day for the last month), but no one seemed bitter, frustrated or — considering the frigid weather — frostbitten. Instead, they greeted each other at the Midtown stops like long-lost friends (some with kisses and hugs) and turned sideways or backward in their seats to chat.

 

Julie Yan and Ana Giannola met on this bus route two and a half years ago, and have become friends. Both own homes in Hyde Park, an area they praise for its convenient proximity to Manhattan, access to shops and affordability compared with other Queens neighborhoods. “I love it out there,” said Ms. Giannola. “As a first-time homeowner, I’m close to everything.” Both women could take the Long Island Rail Road into Manhattan, but since they work on the east side, winding up in Penn Station would be more of a hassle than a help.

 

[float=right]190-comm-02.jpg

The bus stop sign at the end of the

X68 line in Floral Park at Hillside

Avenue and East Williston Avenue.

[/float]Even with conversations like theirs going on, the bus remained a peaceful, but not oppressively quiet, place. Maybe it was the rumbling of the bus that acted like a sedative, lulling several travelers to sleep. I know I hit a point around Hollis where I dozed off for a minute. It was dark outside, and the seats were comfortable — so sue me.

 

I wouldn’t call the view from the 59th Street Bridge stunning or the sights of Kew Gardens, Hollis, Queens Village and Floral Park beautiful, but the semi-suburban neighborhoods are a relaxing change from the press of crowds and lights around Grand Central Terminal, the area where the bus made most of its Manhattan stops.

 

Some of the small brick houses still have Christmas decorations out and they showed up like bright spots as we drove by in the dark.

 

Why do these people — who are mostly women on this particular trip — put themselves through it? (Ms. Yen joked that when it rains you have to double your commute time.)

 

Mindy Wagner moved from Flushing to Hollis two years ago, and she knew she was giving up a more convenient subway commute. “This takes longer, and is more expensive, but I like the bus because it’s a nap, and I know I’m getting a seat,” she said, referring to the rule that forbids passengers from traveling while standing. In fact, she could opt for the F train and a 10-minute bus ride from her home, but, she said, “I may not get a seat.”

 

These were common sentiments. “I live in a two-fare zone, and I’ll be quite honest,” said Connie Robinson-Turner, a health-care administrator who also lives in Hollis, “the bus might cost more, but it’s more comfortable. It’s like a coach bus, and I’m guaranteed a seat. And frankly, after 9/11, I’m not as comfortable underground.”

 

At a Glance

 

The x68 to Floral Park serves a diverse working-class population based in the single-family home neighborhoods beyond Jamaica, and runs a one-way route (to Manhattan in the morning, to Queens in the evening) on a scheduled timetable about every 10 minutes.

 

Where It Goes

 

The evening bus back to Queens picks up its first riders at Peter Cooper Village, then the bulk of its passengers along Madison Avenue. It crosses the Queensboro Bridge and travels down Queens Boulevard through Kew Gardens and then onto Hillside Avenue in Jamaica and on through Hollis, Queens Village, Bellerose and, finally, Floral Park.

 

Strategies

 

Bus rules forbid standing passengers, so as long as you’re willing to wait for the next one, you will always get a seat. That said, the bus is rarely overcrowded, even between 5:30 and 6.00 p.m. Traffic delays vary, but are usually only a problem in the evening. And if it’s raining, one commuter said, you should double the time it’s going to take you to get home. Francis Lewis Boulevard is a major shopping hub, with several places to grab a morning coffee, but you might want to forgo it — there are no pit stops on this trip.

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