Queens Bus Redesign Discussion Thread

[BrooklynBus]

On 1/16/2020 at 7:49 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

OK...and so does the MTA...which neighborhoods do you see that lost direct access to the subway (especially during rush hour)?

Look at the QT73. It goes to the 7. But what if you live in southern Queens and want the E, F or J/Z?  You will now need two buses to get to those subways under the plan. Who would want to travel halfway across Queens to get to the subway? 

Edited January 18, 2020 by BrooklynBus

[shiznit1987]

Some food for thought: 

1) What is wrong with having a line just stay on Horace Harding all the way to North Shore Hospital? Rather than have one go from QCM to QCC and another from Jamaica to LNP why not one line all the way from QCM to North Shore Hospital along HH? 

2) I do like the idea of a line straight down Springfield/Bell Blvds (OT71). I would send it to Jamaica via Jamaica Ave though. This would give it better ridership generators as it now serves as the direct linkage from Jamaica -> QCC -> Bayside. This also means the Q27 can terminate @ QCC

 3) The QT64 and OT65 are total duds. No one is going to ride those past ~ HH heading northbound. Keep the Q65 the way it is and have the QT64 feed into Flushing via 46th Ave. 

4) I like the QT73 except it needs to stop at QCC. No need to go further. 

5) I can see why everyone in my area is beyond angry (Jackson Heights). People want to get to 74st-Roosevelt. Period. Ripping out the Q33 and Q49 will leave alot of people in the lurch as far as getting to Manhattan is concerned. Not everyone wants the . Plus the Q53 is decimated. No No No. 

 

 

 

[BreeddekalbL]

On 12/31/2019 at 4:08 AM, N6 Limited said:

QT73 - Francis Lewis route to  , interesting.

I kind of disagree I was staying off of Francis Lewis near Hillside the way the 76 is I liked it rather then adding an extra 10 minutes to ride up to flushing 

[checkmatechamp13]

39 minutes ago, BrooklynBus said:

Look at the QT73. It goes to the 7. But what if you live in southern Queens and want the E, F or J/Z?  You will now need two buses to get to those subways under the plan. Who would want to travel halfway across Queens to get to the subway? 

Virtually every major cross-street has a direct bus to Jamaica (also the current Q77 only connects to the not the )

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

38 minutes ago, shiznit1987 said:

Some food for thought: 

1) What is wrong with having a line just stay on Horace Harding all the way to North Shore Hospital? Rather than have one go from QCM to QCC and another from Jamaica to LNP why not one line all the way from QCM to North Shore Hospital along HH? 

2) I do like the idea of a line straight down Springfield/Bell Blvds (OT71). I would send it to Jamaica via Jamaica Ave though. This would give it better ridership generators as it now serves as the direct linkage from Jamaica -> QCC -> Bayside. This also means the Q27 can terminate @ QCC

 3) The QT64 and OT65 are total duds. No one is going to ride those past ~ HH heading northbound. Keep the Q65 the way it is and have the QT64 feed into Flushing via 46th Ave. 

 

 

 

1) People from west of 188th Street are just not going to Little Neck, let alone North Shore Hospital. I don't think the Q88 should have been staightened like that. If anything, I would support having QT12 service rerouted onto 73rd Avenue between 188th Street & Springfield Boulevard in order for residents along 73rd Avenue and in Oakland Gardens to still retain access to Fresh Meadows Shopping Center, the schools near HHE, and QCM. The QT33 or QT87 could remain running on HHE between Springfield Boulevard and 188th Street. Service to destinations near HHE would be much more useful for 73rd Ave residents in Fresh Meadows then going straight down 73rd Avenue, without a doubt. 

2) I agree with you on the QT65, but I actually like the  QT64 route, and I think such a route can work out. I don't thin 24/7 is warranted though. My only gripe is that some of the areas it serves no longer have access to Flushing. With the QT86 ending at such an arbitrary terminal, they should at the very least extend it north into College Point to replace some of the Q25 sections (which no longer have a bus), and send it over to the existing Q65 terminal. (and truncate the QT64 at College Point Boulevard). 

Edited January 18, 2020 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Cain]

I hope I am not too far off my element here but I feel we're in a "chicken or egg" kind of moment with the whole redesign. The current system has its inefficiencies and difficult trips - who is to say new opportunities/ridership will not arise when the changes take place?

[BrooklynBus]

5 minutes ago, Cain said:

I hope I am not too far off my element here but I feel we're in a "chicken or egg" kind of moment with the whole redesign. The current system has its inefficiencies and difficult trips - who is to say new opportunities/ridership will not arise when the changes take place?

Some new opportunities and new ridership will arise but the question to ask is will more be helped or hurt by the changes. I believe white a few will benefit, many more will be hurt.

[NewFlyer 230]

1 hour ago, Cain said:

I hope I am not too far off my element here but I feel we're in a "chicken or egg" kind of moment with the whole redesign. The current system has its inefficiencies and difficult trips - who is to say new opportunities/ridership will not arise when the changes take place?

Not all the ideas are bad, but there are some routes that need fine tuning and there are others that need to be changed all together. 

[B35 via Church]

7 hours ago, Cain said:

I hope I am not too far off my element here but I feel we're in a "chicken or egg" kind of moment with the whole redesign. The current system has its inefficiencies and difficult trips - who is to say new opportunities/ridership will not arise when the changes take place?

I see it more as we, the riding public, are in a potential perpetual no-win situation dealing with this agency.... They're way more focused with cutting costs than they are truly benefiting us riders & AFAIC, it's quite blatant.....

New ridership opportunities & habits will be evident, that much is obvious.... The issue is, will there be more people overall utilizing buses in/out/within the entire borough, have this rendition of the plan come to fruition (compared to whatever the annual cumulative bus ridership stat is for Queens - which has been on the decline for however many years it's been), or will there be even less total annual patronage throughout the borough than it is now?

- Considering the local bus suggestions, well If it's the former, then this whole scheme is counterproductive, if the actual belief is that the MTA truly has the riders' best interest at heart.... If it's the latter, well, then all of us naysayers will have to shut up & eat our hats.... I have to say though that the outlook of this whole bit does not wholly, remotely come across as being promising.... As with anything, I'm waiting to see what mitigation efforts (if any) will be portrayed in the final plan....

- Considering the express bus changes however, there's literally zero chance of total cumulative/system-wide ridership growth happening.....

[BrooklynBus]

13 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Virtually every major cross-street has a direct bus to Jamaica (also the current Q77 only connects to the not the )

So for example, someone who lives near 122 Avenue and Francis Lewis who doesn’t want to take two buses to the subway will have to walk three quarters of a mile instead either to Linden Blvd or Merrick Blvd for a one seat subway ride. 

[Q43LTD]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:08 AM, B35 via Church said:

If things stand as proposed, how would this plan affect you if you still lived in Queens?

What would you have to do different (if anything)?

 

Let's say I still lived near the Brewer corridor. I would have the QT13 (nee Q113), QT19 (nee Q111 to Farmers), QT7 (nee Q89), QT43 (nee Q85) and the QT45 (nee Q111 to Rosedale). I don't think I would have to do anything different. I would have new options like the through Linden route that would give me a one seat ride to Gateway and the  . It depends where I needed to go. I guess I wouldn't have to travel to Jamaica so much. Looking at these proposals, it seems like more routes are feeding to the  more than the  

[BrooklynBus]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I see it more as we, the riding public, are in a potential perpetual no-win situation dealing with this agency.... They're way more focused with cutting costs than they are truly benefiting us riders & AFAIC, it's quite blatant.....

New ridership opportunities & habits will be evident, that much is obvious.... The issue is, will there be more people overall utilizing buses in/out/within the entire borough, have this rendition of the plan come to fruition (compared to whatever the annual cumulative bus ridership stat is for Queens - which has been on the decline for however many years it's been), or will there be even less total annual patronage throughout the borough than it is now?

- Considering the local bus suggestions, well If it's the former, then this whole scheme is counterproductive, if the actual belief is that the MTA truly has the riders' best interest at heart.... If it's the latter, well, then all of us naysayers will have to shut up & eat our hats.... I have to say though that the outlook of this whole bit does not wholly, remotely come across as being promising.... As with anything, I'm waiting to see what mitigation efforts (if any) will be portrayed in the final plan....

- Considering the express bus changes however, there's literally zero chance of total cumulative/system-wide ridership growth happening.....

The thing is the MTA will declare success no matter what even if ridership goes down as I have previously started. 

[N6 Limited]

2 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

So for example, someone who lives near 122 Avenue and Francis Lewis who doesn’t want to take two buses to the subway will have to walk three quarters of a mile instead either to Linden Blvd or Merrick Blvd for a one seat subway ride. 

122nd Ave ends at Springfield Blvd, they would most likely walk to 120th Ave and take the QT41.

[N6 Limited]

18 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Check the proposed span/frequency for the QT36. 9 minute headways rush hour, 24 minutes off-peak. Weekends is 20 minutes rush hour, 30 off-peak (whatever rush hour is considered on a weekend). It looks like the QT34/36 will run similar headways off-peak and thus be coordinated, but that coordination should extend to LNP, not just Winchester.

Does ridership along Hillside between Winchester and LNP warrant those headways after 7PM?

 

3 hours ago, Q43LTD said:

Let's say I still lived near the Brewer corridor. I would have the QT13 (nee Q113), QT19 (nee Q111 to Farmers), QT7 (nee Q89), QT43 (nee Q85) and the QT45 (nee Q111 to Rosedale). I don't think I would have to do anything different. I would have new options like the through Linden route that would give me a one seat ride to Gateway and the  . It depends where I needed to go. I guess I wouldn't have to travel to Jamaica so much. Looking at these proposals, it seems like more routes are feeding to the  more than the  

Interesting, I keep being told that no one from SE Queens wants the  whenever I mention it. "Everyone wants Jamaica" (even though that's because with the current network you must to go to Jamaica to get anywhere else.) 

2 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

The thing is the MTA will declare success no matter what even if ridership goes down as I have previously started. 

I must say, when i took the M15 SBS for the first time I was extremely disappointed. I was thinking we were going to cruise down 2nd Ave nice and fast and I can get to 63rd and walk over to the  . In reality, the bus poked along, stopped frequently and got held up by traffic signals, it was extremely uneventful. But it was a "success" haha.

The BX12's success is partially the result of the gap in cross streets (and traffic signals) on Pelham Parkway.

[checkmatechamp13]

12 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

Does ridership along Hillside between Winchester and LNP warrant those headways after 7PM?

Those purple routes are feeder routes, so logically most of them aren't going to be too full on the outer ends. But I'll put it to you this way: How would you feel if you lived east of Winchester and the QT36 bus was too crowded to board in Jamaica, while the QT34 bus had plenty of extra room? The QT18 is definitely intended to be for short-distance passengers (along Hillside west of Springfield) but that doesn't mean that every single short-distance passenger will take the QT18.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

14 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Not all the ideas are bad, but there are some routes that need fine tuning and there are others that need to be changed all together. 

Much of the response I'm seeing takes the form of... "This one idea is bad for me, therefore the whole plan is a complete failure and must be completely rejected without further consideration." 

[BrooklynBus]

36 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

I must say, when i took the M15 SBS for the first time I was extremely disappointed. I was thinking we were going to cruise down 2nd Ave nice and fast and I can get to 63rd and walk over to the  . In reality, the bus poked along, stopped frequently and got held up by traffic signals, it was extremely uneventful. But it was a "success" haha.

The BX12's success is partially the result of the gap in cross streets (and traffic signals) on Pelham Parkway.

The only good thing I heard about the M15 SBS was that it runs quickly after 7 PM. There were also many complaints from local users claiming severe deterioration in local service forcing some to use the SBS when they preferred the local. From what I have seen on the weekends, I think there is too much service in the route compared to demand. Given the politics of it all, it will be interesting to see if Manhattan bus service is cut as much as Queens service will be cut. 

[N6 Limited]

45 minutes ago, BrooklynBus said:

The only good thing I heard about the M15 SBS was that it runs quickly after 7 PM. There were also many complaints from local users claiming severe deterioration in local service forcing some to use the SBS when they preferred the local. From what I have seen on the weekends, I think there is too much service in the route compared to demand. Given the politics of it all, it will be interesting to see if Manhattan bus service is cut as much as Queens service will be cut. 

It would certainly be interesting to see the Manhattan redesign. Most of the routes are already gridded, and a lot are slowed by congestion, headway might be reduced if they can get away with it.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

1 hour ago, N6 Limited said:

It would certainly be interesting to see the Manhattan redesign. Most of the routes are already gridded, and a lot are slowed by congestion, headway might be reduced if they can get away with it.

Some north-south Manhattan routes have one-way running times of two hours or more (long enough to the MetroCard transfer). I imagine some of those will be split in two.

[BrooklynBus]

1 hour ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

Some north-south Manhattan routes have one-way running times of two hours or more (long enough to the MetroCard transfer). I imagine some of those will be split in two.

Bad decision. Means more transferring. Long routes if split need to overlap. 

[Gotham Bus Co.]

21 minutes ago, BrooklynBus said:

Bad decision. Means more transferring. Long routes if split need to overlap. 

Even with overlap, the resulting routes would be shorter and more reliable.

[BrooklynBus]

2 minutes ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

Even with overlap, the resulting routes would be shorter and more reliable.

Probably, and it minimizes extra transferring. But it costs more so it's not MTA policy. 

[B35 via Church]

11 hours ago, BrooklynBus said:

The thing is the MTA will declare success no matter what even if ridership goes down as I have previously started. 

Yeah, "success" to the MTA & "success" to a commuter are two very different things....

8 hours ago, Gotham Bus Co. said:

Much of the response I'm seeing takes the form of... "This one idea is bad for me, therefore the whole plan is a complete failure and must be completely rejected without further consideration." 

And as for those that don't bother to opine on the rest of the network after concluding a particular idea is good for them?

8 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

.....The QT18 is definitely intended to be for short-distance passengers (along Hillside west of Springfield) but that doesn't mean that every single short-distance passenger will take the QT18.

  Same idea for it along Merrick... That route is meant to consolidate all the short distance riding pax. along its respective portions along Merrick & along Hillside onto one route.... What you mention at the end there, is exactly what they're banking on - and worse, they're going about it on the cheap.....

Edited January 19, 2020 by B35 via Church

[LGA Link N Train]

I might be very late to the game here, but since Regents week is here, I finally have time to Break Down my thoughts on the Queens Bus Redesign. I will only review locla buses since I don't know much about the Express Bus Network.  

• I disagree with the ridiculously long headway's with some routes and the elimination of others like the Q49. That has already been discussed here many times so I won't bring up the topic of frequency a lot. 
• Also, I agree with having bus Priority corridors. The  at least acknowledged that streets like Queens Blvd, Hillside Avenue and 108th Street should give buses priority. I also personally think that Streets like Main Street and Archer Avenue should be Busway's similar to 14th Street because those areas are congested. But with the current political situation in New York, we know that won't happen. One thing that should be added are Queue Jumps and Traffic Lights that signal only buses. Not sure why the or DOT didn't study that.
• I understand the reasoning as to why bus stops were eliminated, but some go way overboard. Though, I' not going to go In Depth with this
• Like the coloring scheme to identify the types of routes. It makes the Network look cleaner. Though, I disagree with HOW the chose to color-code their routes. Purple for example, is supposed to signify a subway feeder route. I'd personally save it to distinguish a local service from a limited Service. Same with Dark Blue when it comes to LCL?SBS Routes. 
• Brooklyn-Queens Connections being given priority for Improvements is a Huge win for everybody.

Now onto the Bus Routes themselves:

QT1 (Astoria-Downtown Brooklyn) - While I have mixed feelings on this route, at least its better than building the BQX. I'm assuming that it'll run as a limited route throughout Queens and making B62 stops in Brookyn (with the exception of the BQE/Tillary Segment). I think it can do better than 12 minute headway's though. Maybe 8 minutes, and 12 minutes on weekends? 

QT2 (Steinway-Williamsburg Plaza) - Not a fan of this route! While I agree with the sentiments that we need to improve on Brookyln-Queens connections and that taking the Q101 out of Manhattan is a good idea, I disagree with combining it with the B24's BQE Segment. I'd say, send to LIC or something and cut the BQE Portion of the B24 at Queens Blvd/Roosevelt or something.

QT3 (Jamaica-Williamsburg Plaza) - The QT3 in my opinion is nothing but a redundant non-stop version of the Q54. If the wants some sort of limited service down Metropolitan Avenue, they could've had the QT54 have a Limited counterpart like most routes do today. I remember a discussion w while back about the fact that most Q54 buses Short turn at Fresh Pond Road, and that the route should be split in 2. I wouldn't mind if this QT3 served one portion of the current Q54 route. Say From Williamsburg to Woodhaven Blvd for example. 

QT4 (Jackson Heights-Downtown Brooklyn) - This is another route that I have mixed feelings on. While Brookyln-Queens Connections are worth improving on, I'm not sure how this'll affect the current B57 serving Red Hook. Also, having it run via 69th Street up to Jackson Heights is kinda iffy me. The current B57 is fine the way it is. If the  wanted a Queens Route to run along Flushing Avenue into Brooklyn, why not a modified version of a route that currently passes by Maspeth or Ridgewood?

QT5 (Jamaica-Brownsville) - I have nothing to say for this route. Given that the current Q8 serves as an alternative for the in different way, I don't understand why the would route the QT5 to Brownsville. 

QT6 (Flushing-Ridgewood) - To me, the QT6 is the Q58, but better and More reliable. What'd make it even more reliable is if it was routed via Eliot Avenue instead of Grand. 

QT7 (Linden Blvd)  - A route that covers Linden Blvd and goes to Gateway Mall. Nice. Had the been extended via the LIRR Atlantic Branch, then this would've been the Q4. Not a huge fan of extending this route to Gateway. I'd rather have the QT5 do it. Other than that, the peak headways should be boosted from 15 minutes to about 8-12. 

QT10 (Jackson Heights-Elmhurst) - This makes no sense to me. The talks about how they don't want routes to run on Narrow Streets. Hampton Street is a narrow street. Another piece of criticism I heard about is that this route combines the Q29 and Q33, which is apparently bad because Q33 commuters are looking for service to go to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station, which is understandable. I personally like this route and would think it'd be more useful if Woodhaven Blvd Subway station was converted into an Express Stop in addition to ADA Enhancements. One last thing about this route is that I like how no one brought up the fact that this QT10's terminals are actually in Rego Park and Terminal A as opposed to Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. 

QT11 (East Elmhurst-Kew Gardens/Fresh Meadows) - I disagree with this route. Two positive things is that it goes to 111th Street station on the as opposed to 103rd and that 108th Street gets Bus Priority improvements. But combining the Q23 with the Q46 and part of the Q88 is mind boggling to me. One suggestion I'd make to improve this route is to have it run to Parkside via Ascan Avenue instead of the QT87. 

QT12 (Horace Harding Expressway) - I like this route. Its simple, direct, has a high frequency (with the exception of weekends), and is overall a good route in my opinion. Though to be honest, the QT12 comes off more as a feeder route to me. A suggestion I'd make to improve it is to deck the LIE where ever possible. 

QT13 (Jamaica-Far Rockaway) - This route is okay to me. Seems like it's the main local route of Guy R Brewer just like the current Q113. Frequencies could be better than 15 minutes though. 

QT14 (Electchester - Kew Gardens-JFK Airport) - GIven the overhaul that JFK Airport will receive in the next couple of years, I understand the reason for cutting back this route. I also get that the Q10 route (and that one Q64 bus that shows up every now and then) is articulated, but that alone, doesn't warrant combining the 2 routes. Both routes should keep their 8 minute headway's though. 

QT15 (College Point-Flushing-QCC) - This route is a little strange to me. From what I can interpret, its a Q27 thats cut back to QCC, but extended to College Point. Kind of weird. Wouldn't route it via Kissena though. In Flushing, I'd suggest that the QT15 goes via Parsons > Roosevelt Avenue > College Point Blvd. 

QT16 (Jamaica-Bleechhurst) - Interesting route. Basically a rerouted Q25 which ain't bad. Only thing I'd change though is to make Barclay Avenue a mini-busway of sorts and Route the QT16 via Barclay Avenue > Union Street. 

QT17 (Northern Blvd East) - Not bad for a "high frequency route" of 8 minutes. I'm assuming that it'll continue to use Articulated buses. 

QT18 (Springfeild Gardens-Jamaica-Oakland Gardens) - Another route I have mixed feelings with.I understand the Fact that it's supposed to better serve Merrick and Hillside Blvd's but this route just seems incomplete with its odd terminal at Springfield Blvd. My suggestion is that it'd be split in two, with both ends meeting up near 168th/Merrick. 

QT19 (Guy R Brewer Blvd)  - Another redundant route in my opinion. This service can be folded into the QT13 and could be split as if it was a Local/Limited service.  

QT20 (Sutphin Boulevard) - Already spoke about the JFK Reconstruction ordeal so I won't mention it here [See QT14]. This route is okay, though I think the frequencies should be increased from 8 minutes to about 5 or 6 minutes. 

QT22 (Rockaway Penninsula) - The only issue I have with this route are its headways. While the Rockaway Penninsula is not as dense or developed as the rest of the city, 20-30 minute headways in the peak period seems like a criminal thing to do in my opinion. 

QT24 (Atlantic Avenue East) - I don't have an opinion on this route since its the current Q24, but cut back to Sutphin/Archer. Given how slow Atlantic Avenue is, I'd say either a bus lane or queue jumps/TSP should speed this line up. 

QT30 (Fresh Meadows)  - Seems to be the first example of a Limited-Zone service that I encounter on here. Seems very short and basic. I don't think that 15 minute headway's would fly with the potential users of this bus line. Maybe 8 or 10 will do. 

QT31 (Oakland Gardens) - A modified Q26. If it went to College Point, then this route could be paired with QT15. Overall, I don't have any issues with this route. It could do better than 15 minute headway's though. 

QT32 (Union Turnpike) - Literally no different from the Q46 (minus the Limited Zone Section). Though, since it bears little to no difference to the Q46, then that defeats the point of renaming it since the Q22, Q24, Q35, Q44+, Q52+, Q54, Q56, Q60 and some other routes are still running along the same major corridors. Overall, Union Turnpike as a corridor 33has a greater potential in my opinion. 

QT33 (Queensboro Community College) - Another feeder route to the subway with a Limited Zone Section with 15 minute headways. Nice. 

QT34 (North Shore Hospital) - Limited-Zone feeder route that runs to Long Island. I have no opinion on this route. 

QT35 (Brooklyn College - Rockway Park) - Same as the Q35 (sans the Limited Zone Section on Flatbush Avenue) but with a service cut. Better off keeping the service with 6-8 minute headways. 

QT36 (Bellrose Manor) - Another route with Limited-Zone Service. While the frequencies can be better than 9 minutes, this route ain't half bad in my opinion. 

QT37 (111th Street) - Same as the current Q37, but the headway's can be better than 10-20 minutes. Maybe 8-12 or something like that. 

QT38 (Hollis Avenue) - Another route I have no opinion on. Increasing off peak headways from 20 to maybe 10-12 would be better for everyone though. 

QT39 (Murdock Avenue) - Somebody in another thread mentioned that the Q83 operates 24/7. If that's the case, then late night headways should remain at 20-30 minutes.

QT40 (Cambria Heights) - I agree with the Limited Zone Section. That's it. 

QT41 (120th Avenue) - No opinion. 

QT42 (Merrick Boulevard) - The base headways should be increased to about 15 or 10 minutes. Other than that, I like how its simplified to go straight to Green Acres Mall. One thing I'd suggest is to build an LIRR Station in Springfield Gardens in order to preserve a Railroad connection with the QT42. 

QT43 (Laurelton) - Another route I have no issues with. The base headways however, should be increased from 24 minutes, to maybe 15 or so minutes. 

QT44 (Fordham-Jamaica SBS) - This is a route that confuses me. Its cut back to Sutphin/Archer, yet extended to Fordham. Has bad Late Night headways and ends at 9:30PM on weekends. I disagree with this. At least with a 20 minute headway overnight, not as many people would complain. 

QT45 (Rosedale) - Another Limited Zone route. The base headway's should be 15 minutes instead of 24 in order to make this service more attractive. 

QT46 (South Jamaica) - No Opinion.

QT47 (South Ozone Park) - No Opinion

QT48 (Willets Point Blvd) - Since the Q34 is a redundant supplement to the Q25, cutting it back to Main Street and extending it further east on Willets Point Blvd is a wise extension.

QT49 (Utopia Parkway) - No Opinion

QT50 (Pelham-LGA) - From what it seems like, this is an easy way to get Bronx Riders to the Airport. What I don't get is didn't Co-Op City fight tooth and nail to preserve the Q50 in Co-Op City? If so, then how many buses will ACTUALLY go to Co-Op City? 

QT51 (Bayside) - No Opinion. 

QT52 (Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevards-SBS) - Of the 2 SBS Routes that Could've eliminated, they choose to eliminate the 53? Given that Rockaway Park doesn't have much Transit service, this is bad news for Q53 riders. My theroy on why the eliminated the Q53+ is maybe they're looking for a reason to justify reactivating RBB As a subway Service. As for the Q52, its main issue is that buses sometimes leave the terminal late, thus causing unbalanced headways. Either way, the  should've kept the 53 as opposed to the 52. 

QT54 (Metropolitan Avenue) - Bad Headways/Service Cuts are not acceptable. Route should run between Jamaica-Fresh Pond Road. [See QT3]

QT55 (Myrtle Avenue) - I personally Don't mind the extension to Jamaica., since that means better connections for this route. 

QT56 (Jamaica Avenue West) - No Opinion since this route doesn't seem to have changed at all. 

QT58 (Flushing-Ridgewood via Corona) - The base headways of 30 minutes are bad, but the peak headways are fine. The reroute to Roosevelt Avenue is going to be a boon in my opinion. Other than that, the route souldn't be bad given that Corona Avenue, Grand Avenue and Fresh Pond Road are all given Bus Priority. 

QT59 (Williamsburg - Rego Park) - While the headway's are still trash (15-30 minutes), at least the route is simplified in Brooklyn. This should lead to faster run times. 

QT60 (Queens Blvd) - I disagree with the headways being between 15-24 minutes. I understand that it runs on the same path as the subway for most of it, but that doesn't justify cutting service. I also have mixed feelings about the Q60 being rerouted to LIC since it does fine with its Manhattan Terminal (sans the morning rush hour). On the plus side, the route terminates near Jamaica Center. 

QT61 (Midtown-East Elmhurst) - Having a bus route that not only mimics the current Q32 and Q47 routes but also go to Columbus Circle would serve as a relief of some sort for the and lines. However, while it maintains a Jackson Heights-East Elmhurst connection, This route would likely be unsuccessful if Roosevelt was not listed as a bus Priority corridor. Not to mention that the morning rush will provide somewhat of a challenge for this bus route. 

QT62 (East New York - Cedahurst) - Another route that improves on Queens-Brooklyn Connections. One thing that could be done to improve this route is connect it with the Cedahurst LIRR Station for better connectivity. I'm not to keen about having this route run on Liberty Avenue though. Better off extending up Rockaway Blvd and Connecting with the Crescent Street Station.

QT63 (Broadway) - While I don't care much for this route. It would be nice to have a crosstown on Broadway. One recommendation I'd make is for this route to have some sort of Limited Stop pattern along Vernon Blvd to preserve connections for those traveling along the Queens Waterfront. An alternative would be to have this route terminate upon entering Roosevelt Island. 

QT64 (Utopia Parkway-College Point) - This route I don't have many issues with (aside from the base and peak headways). It seems to be focused more on coverage and connecting neighborhoods together. 

QT65 (Beechhurst-St. Albans) - Probably one of the more negative changes of this redesign. The QT65 does not need to go to Beechhurst. The current route between Flushing and Jamaica is fine. 

QT66 (Northern Blvd West) - Another route that I have an issue with. I feel as if this route shouldn't stop dead at Broadway/Northern Blvd. I'd rather have this route be extended to LIC as opposed to the QT60. 

QT67 (Ozone Park-Floral Park) - Combining the Q112 with the Q36 and Q110 seems overkill. It'd be better to split these routes with the Q36/Q110 combo taking on the name QT67 and the Q112 taking on another name (Maybe QT8, QT9, QT21 or QT57). These buses could meet up along Merrick/168th or Jamaica Center. 

QT68 (Farmers Blvd) - This route (with its two extensions to Jamaica Hospital and within JFK) seems like its doing too much work, with a base headway of 30 minutes (15 during peak hours). If Farmers Blvd is given Transit Priority and has balanced bus stops, then this route shouldn't be as bad. 

QT69 (21st Street) - Doesn't seem too different from the current Q69. At least an LIC Extension can decongest Queens Plaza. Nothing bad to say for this route. 

QT70 (LaGuardia Link SBS) - Nothing to say for this route. Maybe it could use articulated buses. I still think that the Should be extended. 

QT71 (Springfield Blvd) - This route is way too long and could have a negative Impact on Reliability. This route should at the very least, be split into 2 at LIRR's QUeens Village Station. 

QT72 (Junction Blvd) - If the Q72 is going to get cut from LGA, then it better be more reliable compared to how it is now. 

QT73 (Francis Lewis Blvd) - Another route that is ridiculously long. When I first looked at this route, I didn't notice that it connected to Main Street Station on the . Now that I have, I'm a little more lukewarm to the idea of combining the Q76 and Q77, and Q84 to a lesser extent. What'd make this route more reliable is if it had a base headway of 15 minutes as opposed to 30 in addition to a Limited Zone section. Other than that, this route feel more like a feeder as opposed to connecting neighborhoods. 

QT74 (Jackson Heights) - Having a route that connects East Elmhurst to the Elmhurst Hospital would be nice, however the QT74 stops short of a vital connection at Jackson Heights Station. In addition, since some routes already serve East Elmhurst near the QT74's terminal, this makes the route kinda redundant. Better off keeping the Q49. 

QT75 (Midtown-Woodside) - The QT75 preserves part of the Q32's current route, but also makes a handful of odd turns around Western Queens before stopping short at Broadway/Northern Blvd. The QT75 should not stop short in Woodside and instead, could run via the current Q49 route and swap Manhattan Segements with the QT61. 

QT76 (Astoria-Williamsburg) - Another Brooklyn-Queens Connection. However, this route seems like its multitasking by making a Hook Around Ditmars Blvd. Seems Like didn't know where to terminate this bus. For My other thoughts on this route, see QT2. 

QT77 (Long Island City-Elmhurst) - While I agree with splitting the Q38, this is not the way to do it. The Eliot Avenue Portion Seems fine, but the minute the route reaches Fresh Pond Road, it goes via the current Q39 and Q67 routes before making an odd dead end at Queens Bridge. Passengers traveling between these 2 points would likely always opt for the line. The Eliot Avenue portion of this route should run to Ridgewood while the Maspeth/LIC Portion of the Route should continue to terminate near the Q39's current Terminal.

QT78 (Roosevelt Island-Middle Village) - This route is overall a bad one and overall doesn't make sense. It is a random combination of routes and it makes no sense. From Ridgewood to Woodside via 69th Street, the QT78 is fine, but once it reaches Northern Blvd, the route begins to not make sense. The 36th Avenue portion of the route could've been easily kept by the QT66 and the QT63 could've taken Roosevelt Island.

QT79 (Rikers Island-Hunters Point) - Not sure what to say about this route. I personally don't think any bus route should be routed directly beneath the Astoria line given how the street beneath is laid out. I'd expect that this route would do slightly better than the Q100 and way better than the Q102. 

QT80 (Astoria-Ridgewood) - While not as bad as the QT77, It still puts the Q18 at a disadvantage with its low headways and Loss of service at 65th Place. The Lower Portion of this route should be combined with the LIC-Maspeth portion of the QT77. Service along 58th Avenue should either be rerouted to 65th Place or Terminate elsewhere. 

QT81 (Astoria-Whitestone) - A Strange combination of routes that no one asked for. At least the QT81 got rerouted via 108th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, but 20 minute headway's aren't going to provide a sufficient enough service. The QT81 should remain split though.

QT82 (East Elmhurst-Glendale) - Another route that I disagree with. While Splitting the Q38 into 2 separate routes is fine, the Rego Park portion of the Q38 route (Now named QT82) loses all access to Middle Village. It also takes over parts of the current Q23 and Q29 routes. Maybe if this route ran to Middle Village, I'd be more forgiving of it, but alas, I don't like this route. 

QT83 (Woodhaven Blvd) - This route is an odd one because it just ends at 157th Street. It doesn't branch out or anything like that. On the bright side, Woodhaven Blvd now only has 2 main services. 

QT84 (Flushing-Bayside) - This is a Bus route that I personally like. It acts as a feeder route, while still connecting to underserved parts of Queens via Major Corridors. Maybe boost the base headway's from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, but that's really it.

QT85 (Flushing-Fort Totten) - No opinion on this route, but I do find it interesting that it terminates outside of Main Street. 

QT86 (Main Street) - Another route that I really like, it serves Flushing, Terminates near College Point depot, therefore Easy access. Runs via part of the old Q74 route and it serves Yellowstone Blvd. One downside to this route is that it misses a vital connection at Myrtle Avenue and ofc the 24-30 minute headways, but those are my only complaints for this route. 

QT87 (73rd Avenue) - It's overall an interesting route. One thing that I'd change though is that I'd rather have it turn on 164th Street as opposed to Main Street, and let it terminate next to Forest Hills Station. It should also run 8 minute headway's during the peak hours.

QT88 (Howard Beach) - This route is ridiculous. A combination of the Southern Portions or the Q11 and Q21 routes is mind boggling and unnecessary. My ony suggestion for this route is to simply have it be a feeder of the current Q11 route to Rockaway Blvd or Crescent Street . The QT83 should take over the Q21 portion of the QT88 route. 

 

Those are overall, my final thoughts on the proposed local Network of the Queens Bus redesign. This took a long time to type.

[N6 Limited]

Additional Articles:

https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/queens/feedback-will-shape-next-round-draft-proposal-for-queens-bus-redesign

https://www.fox5ny.com/video/645653

https://www.qchron.com/editions/central/bus-drivers-union-has-redesign-concerns/article_d1b01ede-3979-11ea-bbf6-cbe5c1d8a77a.html

 

8 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Those purple routes are feeder routes, so logically most of them aren't going to be too full on the outer ends. But I'll put it to you this way: How would you feel if you lived east of Winchester and the QT36 bus was too crowded to board in Jamaica, while the QT34 bus had plenty of extra room? The QT18 is definitely intended to be for short-distance passengers (along Hillside west of Springfield) but that doesn't mean that every single short-distance passenger will take the QT18.

The purple routes may be a little bit more full on the outer ends due to the increased headway and Limited nature once they overlap with the high frequency red routes. 

I would say that short(er)-distance passengers would opt for the QT34 and QT36 if they're going to one of the transfer stops. The nature of their service patterns would probably increase ridership. But, If I lived east of Winchester I would not be pleased about the bus being too full to board, and I'd hope the B/O makes people move back (although all-door boarding might help mitigate those issues.

The off-peak headway of 24 mins would probably discourage anyone who doesn't need those routes from waiting though, they'd probably have a solidly seated load to the "first" local stop after the dash (Springfield Blvd). There are 2 stops between 179th St and Springfield Blvd (188th St and Francis Lewis Blvd), can you see a situation that would cause these two stops to make the bus too full to board for passengers going east of Springfield Blvd? Because the argument in this thread (in general) seems to be that no one wants to walk.

Savvy users do know how to take advantage of the system, so they may find that if they get into a situation like that, they can catch the N22 and walk back (or hop out at Little Neck Parkway), or the N24 and walk up.