Should Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 171st Street Be A Busway?

[Transit Enthusiast]

Jamaica Avenue goes from East New York in Brooklyn all the way to Floral Park in Queens/Nassau. It's served by the Q56 between B'way Junction and 171st Street, and the Q54 between 131st Street/Metropolitan Avenue and 171st Street. However, starting at the Van Wyck Expressway, other bus routes join Jamaica Avenue:

 

Q24 (Westbound): 168th Street-Van Wyck Expressway

Q60: Queens Boulevard-Sutphin Boulevard

Q30/31: 146th Street-171st Street

Q6/8/9/41: Sutphin Boulevard-168th Street

Q25/34/65: Parsons Boulevard-Sutphin Boulevard

Q110: Parsons Boulevard-212th Street/Place

Q112 (Westbound): Parsons Boulevard-Guy R. Brewer Boulevard

 

Between Sutphin Boulevard and 171st Street, it has a peak of 12 different bus routes all servicing the street. It can get very congested at times, causing delays and confusion. Not to mention the many licensed and illegal cabs roaming mindlessly back and forth. Buses like the Q110 and Q112 have a hard time completing the turn from Parsons to Jamaica, because of those said cabs always parked in front of the Movie Theater and the Old Navy. It is time for Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica Center to become a busway.

 

What do you guys think? Should Jamaica Avenue become a busway?

 

 

[NBTA]

Me personally, I would busway everything east of Supthin, and west of Hollis (for Hillside and Jamaica).

[Gotham Bus Co.]

There is already a painted bus lane, but it's usually blocked by the same cops who are supposed to enforce it.

[checkmatechamp13]

6 hours ago, NBTA said:

Me personally, I would busway everything east of Supthin, and west of Hollis (for Hillside and Jamaica).

I think Hillside is wide enough that you don't need to make it a full busway (the other thing is that on Hillside, most of the routes don't join until the 165th Street Bus Terminal). 

[aemoreira81]

It would be until 168 Street. Jamaica Avenue through downtown Jamaica was briefly one-way westbound (while Archer Avenue was one-way eastbound). Then-beep Claire Shulman opposed it, but she died last year. I have to wonder if it could work again now...with the following revisions:

1. Jamaica Avenue is one-way westbound from 139 Street to 168, with the following lane configuration (right to left) between 168 and Parsons:
   1. Bus lane only
   2. Bus lane only
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Truck parking until 3 PM, paid shoppers' parking afterward and on Saturdays. No standing allowed overnight (
2. Between Parsons and 153, the following lane configuration is in effect:
   1. Bus stops and shoppers' parking
   2. Bus lane
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Restricted parking
   6. (The bus lane would end and merge with other traffic.
3. Between 153 Street and 139 Street, there would be two westbound lanes of mixed traffic, with a mandatory left turn lane at Sutphin Boulevard.
4. Archer Avenue is one-way eastbound its entire distance (until it becomes 93 Avenue at 168 Street).
   1. Having two lanes of traffic flowing one-way would eliminate bottlenecks between 160 Street and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, where the road is considerably narrower.
5. 139 Street becomes one-way southbound between Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue.
   1. This would avoid a bottleneck on Archer Avenue with buses turning left onto Archer Avenue, so that only the Q20 and Q44 have to turn left instead of those buses plus the Q54 and Q56
   2. New signals would be added on 139 Street.
6. 150 Street's one-way traffic is extended an additional block (southbound) to Archer Avenue
   1. This facilitates buses terminating at Parsons Boulevard to reach their layover point by adding an additional lane).
7. Guy R. Brewer Boulevard becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica (southbound traffic could use Union Hall Street or 160 Street and loop around to reach Guy R. Brewer Boulevard).
   1. This would facilitate Q42, Q83, Q111, Q112, Q113, and Q114 bus traffic turning onto Jamaica Avenue, with no standing allowed on the left lanes of that segment.
   2. Dollar vans would instead stage on Union Hall Street.
8. 168 Street becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica
   1. This facilitates left turns onto Jamaica Avenue for Merrick Boulevard buses Q4, Q5, Q84, Q85, and NICE route 4, and provides layover room for the Q20 and Q44.
9. Signals at Sutphin Boulevard at Archer and Jamaica Avenues would be reconfigured to add a third phase for all walk and no vehicular traffic.
10. The following bus stop changes would be made:
    1. On Jamaica Avenue, Merrick Boulevard buses would make stops between Merrick Boulevard and 165 Street, and then one final stop being between 160 Street and Parsons Boulevard, only. Eastbound service is unchanged.
    2. On Jamaica Avenue, the Q42 and Q83 would have their westbound stops on the far side of 164 Street and (Q42 only) near side of Parsons/(Q83 only) far side of Parsons (shared with Baisley Park Depot buses). Eastbound service is unchanged.
    3. JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes: on Jamaica Avenue, the stop between Parsons Boulevard and 160 Street would be relocated to between 160 and 161 Streets. The 162 Street stop would be eliminated. On Archer Avenue, JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes would stop at Bay E at Jamaica Center, and then on the far side of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard.
    4. East New York and Fresh Pond buses: on Archer Avenue, existing Q24 stops will be used, and on Jamaica Avenue, existing service would be unchanged; however, the westbound Parsons Boulevard stop would be recessed approximately 120 feet farther west (in front of the Grace Episcopal Church), to make room for a relocated Brewer Boulevard buses stop...the idea being so that the existing stop can accommodate two tandem buses simultaneously.)
    5. Baisley Park Depot buses: on Archer, Q110 and Q112 would use the Q111 Farmers Boulevard stop on Archer, and then there would be stops at Brewer and then (Q110) on 165 (shared with Merrick Boulevard buses). Westbound Q110 service remains unchanged...with the Q111, Q112, and Q113 sharing a stop with the Q110 (and Q83) at Jamaica and Archer, designated as dropoff only...local bus customers would need to use the Q25, Q34, or Q65 instead,
    6. College Point Depot buses...on Archer Avenue, the Bay E stop would be relocated to the near side of 158 Street, north of the teardrop layover. A corresponding stop near the Family Court would also be added at 150 Street on Jamaica.
    7. Q30 and Q31 buses: revert to the route before all buses were rerouted onto Jamaica Avenue, with the previous service pattern.
    8. Q20 and Q44: service on Archer unchanged. Service on Jamaica revised as follows:
       1. Layover on 168 Street
       2. First stop on Jamaica between 168 and Merrick.
       3. Q20 stop at 163 Street (shared with Brooklyn Division buses)
       4. Far side of 153 Street
       5. Q20 stop far side of 150 Street

Remember that 5 Avenue was two-way at one time (south of 135 Street), but making it one-way improved traffic flow. Also, as noted at the start, Claire Shulman is no longer alive to oppose the plan.

Also, if one wants to be really technical, if one were to continue down Jamaica Avenue past Jamaica, one would end up on the North Fork in Greenport, with 8 miles left to Orient Point (it's a continuous route consisting of East New York Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Jericho Turnpike, Middle Country Road, Rural Route 25, Old Country Road, Main Road, and Front Street---the rural part and Main Road being largely wine country).

[bobtehpanda]

 

16 hours ago, aemoreira81 said:

It would be until 168 Street. Jamaica Avenue through downtown Jamaica was briefly one-way westbound (while Archer Avenue was one-way eastbound). Then-beep Claire Shulman opposed it, but she died last year. I have to wonder if it could work again now...with the following revisions:

<long ass list>

Remember that 5 Avenue was two-way at one time (south of 135 Street), but making it one-way improved traffic flow. Also, as noted at the start, Claire Shulman is no longer alive to oppose the plan.

I don't think this would be very successful, mostly because the Jamaica grid is not neat and Archer Avenue is not a through road that connects to anything outside of Downtown Jamaica well. Every bus currently using Jamaica both ways would have to make two turns to get on/off Archer and so would all the cars, and the amount of turning movements would kill efficiency unless you made some pretty drastic north/south traffic changes as well.

On 5/29/2021 at 6:58 PM, checkmatechamp13 said:

I think Hillside is wide enough that you don't need to make it a full busway (the other thing is that on Hillside, most of the routes don't join until the 165th Street Bus Terminal). 

Hillside would probably be fine with a median busway, which would be easy enough to protect. 

[Transit Enthusiast]

On 5/31/2021 at 3:50 PM, bobtehpanda said:

 

I don't think this would be very successful, mostly because the Jamaica grid is not neat and Archer Avenue is not a through road that connects to anything outside of Downtown Jamaica well. Every bus currently using Jamaica both ways would have to make two turns to get on/off Archer and so would all the cars, and the amount of turning movements would kill efficiency unless you made some pretty drastic north/south traffic changes as well.

Hillside would probably be fine with a median busway, which would be easy enough to protect. 

You mentioned the median busway, like on 161st Street between Morris Avenue and Yankee Stadium. Really helps the Bx6/SBS (and the Bx13 on Weekday Mornings). As for Hillside, that area is literally a State Highway (NY 25B), so it should be wide enough to sustain the 9 MTA (Q1/2/3/17/36/43/76/77 & X68 Express) and 4 NICE (N6/22/24/26) routes along the corridor without a bus lane. 

 

But we'll see how the busway on Jamaica Avenue turns out. I hear it's currently under construction and should be completed by the end of this year.

[Transit Enthusiast]

On 5/30/2021 at 10:50 PM, aemoreira81 said:

It would be until 168 Street. Jamaica Avenue through downtown Jamaica was briefly one-way westbound (while Archer Avenue was one-way eastbound). Then-beep Claire Shulman opposed it, but she died last year. I have to wonder if it could work again now...with the following revisions:

1. Jamaica Avenue is one-way westbound from 139 Street to 168, with the following lane configuration (right to left) between 168 and Parsons:
   1. Bus lane only
   2. Bus lane only
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Truck parking until 3 PM, paid shoppers' parking afterward and on Saturdays. No standing allowed overnight (
2. Between Parsons and 153, the following lane configuration is in effect:
   1. Bus stops and shoppers' parking
   2. Bus lane
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Restricted parking
   6. (The bus lane would end and merge with other traffic.
3. Between 153 Street and 139 Street, there would be two westbound lanes of mixed traffic, with a mandatory left turn lane at Sutphin Boulevard.
4. Archer Avenue is one-way eastbound its entire distance (until it becomes 93 Avenue at 168 Street).
   1. Having two lanes of traffic flowing one-way would eliminate bottlenecks between 160 Street and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, where the road is considerably narrower.
5. 139 Street becomes one-way southbound between Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue.
   1. This would avoid a bottleneck on Archer Avenue with buses turning left onto Archer Avenue, so that only the Q20 and Q44 have to turn left instead of those buses plus the Q54 and Q56
   2. New signals would be added on 139 Street.
6. 150 Street's one-way traffic is extended an additional block (southbound) to Archer Avenue
   1. This facilitates buses terminating at Parsons Boulevard to reach their layover point by adding an additional lane).
7. Guy R. Brewer Boulevard becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica (southbound traffic could use Union Hall Street or 160 Street and loop around to reach Guy R. Brewer Boulevard).
   1. This would facilitate Q42, Q83, Q111, Q112, Q113, and Q114 bus traffic turning onto Jamaica Avenue, with no standing allowed on the left lanes of that segment.
   2. Dollar vans would instead stage on Union Hall Street.
8. 168 Street becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica
   1. This facilitates left turns onto Jamaica Avenue for Merrick Boulevard buses Q4, Q5, Q84, Q85, and NICE route 4, and provides layover room for the Q20 and Q44.
9. Signals at Sutphin Boulevard at Archer and Jamaica Avenues would be reconfigured to add a third phase for all walk and no vehicular traffic.
10. The following bus stop changes would be made:
    1. On Jamaica Avenue, Merrick Boulevard buses would make stops between Merrick Boulevard and 165 Street, and then one final stop being between 160 Street and Parsons Boulevard, only. Eastbound service is unchanged.
    2. On Jamaica Avenue, the Q42 and Q83 would have their westbound stops on the far side of 164 Street and (Q42 only) near side of Parsons/(Q83 only) far side of Parsons (shared with Baisley Park Depot buses). Eastbound service is unchanged.
    3. JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes: on Jamaica Avenue, the stop between Parsons Boulevard and 160 Street would be relocated to between 160 and 161 Streets. The 162 Street stop would be eliminated. On Archer Avenue, JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes would stop at Bay E at Jamaica Center, and then on the far side of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard.
    4. East New York and Fresh Pond buses: on Archer Avenue, existing Q24 stops will be used, and on Jamaica Avenue, existing service would be unchanged; however, the westbound Parsons Boulevard stop would be recessed approximately 120 feet farther west (in front of the Grace Episcopal Church), to make room for a relocated Brewer Boulevard buses stop...the idea being so that the existing stop can accommodate two tandem buses simultaneously.)
    5. Baisley Park Depot buses: on Archer, Q110 and Q112 would use the Q111 Farmers Boulevard stop on Archer, and then there would be stops at Brewer and then (Q110) on 165 (shared with Merrick Boulevard buses). Westbound Q110 service remains unchanged...with the Q111, Q112, and Q113 sharing a stop with the Q110 (and Q83) at Jamaica and Archer, designated as dropoff only...local bus customers would need to use the Q25, Q34, or Q65 instead,
    6. College Point Depot buses...on Archer Avenue, the Bay E stop would be relocated to the near side of 158 Street, north of the teardrop layover. A corresponding stop near the Family Court would also be added at 150 Street on Jamaica.
    7. Q30 and Q31 buses: revert to the route before all buses were rerouted onto Jamaica Avenue, with the previous service pattern.
    8. Q20 and Q44: service on Archer unchanged. Service on Jamaica revised as follows:
       1. Layover on 168 Street
       2. First stop on Jamaica between 168 and Merrick.
       3. Q20 stop at 163 Street (shared with Brooklyn Division buses)
       4. Far side of 153 Street
       5. Q20 stop far side of 150 Street

Remember that 5 Avenue was two-way at one time (south of 135 Street), but making it one-way improved traffic flow. Also, as noted at the start, Claire Shulman is no longer alive to oppose the plan.

Also, if one wants to be really technical, if one were to continue down Jamaica Avenue past Jamaica, one would end up on the North Fork in Greenport, with 8 miles left to Orient Point (it's a continuous route consisting of East New York Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Jericho Turnpike, Middle Country Road, Rural Route 25, Old Country Road, Main Road, and Front Street---the rural part and Main Road being largely wine country).

All of this sounds like a good idea. But, anything can change in a New York Minute. We'll see how it goes, as the busway is currently being proposed and construction could begin soon.

[Transit Enthusiast]

On 5/29/2021 at 9:29 PM, Gotham Bus Co. said:

There is already a painted bus lane, but it's usually blocked by the same cops who are supposed to enforce it.

Then paint the whole street (every single lane) into a Busway. It's worked out for 14th Street, and 181st Street in Manhattan, and Main Street in Flushing (some of the same buses in Jamaica, also run through Flushing, Q20A/B/25/34/44-SBS/65).

[Transit Enthusiast]

On 5/29/2021 at 3:31 PM, NBTA said:

Me personally, I would busway everything east of Supthin, and west of Hollis (for Hillside and Jamaica).

Me too. 

[B35 via Church]

On 5/30/2021 at 10:50 PM, aemoreira81 said:

It would be until 168 Street. Jamaica Avenue through downtown Jamaica was briefly one-way westbound (while Archer Avenue was one-way eastbound). Then-beep Claire Shulman opposed it, but she died last year. I have to wonder if it could work again now...with the following revisions:

1. Jamaica Avenue is one-way westbound from 139 Street to 168, with the following lane configuration (right to left) between 168 and Parsons:
   1. Bus lane only
   2. Bus lane only
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Truck parking until 3 PM, paid shoppers' parking afterward and on Saturdays. No standing allowed overnight (
2. Between Parsons and 153, the following lane configuration is in effect:
   1. Bus stops and shoppers' parking
   2. Bus lane
   3. Through traffic
   4. Through traffic
   5. Restricted parking
   6. (The bus lane would end and merge with other traffic.
3. Between 153 Street and 139 Street, there would be two westbound lanes of mixed traffic, with a mandatory left turn lane at Sutphin Boulevard.
4. Archer Avenue is one-way eastbound its entire distance (until it becomes 93 Avenue at 168 Street).
   1. Having two lanes of traffic flowing one-way would eliminate bottlenecks between 160 Street and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, where the road is considerably narrower.
5. 139 Street becomes one-way southbound between Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue.
   1. This would avoid a bottleneck on Archer Avenue with buses turning left onto Archer Avenue, so that only the Q20 and Q44 have to turn left instead of those buses plus the Q54 and Q56
   2. New signals would be added on 139 Street.
6. 150 Street's one-way traffic is extended an additional block (southbound) to Archer Avenue
   1. This facilitates buses terminating at Parsons Boulevard to reach their layover point by adding an additional lane).
7. Guy R. Brewer Boulevard becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica (southbound traffic could use Union Hall Street or 160 Street and loop around to reach Guy R. Brewer Boulevard).
   1. This would facilitate Q42, Q83, Q111, Q112, Q113, and Q114 bus traffic turning onto Jamaica Avenue, with no standing allowed on the left lanes of that segment.
   2. Dollar vans would instead stage on Union Hall Street.
8. 168 Street becomes northbound only between Archer and Jamaica
   1. This facilitates left turns onto Jamaica Avenue for Merrick Boulevard buses Q4, Q5, Q84, Q85, and NICE route 4, and provides layover room for the Q20 and Q44.
9. Signals at Sutphin Boulevard at Archer and Jamaica Avenues would be reconfigured to add a third phase for all walk and no vehicular traffic.
10. The following bus stop changes would be made:
    1. On Jamaica Avenue, Merrick Boulevard buses would make stops between Merrick Boulevard and 165 Street, and then one final stop being between 160 Street and Parsons Boulevard, only. Eastbound service is unchanged.
    2. On Jamaica Avenue, the Q42 and Q83 would have their westbound stops on the far side of 164 Street and (Q42 only) near side of Parsons/(Q83 only) far side of Parsons (shared with Baisley Park Depot buses). Eastbound service is unchanged.
    3. JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes: on Jamaica Avenue, the stop between Parsons Boulevard and 160 Street would be relocated to between 160 and 161 Streets. The 162 Street stop would be eliminated. On Archer Avenue, JFK and Far Rockaway Depot routes would stop at Bay E at Jamaica Center, and then on the far side of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard.
    4. East New York and Fresh Pond buses: on Archer Avenue, existing Q24 stops will be used, and on Jamaica Avenue, existing service would be unchanged; however, the westbound Parsons Boulevard stop would be recessed approximately 120 feet farther west (in front of the Grace Episcopal Church), to make room for a relocated Brewer Boulevard buses stop...the idea being so that the existing stop can accommodate two tandem buses simultaneously.)
    5. Baisley Park Depot buses: on Archer, Q110 and Q112 would use the Q111 Farmers Boulevard stop on Archer, and then there would be stops at Brewer and then (Q110) on 165 (shared with Merrick Boulevard buses). Westbound Q110 service remains unchanged...with the Q111, Q112, and Q113 sharing a stop with the Q110 (and Q83) at Jamaica and Archer, designated as dropoff only...local bus customers would need to use the Q25, Q34, or Q65 instead,
    6. College Point Depot buses...on Archer Avenue, the Bay E stop would be relocated to the near side of 158 Street, north of the teardrop layover. A corresponding stop near the Family Court would also be added at 150 Street on Jamaica.
    7. Q30 and Q31 buses: revert to the route before all buses were rerouted onto Jamaica Avenue, with the previous service pattern.
    8. Q20 and Q44: service on Archer unchanged. Service on Jamaica revised as follows:
       1. Layover on 168 Street
       2. First stop on Jamaica between 168 and Merrick.
       3. Q20 stop at 163 Street (shared with Brooklyn Division buses)
       4. Far side of 153 Street
       5. Q20 stop far side of 150 Street

Remember that 5 Avenue was two-way at one time (south of 135 Street), but making it one-way improved traffic flow. Also, as noted at the start, Claire Shulman is no longer alive to oppose the plan.

Traffic is predictably unpredictable & there is no way the DOT & the MTA will convene to implement everything that you're laying out (in your attempt to dot all your i's & cross all your t's) here....

On 5/30/2021 at 10:50 PM, aemoreira81 said:

Also, if one wants to be really technical, if one were to continue down Jamaica Avenue past Jamaica, one would end up on the North Fork in Greenport, with 8 miles left to Orient Point (it's a continuous route consisting of East New York Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Jericho Turnpike, Middle Country Road, Rural Route 25, Old Country Road, Main Road, and Front Street---the rural part and Main Road being largely wine country).

...and there were 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves & a partridge in a pear tree.

What is your point with this???

On 5/31/2021 at 3:50 PM, bobtehpanda said:

I don't think this would be very successful, mostly because the Jamaica grid is not neat and Archer Avenue is not a through road that connects to anything outside of Downtown Jamaica well. Every bus currently using Jamaica both ways would have to make two turns to get on/off Archer and so would all the cars, and the amount of turning movements would kill efficiency unless you made some pretty drastic north/south traffic changes as well.

This is the problem in general that I'm having with this whole Jamaica av. busway bit...

On 5/29/2021 at 9:29 PM, Gotham Bus Co. said:

There is already a painted bus lane, but it's usually blocked by the same cops who are supposed to enforce it.

Big facts.

On 6/28/2021 at 2:10 PM, Transit Enthusiast said:

On 5/29/2021 at 9:29 PM, Gotham Bus Co. said:

There is already a painted bus lane, but it's usually blocked by the same cops who are supposed to enforce it.

Then paint the whole street (every single lane) into a Busway. It's worked out for 14th Street, and 181st Street in Manhattan, and Main Street in Flushing (some of the same buses in Jamaica, also run through Flushing, Q20A/B/25/34/44-SBS/65).

Paint the whole street into a busway because cops are blocking the bus lane? Wow!

On 5/29/2021 at 3:31 PM, NBTA said:

Me personally, I would busway everything east of Supthin, and west of Hollis (for Hillside and Jamaica).

On 6/28/2021 at 2:17 PM, Transit Enthusiast said:

Me too. 

Sutphin I can understand, but as far east as Hollis for the other end is overkill; it's only the Q110 along that part of Jamaica av.... That route doesn't run near as often enough frequency-wise to warrant a busway....

[Transit Enthusiast]

3 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Traffic is predictably unpredictable & there is no way the DOT & the MTA will convene to implement everything that you're laying out (in your attempt to dot all your i's & cross all your t's) here....

...and there were 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves & a partridge in a pear tree.

What is your point with this???

This is the problem in general that I'm having with this whole Jamaica av. busway bit...

Big facts.

Paint the whole street into a busway because cops are blocking the bus lane? Wow!

Sutphin I can understand, but as far east as Hollis for the other end is overkill; it's only the Q110 along that part of Jamaica av.... That route doesn't run near as often enough frequency-wise to warrant a busway....

Between 10 AM and roughly 2 PM (the non-rush hour times), the traffic is usually light on Jamaica Avenue. It's the rush hour that the street gets crowded. 

And I didn't mean the WHOLE street per-se, but putting a bus lane on the curb on that stretch (where I see parked cars left and right) is worthless if it's not enforced. Strictly enforce the busway once it starts. 

And yeah, Hollis is way too much, since it's only the Q110 (and Q36 & N24 east of 212th Place/Street).

[bobtehpanda]

7 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Traffic is predictably unpredictable & there is no way the DOT & the MTA will convene to implement everything that you're laying out (in your attempt to dot all your i's & cross all your t's) here....

...and there were 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves & a partridge in a pear tree.

What is your point with this???

This is the problem in general that I'm having with this whole Jamaica av. busway bit...

Big facts.

Paint the whole street into a busway because cops are blocking the bus lane? Wow!

Sutphin I can understand, but as far east as Hollis for the other end is overkill; it's only the Q110 along that part of Jamaica av.... That route doesn't run near as often enough frequency-wise to warrant a busway....

We have a kind-of-busway in Seattle where an entire four-lane road downtown is buses only thru (and emergency vehicles obviously). All other traffic can only stay on the road for one block.

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that the bus lanes in Jamaica are not double lanes, since even if the cops weren't blocking it there are so many bus stops in the lane itself. (At least as much as I remember it isn't an offset bus lane where buses leave the lane to get into stops.) Aren't there double lanes in Manhattan?

Edited July 10, 2021 by bobtehpanda

[bobtehpanda]

7 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

...and there were 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves & a partridge in a pear tree.

What is your point with this???

It's a blessing we don't have people foamy enough to suggest something dumb like a bus serving the entirety of 25A to Orient Point. At least not in the bus section.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said:

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that the bus lanes in Jamaica are not double lanes, since even if the cops weren't blocking it there are so many bus stops in the lane itself. (At least as much as I remember it isn't an offset bus lane where buses leave the lane to get into stops.) Aren't there double lanes in Manhattan?

Yeah, 5th and Madison Avenues have double lanes, and I believe 6th Avenue does as well. Not sure if some crosstown streets have double lanes. 

1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said:

It's a blessing we don't have people foamy enough to suggest something dumb like a bus serving the entirety of 25A to Orient Point. At least not in the bus section.

Well, at least not anymore (and for the meantime). Also, it probably would have taken the LIE at some point for speed.

Edited July 10, 2021 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said:

We have a kind-of-busway in Seattle where an entire four-lane road downtown is buses only thru (and emergency vehicles obviously). All other traffic can only stay on the road for one block.

* youtube video *

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that the bus lanes in Jamaica are not double lanes, since even if the cops weren't blocking it there are so many bus stops in the lane itself. (At least as much as I remember it isn't an offset bus lane where buses leave the lane to get into stops.) Aren't there double lanes in Manhattan?

There's simply too many routes that utilize Jamaica av; which speaks to the earlier point about downtown Jamaica's street grid....

1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said:

It's a blessing we don't have people foamy enough to suggest something dumb like a bus serving the entirety of 25A to Orient Point. At least not in the bus section.

Those people that would've been on similar wavelengths are long gone off this forum..... Good riddance.

23 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Yeah, 5th and Madison Avenues have double lanes, and I believe 6th Avenue does as well. Not sure if some crosstown streets have double lanes.

You're probably thinking of that protected bike lane they put up along 6th av. late last year....

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

On 7/10/2021 at 4:46 PM, B35 via Church said:

You're probably thinking of that protected bike lane they put up along 6th av. late last year....

I know about the bike lane, but I thought there was a double bus lane somewhere north of Bryant Park. Looks like that's not the case. 

[B35 via Church]

7 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

I know about the bike lane, but I thought there was a double bus lane somewhere north of Bryant Park. Looks like that's not the case. 

Yeah, there's no double bus lane on 6th...

[Future ENY OP]

Honestly and truthfully, I feel Hillside Ave is a better candidate for bus lanes than Jamaica Ave.. Your turning one congested area into a bigger congested area. I haven't been in Jamaica in so long. But the thought of a bus lane down Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin and 171 just reeks havoc.