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

[Transit Enthusiast]

12 bus routes at it's peak.

 

The Q54, Q56 and Q110 being the main 3 routes between Belmont Park and Brooklyn respectively. The Q6, Q8, Q9 and Q41 all use this street to get between the 165th Street Terminal and Sutphin Boulevard. The Q30 and Q31 also serve Jamaica Center. The Q24 uses Jamaica Avenue Westbound, as does the Q25, Q34 and Q65 between Parsons and Sutphin. The Q112 also uses Jamaica Avenue between Parsons and Guy R. Brewer. It can become a bottleneck during rush hours. The Q17, Q20A, Q20B and Q44 Select Bus Service also turn around on Jamaica Avenue. I think this street is long overdue for a busway. What do you guys think?

Edited May 31, 2021 by Transit Enthusiast

[NewFlyer 230]

I’d say no, just because I find that traffic generally moves along Jamaica Ave unlike Main Street before all the street adjustments were made in recent years. The DOT back in the early 90s did convert Archer Ave and Jamaica Av into one way streets to speed up bus service, but that ended up being unfavorable so they changed it back. However I wouldn’t be surprised if the plan comes up again to turn Jamaica Ave into a bus only street since so many other major streets in hub areas have been converted. 

The main issue with Jamaica that I notice in terms of traffic and congestion is that whole area between Archer Ave and Jamaica Ave on Sutphin Blvd. 

1. The Police really need to crackdown on those taxis drivers that damn near block every bus stop over there. The Q6, Q8 and Q41 are never able to pull into their bus stops due to the taxis. So that by itself already slows things down. I would l paint that whole curbside area along Sutphin between the Q25/Q34/Q65 and the Q9 bus stop (except in front of the LIRR building) with bus lanes and put multiple cameras up there and if taxi drivers don’t want to listen they will simply get a ticket. 
 

2. I think there needs to be a dedicated turn signal at the corner of Jamaica Ave and Sutphin Blvd, because I find that buses turning onto Sutphin Blvd get stuck waiting for traffic coming from the opposite direction. I don’t know why one wasn’t placed there years ago especially in 2012 when the last of the old brown lamppost were replaced. 

3. I think there are some routes that shouldn’t serve as much of Jamaica as they currently do the Q54 being one of them. 

[Future ENY OP]

First off, you already have post regarding this. Hopefully the mods can merge this one with the current one you have.  
 

Second: Hillside Ave and Merrick Boulevard would be better candidates for bus lanes. The current set up on Archer/Sutphin/Jamaica doesn’t necessarily allow to have the bus lanes to operate at least from 7A-7P.  What needs to be done is what @NewFlyer 230 as mentioned with the current situation on Sutphin with the taxis. NYPD and  police need to be aggressive with the current bus lanes that are currently there. 
 

@NewFlyer 230: I don’t really see a problem with the Q54 being on 170 & Jamaica. Unless there’s another alternative. 

[MTA Bus]

Jamaica Avenue is supposed to be a busway anyway between Supthin and 168th.