Q6 (New York City bus)

The Q6 constitutes a bus route between Jamaica, Queens, and John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City. Originally operated by Green Bus Lines, it is now operated by the MTA Bus Company. It does not serve the terminals at JFK Airport. Limited-stop service, which began in 2010, operates in the peak direction during rush hours.

Route description
The Q6 starts at 165th Street Bus Terminal, using Merrick Boulevard southbound at 168th Street northbound to reach Jamaica Avenue, heading west on it until Sutphin Boulevard. It turns south on Sutphin Boulevard until reaching the southern end at Rockaway Boulevard and running east on that street until Nassau Expressway, crossing it to turn east on North Boundary Road and following Eastern Road until terminating by the JFK Postal Facility.

The Q6 Limited operates rush hours in the peak direction (to Jamaica AM, from Jamaica PM), making limited stops north of Rockaway Boulevard. When the Q6 Limited operates, some Q6 locals operate to/from Rockaway Boulevard. The Q6 operates out of the JFK Depot.

History
The bus started operating on July 19, 1922 by Queens Bus Corporation. It was then taken over by Green Bus Lines. The northern terminal was moved to Jamaica Union Bus Terminal (Jamaica Avenue and Brewer Boulevard) on August 16, 1936. By 1975, its terminals in Jamaica were Sutphin Boulevard and Hillside Avenue, and 165th Street and Archer Avenue. On October 30, 1989, all Q6 service was rerouted to serve the 165th Street Bus Terminal.

The Q6 Limited-stop service was added on April 19, 2010.

In December 2019, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Queens bus network. As part of the redesign, the current Q6 would have been discontinued, with the QT20 replacing service on Sutphin Boulevard and the QT62 bus would replace service on Rockaway Boulevard. The redesign was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, and the original draft plan was dropped due to negative feedback. A revised plan was released in March 2022. As part of the new plan, the Q6 would still be discontinued and have service on Sutphin Boulevard replaced by an extended Q1 and service on Rockaway Boulevard replaced by a streamlined Q7. A final bus-redesign plan was released in December 2023. The final plan preserved the Q6 and did not make changes to its routing, although the Q6 would be converted into a limited route with slightly fewer stops.