User:Epicgenius/sandbox/MTA buses

This sandbox is permanently about buses in New York City. Beneath the first-level headers are potential articles.
 * M42 (New York City bus)/42nd Street Light Rail plan
 * 50th Street Crosstown Line/M50 (NewYork City bus) and M27 (New York City bus)/M27 and M50 buses
 * Jackson Heights buses/Q33 (New York City bus), Q47 (New York City bus), Q49 (New York City bus)
 * Q13, Q16, and Q28 buses/Q13 (New York City bus), Q16 (New York City bus), and Q28 (New York City bus)
 * Utopia Parkway buses/Q30 (New York City bus) and Q31 (New York City bus)
 * Horace Harding Expressway buses/Q30 and Q88 (New York City bus) (See also Q17 (New York City bus))

=TBD Q33, Q47, Q49=
 * Q33, Q47, and Q49 buses/Q33 (New York City bus), Q47 (New York City bus), and Q49 (New York City bus) - Don't know if they should be together or separate.

Q33
The southbound Q33 begins at Ditmars Boulevard and 95th Street. It goes down Ditmars Boulevard for one block before turning left on 94th Street. The Q33 then turns right on 23rd Avenue, then left at 82nd Street. At Roosevelt Avenue, the Q33 turns right and continues until 75th Street, where it terminates inside the Victor A. Moore Bus Terminal at the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue station.

The northbound Q33 exits the terminal, turning eastward on Roosevelt Avenue then northward at 83rd Street. The Q33 turns right at Astoria Boulevard, left at 85th Street, then right on 23rd Avenue. The Q33 turns left at 95th Street and terminates.

Q47
The southbound Q47 begins at the Marine Air Terminal, goes down Marine Terminal Road, and turns left at 82nd Street. At Astoria Boulevard, the Q47 commences a series of zigzag turns: right onto 24th Avenue, left onto 80th Street, right onto 25th Avenue, left onto 78th Street, right onto 30th Avenue, left onto 77th Street, right onto 31st Avenue, and left onto 73rd Street. At 35th Avenue, the Q47 turns left again, only to turn right two blocks later on 75th Street. It turns right at Broadway, makes a mandatory stop at the Moore Bus Terminal, then continues left onto Roosevelt Avenue and then left again onto 69th Street. The route makes a meandering route through Maspeth, turning left at Calamus Avenue, right on 79th Street, then left on Grand Avenue. At 80th Street, it turns right, then maintains a relatively straight route until Cooper Avenue. Through this stretch, the Q47 only has only one turn at Furmanville Avenue, where 80th Street itself turns right. The southbound Q47 turns left and then terminates at Cooper Avenue and 80th Street.

The northbound Q47 loops through the mall, then turns onto Cooper Avenue and then 80th Street. At Furmanville Avenue, the Q47 turns left onto 80th Street, then continues until Grand Avenue, where it turns left. The Q47 then turns right onto 79th Street and left onto Calamus Avenue. It makes a right then left turn onto 51st Avenue to avoid a one-way stretch of Calamus Avenue near 69th Street, then at 69th Street, turns right again. The Q47 turns right at Roosevelt Avenue, then makes a mandatory stop at 74th Street and performs three quick right turns at the Moore Bus Terminal. The Q47 continues up 74th Street until it reaches 31st Avenue, where it turns right. There is a less complicated zigzag here: left on 77th Street, right on 25th Avenue, left on 80th Street, right onto 24th Avenue, and left onto 82nd Street. At Marine Terminal Road, the Q47 turns right and continues to the Marine Air Terminal.

Q49
The southbound Q49 starts at 101st Street and Astoria Boulevard, going west on Astoria until it turns left at 92nd Street. The Q49 makes a right at 32nd Avenue, left at 90th Street, and right again on 35th Avenue. At 73rd Street, it turns left and follows the Q47 into the Moore Bus Terminal, where the Q49 terminates.

The northbound Q49 turns right out of the terminal onto Broadway and then 74th Street. At 35th Avenue, it turns right, then it makes a left at 89th Street. The Q49 turns right at Astoria Boulevard and continues until it reaches 101st Street, where it terminates.

History
The Q33, Q45, Q47, and Q49 were operated by Triboro Coach Corporation and all operated out of the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station. On February 2, 2006, the operations of Triboro Coach were taken over by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) under the MTA Bus Company brand, the final part of the city's takeover of all the remaining subsidized privately operated bus routes.

The Q33 bus was originally operated by Municipal Motorbus Company. Service began on January 1, 1933. It ran to LaGuardia Airport until September 8, 2013, when the Q70 limited-stop bus between Woodside and LaGuardia Airport via the Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station was implemented. The Q33 was subsequently cut back to 95th Street and Ditmars Boulevard.

Service on the Q45 and Q47 began on October 1, 1939. The Q45 was extended from Eliot Avenue to Glendale at The Shops at Atlas Park in 2008. This was controversial because the mall was owned by the family of the MTA's chairman at the time. The Q47 was extended over the Q45's route in September 2011 in order to increase operational efficiency. The Q47 was rerouted in East Elmhurst off of 77th Street southbound to accommodate the street's change to a one-way street in September 2016. In spring 2018, the Q47 was further modified to run through the Bulova Corporate Center near 24th Avenue and 77th Street during rush hours in the off-peak directions.

The Q49 started operating in January 1938. It was renumbered from Q19B on April 20, 2008.

Q30 service
The Q30 starts at Archer Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard by the Jamaica station. It runs eastbound on Archer Avenue and westbound on Jamaica Avenue until 168th Street, where the eastbound route turns north onto 168th Street, Jamaica Avenue and then 170th Street whereas the westbound route travels south on 169th Street. After Hillside Avenue, both directions merge onto Homelawn Street, and continues down Homelawn Street as it becomes Utopia Parkway. At Horace Harding Expressway, it turns left and continues until Springfield Boulevard. At this point, on weekdays, some Q30 trips run north to Queensborough Community College. Otherwise, it continues east on Horace Harding Expressway to Little Neck Parkway, where it turns north and then left onto Nassau Boulevard, where it ends.

Q31 service
The Q31 shares the same route as the Q30 south of Horace Harding Expressway. North of this point, the Q31 continues north on Utopia Parkway until Hollis Court Boulevard. It turns left and then follows 47th Avenue as it changes to Rocky Hill Road and then 48th Avenue until Bell Boulevard. It continues north on Bell Boulevard until it turns left on 35th Avenue, then north onto Corporal Kennedy Street, and left on 32nd Avenue. It continues west on 32nd Avenue until Francis Lewis Boulevard, and turns north onto the road until 27th Avenue, where it terminates. To return to service, it runs north on Francis Lewis Boulevard, east on 26th Avenue, south on Utopia Parkway and Francis Lewis Boulevard and then east on 32nd Avenue to resume regular routing.

Early history
Service began in 1932 on the Q31, Jamaica-Bayside West route, by the Bayside Community Bus Corporation. On February 17, 1933, the New York City Board of Estimate provided its final approval to award a one-year franchise to operate the route to S & C Buses, which was incorporated on November 17, 1932. The Bayside Community Bus Corporation had petition for an additional one-year franchise for the route, and had requested a ten-cent fare for it. Service was discontinued on September 7, 1935.

In 1933, one-year franchises were granted to existing bus operators. On March 7, 1934, the Division of Franchises made public its list of bus routes for which the Board of Estimate would be receiving bids on March 30. The only major changes in the Queens bus system from the previous year were the creation of a route along 111th Street and the Q26 running between Rosewood and Queens Village. The few changes were taken as meaning that the public was largely satisfied by the existing bus routes. The routes to be assigned to the North Shore Bus Company included the Q12, Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q19, Q20, Q23, Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q31 and Q34.

Under the North Shore Bus Company
1941 request resumption Q31

Under the New York City Board of Transportation
On July 14, 1947, representatives of the Flushing-Hillcrest, Bayside, and Bayside Hills Civic Associations voted to petition the New York City Board of Transportation to immediately begin operating Q17A service along Horace Harding Boulevard between Fresh Meadow Lane in Flushing, where the bus would connect with the Q17, and Springfield Boulevard in Bayside. With the exception of Q17 bus service, which ran along Horace Harding Boulevard between Main Street and Fresh Meadow Lane, there was no bus service along the corridor. The New York City Board of Estimate had granted the North Shore Bus Company a franchise for the Q17A route just before its routes were taken over by the city on March 30, 1947. The route would have a terminal loop of Fresh Meadow Lane, 65th Avenue, and 173rd Street to Horace Harding Boulevard in Flushing, and a terminal loop of Springfield Boulevard, 58th Avenue, 220th Street, and back to Horace Harding Boulevard in Bayside. The Tyholland Civic Association, which had called for the meeting of civic groups, had initially proposed a route running on Horace Harding Boulevard from Little Neck to Elmhurst to connect with the IND Queens Boulevard Line.

July 1947 announcement start ghost Q17A, more

The NYCBOT decided to expand the route proposed by the Tyholland Civic Association and the Emerald Park Civic Association for a shuttle between Springfield Boulevard and Fresh Meadow Lane and have the route go to Jamaica.

August 1947 announcement of changes, Part 1

Protest Q17A September 1947, more, more

Q17A service began on September 7, 1947. Q17A buses would run via Horace Harding Boulevard from Springfield Boulevard to Fresh Meadow Lane, then via Fresh Meadow Lane, Utopia Parkway, Homelawn Street, 169th Street, and Jamaica Avenue to terminate at Jamaica Avenue and 168th Street. Service would then head along 168th Street, Hillside Avenue, and 169th Street before returning to the route shared with Jamaica-bound service. Free transfers would be available to the Q17. Q17A service would run every 10 minutes from 6 to 6:30 a.m., and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every 6 minutes from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m.,and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., every 12 minutes from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., with three trips leaving 168th Street at 12:30, 12:45, and 1:15 a.m.

From southbound Q17A trips, transfers would be available to the Flushing-bound Q17A at Horace Harding Boulevard and Fresh Meadow Lane, and to the westbound Q44A at Utopia Parkway and Union Turnpike, and from the Q44A in either direction at Union Turnpike and Utopia Parkway, and from the Q31 at Fresh Meadow Lane and Horace Harding Boulevard. From northbound Q17A trips, transfers would be available to the Q44A in either direction, and to the Q31, and would be accepted from the Jamaica-bound Q17 and the Springfield Boulevard-bound Q44A.

On September 8, 1947, civic leaders from Bayside Hills called for the extension of the Q17A to Bayside High School, and Queens Borough President met with representatives of the Flushing Merchants Association, who were opposed with the unexpected extension of the Q17A route to Jamaica. The Merchants Association held that the route should have been extended to Flushing. Q17A riders heading to Flushing had to transfer to the Q17 at Fresh Meadow Lane, where there were no bus shelters.

Route defended

No change October; more

On October 16, 1947, the NYCBOT reported that while the Q17A bus route was operating at a deficit, it had no plan to change service as the fast development east of Fresh Meadow Lane was expected to result in increased ridership. The chief of the Queens Bus Division of the NYCBOT said that the deficit meant that no action could be taken at the moment to provide direct service from Bayside Hills to Flushing. At the time, riders bound to the subway had to transfer to the Q17 at Fresh Meadow Lane. The Flushing Merchants Association had proposed having alternate buses on the Q17A run to Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in Flushing, and argued that the NYCBOT made a mistake in having the route going to Jamaica instead of Flushing.

April 1948 transfer

Bus transfer location shifted; more

On September 12, 1948, a planned extension of the Q31 bus route to Jamaica from Flushing Heights, and in increase in service from a 30-minute headway to a 15-minute headway, was cancelled at the last moment without any explanation by the city. Additional bus operators needed for the service increase had already been chosen and given their assignments. The Q31, had operated from 208th Street and 32nd Avenue, via Bell Boulevard, 47th Avenue, Rocky Hill Road, and Fresh Meadow Lane to just south of Horace Harding Boulevard. The extension would have provided direct service between Bayside and Jamaica, eliminating the need to transfer to the Q17 or Q17A at Fresh Meadow Lane and 65th Avenue. The extension had been supported by civic and business leaders in Bayside.

On October 10, 1948, service began on the Q30, Fresh Meadows-188th Street, bus route, operated with ten new buses. The route served the large Fresh Meadow Houses project developed by the New York Life Insurance Company at 188th Street one block south of Horace Harding Boulevard. Transit officials said that the creation of the Q30 was intended to reduce overcrowding at the 188th Street stop on the Q17A bus route, which ran from Jamaica to Bayside Hills via Fresh Meadow Lane and Horace Harding Boulevard. Despite the fact that the route had already been in operation for a month, on November 15, 1948, the New York City Board of Estimate called for a hearing on the establishment of the Q30 bus route for November 18, 1948. While it took five years of advocacy by civic groups to start Q17A service, the public first heard of the Q30 when the New York City Board of Transportation announced it would start service. The NYCBOT started Q30 service before asking the Board of Estimate to approve it.

On November 23, 1948, the Utopia Improvement Association, once again, requested for an extension of the Q31 to the bus terminal in Jamaica, and for free transfers between the Q26, Q27, and Q31 to eliminate the double fare for people from Utopia to Flushing to access the subway. On September 30, 1948, they had also requested free transfers to the Q31. Many Utopia residents used the Q31 and paid a second fare on the Q17 to get to Flushing instead of making a longer walk to take the Q27 and pay one fare. The Association pointed out that while Q17A riders got a free transfer to the Q17 to get to Flushing, Q31 riders had to pay a second fare.

Proposal change Q17A

At the time, the Q31 terminated at Fresh Meadow Lane and Horace Harding Boulevard, where a free transfer was available to the southbound Q17 for access to Jamaica. There was no free transfer to the northbound Q17 to Flushing. Members of the Utopia Improvement Association charged that the New York Life Insurance Company pressured the NYCBOT to create the new Q30 route, which would mainly help residents of its large housing development, instead of the Q31 extension that was canceled the day before it would take effect. The Q30's northern terminal was 46th Avenue and 188th Street.

On December 7, 1948, the Tyholland Civic Association insisted that the NYCBOT do a recount of its survey on the conditions of the Q17A bus route as hundreds of families had moved into the Oakland Gardens development since it was conducted. The Association said that overcrowding on westbound trips began at Springfield Boulevard instead of 188th Street. The NYCBOT, on November 12, had said that service provided was adequate. Q17A service ran every five minutes between 6:30 and 9:00 a.m. They contended that the start of Q30 service reduced crowding on the Q17A. The Secretary of the NYCBOT said that a second survey would be conducted after the Oakland Gardens development was fully occupied.

Request change Q17A

April transfers urged

On July 19, 1949, Queens Borough Hall announced that the Q17A bus route would be extended to Little Neck Parkway. At the same time, the Tyholland Civic Association had said this was not enough urging the bus to run to the Woodhaven Boulevard station on Queens Boulevard. Since the NYCBOT had said that this proposal was premature the previous week, noting that the population did not warrant an extension at the time, the announcement surprised several civic groups. Q17A bus service had been operating along the route of the Q17 along Hillside Avenue and Fresh Meadow Lane between Jamaica and Horace Harding Boulevard, and then ran along that thoroughfare to Springfield Boulevard. Four Flushing-Hillcrest civic groups had proposed having the Q17A run to the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station instead of duplicating the Q17. The Tyholland Civic Association played a major role in getting the Q17A route started in September 1947.

Support extension HHB

Bus u-turn hazard

The Q17A was extended along Horace Harding Boulevard between Springfield Boulevard and Little Neck Parkway at the Nassau County Line on August 21, 1949.

Legal notice extension

In October 1949, the Tyholland Civic Association requested that overnight service be implemented on the Q17A.

Q17A shift requested

Q17A/Q30 survey

Q17A complaint

Stop shift Q17A rejected

In February 1950, the Flushing Heights, Queens, Civic Association requested that the New York City Board of Transportation modify the southern terminal loop of the Q31, arguing that its existing route, which ran along a street with P.S. 173, endangered the lives of children and other people. The Q31's terminal loop had run via Fresh Meadow Lane, 67th Avenue, 173rd Street, and 65th Avenue. The group endorsed a proposal by the Horace Harding Civic Association to move the terminal loop a full block away from 67th Avenue.

Q31 service, also known as the Bayside West-Queens Village route, began on April 30, 1950 via Bell Boulevard and Springfield Boulevard. The route has been approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on April 4, 1950.

Under the New York City Transit Authority
On November 29, 1956, the NYCTA approved a large number of changes to city bus service to take effect January 22, 1957. As part of the changes, which ended up taking effect on February 3, 1957, the former Q31 and Q31A routes were consolidated into the new Q31. The Q31A had run from 32nd Avenue and 201st Street to the Queens Village LIRR station.

On July 29, 1959, Queens Borough President Clancy announced that the Q17A would return to its former route via Fresh Meadows Lane. On July 6, 1959, as a safety measure, the Traffic Department had made the street one-way southbound between 69th Avenue and Jewel Avenue. Northbound Q17A buses were to be rerouted via Utopia Parkway between Jewel Avenue and 69th Avenue, and west on 69th Avenue before returning to Fresh Meadow Lane. The NYCTA ordered that buses stay on Utopia Parkway all the way to the north when it was discovered that buses would mount the sidewalk when trying to turn in Fresh Meadow Lane. Local residents and the Flushing Heights Civic and Improvement Association called for a return to the Q17A's former route as it served two schools and an area with businesses while Utopia Parkway passed through a residential area. To allow the northbound Q17A to return to its former route, Clancy ordered that an island mall at Utopia Parkway and Fresh Meadows Lane to be cut through to allow buses to head north via Fresh Meadows Lane all the way to the Horace Harding Expressway.

Q17A, Q30 changes Google Doc

On June 30, 1963, Q31 service was extended from Fresh Meadow Lane and 65th Avenue to Jamaica Avenue and 169th Street. Service was later extended north from 32nd Avenue and 201st Street. This extension was done on a six-month pilot basis. Buses would run via 201st Street, 33rd Avenue, 202nd Street, 32nd Avenue, 208th Street, 35th Avenue, Bell Boulevard, 48th Avenue, Rocky Hill Road, 47th Avenue, Hollis Court Boulevard, Utopia Parkway, Homelawn Street, 169th Street, and Jamaica Avenue. Service ran every 30 minutes on weekdays, operating between 7:02 a.m. and 10:32 p.m. southbound, and between 7:47 a.m. and 11:20 p.m.. Saturday service operated southbound between 11:32 a.m. and 6:02 p.m., and northbound between 12:17 and 6:47 p.m..

1964 Q31 Extension

On July 17, 1974, Traffic Commissioner Theodore Kagheuzoff approved four traffic controls at the corner of Fresh Meadows Lane and 69th Avenue following the death of a 7-year old girl in April by a truck. One of the changes was to reroute Q17A service from narrow Fresh Meadows Lane to Utopia Parkway, which was one block away.

In December 1974, a free transfer was instituted between the Q88 and the Q17A. The Board of Estimate had approved the Q88 route in January 1974 on the condition that this free transfer be provided.

Later changes
The Q17A was renumbered to Q30, and the Q30 and Q31 were extended from Jamaica Avenue-169th Street to Jamaica LIRR station via Archer Avenue on December 11, 1988.

On August 29, 1993, two-way traffic on Archer Avenue and Jamaica Avenue was restored between 138th Street and 168th Street, undoing changes that took effect in November 1990. The change was made to alleviate heavy traffic on Jamaica Avenue. Q30 and Q31 service began running on Archer Avenue in both directions; eastbound buses had been running along Jamaica Avenue between Parsons Boulevard and 168th Street.

Short run Q30 trips terminating at Horace Harding Expressway were converted into branch to Queensborough Community College on January 7, 2013.

Weekend Q31 service was eliminated on June 27, 2010, but was restored on April 6, 2014.

In March 2022, the MTA released a revised draft plan was released of the Queens bus network. As part of the redesign, the Q30 would be discontinued, with the Q31, Q75 and Q88 replacing service on portions of its route. The Q31 would be a Local route and would continue north on Utopia Parkway past Hollis Court Boulevard until Cross Island Parkway Service Road, where it would turn left onto the road and continue through 14th Avenue until College Point Boulevard, where it would terminate to replace the Q20B, which would be discontinued. Closely spaced stops would also be eliminated.