One of two limited bus lines traveling along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards through the heart of southwestern Queens is about to be changed.
The Q52 will run a mile further in the Rockaway Peninsula, according to the MTA, extending to the intersection of Beach 54th Street and Beach Channel Drive in Edgemere. The line, which runs as far north as the Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, currently terminates in the Arverne section of the Rockaways.
The MTA says the line extension “will provide improved connectivity for the dense residential areas of Arverne and Edgemere,” where new residential construction has taken place in recent years.
“By extending the Q52, we are offering thousands of additional customers a one-seat ride and a more seamless connection to northern and central Queens,” said MTA New York City Transit Acting President Darryl Irick.
The change effects at least 5,600 riders who use the Q52 every day; it’s expected to cost $510,000 annually, and those funds have already been included in the MTA’s annual operating budget.
The Q52 line, along with the Q53 limited bus line that runs from Woodside to Rockaway Beach, are on schedule to be transformed into Select Bus Service (SBS) lines later this year, according to the MTA. The controversial project includes the construction of dedicated bus lanes and center-median bus stops along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards; 60-foot-long articulated buses will also be used to accommodate more passengers on the often-crowded limited lines.
Both the Q52 and Q53 serve riders in Elmhurst, Middle Village, Rego Park, Glendale, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Howard Beach and Broad Channel.
