MTA releases draft plan for redrawing of Queens bus routed with emphasis on public feedback

Admitting that they have failed to keep up with growth in the borough, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has released its draft plan to dramatically redraw the Queens Bus Network for the first time in 100 years when they were converted from the old trolley lines at the turn of the 20th century or consolidated from private bus companies that began serving Queens in the 1910s.

The agency says the new system will better serve customers, shorten commute times, speed up buses, increase inter-modal connections and provide more frequency and choices to travel within the borough and to Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.

The MTA will continue its “extensive public outreach” with a series of workshops in every corner of the borough during the next two months, presenting the draft plan and seeking feedback for the new bus network that was truly redrawn with a “blank-slate approach,” according to the MTA.

“Improving bus service is one of the pillars of our Fast Forward plan to transform every aspect of New York’s transit service, and the single most important initiative to do that in the bus element of the plan is to redesign every borough’s bus network so that it works for customers,” MTA NYC Transit President Andy Byford said.

With more than 714,000 weekday riders in Queens the redrawn routes address customer feedback on improving bus reliability, improving bus speeds, expanding bus priority such as bus lanes and use of traffic signal technology by working with the city’s Department of Transportation. Improving traffic enforcement through the use of the MTA’s automated bus lane enforcement initiative and close collaboration with the DOT and NYPD and improving connectivity at population centers and destinations, at inter-modal transfer locations, and at emerging residential and commercial developments. The plan aims to improve connections between areas with high densities of residents with mobility impairments and existing and future accessible subway stations.

“We are very excited about this draft plan for Queens buses because it is a true reimagination of the routes that incorporates the earned knowledge of customers, our ground personnel and operations staff to create a new foundation of bus service in Queens,” Byford said.

The Queens Bus Network Redesign draft plan is available to review on the MTA’s dedicated website for the project.

Make your voices heard at MTA hosted outreach sessions at major subway stations and bus transfer points across Queens in January and at public workshops in January and February to provide customers with information on the proposals on the draft plan.

Outreach sessions will be held at Jamaica Center on Monday, Jan. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m.; Flushing-Main Street on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m.; 74th St.-Broadway/Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m.; 30th Ave on the N/W Thursday, Jan. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m.; Queens Center Mall at Woodhaven Blvd. on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av. on Monday, Jan. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m.; Rockaway Blvd. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, from 6 to 9 a.m.; Court Square-23rd St. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 6 to 9 a.m.; and Beach 54th St. on the A line on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Or you can attend any of these public workshops:

After the workshops, the MTA will incorporate community and customer feedback to craft a proposed final plan for the Queens Bus Network Redesign. That final plan will be released in spring 2020, with additional public outreach events scheduled to solicit more feedback as well as a public hearing.

The final plan must be approved by the MTA Board before implementation.