There are many issues related to the MTA NYC Transit proposed Queens Bus Network Redesign Study that need to be resolved.
It is interesting that this study was released on New Year’s Eve. This is an age-old trick that elected officials do when they want to avoid detailed media coverage and public review. Most reporters are off and papers have only a skeleton staff on duty. Commuters, taxpayers and transit advocates are preparing to celebrate the holiday.
On June 25, 2010, service was totally eliminated on the old Q79 Little Neck Parkway route. This ran from the Little Neck LIRR Station to Floral Park Jericho Turnpike,
After significant lobbying by both riders and local elected officials, service was resumed on Jan. 2, 2013 by extending some Q36 buses from their previous Jericho Turnpike City Line terminus to the Little Neck LIRR Station via Little Neck Parkway. Under the proposed Queens Bus Network Redesign, there will be no service south of the Horace Harding Expressway to Jericho Turnpike. This also defeats the purpose of attracting more riders who live adjacent to Little Neck Parkway access to the LIRR via bus.
Residents of North Shore Towers, many of whom are retired seniors, will not be happy with the proposed new QMT 167 Union Turnpike-6th Avenue bus replacing the QM6. Service will be significantly reduced down to 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Manhattan-bound and 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. eastbound. Many other Queens residents will not be happy with only three express bus routes operating on Saturday with no express bus service from any neighborhood on Sunday.
The proposed new QT 34 route which would extend into Nassau County for service to North Shore University Hospital may make sense. It could attract significant numbers of both employees and visitors to the hospital.
This has previously been proven successful with the extension of the Q 44 Union Turnpike bus one block into Nassau County for direct service to Long Island Jewish Hospital. Potential local community opposition by homeowners and residents of Lake Success may prove to be an obstacle for implementation.
Has the MTA, NYC Transit and study consultants informed or reached out to Village of Lake Success, Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County residents along with their respective public officials and North Shore University Hospital, on this proposal?
Traffic along this corridor in Nassau County is heavy both east and westbound rush hours. The Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) N26 Bus running from Great Neck to Jamaica directly stops on Community Drive adjacent to the hospital. The QT 34 bus would have to find a location for turning around which might prove to be difficult.
Will North Shore University Hospital make space on their property for such capacity?
QT 36 Hillside Avenue extension into Nassau County via Hillside Avenue and Lakeville Road to serve Long Island Jewish Hospital with the exception of a bus turn around that is already in place. It faces many of the same obstacles as the proposed QT 34 route.
Funding from congestion pricing, which is scheduled to start Jan. 1, 2021 is supposed to help pay for increased not reduced bus service. This was supposed to be especially true from old two fare bus to subway neighborhoods in so-called transit deserts.
This conflicts with significant reductions in service for the current Q36 Little Neck Parkway, QM6 North Shore Towers Express, reduction in Saturday and total 100 percent elimination of Sunday Express Bus Service.
There are alternatives such as the purchase of smaller 25, 30 and 35 foot buses to provide service on those routes with significantly fewer customers. Smaller buses can also better navigate tighter streets and cost less to operate.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Penner is a transportation historian, writer and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.
