Just two weeks into its first phase of implementation, the sweeping redesign of the Queens bus network appears to have been well received by many borough commuters.
Bus riders, transit advocates and MTA officials are reporting mostly positive feedback, with many noticing improved connectivity, reduced travel times — or at least no changes — across the borough.
amNewYork spoke exclusively with the MTA’s Chris Pangilinan, acting senior vice president of buses, at a Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue bus stop in Jamaica to see how the redesign is going.
“It’s going great right now,” Pangilinan said. “We just put in two-thirds of the implementation 15 days ago. It’s been fantastic, especially for the eastern part of Queens.”
The long-awaited redesign launched its first phase on June 29. It aims to streamline bus routes and address long-standing issues regarding travel speed and accessibility. The first phase focuses mostly on routes concentrated in Eastern Queens and Ridgewood. Phase 2, zeroing in on other Queens neighborhoods, will begin on Aug. 31.
The system’s makeover, which involves a $33.7 million annual investment in the MTA’s operations, includes 124 routes, consisting of 94 local and 30 express routes. This is a net increase of 11 routes from the existing network, all of which will serve the borough’s 800,000 daily bus riders.
As part of the redesign, the MTA launched a series of “rush routes” aimed at speeding up commutes for bus riders who live in neighborhoods with limited access to public transit. Buses on these routes move faster by only stopping at key transfer hubs and select stops.
“We’ve introduced new rush routes to bring people from Bayside and other places into Jamaica or Flushing faster,” Pangilinan said. “Essentially, it’s a local bus route with the first part of the route for Queens, then as it comes into Jamaica, for example, on Hillside [Avenue], it goes into rush mode where the stops are much further spaced. So, it goes a lot quicker to get people into the big hubs that connect to the subways and railroad.”
In the first week of its launch, the redesign welcomed 2.4 million riders, over a third of whom were on rush routes.
“Rush routes are the new routes we introduced to the system. We never had that before,” Pangilinan explained.
Some petitions are circulating opposing the relocation or elimination of some bus stops, including one at Roosevelt Avenue and 58th Street in Woodside, that will change during the second phase of the redesign. The MTA said complaints about stops moving are something that should be expected with such a massive overhaul of a major bus network.
“Some people might have to walk a little bit further to get to their stop, but that’s expected and understandable,” Pangilinan explained. “We were stopping every other block on average, but people were telling us overwhelmingly that they wanted faster and more reliable service.”
On average, buses now stop every two blocks.
Meanwhile, Pangilinan explained that raising awareness about the redesign continues to be a priority for the agency.
“I think a lot of the challenges with any bus network redesign is getting people to understand it’s coming, for the first part, and knowing how to get from point A to point B with the new routes,” he said.
For example, with the Q98 being a brand-new route that complements the Q58 with a more direct connection between Ridgewood and Flushing, the MTA deployed around 200 customer ambassadors each day leading up to and after the launch to address riders’ concerns in Jamaica and Flushing transit hubs and at individual bus stops.
“We made these changes to get people to where they want to go faster and more reliably,” Pangilinan said.
So, what is the new bus experience like in Queens? Commuters shared their thoughts with amNewYork.
“I like the bus service, but it will be hard adjusting to the stops changing,” said Lady Slipper, a commuter waiting for the Q43 bus in Jamaica. “But I’m happy with the bus service.”
Another bus rider in Jamaica, named Shelby, spoke highly of the bus service, but had a different complaint when asked about the redesign.
“The only problem I have with the Q43 bus is that when they pick up passengers here, some passengers don’t pay,” she said. “They allow people to go in the bus, right through, and they don’t pay. The bus driver doesn’t say anything. That’s the only problem I have.”
A local bus operator shared a few words about the new system from a driving perspective.
“It’s going ok,” he said. “People are getting used to the rush routes.”
Jeff, another local bus rider, said he noticed a slight improvement in travel time.
“I think the trips are faster,” he said.
Commuters can find more information about the Queens bus network redesign on the MTA’s website at mta.info. There is also an online Route Look-Up Tool where riders can select a bus route from a drop-down menu to see how the changes will impact their trips.
