Merrick Boulevard buses

For additional information on the current bus services, see List of bus routes in Queens.
Q5 / Q5 Limited / Q85 / Q85 Limited
Merrick Boulevard
Jamaica−Rosedale
This image cannot be displayed.
Overview
System MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator New York City Transit Authority
Garage Jamaica Depot
Route
Locale Queens
Start Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer
Via Merrick Boulevard
End
Length Q5 (Jamaica to Rosedale): 6.8 miles (10.9 km)[1]
Other routes Q4 (Merrick Boulevard−Linden Boulevard)
Q84 (Merrick Boulevard−120th Avenue)
n4 (Jamaica−Freeport)
n4X (Jamaica−Freeport Express)
Service
Operates 24 hours[2][3]
Daily ridership Q5: 3,913,638 (2014)[4]
Q85: 3,861,880 (2014)[4]
Fare $2.75 (MetroCard or coins)
Cash Coins only (exact change required)
Transfers Yes
Timetable Q5 Q85
← Q4
← Q84		 Q6 →
Q88 →

The Q5 and Q85 bus routes constitute a public transit corridor running along Merrick Boulevard in Southeastern Queens, New York City, United States. The routes run from the Jamaica Center transit hub and business district to Rosedale, with continued service to the Green Acres Mall shopping center in Nassau County. The Q4 and Q84 buses also serve the northern portion of the corridor, before diverging east along Linden Boulevard and 120th Avenue respectively. The Q4, Q5, and Q85 also provide limited-stop service along the corridor. Originally operated by Bee-Line Inc. and later the North Shore Bus Company until 1947, all four routes are now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

Route description and service

The Q5 and Q85 share most of the Queens portion of Merrick Boulevard, which runs southeast towards the Nassau County border. The routes run from the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer bus terminal to Rosedale near the Nassau County border. Alternate buses operate to or from Green Acres Mall in Nassau County, particularly during midday hours and on weekends.[2][3][5][6][7] Both the Q5 and Q85 employ limited-stop service, running in the peak direction (mornings to Jamiaca; afternoons to Rosedale) during weekday rush hour periods. These buses make no stops between Jamaica Center and the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, running via Liberty Avenue and 160th Street instead of on Archer Avenue towards Merrick Boulevard. Only select local service operates to Green Acres during these times.[2][3][5][6][7][8]

Due to high ridership and congestion, the corridor has been identified as a potential bus rapid transit corridor under the city's Select Bus Service (SBS) program. Though it was one of five priority corridors selected for SBS in 2004, the Merrick Boulevard corridor was eventually scrapped because of community opposition related to loss of parking. There are no active plans to implement SBS at this time.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] The corridor is also frequented by dollar vans, which parallel the bus routes.[16][17][18]

Buses along the corridor operate out of the Jamaica Bus Depot on Merrick Boulevard near Jamaica Center.[19]

Q5

The Q5 begins at Bay A of the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal, traveling southeast down the entire length of Merrick Boulevard in Queens. At the county line, the route turns south along Hook Creek Boulevard to Conduit Avenue. The full-time route turns west a short distance along Sunrise Highway (which runs between South Conduit Avenue and the Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch at this location), terminating at the Rosedale LIRR station at Francis Lewis Boulevard. These buses reenter service towards Jamaica via Francis Lewis Boulevard and Brookville Boulevard. This was the original Q5 route, also known as the Rosedale Station Line.[1][2][5][7][20][21] The Green Acres branch travels east along Conduit Avenue, which becomes the Sunrise Highway in Nassau County, then makes a clockwise loop around the Green Acres Mall, terminating at the parking structure at West Circle Drive.[2][5][7] Q5 Limited buses make all stops east of Springfield Boulevard, running to or from the Rosedale LIRR station.[2][7]

When limited-stop service operates, most local buses in the peak direction terminate at 231st Street and Merrick Boulevard (near Francis Lewis Boulevard, Brookville Boulevard and the Belt Parkway), with some service to or from Green Acres.[2] Midday and reverse-peak buses alternate between Rosedale and Green Acres.[2][5] On weekends except late nights, all Q5 buses travel to and from Green Acres.[2]

Q85

A terminated Q85 bus at Green Acres Mall.

The Q85 begins at Bay B of the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal, running down Merrick Boulevard to Baisley Boulevard and 120th Avenue in St. Albans. It then runs down Baisley Boulevard, Bedell Street (adjacent to the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road's Montauk Branch near Rochdale Village), and 140th Avenue to Springfield Boulevard. The route then turns south along Springfield Boulevard to Conduit Avenue, then east along Conduit Avenue, along the former Brooklyn-Freeport Line streetcar route. At Francis Lewis Boulevard near the Rosedale LIRR station, the Q85 splits into two branches. The full-time Rosedale branch turns south along 243rd Street and terminates at the intersection of 147th Avenue and Huxley Street, with a transfer to the Q111 to continue farther east along 147th Avenue. The Green Acres branch, which begins service at the end of the AM rush hour period, continues a short distance east along Conduit Avenue/Sunrise Highway into Nassau County, terminating at Green Acres Mall.[3][6][7]

Q85 Limited buses make all local stops south of Baisley Boulevard and Bedell Street, terminating at 147th Avenue.[3][7] During most of the AM rush period, peak direction (Jamaica-bound) local buses begin service at Farmers Boulevard and Bedell Street in Rochdale Village, at the Locust Manor LIRR station.[3] During the afternoon rush, peak (southbound) local buses alternately terminate at Farmers Boulevard or Green Acres.[3] During all other off-peak periods except late nights, buses alternate between Rosedale and Green Acres.[3]

The Q85 was originally two separate routes, the Q5A and Q5AB. The Q5A ran from Jamaica along Merrick Boulevard, turning south at Springfield Boulevard (along the current Q77 route). It proceeded along Springfield Boulevard, Conduit Avenue (then called the Sunrise Highway), and 243rd Street to 147th Avenue and Huxley Street.[20][21][22][23][24] It was known as the Jamaica-Rosedale or Jamaica-Huxley Street Line, or as the Laurelton Shuttle.[21][25] By the 1970s, the Q5A was rerouted from Springfield Boulevard to Farmers Boulevard.[26]

The Q5AB, originally the second branch of the Q5A called the Higbie Avenue branch,[27] turned south from Merrick Boulevard at Farmers Boulevard to serve the Locust Manor LIRR station and the now-closed Higbie Avenue LIRR station at modern-day 140th Avenue. The route terminated either at Higbie Avenue or Springfield Boulevard in Locust Manor, or merged with the Q5A at Springfield Boulevard before continuing to Rosedale at either 147th Avenue or 225th Street and Conduit Avenue.[23][24][28] The route was later renamed Q5AB and rerouted to Baisley Boulevard and Bedell Street, corresponding to the current Q85 Farmers Boulevard local service.[26]

There was also additional Q5 services. The first was known as the Q5 Laurelton Station line, the Q5B, and later the Q5A-LS or Q5AS (Laurelton Shuttle). It operated as a north-south shuttle on 224th, 226th, and 229th Streets between the Laurelton LIRR station and 131st Avenue in the Laurelton neighborhood, one block south of the Montefiore Cemetery.[20][21][26][29] It was later moved from 224th Street to 225th Street, and extended south to 147th Avenue and east to 243rd Street.[26] The second, the Q5S, was a shuttle along Francis Lewis Boulevard between the Rosedale LIRR station at Conduit Avenue and 147th Drive at the southeast corner of Queens.[26][29] Both these routes were later discontinued.[29]

An X63 bus in Rosedale.

Other routes

The Q4 and Q84 routes also provide service on the northern portion of Merrick Boulevard. At Linden Boulevard, the Q4 turns east towards Cambria Heights. At the intersection of Baisley Boulevard and 120th Avenue, the Q84 turns east along 120th Avenue towards Laurelton near the Montefiore Cemetery.[7][30][31] The Q4 also provides limited-stop service along Merrick Boulevard, bidirectional in the AM rush period and towards Cambria Heights during PM rush hours.[7][8][30] The n4 local and the n4X express services of the Nassau Inter-County Express also run along Merrick Boulevard from Jamaica to the county line, continuing along Merrick Road to Freeport in Nassau County. These buses, however, only make pick-ups towards Freeport and drop-offs towards Jamaica within Queens.[32][33]

Express bus service

The X63 express bus begins in Rosedale, and runs along Francis Lewis Boulevard (the former Q5S route), Hook Creek Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard to Linden Boulevard. It then turns west along Linden towards Midtown Manhattan.[7][26]

History

A Q5 entering southbound service at the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal.

On August 9, 1921, the Orange Bus Line began service along Merrick Road from Freeport in Nassau County to Rosedale in Queens near the county border.[34] On September 15, 1921, the route was extended west and north to the Jamaica business district.[35] In 1922, Republic Motor Truck Company dealer Henry B. Carter sold two truck chassis fitted with bus bodies to the operators of the Orange Line.[36] On February 13, 1922, the Orange Line ceased operations, and the buses reverted to Carter's ownership.[36] Carter's new Bee-Line Bus Company operated its first bus, without a franchise, on February 19, between the Rosedale station and Jamaica. This was the predecessor to the Q5.[36][37][38][39] With only two buses, the route originally operated on half-hour headways.[40] In addition to Jamaica-Rosedale service, on April 3, 1926, Bee-Line began operating service along Merrick Road between Jamaica and Freeport, Long Island, replacing the eastern portion of the Brooklyn-Freeport Line streetcar.[36] Bee Line originally operated from 163rd Street and Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica business district.[37] On October 1, 1930,[41] the Bee Line routes began terminating at the newly constructed Jamaica Union Bus Terminal near its former terminus. The new bus terminal was located at Jamaica Avenue and New York Boulevard (now Guy R. Brewer Boulevard), adjacent to the now-closed Union Hall Street Long Island Rail Road station.[42][41][43][44]

The Q5A services were first operated by Transit Coach Corporation in 1931.[28][45][46] By 1937, Schenck Transportation operated the route.[27] By 1938, the Q5A was operated by the North Shore Bus Company.[47]

On August 11, 1936, the Bee-Line routes were moved to the newly opened 165th Street Bus Terminal (then the Long Island Bus Terminal).[48][49][50] In May 1939, Bee-Line relinquished its Queens routes.[51] These routes began operation from the terminal under North Shore Bus Company on June 25, 1939,[52] as part of the company's takeover of nearly all routes in Zone D (Jamaica and Southeast Queens).[53][54] The Queens-Nassau County Merrick route was retained by Bee-Line;[51] it is now the n4 of the Nassau Inter-County Express.[32][33] The northern terminus of the Q4, Q4A (predecessor to the Q84), Q5, and Q5A was moved once again to Hillside Avenue and 168th Street, near the 169th Street station of the IND Queens Boulevard Line, on October 27, 1939.[21][55] In 1941, the Q5A Farmers Boulevard service was extended from the Higbie Avenue station to Springfield Boulevard.[24]

On March 30, 1947, North Shore Bus would be taken over by the Board of Transportation (later the New York City Transit Authority), making the bus routes city operated.[55][56][57][58]

On December 11, 1988, in conjunction with the opening of the Archer Avenue Subway, the Merrick Boulevard routes' northern terminal was moved to the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal.[59][60] That same day, the Q4A was renumbered Q84, the Q85 was created, and the Q5S became the Q86.[29][61] At this time, the Q5A Laurelton Shuttle (then the Q5AS) was discontinued.[29] In 1993, the routes began traveling on Archer Avenue in both directions. Previously, terminating buses traveled along Archer Avenue, while southbound buses traveled via Jamaica Avenue.[62] The Q86 was discontinued[29] in 1996 due to low ridership.

In September 2003, limited-stop service on the Q4, Q5, and Q85 was expanded during AM rush hours, beginning earlier in the morning.[63] On January 14, 2004, the MTA instituted the current limited-stop bypass in the Jamaica business district via Liberty Avenue and 160th Street.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Notice of Public Hearing: Franchise Matters" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. January 27, 1939. p. 19. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Q5 bus schedule MTA Regional Bus Operations.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Q85 bus schedule MTA Regional Bus Operations.
  4. 1 2 "Facts and Figures". mta.info. 2011-08-28. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "MTA Bus Time: Q5 Rosedale - Jamaica via Merrick Blvd / Green Acres Shop Mall". mta.info. MTA Bus Time.
  6. 1 2 3 "MTA Bus Time: Q85 Rosedale - Jamaica via Merrick Blvd / Conduit Av". mta.info. MTA Bus Time.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York).
  8. 1 2 3 Dentch, Courtney (January 8, 2004). "Enhanced service begins on Q27 in Queens Village". TimesLedger. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Bus Rapid Transit: NYCBRT Study" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), New York City Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-05-12. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Bus Rapid Transit: NYCBRT Study; ITS-NY Conference" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), New York City Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation. June 8, 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Introduction to BUS RAPID TRANSIT PHASE II" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). 2009.
  12. ↑ "BUS RAPID TRANSIT PHASE II: Future Corridors" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). June 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Select Bus Service" (PDF). New York City Department of Transportation, MTA New York City Transit Authority. November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  14. ↑ Weickgenant, Joel (April 12, 2007). "Merrick Parking In Doubt As Rapid Transit Nears". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
  15. ↑ Staten Island Advance. "Staten Island pols seek meeting to discuss Bus Rapid Transit on Hylan Boulevard". SILive.com. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  16. ↑ Santos, Fernanda (June 9, 2010). "Licensed and Illegal Vans Fight It Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ↑ Reiss, Aaron. "New York's Shadow Transit". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  18. ↑ Santos, Fernanda (June 9, 2010). "22 Minutes in the 4:15 A.M. Van". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  19. ↑ Bockmann, Rich (April 18, 2014). "MTA buys land to redevelop aging Jamaica Bus Depot". Times Ledger. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 "Public Notices" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. June 22, 1937. p. 14. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 North Shore Bus Company (July 29, 1942). "For the Convenience of Queens Bus Riders" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "All Transportation Lines Lead to Jamaica" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. March 31, 1943. p. 9. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  23. 1 2 "Bus Route to Rosedale Changed by Operators" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. September 18, 1941. p. 1. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  24. 1 2 3 "Bus Service Increased By North Shore: 156 Trips a Day Added, Most of The During Rush Hours" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. June 29, 1941. p. 11. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  25. ↑ North Shore Bus Company (June 2, 1943). "The Office of Defense Transportation Has Ordered a 20% Reduction in Bus Service" (PDF). Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 5. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1975 Queens Bus Map". wardmaps.com. New York City Transit Authority. 1975. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  27. 1 2 "Jamaica Day" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. September 29, 1937. p. 18. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  28. 1 2 "Legal Notices" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. June 20, 1934. p. 13. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bearak, Corey (November 12, 2015). "Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Urges Council Look to Buses to “Connect Transportation Deserts” Testimony to City Council Committee on Transportation Int. Nos. 964 and 965 and Res. 670 and 903 by Mark Henry, President and Business Agent, ATU Local 1056" (PDF). Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  30. 1 2 Q4 bus schedule MTA Regional Bus Operations.
  31. ↑ Q84 bus schedule MTA Regional Bus Operations.
  32. 1 2 n4 schedule
  33. 1 2 "NASSAU INTER-COUNTY EXPRESS System Map" (PDF). Nassau Inter-County Express, Transdev. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  34. ↑ "Announcement" (PDF). Long Island Daily Review. Fultonhistory.com. August 2, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  35. ↑ "Jamaica Freeport Auto Bus Service Started Today: New Line Established as a Result of Fight Waged in Its Favor by Long Island Daily Press" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. September 15, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Kennedy, William A. (February 20, 1937). "The Bee Line Bus Company - A Saga of Modern Transportation" (PDF). The Nassau Daily Review. Fultonhistory.com. p. 7. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  37. 1 2 "Bee Line Runs Many Routes: Has Large Central Garage and Headquarters at Rockville Centre" (PDF). Brooklyn Standard Union. Fultonhistory.com. November 18, 1929. p. 18. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  38. ↑ "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  39. ↑ "Orange Busses Operating Under New Management: H.B. Carter, of Lynbrook, New Owner-Buses Running Between Jamaica and Rosedale Now-To Freeport later." (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. February 21, 1922. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  40. ↑ "Interesting Scenes In New Bee Line, Inc., Offices and Garage In Rockville Centre" (PDF). The Long Island News And Owl. Fultonhistory.com. April 4, 1929. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  41. 1 2 "Jamaica Opens Terminal Today: Bus Station Triples Service: 50,000 Passengers To Be Handled Daily By New Plan" (PDF). The Nassau Daily Review. Fultonhistory.com. October 1, 1930. p. 9. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  42. ↑ "Bus Routes Over Which Companies Are Battling" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. July 15, 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  43. ↑ "$1,500,000 Bus Terminal Started: Service To Begin In 30 Days, Say Depot Builders" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. August 12, 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  44. ↑ "Green Line to Use New York Ave. Depot As Bee Buses Shift to 165th St. Terminal" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. August 12, 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  45. ↑ "Gorman Pleads For Bus Line" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. July 10, 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  46. ↑ "Bus Franchises" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. September 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  47. ↑ "Friday is Jamaica Day" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. October 5, 1938. p. 22. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  48. ↑ "At Midnight...Tuesday, August 11, 1936". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Newspapers.com. August 11, 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  49. ↑ "Bee Bus Line Will Use New Jamaica Station: To Remove to $1,500,000 Terminal Tuseday Night". New York Herald Tribune. August 10, 1936. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  50. ↑ "Jamaica's Bus Terminal Open: Bee Line and Four Shops Lease Space-Centrally Located". Newspapers.com. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 16, 1936. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  51. 1 2 Hall, Charles (May 23, 1939). "Bee Line Quits Zone D As Police Jail Drivers: Ousted 'Wildcat' Presses Fight In Courts" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press (72). Fultonhistory.com. p. 1. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  52. ↑ "North Shore Buses Start From Terminal Today" (PDF). Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. June 25, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  53. ↑ "North Shore May Take Over Z & M And Schenck Lines on Saturday: Franchise for Zone D Area Is Legalized" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. June 27, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  54. ↑ Abelman, Lester (February 2, 1939). "Court Upholds Bus Permit; City Defeats Bee Line In Zone D Fight; Way Cleared for North Shore to Take Over Routes in Jamaica Area" (PDF). Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  55. 1 2 "Major Improvements Ordered in Zone D" (PDF). Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. April 10, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  56. ↑ Sparberg, Andrew J. (1 October 2014). From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-6190-1.
  57. ↑ "CITY TAKES OVER BUS LINE: O'Connor Selected to Operate North Shore System". The New York Times. March 30, 1947. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  58. ↑ "120-Passenger Vehicles Added For Next Week: 10 City Lines Will Have All New Equipment by Wednesday" (PDF). Fultonhistory.com. Long Island Star-Journal. December 31, 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  59. ↑ Johnson, Kirk (November 12, 1988). "M.T.A. Refuses To Change Plan On Bus Routes". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  60. ↑ "Queens Merchants Win More Bus Service". nytimes.com. The New York Times. March 17, 1989. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  61. ↑ New York Times, All Aboard...Somewhere...for Subway Changes!, December 12, 1988, section B, page 1
  62. ↑ Hernandez, Raymond (October 10, 1993). "JAMAICA; Merchants Say a Change in Bus Routes Hurts". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  63. ↑ Woodberry, Warren, Jr. (September 8, 2003). "TA SHIFTS GEARS ON SIX BUS ROUTES". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 16 December 2015.

External links

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