Q10 (New York City bus)
Lefferts Boulevard−JFK Airport | |||
Overview | |||
System | MTA Regional Bus Operations | ||
Operator | MTA Bus Company | ||
Garage | JFK Depot | ||
Vehicle |
| ||
Route | |||
Locale | Queens | ||
Communities served | Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park | ||
Start | Kew Gardens, Queens – Queens Boulevard / Kew Gardens Road & 80th Road | ||
Via | Lefferts Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard | ||
End | South Ozone Park, Queens – 149th Avenue & 150th Avenue JFK Airport – Terminal 5 (full route) | ||
Length | 8 miles (13 km)[1][2] | ||
Service | |||
Operates | 24 hours[note 1][3] | ||
Ridership | 7,323,942 (2015)[4] | ||
Transfers | Yes | ||
Timetable | Q10 | ||
|
The Q10 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, United States, running primarily along Lefferts Boulevard between a transfer with the New York City Subway in Kew Gardens to Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Formerly privately operated by Green Bus Lines, the route is currently city-operated under the MTA Bus Company brand of MTA Regional Bus Operations.
Route description and service
The Q10 begins at the Kew Gardens Subway station at Kew Gardens Road and 80th Road. It then turns on 80th Road, and then onto Austin Street, and turns onto Lefferts Boulevard, where it continues until Rockaway Boulevard. Q10 locals turn onto Rockaway Boulevard, and then run via 130th Street, and then via 150th Avenue, and then it runs via the Van Wyck Expressway service road to Terminal Five. At Rockaway Boulevard, Q10 Limiteds continue via Lefferts Boulevard, until it meets the Airtrain JFK, and then turns via Pan Am Road, and then goes via the Van Wyck Expressway service road to Terminal Five. Q10 Limited buses operate every day from about 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. During the morning rush hour, some northbound Q10 locals start at 150th Avenue. During the PM rush hour, some Q10 locals start at Queens Boulevard and 80th Road, running to 150th Avenue or JFK Central Terminal.[3]
Until 2006, an express service called the Q10A had run from the Kew Gardens subway station to JFK Airport Terminal Four, via the Van Wyck Expressway, operating non-stop from Kew Gardens to Federal Circle. There were six Q10A trips, all running toward JFK Airport during morning rush hours.[5][6][7][8][9] The service was replaced by the Q10 Limited.[5]
History
The first iteration of the Q10 came about on April 28, 1921, and was operated by the Richmond Hill Bus Corporation. The New York City Department of Plant & Structures temporarily took over the route and named it DPS Route 53.[10] Afterwards, the Q10 route number was assigned.[11] Originally the Q10 had three destinations; one was at Old South Road, which is at the current intersection of the Belt Parkway and North and South Conduit Avenues at Lefferts, another was at Hamilton Beach, and the final destination was Richmond Hill Circle, which was not near Richmond Hill, and it was located about a half-mile south of 130th Street and the Belt Parkway.
In 1936, Queens was divided into four zones, for bus operating franchise purposes. With the new zone setup, one company would be awarded the franchise in each zone, with any remaining smaller operations acquired by the larger company. The Q10 fell into Zone C, the zone for Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and the Rockaways, and the route was awarded to Green Bus Lines.[10][12] On November 25, 1936, Q10 service began to be operated by Green Bus Lines.[13]
In 1947, when Idlewild Airport opened, Green Bus Lines was awarded the exclusive transit rights which extended the Richmond Hill Circle line to Idlewild Airport.[14]
Between 1990 and 1996, the Q10A was created, running express between the Kew Gardens subway station and JFK Airport, making no stops to Federal Circle. It only operated toward JFK Airport.[citation needed]
On January 9, 2006, the MTA Bus Company took over the operations of the Green Bus Line routes.[15][16][17] Under the MTA on September 3, 2006, Q10A service was discontinued, due to low ridership and parallel service from the AirTrain JFK. The Q10A was replaced by the Q10 Limited, which made limited stops along the entire route, and ran on weekdays and on Saturdays.[5][18] At that time, Q10 service to all JFK terminals except Terminal 4 was replaced by AirTrain JFK.[19] On April 6, 2008, limited service was expanded to Sundays.[20]
Beginning on September 4, 2011, Q10 local buses on the Lefferts Boulevard branch were rerouted to remain on Lefferts Boulevard south of Conduit Avenue, and to continue along Lefferts Boulevard and Pan Am Roadd into JFK Airport, where they returned to their regular route along 130th Place. The Conduit Avenue branch of the Q10 was discontinued and Q10 buses stopped accessing JFK Airport at 134th Street.[1][21]
On May 30, 2012, due to construction at Terminal 4, the Q10 started terminating at a new stop at Terminal 5, near the former Terminal 6.[19][22]
In spring 2013, 60-foot (18 m) articulated buses began replacing the standard 40-foot (12 m) buses on the route. The Q10 was the second route in Queens to receive articulated buses, after the Q44. The Q10 got articulated buses because its buses were overcrowded, and because it was the third busiest route in the city.[23] The use of articulated buses received positive feedback from commuters, but opposition from some local residents and business owners to potential traffic issues and loss of parking spaces.[24][25]
On February 24, 2013, Q10 short-turn buses terminating at 150th Avenue and 149th Street stopped running via 150th Avenue. Instead, the bus route was changed, with buses running via South Conduit Avenue between 130th Street and 134th Street. The route was changed in order to avoid congestion at the Sanitation yard on 150th Street. An additional reason for the change was to allow buses to avoid making a turn onto South Conduit Avenue from 132nd Street, because there is no traffic light at this intersection and vehicles often pass at high speeds, often causing severe delays. Additionally, 132nd Street is a narrow residential block.[26][27]
On April 28, 2013, all Q10 buses that ran via Lefferts Boulevard south of Rockaway Boulevard became limited-stop only, discontinuing stops at Sutter Avenue, 133rd Avenue, and 149th Avenue. A limited bus stop was added at 150th Avenue. At this time, the hours of the Q10 Limited were expanded, running between 5:30 AM–11:30 PM weekdays, and 6:15 AM–11:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, similar to former Lefferts Boulevard branch local service hours.[28]
See also
- Green Bus Lines
- Q37 (New York City bus), a parallel bus route
Notes
References
- ^ a b "MTA Bus Operations Committee Meeting May 2011" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "MTA Bus Operations Committee Meeting December 2012" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ^ a b MTA Regional Bus Operations. "Q17 bus schedule" (PDF).
- ^ "Facts and Figures". mta.info. August 28, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ a b c "The MTA 2006 ANNUAL REPORT: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Year Ended December 31, 2006 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Year Ended December 31, 2006" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 1, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ^ "Analysis of Routes and Ridership of a Franchise Bus Service: Green Bus Lines" (PDF). utrc2.org/. City College of New York. October 2000. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ^ "Appendix B: Route Profiles" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ^ Urbitran Associates, Inc (May 2004). "NYCDOT Bus Ridership Survey and Route Analysis Final Report: Chapter 4 Operating and Financial Performance" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ "January 2006 Q10/Q10A Timetable" (PDF). mta.info. MTA Bus Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "54 Bus Routes Win Approval By City". nytimes.com. The New York Times. January 28, 1931. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ "Bus Franchises For Queens Are Granted by City: 12-Year Old Problem Is Solved by Action of Board of Estimate". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 24, 1936. Retrieved January 1, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Local Bus Route Taken Over By New Operator". The Leader-Observer. November 19, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ "A Picture History of Kew Gardens, NY - 'YE Olde Route Delivery" by Alan Linsky". www.oldkewgardens.com. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ Silverman, Norman (July 26, 2010). "The Merger of 7 Private Bus Companies into MTA Bus" (PDF). apta.com. American Public Transportation Association, Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Lueck, Thomas J. (April 23, 2005). "City to Buy Private Bus Company for Service in Three Boroughs". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- ^ "Mayor Bloomberg Announces MTA Takeover of Green Bus Lines". The official website of the City of New York. January 8, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Fall 2007 Q10 Bus Timetable" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Transit Committee Meeting June 2012" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "MTA Bus Service Changes". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2008. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "mta.info | Planned Service Notices". October 1, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "mta.info | Planned Service Notices: JFK Airport Terminal 4 Bus Stop Relocation". May 31, 2012. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Kew Gdns. opposes Q10 bus changes". TimesLedger. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ Rafter, Domenick (October 24, 2013). "CB 9 articulates ire on articulated buses". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
- ^ Rafter, Domenick (February 20, 2014). "CB 9 still does not like Q10 artic buses: Residents, businesses say parking is an issue, but some commuters are happy". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ^ "MTA changes routes for three area buses". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "mta.info | Planned Service Changes". April 21, 2013. Archived from the original on April 21, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "mta.info | Planned Service Changes". web.mta.info. Retrieved December 30, 2015.