Queens bus network redesign gets official launch date
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New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, MTA CEO Janno Lieber and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced on Monday that the first phase of the borough’s bus network redesign will be implemented on June 29. Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By Jacob Kaye
The MTA on Monday said that after years of starts and stops, drafts, final drafts, do-overs and approved plans, it finally has set a date for the implementation of its overhaul of Queens’ bus map.
The first phase of the transit agency’s long-anticipated Queens Bus Network Redesign will begin on Sunday, June 29. That’s when 16 of the map’s new routes will launch. Additionally, 67 routes will be changed and five routes will be discontinued.
The second and final phase of the implementation will kick off on Aug. 31, when one new route will launch, 37 routes will change and one route will be discontinued.
In all, the new map alters or creates a total of 124 routes, 94 of which are local routes, and 30 of which are express routes.
MTA officials headed to Queens Borough Hall on Monday to announce the start date of the redesign, which has been in the works in one form or another since 2019. They also introduced a new route look-up tool, which allows riders to select any bus route from a drop-down menu to see the latest information about the route and when it will change.
“The Queens Bus Network Redesign is a game-changer for the 800,000 borough residents who ride an MTA bus each day,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said in a statement on Monday.
“As we prepare for the official rollout of the redesign this summer to speed up commutes and make our system easier to navigate, I encourage all our straphangers in Queens to get informed on potential changes to your most frequently used routes,” he added. “I was proud to work hand-in-hand with the MTA and all our partners on this plan and I couldn't be more excited to see what a world of difference it will make in the daily lives of our neighbors as they travel to work, school and everywhere in between.”
In addition to the online tool rolled out by the MTA, bus riders will also soon be able to look for information about the changes along the route as well. The city’s Department of Transportation is currently working on changing physical signage at bus stops and plans to complete its work by the launch dates.
“Now all Queens bus riders have the tools necessary to plan for their trip on the new network designed to provide faster and better bus service,” New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. “As implementation dates near, we’ll ramp up the outreach efforts to make sure everyone’s aware about the upcoming changes. In the meantime, we strongly encourage bus riders to take advantage of the online tools which provide the best customized approach to learn more about how your trip can change.”
More information on the bus network redesign can be found at mta.info/queensbus.
