Busways begin in Downtown Jamaica
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DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman announced the official start of the Jamaica and Archer Avenue busways on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. Eagle photo by Jacob Kaye
By Jacob Kaye
Top ranking Department of Transportation officials were in Downtown Jamaica Friday afternoon to get the wheels spinning on two controversial busways in the congested neighborhood.
The Archer and Jamaica Avenue busways, both in a pilot phase, were christened by DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia and City Councilmember I. Daneek Miller, a former city bus driver and vocal critic of the busways, among others on Friday. Miller, who wasn’t at the press conference at its start, offered his reluctant support.
“For the past 20 years, we thought it was a great idea, so we think investment in this community is great,” Miller said. “But what we think is equally important is that we have discourse and engagement within the community so that the needs and values of the community are really addressed.”
The Jamaica Avenue busway, which follows in the model of the Flushing busway along Main Street and the 14th Street busway in Manhattan, runs from Sutphin Boulevard to 168th Street in both directions. The Archer Avenue busway, which runs east, begins at 150th Street and ends a few blocks later at 160th Street.
Enforcement of the busways, which are reserved exclusively for buses, has begun. For the next 60 days, drivers will be given warnings when they’re found driving or parked inside the lanes. Following the warning period, tickets ranging from $50 to $250 will be issued to drivers who dare to block the bus.
Gutman, who’s been at the helm of the DOT for around eight months, called the busways “historic” and the “biggest bus improvement project in New York City history.”
“Before you start questioning my math, or want to know how long it is, the answer is two miles,” Gutman said. “But this is the biggest because of its impact, because of the number of riders whose daily commutes, whose lives will be improved by this project.”
According to the DOT, around 250,000 daily riders will have their trips in the crowded stretch of Queens quickened by around 30 percent.
“That's why this is special,” Gutman said. “That's why I have no qualms about saying this is the biggest.”
DOT says the infrastructure projects will increase bus speeds in one of the most sluggish corridors in the city, calm traffic, make truck deliveries easier and provide a quicker trip for the residents of Southeast Queens who have some of the longest commute times in the country.
The Jamaica and Archer Avenue busways will be the third to come to the neighborhood in the past six months.
The Merrick Boulevard busway went into full effect – fines and all – in September and has been criticized by local electeds since its implementation.
Local leaders at all levels of government including Councilmember Ardrienne Adams, State Senators Leroy Comrie and James Sanders, Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Rep. Gregory Meeks and Miller have complained that the DOT’s rollout of the Merrick Boulevard busway lacked community input.
“Rollout and implementation is important,” Miller said Friday. “We haven't always been on the same page, not sure if we're on the same page right now, but absolutely, we have to figure out a way to move these people in an efficient way.”
The two new busways will be enforced 24/7. Merrick Boulevard’s enforcement began the same, however that changed after members of the community and local officials asked the DOT to scale the hours back.
Gutman said the change was also made based on ridership numbers. It now runs from 6 a.m to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Miller and others have made similar requests in the lead up to the Jamaica and Archer busways but Gutman said sticking to the 24/7 enforcement offers several benefits.
“It's easier to communicate, it's easier to enforce,” he said. “If it turns out that it creates problems then we will do what we did on Merrick, which is to adjust the hours.”
Sabrina Fourcand, who lives nearby and often drives to Jamaica Boulevard to do her shopping, swore off the commercial stretch Friday following the official start of the busways.
“I've decided I'm going to go down to Green Acres Mall now,” Fourcand said. “I could park, I could go and shop – I don't have to worry or anything like that. I mean, it's a disservice to the community.”
