MTA Invites Riders to Provide Input on Borough Bus Network Redesign at Public Workshops

File Photo

The Queens Bus Network Redesign is one of the largest bus network redesigns in the country.

By Forum Staff

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday reminded Queens riders of upcoming opportunities to participate in public workshops to provide input on the Queens Bus Redesign New Draft Plan.

The Queens Bus Network Redesign is one of the largest bus network redesigns in the country, with over 100 routes, serving almost 800,000 average weekday riders in 2019, and is now the third project of the MTA’s ambitious initiative to rework and enhance bus networks in every borough. The New Draft Plan is a forward-thinking redesign focused on routing, bus stop locations, and frequency proposals that aim to address the evolving needs of local communities, considering factors such as population growth, travel patterns, commute times, and off-peak ridership for current and future Queens riders.

Courtesy of MTA
The redesign features changes to the Q52…

There will be 14 virtual public workshops held through June – one workshop for each community district in Queens. At these workshops, attendees will be provided information about all the changes proposed in the New Draft Plan and will be able to share their questions, comments, and concerns. Workshops will be held virtually via Zoom and conducted in English with captioning in other languages per the list below. Additional language interpreters will be available upon advance registration form no later than five business days before the workshop you want to attend.

The workshops will be held on the following dates:

Join the Virtual Workshop at https://mta.zoom.us/j/86541509211?pwd=Qk5MZUpZa2k2SmRBMldtRUVmZnVzUT09

Meeting ID: 865 4150 9211

One tap mobile +19294362866,,86541509211#,,,,*6256615911# US (New York)

“These public workshops are a chance for Queens bus riders to learn more about our ambitious plan to speed up bus service and deliver a better bus network for the borough,” said MTA Bus Company President Acting President and New York City Transit Department of Buses Senior Vice President Frank Annicaro. “We are excited to reach this critical next step in the bus redesign process and encourage New Yorkers to attend these workshops and share their input with the MTA.”

Courtesy of MTA
…and Q53 Select Bus Service buses.

Components of the New Draft Plan include:

• More direct routes. Implementing more direct routes allows for faster service. Downtown Flushing and Jamaica are areas where effects of congestion hinder bus service. A contributing factor to this congestion are bus routes that terminate in these areas. A series of proposed routes that serve downtown Flushing and Jamaica will travel through these congested areas, instead of terminating there.
• Balanced Bus Stop Spacing. Removing and adjusting closely spaced bus stops along routes results in fewer route turns and faster service. The seconds saved per trip by having fewer bus stops have a positive cascading effect on overall travel times. Bus stop placement is also key in filling gaps in the bus network; proximity to key destinations and transfer points are important components in deciding bus stop locations. In the proposed redesigned draft plan, placement of bus stops expands the reach of accessible public transportation.
• Enhanced Connectivity. The proposed redesign presents new connections, enhancing connectivity at key transfer locations necessary to ensure customers have a smooth transition between buses and other modes of public transportation. The plan focuses on expanding connectivity to ADA accessible subway stations, including stations that have been identified to receive accessibility upgrades in the near future.
• Bus Priority. The MTA will continue working with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to build upon existing efforts of expanding bus priority improvements on corridors throughout the city, implementing measures such as dedicated bus lanes, queue jumps, and transit signal priority.

Additionally, the MTA this week published in-depth route profiles for the New Draft Plan of the Queens Bus Redesign. These route profiles allow riders to review the following information for each of the proposed bus routes:

• A detailed description of the proposed routing changes.
• Proposed route improvements
• Route destinations and length
• Proposed versus existing average stop spacing
• Proposed versus existing service frequency and span (note that more detailed frequencies will be provided as part of the Proposed Final Plan, after receiving comments on this plan)
• Proposed subway and bus connections
• What route(s) currently serve the area
• A map of the proposed route, showing exactly where proposed service is added or discontinued, along with callout boxes explaining which routes would replace discontinued segments
• A stop list showing which stops the proposed route would serve and which are proposed to be removed

Customers are encouraged to learn more about the Queens Bus Network Redesign at any one of the MTA’s outreach events listed or via any of the online resources available and submit feedback through the online comment portal. The list of all workshop dates is also available on the project’s main webpage, along with a detailed presentation of the proposed redesign, full report of the New Draft Plan, and an interactive map that allows users to post comments directly on proposed bus routes and stops.