New Routes, Faster Buses Could Come To Forest Hills: MTA Bus Plan

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A contentious borough-wide bus redesign plan got a revamp this week, as the MTA (once again) sets its sights on speeding up commutes and modernizing redundant bus routes for hundreds-of-thousands of weekly riders in Queens — including in Forest Hills.

The plan to redesign Queens' sprawling network of 107 bus lines was first announced in 2019 as part of the transit agency's sweeping initiative to overhaul the city's subway and bus systems.

Pitched as a yearlong project, the MTA had to hit the brakes on the redesign in 2020 amid the pandemic — but not before every single Queens City Council member (plus transit advocates and local residents) lambasted the proposed map as a series of service cuts (a claim that the MTA hotly rejected).

The new plan, announced on Tuesday, takes into consideration the negative feedback — as well as 11,000 comments from the MTA's first round of public engagement — now offering 85 regular bus routes in Queens, up from the 77 in the old draft and the 82 that currently traverse the borough.

Here's some of the biggest changes coming to Forest Hills:

Q10 extension into Forest Hills

Instead of terminating in Kew Gardens, the proposed Q10 bus, which would start at the Airtrain to JFK, would run along Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills through Flushing Meadow to Pomonok (eliminating the need to transfer to the current Q64 bus). The proposed 24/7 bus would run every four or seven minutes during peak and off-peak weekday hours, respectively, and would also have frequent weekend service. Find out more on page 85 here.

Q23 connecting East Elmhurst and Fresh Meadows by way of Forest Hills

Starting in East Elmhurst, the proposed Q23 would run straight along 108 Street through Forest Hills (instead of veering into Elmhurst and Corona). The route would then take Queens Boulevard to Union Turnpike (instead of veering farther into Forest Hills; an area that would be served by another line), connecting northwest and northeast Queens. The proposed 24/7 bus would run every five or 10 minutes during peak and off-peak weekday hours, respectively, and would also have regular weekend service. Find out more on page 139 here.

A faster Q60 on Queens Boulevard

The Q60 bus would continue to run from Midtown East to Jamaica down Queens Boulevard, but stops on the proposed route would be spaced slightly further apart in order to speed up buses and improve reliability, according to the plan. The proposed 24/7 bus would continue to run every 10 or 20 minutes during peak and off-peak weekday hours, respectively, and would also continue to have regular weekend service. Find out more on page 271 here.

A new route from Queensboro Community College to Forest Hills

The proposed Q73 would stretch from Queensboro Community College to Forest Hills along 73 Avenue, replacing a segment of Q23 in the western part of Forest Hills. The proposed bus would run every 12 minutes or 20 minutes during peak and off-peak weekday hours, respectively, with regular (but more infrequent) weekend service. Find out more on page 311 here.

A new route from Ridgewood to Flushing on the edge of Forest Hills

The proposed Q98 would stretch from Ridgewood to Flushing along the Horace Harding Expressway, on the edge of Rego Park and Forest Hills. The proposed 24/7 bus would run every 10 minutes during weekday hours with buses coming ever 15 minutes during the weekend. Find out more on page 356 here.

Route changes on Forest Hills to Manhattan buses

The new plan includes proposals to streamline several routes that take commuters from Forest Hills to Manhattan, including the QM12, QM11 and QM42 (pictured here from left to right). The proposed routes would also include changes in Manhattan in order to speed up travel time, according to the plan. Find out more starting on page 423 here.

The 'most important' redesign plan

MTA brass lauded the new plan, saying it will improve speed and efficiency for riders in the World's Borough, who often depend on buses as their sole public transit option.

"The Queens New Draft Plan is the third to be released, but in some ways, may be the most important of the five because Queens has, historically, had less subway service relative to its size and population than the other boroughs," acknowledged MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

Transit officials said that the plan will cut an as-yet stated number of bus stops in order to reduce commuting time (each stop axed could save 20 seconds of travel time, officials estimate), introduce so-called "rush" service for buses that connect riders to subway lines, and preserve some Sunday service — a major sticking point of the last plan, which nixed Sunday service.

The plan includes 20 new routes, plus 11 "retired" routes, which will either be combined with an existing one or incorporated into a new route. All told, 17 lines will be extended, seven shortened, and five incorporated into existing routes, plans show.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards echoed Lieber's sentiment, speaking to the importance of reliable bus service in Queens.

"Queens families rely heavily on bus service that can often lack in efficiency and reliability, especially in our many transit deserts, so it could not be more important that we get this redesign of our borough’s bus network right," he said, urging residents in Queens to familiarize themselves with the plan and give feedback.

On April 18 the MTA will kick off its virtual public workshops to hear feedback and answer questions from neighbors in Queens, one community district at a time (though neighbors who can't make their community district meeting can attend a different meeting, the MTA said).

Neighbors in Forest Hills and Rego Park can attend a workshop from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 5 (registration is here). Spanish and Mandarin language assistance will be provided, the MTA said.

Interactive local and express maps of the proposed bus networks also include a comment feature, which neighbors can use to directly post opinions on proposed bus routes and stops.

Find out more about the new redesign plan, and how to get involved, here.