Bus Lanes To Be Installed In Queens Northern Boulevard By Spring 2023

QUEENS – Northern Boulevard is poised to have new bus lanes from Woodside to Corona by spring 2023 as part of the project to redesign Queen's bus network, the Department of Transportation announced Monday.

The department also announced that busway pilots serving thousands of riders in Jamaica will now be permanent.

“When buses have dedicated space on the street separated from general traffic, they move faster,” said MTA New York City Transit Senior Vice President for Buses Frank Annicaro in a statement. “And when buses move faster riders benefit and more people choose buses.

The 4.6 miles of bus lanes in Northern Boulevard aim to improve the Q66, QM2, QM3, QM20, and QM32 bus routes. The routes connect commuters to the M, R, and 7 subway lines.

The project comes after residents voiced their need for faster, more reliable service and better connections to local transit and bus service.

Amid the pilot program’s success, the permanent busways along Jamaica and Archer Avenues in Downtown Jamaica create 26 routes for residents to connect to the E, J, and Z subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road.

Commuters surveyed by the DOT surveyed stated they felt buses were faster and more frequent.

Archer Avenue’s busway will remain in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Jamaica Avenue’s busway will operate between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week.

"Because my district is the home of many essential workers and commuters, we need safe and reliable public transportation,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos in a statement. “MTA ridership and small business recovery is happening at an accelerated pace in Queens post-pandemic, and I am excited to see these improvements to a central transit artery sustain that recovery.”