Queens

, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The MTA evaluates routes to determine if a section should receive additional service in the form of a
short‐turn service. Short‐turns on bus routes are not meant to provide service to areas that are not already
served by the underlying route. That type of service is provided by service route “variants” or a “branch”.
Short‐turns are reevaluated as needed over time to ensure that they are providing the best service for the
route.
Multiple Routes that Operate on the Same Streets
Comments were received that suggested that if more than one bus travels along a portion of a roadway
together, that one of them should either be moved to a parallel street or run limited‐stop spacing service.
There are three principal reasons why more than one bus route might operate on the same street. The
first is that the street may be a high‐density corridor that has a large concentration of residential,
commercial, and community facilities. In Northeast Queens, these corridors include Main Street, Kissena
Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Hillside Avenue, and Northern Boulevard. Secondly, local and limited
service usually operate in conjunction and provide two different types of service along the same route.
Lastly, the street network in Northeast Queens is very complex with a limited number of streets that offer
straight, direct access between neighborhoods, subway stations, and points of interests. Bus service is
more reliable when operated in a straight line than when many turns exist along the route.
Another consideration is that by placing multiple bus routes on one shared corridor, the wait time for a
bus is significantly reduced for many customers who need to travel within that corridor. Splitting bus
routes on different corridors would result in the need to install bus stops and eliminate on‐street parking
for residences and businesses.
Separate Busy Bus Stops from Each Other and Less‐busy Stops
Comments were received regarding the desire for bus stops that are currently located together to be
separated and therefore to provide more room for each individual bus route to be served by its own
dedicated stop. Several comments were received about the combination of stops for popular bus routes
crowding out riders of other buses. It was stated that some buses will drive past a location because the
bus operator believes that the waiting passengers are only waiting there for a different bus. Comments
were received that at evening peak periods, especially at subway stations, there is not enough room on
the sidewalk to accommodate all bus riders waiting for the various bus routes that all pick up in the same
area.
The MTA continues to evaluate the location of bus stops and the ridership at each stop. When a bus
service increases in ridership and additional service is added to accommodate the additional passengers,
the MTA evaluates the stops to look for ways to create a better passenger environment. While bus stop
locations are requested by the MTA, the final determination on location and space allocation is made by
NYCDOT. The MTA works closely with NYCDOT to determine what bus stops can be appropriately adjusted
on a stop‐by‐stop basis. The MTA will continue to adjust bus stops as ridership patterns change.
58