The Q46 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, United States, running primarily along Union Turnpike from a major transfer with the IND Queens Boulevard Line subway in Kew Gardens to either Glen Oaks, or Long Island Jewish Hospital in Lake Success.
Originally named the Q44A, the bus route was originally operated by the North Shore Bus Company from December 4, 1939 to 1947 when the company's routes were taken over by the New York City Board of Transportation. In 1974, limited-stop service on the route commenced, speeding up travel times for passengers in Eastern Queens. Also in 1974, the route was extended into Nassau County at Lakeville Road to serve Long Island Jewish Hospital. On April 12, 1990, the bus route was renumbered to Q46. It was extended from Lakeville Road to Long Island Jewish Hospital on September 7, 1997. Overnight and weekend service to Glen Oaks was eliminated in September 2002.
Video Q46 (New York City bus)
Route description and service
The Q46 begins on the north side of Queens Boulevard at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike subway station (E and F trains) of the IND Queens Boulevard Line, and travels via Union Turnpike. At 260th Street in Glen Oaks near the east end of Union Turnpike, the route splits into two branches. One branch, which operates only on weekdays, turns north onto 260th Street and terminates at Little Neck Parkway near the Queens County Farm Museum. The full-time branch continues east on Union Turnpike until Lakeville Road, where the bus turns north and briefly enters Nassau County, and then terminates at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJ). Prior to 2008, LIJ-bound buses entered the hospital grounds and terminated at a dedicated layover area. In February of that year, the Q46 began terminating outside the hospital gates due to construction. As of 2015, the Q46 terminates at the layover area within LIJ.
Limited-stop service is operated along the Q46 route during rush hours. Limited-stop service is bidirectional during the AM rush hour, and in the peak-direction during the PM rush hour. Limited-stop buses make limited stops between Queens Boulevard and Springfield Boulevard, and local stops east of Springfield. Local service operates between Kew Gardens and Springfield Boulevard. During the AM rush hour, eastbound Q46 locals terminate in Glen Oaks, while eastbound Q46 limiteds terminated at LIJ, with Kew Gardens-bound limited service originating from either terminal. During the PM rush hour, Q46 locals terminate at Springfield Boulevard, while limiteds alternate between Glen Oaks of LIJ. No limited-stop service operates on weekends.
Maps Q46 (New York City bus)
History
Early years
The North Shore Bus Company began operating a bus route along Union Turnpike on December 4, 1939. Prior to World War II, the route was originally the Union Turnpike branch of the Q44, running between Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens and 188th Street. By 1942, the route was extended to Hollis Court Boulevard at the east end of Cunningham Park. It was later renamed the Q44A. On March 30, 1947, North Shore Bus was taken over by the Board of Transportation because of its bankruptcy, making the bus Q44A, and that company's 26 other routes, city operated.
On August 12, 1947, the United Civic Council advocated the extension of the Q44A, then under city control, from Hollis Court Boulevard to Springfield Boulevard. At the time, the extension had preliminary approval from some of the members of the Board of Transportation. This extension took place on September 7, but only after pressure from civic organizations. On November 30, 1947, under city control, the Q44A was extended from Springfield Boulevard to Glen Oaks Village at Union Turnpike and 257th Street at the Nassau County line to serve new apartments there.
On January 13, 1950, a spur of the Q44A was approved to turn off at 260th Street and operate via 260th Street to Little Neck Parkway. Service began on February 6, 1950. Previously, all Q44A buses continued along Union Turnpike to the Nassau County line. This spur provided direct service to Glen Oaks Village, sparing its residents a half-mile walk. This extension had been requested on December 16, 1949, and the public hearing was held on January 12, 1950.
Express service and route extension
Q44A Express
In 1974, the New York City Transit Authority began to study whether bus service could be sped up using computerized traffic signals. The Q44A was the chosen route as it serves as a subway feeder and as a connector to major hospitals. In the late 1950s, the route carried as many as 7.5 million passengers per year, but that figure decreased to 3.78 million by 1976. Union Turnpike received computerized traffic signals before ost other streets, but it did little to cut travel times for bus passengers. As part of the plan, it was decided that a zone express concept could be used on the Q44A without inconveniencing many passengers, while benefiting a majority of them.
Limited-stop service began on April 18, 1977 with the perception that it would attract new riders to the route. Along with the M15, the two routes became the first to use limited service in the city. Limited-stop service would be bidirectional during the AM rush hour, and peak-direction during the PM rush hour. These limited-stop buses were labeled as expresses. Eastbound expresses only stopped at Court House (only east-bound), Main Street, 149th Street, and Springfield Boulevard before making all stops. After running local to Winchester Boulevard, westbound expresses only stopped at Cloverdale Boulevard (226th Street), Springfield Boulevard, 149th Street, Main Street, and the subway. Some buses on the Glen Oaks Branch used to continue up Little Neck Parkway, turning west on the Grand Central Parkway service road, and turning onto Commonwealth Road, going east on the Grand Central Parkway service road, before it terminated at Little Neck Parkway and 260th Street. Between 4:50 and 6:35 PM, local service only ran to Springfield Boulevard, and free transfers were issued to continue past Springfield Boulevard via express Q44As. The express Q44As were also intended to compete with privately owned expresses buses operated by Queens Surface-travel times were 20 minutes shorter and the fare was $5 less.
The Q44A expresses were able to take advantage of the timed traffic signals for the first time, cutting scheduled running time to 27 minutes from 33 minutes. The average terminal-to-terminal speed of the zone expresses was better than 18 miles per hour (29 km/h)-significantly higher than on any other bus route in the city. Seat availability increased by 40%, travel times were reduced by 24%, and passengers from the outer reaches of Eastern Queens could get to Midtown Manhattan in less than an hour. All of this was possible with no change in labor costs, no additional vehicles, and with a slight increase in fuel consumption.
Extension and changes in service
In April 1974, an extension of the Q44A to Long Island Jewish Hospital was approved, which made the first city route to extend into Nassau County. The extension was approved by Queens Borough President Donald Manes and Nassau County Executive Ralph Caso, and it was first proposed by the Lost Community Civic Association of Floral Park. The extension faced legal hurdles-the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) did not authorize it to operate any franchised service outside city limits. However, in 1968, with the passage of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Act, the NYCTA became subordinate to the MTA, which could determine transit plans and policies for the NYCTA. The head of the MTA, William Ronan, searched for a legal mechanism to allow for the extension. The decided course of action included a request for the service by the Queens Borough President and approval by the Nassau County Executive, an approval or no objection by the New York City Comptroller and approval by the Mayor.
When the Queens Village depot was opened on September 8, 1974, the Q44A was reassigned from Flushing Depot (the former North Shore Bus Company facility). Around this time, there was a third branch in Little Neck, separate from the Glen Oaks branch. This branch diverged north at Commonwealth Boulevard, running along Commonwealth and the Grand Central Parkway service road and terminating at Little Neck Parkway. The Q44A was renumbered to the Q46 on April 12, 1990. The Q46 was extended from Lakeville Road to Long Island Jewish Hospital on September 7, 1997.
On November 17, 1997, limited-stop buses started to make an additional stop at 150th Street.
Overnight and weekend service to Glen Oaks was eliminated on September 8, 2002. On February 2, 2008, the LIJ branch's terminal was moved to Lakeville Road outside the hospital gates due to construction within the hospital grounds, particularly a new women's hospital adjacent to the bus stop. The Katz Women's Hospital was completed in December 2011, and the Q46 began running to a new terminal within the hospital.
See also
- Q20 and Q44 buses along Main Street
- Q64, QM4 and QM44 buses along Jewel Avenue
- Q74 (New York City bus) formerly along Main Street from Queens College to Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike
- QM1 and QM1A buses
Notes
References
External links
- Media related to Q46 (New York City bus) at Wikimedia Commons
Source of article : Wikipedia
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