q18 bus route modification proposal

8/10/2019 Q18 Bus Route Modification Proposal

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TO: Community Board 5 Transit Committee

61-23 Myrtle Avenue

Glendale, NY 11358

FROM: Derek Sokolowski

53-94 65thPlace 1

stFL

Maspeth, NY 11378-1655

RE: IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS

ON THE Q18 BUS ROUTE IN MASPETH, NY

BACKGROUND:

The Q18 MTA Bus route is a route that spans many neighborhoods in

Queens but stop and starts its route in Maspeth. As usual, the morning commute is

very active with many bus riders taking people to work and children to school such

as PS 229 located on Maurice Ave and 69thStreet, directly adjacent to the Q18 bus

route. However, as ridership begins to increase as public awareness for climate

change and the conveniences of mass transit prices due to the effects of the recent

recession on the economy and working class, the Q18 struggles to handle the

crowds of people traveling to and from work or school on the 5 local NYC Transit

Subways and the MTA Long Island Railroad.

In particular, many people wait long times during rush hour to wait for a bus

in inclement weather beyond a reasonable amount of time. Also, the Q18 bus route

between the corner of 65th

Place and 53rd

Avenue and the corner of 65th

Place and

50th

Avenue hits major traffic and street obstacles in both directions. The following

proposal will address the issues and provide a variety of alternative solutions to

maximize ridership efficiency by reducing travel times and increasing comfort

levels within the bus ride during rush hour. A possible benefit of some alternatives

would be an increase in road safety especially within the area around PS 229.


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PROBLEM:

Many problems plague the Q18 bus route with both ridership comfort and route

obstructions and recurring delays.

Many of these problems include:

1.)Overcrowded buses due to bus piggybacking where more than one bus

arrives at the bus stop at the same time to accommodate massive lines at

certain bus stops

2.)

Excessive delays due to not only inclement weather but also by the busroute itself causing traffic obstructions on certain streets in the Maspeth

Plateau area


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SOLUTIONS

1.)

Overcrowded buses due to bus piggybacking where more than one

bus arrives at the bus stop at the same time to accommodate massive

lines at certain bus stops

SOLUTION 1.1

Ask the MTA Bus Company to increase in the frequency of busses during

major rush hour times in the correct direction of traffic, particularly between

4:30PM and 8:30PM in order to reduce the wait times for bus riders andreduce the amount of time a bus rider has to wait in poor weather conditions.

SOLUTION 1.2

Promote the implementation of the new MTA Bus Time service to all bus

riders of the Q18, which utilizes Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to

inform a rider possessing a smartphone or tablet to be able to wait within

local businesses to either shop or dine without having to miss their desireddeparture time on busses.

UPDATE( As of February 24th, 2014) : See Article on the MTA Website

http://new.mta.info/news-bus-time-buses-brooklyn-queens/2014/02/24/mta-real-

time-bus-tracking-arriving-brooklyn-and

SOLUTION 1.3

Request the MTA Bus Company to change the current bus make and model

to a bus make and model that includes an extended bus to accommodate

more bus riders that may be able to enjoy the comforts of a seat and not

force people to wait at the bus stop for the next bus.


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SEE FIGURES ON PAGES 7 AND 8

2.)Excessive delays due to not only inclement weather but also by the

bus route itself causing traffic obstructions on certain streets in the

Maspeth Plateau area

SOLUTION 2.1

Implement a new Q18 Limited Service route that bypasses many local

stops on the bus route except for any major connection opportunities with

other bus and subway connections

SOLUTION 2.2

Ask the MTA to reroute the current route of the Q18 MTA bus between

65th

Place & 53rd

Avenue and 65thPlace & 50

thAvenue to run directly

down 65th

Place from Jay Avenue to Woodside Avenue.

SEE FIGURE ON PAGE 5 and 6

SOLUTION 2.3

Ask the MTA to reroute the current route of the Q18 MTA bus between

65th

Place & Woodside Avenue and 65th

Place & 50th Avenue to run

directly down 69th

Street between Woodside Avenue and 50th Avenue

then turn on 50th

Avenue and turn onto 65th

Place and continue down 65th

Place until Grand Avenue.

SEE FIGURE ON PAGE 9 AND 10


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Q18 BUS ROUTE AS OF FEBRUARY 25th

, 2014


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NEW PROPOSED BUS ROUTE CHANGE FOR Q18

New

Route

Proposed


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CURRENT Q18 BUS MAKE AND MODEL OF THE Q18


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PROPOSED BUS MAKE AND MODEL FOR THE Q18


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CURRENT Q18 BUS ROUTE


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SECOND PROPOSED Q18 BUS ROUTE

q18 bus route modification proposal

Documents