BusTalk

[N4 Jamaica]

This afternoon we were speaking with friends who grew up in the 1940's South Ozone Park or South Jamaica. They would ride Green Lines to Jamaica, and two seemed to think that there was a bus terminal near Gertz, but not the present 165th Street terminal. Was there another off-street terminal somewhere in Jamaica?
Thanks.

[Mr. Linsky]

N 4 Jamaica,

I know I'm coming into this some fifty years after the fact but the only terminal that I knew of and, as a Green Line driver, drove into many times was Archer Avenue which we approached through New York Boulevard.

At the time there were a number of other operators using the facility including Bee Line (L.I.), Schenck Transportation, Hempstead Bus Corporation and I believe Semke.

Green Line rented one of the many stores that backed onto the lot and used it as a dispatch office with direct wire telephone to the main office on Rockaway Boulevard.

There was or still may be a terminal at 165th. Street north of Jamaica Avenue but I don't remember it nor did we ever use it.

I do remember that Archer was a hangout for the 'sleaze' of Jamaica but they kept their distance from the buses and never really annoyed us.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[N4 Jamaica]

Many thanks, Mr. Linsky, for describing the Archer Avenue and New York Blvd terminal of Green Lines. I will have to walk around that neighborhood sometime soon.
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As far as the 165th Street Terminal is concerned, it is busy today with a mixture of TA routes, LI Bus routes, and four or five routes formerly Green Lines. Some of the buses load at 45 degrees to the platform; other spaces are perpendicular. Here is a photo of a Q9 at this terminal:
http://gallery.bustalk.info/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=3

The terminal is at the southwest corner of 89th Avenue and Merrick Blvd. Google Maps, satellite view, shows a number of buses loading there or parked.
Best wishes. Joe McMahon

[Mr. Linsky]

N4 Jamaica,

While looking around for subsequent information on the Jamaica terminals, I happened upon the below portion of a newspaper article;

[Jun 11, 1937] Meet bus terminal in Jamaica at 9 PM Bring money in box. My man will meet you and call you by name. He will take you to your wife, ... Two Jamaica detectives, a State patrolman and a Federal agent kept the 9 PM rendezvous in the Z Jamaica bus terminal at 165th Street between Jamaica Avenue ...
From 8-STATE HUNT IS ON

Apparently, a kidnapping was hatched in which the wife of the gentleman who received the above note was taken with the payoff for her return to be made at the 165th. Street Terminal in Jamaica.

Actually, the only important bit of information in this article is the fact that there was a bus terminal at 165th. Street in Jamaica as early as June of 1937.

I am uncertain as to why the terminal was referred to as 'Z' in the piece.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus L:ines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[ripta42]