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Riding the Q44 from Jamaica to West Farms

 
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:04 pm    Post subject: Riding the Q44 from Jamaica to West Farms Reply with quote

Yesterday I had the opportunity to ride the Q44 from Jamaica LIRR station to West Farms Square, quite an interesting 87-minute escapade. I enjoy observing New York's neighborhoods. We made our way north on Sutphin Blvd, passed the Court House, and I noticed what seemed to be a Korean taco store, just south of Hillside. Then we turned west onto Hillside Avenue, into the foulest traffic jam of the trip, the half-mile to Main Street. Uphill on Main Street, and then the realization that Queens' neighborhoods have trees! Near Jewel Avenue, the stores on Main Street included several "glatt Kosher," and when we approached the hospital, the Leitrim Pub. Entering Flushing, we dropped many riders at the new library and again immediately after we turned the corner onto eastbound Roosevelt Avenue. There, a new driver boarded, changed the run number, and we moved east to the boarding point, a long queue, in front of Caldor's.
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Near the end of North Shore Bus Company's existence, Dad and I boarded a Bronx-bound Q44 on Main Street, north of Roosevelt. The bus (not a Twin yet, in my memory) wouldn't start, and we all had to await the follower.
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On Union Street yesterday, I began to see bus stop signs for X32 Bedford Park Blvd, the special to Bronx HS of Science. Fifty-six minutes into the trip we entered the Whitestone Bridge roadway. Approaching the tolls, we eight lanes to E-Z Pass Lane 15. Luckily, light traffic allowed an easy cross right to the Lafayette Avenue exit. For years, an extra fare was charged to help pay the toll. I think riders to the second borough paid the double-fare on boarding and received a ticket. The driver would park roadside before the bridge and walk back, collecting the tickets.
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At Rosedale Avenue we dropped our last standees. It was 6:15 when we passed West Farms Bus Depot, and I was surprised to see so many buses already having finished their runs for the day. When I attempted to take photos of Tremont Avenue buses, I learned that, yes, service was already thinning from rush hour.


Last edited by N4 Jamaica on Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ICMC 1982 Flyer D901A



Age: 38
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 60
Location: East NY, Brooklyn

PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good Grief.

I once did a solo Q44 trip form West Farms Square to Jamaica Center when the kids were leaving school, UGH.

If I was you, I would try the late night trips. I heard that they're not that crowded, doesn't stop as much as its Q20A/B partners, and goes Point A to B in under an hour.

Want a long-ass local bus ride? Try Bee-Line's W12, W14, and W15. Guaranteed about 2 hours per direction.

Suffolk Transit's S58 from East Northport to Riverhead....2 hours.

And the infamous S92....2 hours 20 minutes, from Orient Point Ferry Dock to East Hampton RR. X63 couldn't touch THIS!
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Bill From Maspeth




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Form my recollection from many, many years ago, the extra fare on the Q44 was just a nickel, but that was when the fare was like 15, 20 and 30 cents. I have no idea when the extra fare was eliminated.
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Waynejay



Age: 58
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 196
Location: Silver Spring, MD

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember the Q-44 surcharge being .05 too. This was the early 70s when I rode the Q-44 for the first time. We lived near West Farms Square, but we rarely rode the Q-44. Later when I was old enough to venture out on my own, I'd often ride the Q-44 to Main-Roosevelt. I used to love riding their GMC T6H-5309A (6200-6229). I'd usually pass up the 71/7200 and 75/7600 Flxibles. The Q-44 has changed quite a bit over the years from it's terminal point in Jamaica, route changes in downtown Flushing and of course it moving from 150th Street in Jamaica.
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I certainly miss the gallery sections of Bus Talk II, as I recall some photos of Twin Coaches there. As I recall what was said only two or three years ago on Bus Talk II, North Shore placed an order with Twin Coach and during delivery, North Shore went bankrupt and the Board of Transportation purchased the entire lot. Here is a photo of such a Twin Coach (Seattle?) on BusDude.com:
http://www.busdude.com/KCM/KCM_0192_H02.jpg

As a youngster at the time, I wondered whether the driver of these had a better look at front clearance because of the shape of the lower part of the window.
I think the Board of Transportation bought more of these on its own, as they could also be found on bus routes around Kings Highway.
(Errors possible in anything I write! Corrections welcome.)
Joe McMahon
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