BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES
QUEENS
CONCISE HISTORY

In New York City, all bus route numbers are preceded by a letter indicating the borough.
Much of Queens was developed later than the rest of New York City. Thus in most areas, the first public transportation routes created were bus routes, with fewer streetcar routes ever operating in Queens.

Also unusual in Queens, is the manner in which several private companies emerged as transit operators. And how most of the private companies continued to operate until 2006, although subsidized by the New York City Department of Transportation. Only the North Shore Bus Co. failed, in 1947, resulting in the city takeover of the operations. Those routes are now operated by the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA).

In 2004, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) formed a new subsidiary, MTA Bus, to take over the remaining private bus operations in New York City. In February 2005, MTA Bus took over the operations of Queens Surface Corp. And in early 2006, MTA Bus took over the three remaining companies in Queens, all affiliated.

Four private bus companies would continue to operate in Queens until 2006. Two bus companies evolved from streetcar operations, which had been converted to buses in the 1930's. While two other bus companies would serve areas which never had streetcar routes.

Queens Surface Corp. - evolved from New York & Queens County Railway, which in 1932 had been succeeded by New York & Queens Transit Corp., and converted to buses in 1937 operated under the name Queens-Nassau Transit Lines, renamed Queens Transit Corp. in 1957. Also affiliated was the Steinway Railway, which became a separate company in the 1932 reorganization, and was reorganized again in 1938 as Steinway Transit, with replacement of streetcars with buses. Those companies were combined again in 1986, forming Queens/Steinway Transit Corp. Bus operations were sold in 1988 to Linden Bus Co., which then changed its name to Queens Surface Corp.

Jamaica Buses, Inc. - evolved from Long Island Electric Railway, which in 1926 had been succeeded by Jamaica Central Railways Co., and converted to buses in 1933.

Green Bus Lines, Inc. - had operated buses since 1925.

Triboro Coach Corp. - had operated buses since 1925.

The Steinway Railway had operated primarily in Astoria, while the two other street railways had operated over various distances throughout Queens. Former Steinway routes are now bus routes Q101-Q102-Q103-Q104, while former New York & Queens County routes are now bus routes Q65-Q66-Q67. In addition, the New York & North Shore Traction Co. existed from 1910 to 1920, operating east from Flushing paralleling Northern Blvd., with a branch operating north along 150th St. to Whitestone. Replacement bus service evolved to North Shore Bus Co. routes Q12 and Q14, now operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

A streetcar line was also operated by the Manhattan & Queens Traction Co. (M&Q), from Manhattan across the Queensboro Bridge into Woodside. In 1937, replacement bus service was operated by the Manhattan & Queens Bus Corp., which was acquired by Green Bus Lines in 1943, now route Q60.

In 1936, Queens was divided into four zones, for bus operating franchise purposes. Prior to then, many bus routes were originally operated by various independent operators. And a few routes were temporarily operated under supervision by the New York City Department of Plant & Structures (DP&S). With the new zone setup, one company would be awarded the franchise in each zone, with any remaining smaller operations acquired by the larger company. Meanwhile, the bus companies which had evolved from street railway companies would continue to operate their routes.

Zone A covered Woodside, and the franchise was awarded to Triboro Coach Corp. Zone B covered Flushing, and the franchise was awarded to the North Shore Bus Co. Zone C covered Ozone Park, and the franchise was awarded to Green Bus Lines, Inc. And Zone D covered Jamaica, and the franchise was awarded to the Bee Line. But after a few years, the Bee Line was replaced with the North Shore Bus Co. in Zone D.

The Bee Line and Schenck Transportation were based in suburban Long Island, continuing to operate there until the public takeover in 1973 of the Long Island buses.

Around 1989, several former Brooklyn routes which had operated through into Queens, were redesignated as Queens routes, with "Q" route numbers. All of these bus routes are former Brooklyn Rapid Transit streetcar routes. At the same time, route M32 became route Q32. And at the same time, NYCTA routes with suffix letters were renmbered to eliminate the suffix letters.




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Route Route Operator Old Route Buses Original
Number Name Until 2006 Number Introduced Company

Q 1 Hillside NYCTA Q 1 1923 Bee Line
Q 2 Hollis Av NYCTA Q 2 1923 Bee Line
Q 3 Farmers Blvd NYCTA Q 3 1923 Bee Line
Q 4 Linden Blvd NYCTA Q 4 Bee Line
Q 5 Merrick NYCTA Q 5 1923 Bee Line
Q 6 Sutphin Blvd Green Q 6 1922 Queens Bus Corp.
Q 7 Rockaway Green Q 7 1922 Ruoff brothers
Q 8 101 Ave Green Q 8 4/15/33 Green
Q 9 Lincoln Green Q 9 5/ 1/20 Ludwig Bilow
Q 9A Linden Blvd Green Q 9A 4/ 3/86 Green
Q 10 Lefferts Blvd Green Q 10 1921 Richmond Hill Bus
Q 11 Woodhaven Blvd Green Q 11 1918 Liberty Bus
Q 12 Northern Blvd NYCTA Q 12 1921 Rauchwerger
Q 13 Northern/Bell NYCTA Q 13 3/24/20 DP&S
Q 14 Union/149 St NYCTA Q 14 1922 DP&S
Q 15 150 St NYCTA Q 15 4/ 3/24 Rauchwerger
Q 16 Bayside/Willets NYCTA Q 16 8/15/30 North Shore
Q 17 Kissena/188 St NYCTA Q 17 1928 Flushing Hts. Bus Co.
Q 18 30 Ave Triboro Q 18 1925 Woodside-Astoria Trans.
Q 19 Astoria Blvd Triboro Q 19 1933 Triboro
Q 19A 21 St Triboro Q 19A 1933 Triboro
Q 19B 35 Ave Triboro Q 19B 1/ /38 Triboro
Q 20A Union St/20 Av NYCTA Q 44FS 2/15/32 North Shore
Q 20B Union St/14 Av NYCTA Q 44FS 2/15/32 North Shore
Q 21 Cross Bay Blvd Green Q 21 1923 Queens Auto Traction
Q 22 Rockaway Beach Green Q 22 1912 Long Island Coach Co.
Q 22A Bayswater Green Q 22A 1921
Q 23 108 St Triboro Q 23 1925 North Shore
Q 24 Atlantic Av NYCTA B 22 1/15/50 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 25 Parsons Blvd Queens Q 25 1928 Flushing Hts. Bus Co.
Q 26 46 Av/Hollis Ct NYCTA Q 26 10/ 1/31 Z&M Coach Co.
Q 27 46 Av/Rocky Hill NYCTA Q 27 1926 Z&M Coach Co.
Q 28 Northern/32 Av NYCTA Q 28 4/ /28 North Shore
Q 29 80 St Triboro Q 29 1921 Kings Coach Co.
Q 30 Utopia/Harding NYCTA Q 17A 9/ 7/47 NYCTA
Q 31 Utopia/Bell NYCTA Q 31 1932 S&C Buses
Q 32 Roosevelt/Fifth NYCTA M 32 1925 Fifth Avenue Coach
Q 33 82 St Triboro Q 33 1/ 1/33 Municipal Motorbus Co.
Q 34 Parsons Blvd Queens Q 34 1933
Q 35 Newport Av Green new recent Triboro
Q 36 Hillside NYCTA Q 36 4/ /26 Schenck Trans.
Q 37 111 St Green Q 37 1/ /39 General Omnibus Corp.
Q 38 Eliot Triboro Q 38 6/ /34 Affilliated Transit
Q 39 Forest Triboro Q 39 7/ /34 National City Bus Lines
Q 40 142 St Green Q 40 2/ 5/34 Midland Coach
Q 41 127 St Green Q 41 7/19/34 Courier Bus Co.
Q 42 Addisleigh Park NYCTA Q 42 3/27/34 North Branch Bus
Q 43 Hillside Av NYCTA Q 43 5/24/39 Schenck Trans.
Q 44 Cross Bronx NYCTA Q 44 3/22/38 North Shore
Q 45 69 St Triboro Q 45 10/ 1/39 Triboro
Q 46 Union Turnpike NYCTA Q 44A 12/ 4/39 North Shore
Q 47 74 St Triboro Q 47 10/ 1/39 Triboro
Q 48 Ditmars/LGA NYCTA Q 48 3/31/40 North Shore
Q 53 Rockaway Park Triboro Q 53 6/28/56 Triboro
Q 54 Metropolitan Av NYCTA B 53 6/12/49 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 55 Myrtle Av NYCTA B 55 4/26/50 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 56 Jamaica Av NYCTA B 56 11/30/47 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 58 Corona Av NYCTA B 58 7/17/49 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 59 Grand Av NYCTA B 59 12/11/49 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 60 Queens Blvd Green Q 60 4/17/37 Replace M&Q Streetcar
Q 65 College Pt-164 Queens Q 65 1937 Replace Queens Streetcar
Q 65A Jewel Ave Queens Q 68A 1951 Queens
Q 66 Northern Blvd Queens Q 66 1937 Replace Queens Streetcar
Q 67 Middle Village Queens Q 67 1937 Replace Queens Streetcar
Q 72 Junction Triboro B 72 8/25/49 Replace BMT Streetcar
Q 74 Vleigh Pl NYCTA Q 44VP 10/14/40 North Shore
Q 75 188 St/73 Av NYCTA Q 75 4/28/52 NYCTA
Q 76 Francis Lewis NYCTA Q 76 10/29/61 NYCTA
Q 77 Springfield Blvd NYCTA Q 77 9/13/65 NYCTA
Q 79 Little Neck Pkwy NYCTA Q 12A 6/ 4/50 NYCTA
Q 83 Liberty/Murdock NYCTA Q 3A 1923 Bee Line
Q 84 Merrick/120 Av NYCTA Q 4A 1923 Bee Line
Q 85 Merrick/Conduit NYCTA Q 5A Bee Line
Q 88 Harding/73 Av NYCTA Q 88 9/16/74 NYCTA
Q101 Steinway St Queens Q101 1938 Replace Steinway Streetcar
Q102 31 St Queens Q102 1938 Replace Steinway Streetcar
Q103 Vernon Blvd Queens Q103 1938 Replace Steinway Streetcar
Q104 Broadway Queens Q104 1938 Replace Steinway Streetcar
Q110 Jamaica Ave Jamaica Q110 1933 Replace Jamaica Streetcar
Q111 Guy R. Brewer Jamaica Q111 1933 Jamaica
Q112 Liberty Jamaica Q112 1933 Replace Jamaica Streetcar
Q113 Guy R. Brewer Jamaica Q113 1933 Replace Jamaica Streetcar

Courtesy of AOL Hometown

Mr. Linsky
"The Green Hornet"
Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY