January 12, 2020
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MTA Adds More Outreach Opportunities for Public Input on Draft Plan to Reimagine Queens Bus Network for First Time in 100 YearsRedesign Seeks to Redraw Borough’s Bus Network to Shorten Commute Times, Speed up Buses, Increase Intermodal Connections and Add Frequency on Major Corridors to Benefit Majority of Queens Customers
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced additional public opportunities to provide feedback on the draft plan for the Queens Bus Network Redesign as part of a customer-led process to completely redraw the century-old Queens bus system to better serve customers, shorten commute times, speed up buses, increase intermodal connections and provide more frequency and choices to travel within the borough and to Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx. “The Queens bus redesign is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely redraw the bus network in ways we know will work better for everyone and for our customers to have a say in what bus service will look like in Queens,” said MTA NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “Queens customers know how important buses are and how they can be used to serve the neighborhoods better, which is why we absolutely need our customers’ help reimagining how public transit serves Queens.” The Queens Bus Network Redesign’s draft plan addresses customer concerns that were expressed during public outreach of the redesign’s Existing Conditions report, which sought to accurately depict the status, operations and flaws of the current Queens bus network using customer feedback, ridership and demographics data, and service performance and operations data. The redesign’s goals included:
Under the Fast Forward plan to improve bus service, NYC Transit is redesigning the bus networks in every borough of New York City, starting with the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign that was implemented in August 2018 and has resulted in tangible improvements in bus speeds and reliability, and increases in frequency and trips. The MTA has released the proposed final plan for the Bronx Bus Network Redesign, and recently launched the Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign. Before proposing the draft redesign plan for Queens, the MTA conducted a thorough study of the existing bus network, surveyed customers in person and online, provided nearly 11,000 informational pamphlets, and hosted nine open houses, 12 street outreach events, 11 meetings with civics groups and seven community boards to gather feedback on customers’ commuting patterns and itinerary suggestions. The MTA also took into consideration the results of nearly 2,000 online customer surveys specific to the Queens redesign. The study identified areas to target for change, such as neighborhood route improvements, individual route improvements to provide more direct service, balanced stop spacing and improved crosstown connections. The draft proposal seeks to completely redraw the bus routes, which were mostly unchanged since they were converted from old trolley lines from the turn of the 20th century or consolidated from private bus companies that began serving Queens in the 1910s. Many of those companies served three central hubs in Queens, leading to three separate spoke-and-wheel networks to Flushing, Jamaica and Long Island City that severely limited the coverage area. The draft plan takes into consideration the service performance of each bus route, the speed, ridership and reliability on key corridors, and how individual routes contribute to the larger network. Recommendations were developed in collaboration with NYC DOT, with focus given to identifying key corridors where roadway treatments and traffic signal improvements can be implemented to expand bus priority and better support sustainable, all-day bus service. The details of NYC DOT’s proposed bus priority plan for Queens are included in the draft plan for the Queens Bus Network Redesign. LEARN ABOUT IT The Queens Bus Network Redesign draft plan is available to review on the MTA’s dedicated website for the project: https://new.mta.info/queensbusredesign. The website includes many interactive features to encourage customers to comment on the draft plan, such as:
The redesign process is iterative, and the MTA is hosting outreach sessions at major subway stations and bus transfer points across Queens in January and public workshops in January and February to provide customers with information on the proposals in the draft plan. Residents can ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed redesigned routes and bus stops. The interactive public workshops do not have scheduled programming such as a presentation, allowing customers to drop in at their convenience. Two additional dates in Jackson Heights and in the Rockaways have been added to the updated calendar of public outreach that is below. Additional events, such as community board meetings, will be added to the Queens Bus Network Redesign website as they are confirmed: Monday, Jan. 13, 4-7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6-9 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6-9 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 7-8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 4-7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30, 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 6, 7-8:30 p.m.
WHAT’S NEXT? After the workshops, the MTA will incorporate community and customer feedback to craft a proposed final plan for the Queens Bus Network Redesign. The proposed final plan will be released in spring 2020, with additional community outreach events scheduled to solicit a final round of public feedback as well as a public hearing. The final plan must be approved by the MTA Board before implementation. Presentations that were given to the public, the Queens Borough Board, community boards and other interested parties are also available at new.mta.info/queensbusredesign.
ABOUT THE CURRENT QUEENS BUS NETWORK
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