Union Turnpike express buses
{{short description|Express bus routes in New York City}}
{{For-text|additional information on the current bus services|List of express bus routes in New York City}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox bus line
|box_width = 300px
|number = {{NYC bus infobox header |title=qm1 / qm5 / qm6 |color1=express}}{{NYC bus infobox header |title=qm7 / qm8|color1=express}}{{NYC bus infobox header |title=qm31 / qm35 /qm36 |color1=express}}
|logo =
|logo_width =
|logo_alt =
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|titlecolor =
|subheader = Union Turnpike
Manhattan–Queens Express
|image = File:Union Tpke 164th St td (2018-06-20) 02a.jpg
|image_width = 300px
|image_alt = A Glen Oaks-bound QM5 bus at Union Turnpike and 164th Street.
|caption = A 2007 Motor Coach D4500CL (3471) on the Glen Oaks-bound QM5 at Union Turnpike/164th Street in June 2018
|system = MTA Regional Bus Operations
|operator = MTA Bus Company
|garage = College Point Depot
|vehicle = MCI D4500CL
Prevost X3-45{{cite web|title=College Point Depot Bus Roster|url=https://sites.google.com/view/nyctbusroster/home/mta/queens-division/college-point-depot|access-date=January 14, 2025}}
|livery =
|pvr =
|status =
|open = February 26, 1968 (QM1){{cite news|last1=Perlmutter|first1=Emanuel|title=Queens-Midtown Service Starts: 11 Express Buses Carry 1,000 on Test Runs|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9907E5DB1138E134BC4F51DFB4668383679EDE&legacy=true|access-date=August 26, 2016|work=The New York Times|date=February 27, 1968}}
|close =
|predecessors =
|night =
|locale = Queens and Manhattan, New York, U.S.
|communities = Queens: Kew Gardens Hills, Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows, Hollis Hills, Oakland Gardens, Bellerose, Little Neck, Glen Oaks
Nassau County: Lake Success
|termini =
|start = Fresh Meadows, Queens – 188th Street & Horace Harding Expressway (QM1, QM7, QM31)
Glen Oaks, Queens – 260th Street & Union Turnpike (QM5, QM8, QM35)
Glen Oaks, Queens / Lake Success, Nassau County – North Shore Towers (QM6, QM36)
|via = Union Turnpike, Queens Boulevard, Long Island Expressway & Midtown Tunnel (westbound) / Queensboro Bridge (eastbound)
|end = Midtown Manhattan – Sixth Avenue (QM1, QM5, QM6)
Midtown Manhattan – Third Avenue (QM31, QM35, QM36)
Downtown Manhattan – Downtown Loop (QM7, QM8)
|length =
|otherroutes = Q46 Union Turnpike
|compete =
|ibus =
|level =
|level1 =
|frequency =
|alt_frequency =
|time =
|day = (see below){{cite NYC bus|url=https://new.mta.info/document/17376|display=QM1}}{{cite NYC bus|url=http://web.mta.info/busco/schedules/qm007cur.pdf|display=QM7}}
|zone =
|timetable_link= [https://new.mta.info/document/14376 QM1/QM5/QM6/QM31/QM35/QM36]
[https://new.mta.info/document/6746 QM7/QM8]
|annualpatronage = QM1/QM31: 76,872 (2023){{cite web | title=Subway and bus ridership for 2023 | website=mta.info | date=April 29, 2024| url=https://new.mta.info/agency/new-york-city-transit/subway-bus-ridership-2023| access-date=May 2, 2024}}
QM5/QM35: 388,451 (2023)
QM6/QM36: 211,345 (2023)
QM7: 109,619 (2023)
QM8: 93,663 (2023)
|transfers = Yes
|map_link =
|map = {{QM1 QM1A RDT|inline=yes}}
|map_state = collapsed
|map_name =
|previous_line = BxM18
← QM4
←QM25
←QM34
|next_line = QM2 →
QM10→
QM32→
QM40
|notes =
}}
The QM1, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM31, QM35, and QM36 bus routes constitute a public transit line in New York City, operating express between Northeast Queens and Midtown or Downtown Manhattan. The routes operate primarily on Union Turnpike in Queens, and travel non-stop via Queens Boulevard, the Long Island Expressway, and the Midtown Tunnel or Queensboro Bridge between Queens and Manhattan.
The routes are numbered based on their origin and destination; buses that run to Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan are double-digit routes that start with the number "3" or "4", while all other routes are single-digit routes. In Manhattan, the QM1, QM5, and QM6 buses run via Sixth Avenue in Midtown; the QM31, QM35, and QM36 buses run via Third Avenue in Midtown; and the QM7 and QM8 buses run through the Financial District. In Queens, the QM1, QM7, and QM31 run to 188th Street and Horace Harding Expressway; the QM5, QM8, and QM35 run to 260th Street and Union Turnpike via the Horace Harding Expressway; and the QM6 and QM36 go to North Shore Towers. Some QM8 buses employ "Super Express" service, with larger non-stop sections during the trip.
The routes were originally privately operated under the QM1 and QM1A designations by Steinway Transit Corporation and Queens Surface Corporation from 1968 to 2005. The routes are now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the MTA Bus Company brand. Following MTA takeover, the two designations were split into eight different routes signifying different service patterns.
Route description and service
The Union Turnpike express routes consist of eight bus routes: the QM1, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM31, QM35, and QM36. They begin at three different termini in Northeast Queens, each running via different corridors. All eight bus routes run along Union Turnpike west of 188th Street, then along Queens Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway. The routes then split into three corridors in Manhattan: the QM1, QM5, and QM6 via Sixth Avenue in Midtown; the QM31, QM35, and QM36 via Third Avenue in Midtown; and the QM7 and QM8 to the Financial District in Downtown Manhattan.{{cite NYC bus map|M}} Westbound, the routes only pick up passengers in Queens and discharge passengers in Manhattan, while eastbound buses receive passengers in Manhattan before dropping off passengers in Queens. In Manhattan, there are segments where buses provide "open-door" service, both dropping off Manhattan-bound passengers and picking up Queens-bound riders.{{cite web|title=Northeast Queens Bus Study|url=http://www.mta.info/sites/default/files/northeast_queens_bus_study_-_final_9-28-15.pdf|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=December 11, 2015|date=September 2015|archive-date=December 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219015630/http://www.mta.info/sites/default/files/northeast_queens_bus_study_-_final_9-28-15.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite NYC bus map|Q}} Passengers are able to transfer between buses at points along Union Turnpike.
=Queens service=
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Union Tpke 168 St td (2021-05-03) 01.jpg
| image2 = Main St Union Tpke td (2021-03-01) 35.jpg
| width = 225
| footer = Two 2021 Prevost X3-45s on the Midtown via 6th Ave-bound QM6 on Union Turnpike: 1314 at 168th Street in May 2021, and 1309 at Main Street in March 2021
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The QM6 and QM36 begin service at the North Shore Towers apartment complex in Glen Oaks, Queens, on the border with Lake Success, Nassau County. The routes run east along Marcus Avenue (the eastbound service road for the Grand Central/Northern State Parkway at this location) to Lakeville Road in Lake Success, then south along Lakeville Road past Long Island Jewish Medical Center to Union Turnpike. The routes then travel west through Queens along Union Turnpike, parallel to the {{NYC bus link|Q46}} local bus route.
The QM5, QM8, and QM35 routes begin service at 260th Street and Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks, intersecting with the Q46, QM6, and QM36. These routes, however, travel a circuitous route through Northeast Queens, running north on 260th Street and Little Neck Parkway into Little Neck, then west along the Horace Harding Expressway service road through Bayside and Oakland Gardens. The routes turn south onto Springfield Boulevard, then west again onto 73rd Avenue. After entering Fresh Meadows, the routes turn south onto 188th Street, merging with the QM1, QM7, and QM31 routes, and then turn west at Union Turnpike, meeting the QM6 and QM36.
The QM1, QM7, and QM31 routes begin service at 188th Street and Horace Harding Expressway, at the Fresh Meadows Shopping Center and the Fresh Meadows Houses apartment complex. They run south down 188th Street before turning west onto Union Turnpike and meeting the other routes of the corridor. There are only three stops along 188th Street that are served exclusively by the QM1/QM7/QM31 corridor.{{cite web|title=Transit & Bus Committee Meeting November 2015|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/151116_1000_Transit&BUS.pdf#page=126|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085648/http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/151116_1000_Transit%26BUS.pdf#page=126|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead|date=November 2015}}{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Time: QM1 Fresh Meadows – Midtown Via 6 Av|url=http://bustime.mta.info/#QM1|website=mta.info|publisher=MTA Bus Time}} During off-peak hours, the QM5 serves two of these stops, turning north from 73rd Avenue onto 188th Street, then making a U-turn using a roundabout at 64th Avenue.{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Time: QM5 Glen Oaks – Midtown Via 6 Av|url=http://bustime.mta.info/#QM5|website=mta.info|publisher=MTA Bus Time}}
West of 188th Street, all eight routes share Union Turnpike, making pickups westbound or drop offs eastbound, until Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills near the Kew Gardens Interchange. Here, the routes begin non-stop express service along Queens Boulevard. Near Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, all of the midtown routes' westbound buses turn onto the Long Island Expressway (LIE) and utilize the Queens–Midtown Tunnel to enter Manhattan, as do numerous other express routes from Queens. Except for the QM7 and QM8, eastbound buses travel from Manhattan via the Queensboro Bridge and Queens Boulevard. The QM7 and QM8 use the Midtown Tunnel in both directions, as they run via Lower Manhattan via the FDR Drive.
File:MTA Kew Gdns Union Tpke 03.jpg
Manhattan-bound QM8 super express service runs along the normal QM8 route to 188th Street. Buses then turn north on 188th Street and then onto the LIE, bypassing the Union Turnpike portion of the route. Queens-bound super express buses follow the normal QM8 route within Queens to 188th Street, then run north to Fresh Meadows (via the QM5 off-peak route) before turning east towards Glen Oaks.
=Manhattan service=
{{multiple image
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| image1 = 56th St 6th Av td 03.jpg
| caption1 = A 2005 Motor Coach D4500CL (3019) on the Midtown-bound QM1 bus at 6th Avenue/56th Street in Manhattan
| image2 = NYC Transit MCI D4500.JPG
| caption2 = A 2005 Motor Coach D4500CL (3012) on the QM7 in Lower Manhattan
| width = 210
| footer =
| footer_align = left
}}
After exiting the Midtown Tunnel, the QM1, QM5 and QM6 begin making drop offs while traveling west along 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The routes turn north along Sixth Avenue, then turn east along 57th Street in Upper Midtown. Terminating Manhattan-bound buses end service at 57th Street and Third Avenue. Queens-bound buses begin service at 36th Street and Sixth Avenue. Buses looping to-and-from Queens run open-door service between 36th Street and 57th Street/Third Avenue.{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Time: QM6 Lake Success – Midtown Via 6 Av|url=http://bustime.mta.info/#QM6|website=mta.info|publisher=MTA Bus Time}}
The QM31, QM35, and QM36 make their first stop in Manhattan at Third Avenue and 38th Street, and proceed north on Third Avenue through East Midtown to 55th Street. Queens-bound buses begin service at 38th Street.{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Time: QM36 Lake Success – Midtown Via 3 Av|url=http://bustime.mta.info/#QM36|website=mta.info|publisher=MTA Bus Time}}
The QM7 and QM8 do not serve Midtown Manhattan, instead traveling south down the FDR Drive to the Brooklyn Bridge exit. The routes turn south onto Pearl Street, making their first stop at Peck Slip; this is where Queens-bound buses begin pickups. They continue down Pearl Street, which becomes Water Street, to Whitehall Street in Battery Park at the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal. They then turn north onto State Street, then onto Greenwich Street, which becomes Trinity Place and later Church Street, to Park Place near New York City Hall. The routes circumscribe City Hall via Broadway and Park Row, then proceed east along Frankfort Street back to Pearl Street. Frankfort Street and Pearl Street is the last drop off in Manhattan; Queens-bound buses proceed back onto the FDR towards Queens.{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Time: QM8 Glen Oaks – Downtown|url=http://bustime.mta.info/#QM8|website=mta.info|publisher=MTA Bus Time}} This loop through Lower Manhattan is referred to and signed on buses as the "Downtown Loop". Queens-bound QM8 super express buses make a single pick up stop at Water Street and Gouveneur Lane near Wall Street, then turn directly onto the FDR towards Queens.
=Service times=
The QM1 and QM31 only operate during rush hours in the peak service direction: to Midtown mornings, and to Queens during PM hours. The QM7 and QM8 also operate only in the peak direction, with Downtown Manhattan-bound service ending at 9:20 AM, and Queens-bound service beginning at 2:15 PM. QM7s and QM8s alternate in frequency during rush hour periods, with only QM7s running at the end of the AM period and the beginning of PM service hours. Three QM8 Super Expresses operate during both AM and PM periods.
The QM5 and QM6 are the only buses of the corridor to operate seven days a week, and operate in both directions during morning, midday, and evening hours between Midtown and Queens. The QM6 also ran during late nights {{as of|May 2020|lc=y}} but has since been discontinued in October 2020 due to low ridership. Their Third Avenue counterparts, the QM35 and QM36, however, only operate during rush hours in the peak direction.
History
File:MTA Bus Company MCI D4500 3071.jpg
In 1957, the New York City Board of Estimate received a proposal from Green Bus Lines for an express franchise between Fresh Meadows and 37th Street in Manhattan, running via the Long Island Expressway which was then under construction. The route would serve Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok, Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Corona. This line was never created.{{cite news|title=Board Acts Thursday On Busline Franchises|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252014%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201957%2FLong%2520Island%2520City%2520NY%2520Star%2520Journal%25201957%2520a%2520-%25200653.pdf|access-date=June 17, 2017|work=Long Island Star-Journal|agency=Fultonhistory.com|date=November 19, 1957|page=6}}
What is now the QM1 began service under Steinway Transit Corporation in February 1968. On February 15, 1968, the Board of Estimate approved an express bus route between Fresh Meadows, Queens and Midtown Manhattan, at the request of Queens Borough President Mario J. Cariello.{{cite news|title=Carielle Request Pilot Bus Project|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FMaspeth%2520NY%2520Queens%2520Ledger%2FMaspeth%2520NY%2520Queens%2520Ledger%25201966-1968%2FMaspeth%2520NY%2520Queens%2520Ledger%25201966-1968%252000975.pdf|access-date=June 13, 2017|work=Queens Ledger|agency=Fultonhistory.com|date=February 15, 1968|page=9}} On February 26, 1968 the route began operating between 188th Street at the Fresh Meadows Houses and Midtown Manhattan, with buses split between Third and Sixth Avenues. The service was a 90-day trial run proposed by city traffic commissioner Henry A. Barnes, transportation administrator Arthur A. Palmer, and the New York Life Insurance Company which developed the Fresh Meadows Houses. The fare was 65 cents. By September of that year, the fare was raised to 85 cents.{{cite news|title=FM to Manhattan Bus Fare Rises|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%25201968-1969%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%25201968-1969%252000090.pdf|access-date=February 17, 2018|work=Bayside Times|agency=Fultonhistory.com|date=September 26, 1968|page=10}} On March 16, 1970, the Glen Oaks branch began service.{{cite news|title=Another Express Bus Service Starts Monday|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%25201969-1970%2FBayside%2520NY%2520Times%25201969-1970%252000510_2.pdf|access-date=February 17, 2018|work=Bayside Times|agency=Fultonhistory.com|date=March 12, 1970|page=1}}{{cite news|last1=Moran|first1=Nancy|title=Private Lines Running Express Buses to the City's Outskirts|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/11/archives/private-lines-running-express-buses-to-the-citys-outskirts.html?_r=0|access-date=June 13, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=June 11, 1970|page=90}}{{cite news|last1=Shipler|first1=David K.|title=City Grants Fare Rises To 10 Private Bus Lines|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/02/09/archives/city-grants-fare-rises-to-10-private-bus-lines.html?_r=0|access-date=June 13, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=February 9, 1972|page=55}} On October 20, 1971, buses from both routes began using a new high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) created on the Long Island Expressway.{{cite news|last1=Carmody|first1=Deidre|title=Special Rush-Hour Bus Lane Makes Expressway a Breeze|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/27/archives/special-rushhour-bus-lane-makes-expressway-a-breeze.html|access-date=June 13, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=October 27, 1971}} By 1976, a branch along Union Turnpike to 260th Street was created.{{cite web|title=Steinway Transit Corp: Glen Oaks & Windsor Park Express|url=http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s1029.photobucket.com/user/X-Astorian/media/Steinway-GO-WP-76.jpg.html|publisher=Steinway Transit Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2017|date=January 2, 1976}}
By 1983, the Union Turnpike branch became the North Shore Towers branch, and service to Downtown Manhattan was added. The Downtown branch, called the "Wall Street Express", terminated at 188th Street and Union Turnpike.{{cite web|title=Steinway Transit Corp: Queens Express Service to Wall St & Midtown Manhattan|url=http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s1029.photobucket.com/user/X-Astorian/media/Steinway%20Exp%20map.jpg.html|publisher=Steinway Transit Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2017|date=1983}} Steinway Transit would merge with its sister company Queens Transit Corporation to become Queens-Steinway Transit Corporation in 1986, and Queens Surface Corporation in 1988.{{cite book|author1=Roger P. Roess|author2=Gene Sansone|title=The Wheels That Drove New York: A History of the New York City Transit System|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qfZ0VxuLoc0C&pg=PA416|date=August 23, 2012|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-642-30484-2|pages=273}} By 1990, the QM1 and QM1A designations were added, the QM1 referring to the original Fresh Meadows service as well as the Wall Street branch, and the QM1A signifying the Glen Oaks and North Shore Towers branches.{{cite web|title=Queens Surface Corp: Express Routes and Bus Stops|url=http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/X-Astorian/media/cGF0aDovUVNDIEV4cCBtYXAgMTk5MC5qcGc=/?ref=|publisher=Queens Surface Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2017|date=September 9, 1990}}{{cite web|title=Queens Surface Corp: Express Bus Service Schedule Effective: September 9, 1990|url=http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s1029.photobucket.com/user/X-Astorian/media/QSC-90-2.jpg.html|publisher=Queens Surface Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2017|date=September 9, 1990}}
By the early 2000s, the combined QM1/QM1A service was the busiest among privately operated express routes in the city.{{cite web|author1=Urbitran Associates, Inc|title=NYCDOT Bus Ridership Survey and Route Analysis Final Report: Chapter 4 Operating and Financial Performance |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dotbusrsra_3.pdf|website=nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of Transportation|access-date=December 20, 2015|date=May 2004}}
=MTA takeover=
On February 27, 2005, the MTA Bus Company took over the operations of the Queens Surface routes, part of the city's takeover of all the remaining privately operated bus routes.{{cite web|title=MTA Bus Operations Committee Meeting: May 2010|url=http://mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/100524_1000_BUS.pdf#page=47|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218063154/http://mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/100524_1000_BUS.pdf#page=47|archive-date=December 18, 2010|url-status=dead|date=May 2010}}{{cite web|last1=Silverman|first1=Norman|title=The Merger of 7 Private Bus Companies into MTA Bus|url=http://www.apta.com/mc/multimodal/previous/2010/Presentations/The-Merger-of-Seven-Private-Companies-into-One-MTA-Company.pdf|website=apta.com|publisher=American Public Transportation Association, Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016062828/http://www.apta.com/mc/multimodal/previous/2010/Presentations/The-Merger-of-Seven-Private-Companies-into-One-MTA-Company.pdf|archive-date=October 16, 2015|url-status=dead|date=July 26, 2010}}{{cite web|last1=Woodberry, Jr.|first1=Warren|title=MAJOR BUS CO. TO JOIN MTA|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/boroughs/major-bus-join-mta-article-1.554973|work=Daily News (New York)|access-date=January 4, 2016|date=February 24, 2005}} At this time, eight different route combinations were operated under the QM1/QM1A designation. The QM1 operated between Fresh Meadows and Midtown or Downtown weekdays only, primarily during peak hours. The QM1A operated to/from Glen Oaks or North Shore Towers weekdays and weekends, with some weekday and all weekend Glen Oaks trips operating via Fresh Meadows to replace QM1 service. On June 27, 2010, the QM5, QM6, QM7, and QM8 designations were created from the QM1A to better allow passengers to identify their desired route.{{Rp|45–56}}{{Cite web|url=http://mta.info:80/busco/advisories.htm|title=mta.info {{!}} Planned Service Changes|website=mta.info|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723123806/http://mta.info/busco/advisories.htm|archive-date=July 23, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=July 30, 2017}} On January 4, 2016, midday service on the QM1 was discontinued, replaced by the QM5.{{cite web|title=Planned Service Changes; Effective Monday, January 4, 2016; Weekday service change in Fresh Meadows along 188 St between 64 Av and 73 Av|url=http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/planned_servChanges_QM1QM5.htm|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|access-date=June 13, 2017|date=January 2016}} In September 2016, the Third Avenue variants of the QM1, QM5, and QM6 were respectively renamed QM31, QM35 and QM36. This change was done in order to minimize passenger confusion, and to avoid the need to wait for the front sign to scroll to determine whether the bus was going via Third or Sixth Avenue.{{cite news|title=ADVISORY: MTA Bus Company Renames Eight Express Routes Serving Queens and Manhattan|url=http://www.mta.info/press-release/nyc-transit/advisory-mta-bus-company-renames-eight-express-routes-serving-queens-and|access-date=June 13, 2017|work=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|date=April 14, 2016}}
Overnight service on the QM6 briefly operated between May 6, and June 2, 2020, to supplement service due to an overnight subway shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.{{cite web | title=Overnight Resources for Essential Workers | publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority | date=June 10, 2020 | url=https://new.mta.info/coronavirus/overnight | access-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-date=May 4, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504094052/https://new.mta.info/coronavirus/overnight | url-status=dead }} The QM6 made additional pick-ups and drop-offs along Queens Boulevard at daytime QM18 stops, in order to replace IND Queens Boulevard Line to/from Manhattan. A pick-up was also made at Woodhaven Boulevard & Hoffman Drive, with a corresponding drop-off made at Queens Boulevard & Woodhaven Boulevard.
=Bus redesigns=
In December 2019, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Queens bus network.{{cite web|url=https://qns.com/story/2019/12/17/mta-gives-sneak-peek-of-transformative-queens-bus-network-redesign-plan-at-queens-borough-board-meeting/|title=MTA gives 'sneak peek' of transformative Queens bus network redesign plan|last=Acevedo|first=Angélica|date=December 17, 2019|website=QNS.com|access-date=January 1, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2019/12/31/mta-unveils-draft-proposal-to-redesign-bus-network-in-queens|title=MTA Unveils Draft Proposal to Redesign Bus Network in Queens|date=December 31, 2019|website=Spectrum News NY1 | New York City|access-date=January 1, 2020}} As part of the redesign, the Union Turnpike express routes would have been replaced by new express routes: the QMT105 (188th Street–Financial District), QMT115 (188th Street–Hudson Yards), QMT134 (Glen Oaks–Third Avenue), QMT135 (188th Street–Third Avenue), QMT165 (Glen Oaks–Sixth Avenue), QMT166 (188th Street–Sixth Avenue), and QMT167 (North Shore Towers–Sixth Avenue). The routes originating in Glen Oaks would have also been diverted to use the Long Island Expressway rather than Union Turnpike west of 188th Street.{{cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/document/12706|title=Draft Plan, Queens Bus Network Redesign|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|date=December 2019|access-date=January 1, 2020}} The redesign was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,{{Cite web|title=Queens bus network redesign remains on hold amid COVID-19 pandemic: MTA|url=https://qns.com/story/2020/06/01/queens-bus-network-redesign-remains-on-hold-amid-covid-19-pandemic-mta/|access-date=July 5, 2020|website=QNS.com|language=en-US|archive-date=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705220043/https://qns.com/story/2020/06/01/queens-bus-network-redesign-remains-on-hold-amid-covid-19-pandemic-mta/|url-status=dead}} and the original draft plan was dropped due to negative feedback.{{cite web | last=Duggan | first=Kevin | title=MTA to release 'totally redone' Queens bus network redesign draft in early 2022 | website=amNewYork | date=December 15, 2021 | url=https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-to-release-totally-redone-queens-bus-network-redesign-draft-in-early-2022/ | access-date=January 21, 2022}}
A revised plan was released in March 2022.{{cite web | last=Duggan | first=Kevin | title=FIRST ON amNY: MTA reveals new Queens bus redesign draft plan | website=amNewYork | date=March 29, 2022 | url=https://www.amny.com/transit/queens-bus-redesign-relaunch/ | access-date=March 29, 2022}} Under the new plan, the express routes would have largely kept their existing paths, but the QM5, QM8, and QM35 would have used the LIE instead of Union Turnpike.{{cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/document/79636|title=Draft Plan, Queens Bus Network Redesign|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|date=March 2022|access-date=January 1, 2020}}
A final Queens bus-redesign plan was released in December 2023.{{cite web | last=Brachfeld | first=Ben | title=MTA unveils final proposal for Queens bus network redesign | website=amNewYork | date=December 12, 2023 | url=https://www.amny.com/new-york/queens/mta-final-proposal-queens-bus-network-redesign/ | access-date=December 13, 2023}}{{cite web | last=Shkurhan | first=Iryna | title=MTA unveils final plan to overhaul Queens bus network for the first time in decades | website=QNS.com | date=December 13, 2023 | url=https://qns.com/2023/12/mta-unveils-final-plan-overhaul-queens-bus-network/ | access-date=December 14, 2023}} All eight routes that used Union Turnpike would continue to run on that road, although there would be changes to stop spacing and frequencies.{{cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/document/128476|title=Final Plan, Queens Bus Network Redesign|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|date=Dec 2023|access-date=January 1, 2020|page=}}{{rp|pages=326–327}} On December 17, 2024, addendums to the final plan were released.{{cite web |last=Russo-Lennon |first=Barbara |date=December 17, 2024 |title=Hold that bus! Queens riders to get more bus service, better rail connections if MTA approves redesign plan |url=https://www.amny.com/news/queens-bus-service-redesign-plan/ |access-date=December 19, 2024 |website=amNewYork}}{{cite web |last=Heyward |first=Giulia |date=December 17, 2024 |title=After years of delays, MTA finally moves ahead with Queens bus redesign |url=https://gothamist.com/news/after-years-of-delays-mta-finally-moves-ahead-with-queens-bus-redesign |access-date=December 19, 2024 |website=Gothamist}} Among these, bus stops were rearranged on all routes except the QM6/QM36.{{cite web|title=Queens Bus Network Redesign Proposed Final Plan Addendum|url=https://new.mta.info/document/160201|access-date=December 19, 2024}} On January 29, 2025, the current plan was approved by the MTA Board,{{cite web|title=MTA approves major changes coming to Queens bus network starting this summer|url=https://www.amny.com/news/major-changes-coming-to-queens-bus-network/|author=Barbara Russo-Lennon|publisher=amNewYork Metro|date=January 29, 2025|access-date=January 29, 2025}} and the Queens Bus Redesign will go into effect in two different phases during Summer 2025.{{cite web|title=MTA approves major changes coming to Queens bus network starting this summer|url= https://ny1.com/nyc/queens/traffic_and_transit/2025/02/20/queens-bus-network-redesign-to-launch-this-summer--mta-says#:~:text=MTA%20announced%20Thursday.-,Phase%20one%20will%20launch%20on%20Sunday%2C%20June%2029%2C%20and%20phase,faster%20service%20to%20train%20stations.|author=Atlan Hassard|publisher=Spectrum News NY1|date=February 20, 2025|access-date=February 22, 2025}} All routes are part of Phase I, which begins on June 29, 2025, but the only express routes running that day are the QM5, QM6 & QM35, as the rest are weekday-only routes, which will debut new service on June 30.{{cite web|title=QM1 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm1-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM5 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm5-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM6 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm6-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM7 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm7-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM8 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm8-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM31 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm31-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM35 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm35-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}{{cite web|title=QM36 Express|url=https://www.mta.info/project/queens-bus-network-redesign/routes/qm36-express|publisher=MTA|access-date=May 26, 2025}}
See also
- Q46, the local bus running on Union Turnpike
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{attached KML|display=inline,title|from=Union Turnpike express buses}}
- {{commons category-inline|QM1 (New York City bus)}}
- {{commons category-inline|QM5 (New York City bus)}}
- {{commons category-inline|QM6 (New York City bus)}}
- {{commons category-inline|QM31 (New York City bus)}}
- {{commons category-inline|QM1A (New York City bus)}}
{{Queens bus routes}}