Q64, QM4 and QM44 buses

The Q64, QM4 and QM44

The Q64 (formerly the Q65A), QM4 and QM44 were originally operated by Queens-Nassau Transit Lines, Queens Transit Corporation, and Queens Surface Corporation from 1951 to 2005; they are now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the MTA Bus Company brand.

Route description and service

Q64

The eastbound Q64 starts at the

The westbound Q64 essentially follows the same route until just west of the Van Wyck Expressway, where the westbound Q64 turns slightly north onto 69th Road, which runs parallel to Jewel Avenue. The westbound Q64 continues along 69th Road until the intersection with 108th Street, where buses turn left and continue four blocks to Queens Boulevard. Buses lay over at the west side of 108th Street between Queens Boulevard and 70th Road.[5]^[6]

QM4

Eastbound QM4 service via Sixth Avenue begins at Sixth Avenue and 36th Street. The route then picks up passengers along Sixth Avenue. Sixth Avenue service turns onto 57th Street. Afterwards, the service moves onto 59th Street, and then turns onto the Queensboro Bridge crossing over the East River into Queens. Once in Queens, the bus continues along Queens Boulevard making no stops until it reaches Jewel Avenue. The bus drops off passengers along Jewel Avenue, and turns onto 164th Street, with its final stop at the Horace Harding Expressway.^[5][6]

Westbound QM4 service begins at 164th Street and the Horace Harding Expressway, and then turns onto Jewel Avenue picking up passengers. Once the route reaches Queens Boulevard, the bus stops picking up passengers. The bus route then continues via Queens Boulevard until it turns onto the

Eastbound QM44 service begins at Third Avenue and 39th Street. The route then picks up passengers along Third Avenue. Afterwards, the service moves onto 59th Street, and then turns onto the Queensboro Bridge crossing over the East River into Queens. Once in Queens, the bus continues along Queens Boulevard making no stops until it reaches Jewel Avenue. The bus drops off passengers along Jewel Avenue, and turns onto 164th Street, with its final stop at the Horace Harding Expressway.^[5][6][3]

Westbound QM44 service begins at 164th Street and the Horace Harding Expressway, and then turns onto Jewel Avenue picking up passengers. Once the route reaches Queens Boulevard, the bus stops picking up passengers. The bus route then continues via Queens Boulevard until it turns onto the

QM44 service only operates during rush hours in the peak direction.[3]

History

In November 1949, the Queens Valley Home Owners' Association of

The Board of Estimate approved Queens-Nassau Transit's proposal on August 17, 1951.[1] On November 14, 1951, bus service began on the Q65A.^[1][11] The route was originally a spur of the Q65, for which the bus route was named.^[12] On August 2, 1953, the Q65A's terminal route was changed. Originally, the Q65A bus traveled east on Jewel Avenue all the way to 164th Street, until it made a loop and reversed direction at 165th Street. The route was changed so that buses would turn south on Parsons Boulevard, east on 71st Avenue, and then north on 164th Street to the terminus at Jewel Avenue;^[13][14] this routing is still used by the current Q64 bus.^[5] The change was met with resentment from the local community due to concerns that buses would hit kids outside the newly opened Public School 200 at 164th Street and 71st Avenue.^[13][14] Queens-Nassau became the Queens Transit Corporation in 1957.^[15]

In 1964, City Councilman Seymour Boyers of Flushing proposed extending the Q65A to 188th Street and 73rd Avenue, via 164th Street and 73rd Avenue. The proposed extension would have provided additional access to Queens College, providing an alternate route to the Q17, would provide an access route to the World's Fair, and it would provide access to the IND subway station at 71st Avenue, which would have relieved congestion at the Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike subway station.^[16]

Queens Transit Corporation began operating the QM4 on August 16, 1971. The route was not originally given a number, and was instead called the Jewel Avenue–Flushing/Hillcrest Express. Originally some buses started at

On July 5, 2016, the branch of the QM4 along Third Avenue was relabeled as the QM44 as part of the renumbering of Queens express routes' Third Avenue branches.[23]^[24]

Queens bus redesign

In December 2019, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Queens bus network.

A revised plan was released in March 2022.[30] As part of the new plan, the Q64 would be discontinued, but the Q10 would be extended to Electchester along the Q64's route, using the same path as the QT14. The QM4 and QM44 would remain with only minor changes to their non-stop sections.^[31] A final bus-redesign plan was released in December 2023.^[32][33] The final plan called for the Q10 and Q64 to remain separate routes; although the Q64's routing would remain unchanged, there would be modifications to stop spacing and headways.^{[34]: 303–304} The QM4 and QM44 would retain their existing routings, with only changes to stop spacings and frequencies.^{[34]: 428, 524}

See also

• Queens Surface

Notes

References