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Q17 (New York City bus)

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For additional information on the current bus services, see [[:List of bus routes in Queens]].
Q17 / Q17 Limited
Flushing−Fresh Meadows−Jamaica
A Q17 Bus at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
Overview
SystemMTA Regional Bus Operations
OperatorNew York City Transit Authority
GarageJamaica Depot
Began service1928
Route
LocaleQueens
Communities servedFlushing, Fresh Meadows, Utopia, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica
StartFlushing – 39th Avenue and 138th Street / Main Street station
ViaKissena Boulevard, Horace Harding Expressway, 188th Street, Hillside Avenue
EndJamaica – Archer Avenue and Merrick Boulevard
Length5.5 miles (8.9 km)[1]
Service
Operates24 hours[note 1][2]
Ridership5,668,570 (2014)[3]
TransfersYes
TimetableQ17
← Q16  {{{system_nav}}}  Q18 →

The Q17 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, United States, running primarily along Kissena Boulevard, the Long Island Expressway service road (Horace Harding Expressway) and 188th Street between two major bus-subway hubs in the neighborhoods of Jamaica and Flushing. It is one of the busiest local bus routes in Queens.[4] Operated by the North Shore Bus Company until 1947, the route is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

Route description and service

The Q17 begins at Archer Avenue and Merrick Boulevard at Jamaica Center in downtown Jamaica, just south of the 165th Street Bus Terminal. This terminus is shared with the Q20A/B and Q44 buses. The Q17 proceeds north along 168th Street to Hillside Avenue, then east along Hillside to 188th Street. The route continues north on 188th Street through Jamaica Estates and Utopia to the Long Island Expressway (LIE) at the Fresh Meadows shopping center. The segment on 188th Street between 73rd Avenue and the LIE is shared with the Q88. Both routes turns west onto the LIE's service road, Horace Harding Expressway, until Kissena Boulevard, where the Q17 turns north. The Q88 continues along Horace Harding to Queens Center Mall. The Q17 proceeds north along Kissena, sharing the road with the Q25 and Q34 buses to Main Street in Downtown Flushing (also known as Flushing Chinatown). The Q17 alights its final passengers on 39th Avenue, at the Main Street subway station.[2][5] Terminating Q17 and Q27 buses proceed east along 39th Avenue, lay over on 138th Street, then return along 37th Avenue to pick up southbound passengers at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue.[4]

During weekday midday hours and weekday rush hours in the peak direction (AM to Flushing; PM to Jamaica), alternate southbound local service terminates at 188th Street and Horace Harding Expressway in Fresh Meadows. During weekday rush hours, bi-directional limited-stop service is operated along the full route between Jamaica and Flushing.[2]

The original Q17 route ran along Homelawn Street, Utopia Parkway, and Fresh Meadow Lane between Hillside Avenue and Horace Harding, passing by St. John's University.[6][7][8] This route is now covered by the Q30 (formerly the Q17A) and the Q31.[5][9][10]

History

The Q17 began service in 1928, originally operated by the Flushing Heights Bus Company.[11]

In 1931, the New York City Board of Estimate was deciding which bus route franchises would be given to which private operators. Along with thirty other bus routes, the Q17 was tentatively assigned to the North Shore Bus Company, as part of Zone B (Flushing and Northern Queens).[12]

The North Shore Bus Company acquired but did not merge with Flushing Heights Bus on September 22, 1935.[13] As part of the transaction, North Shore expected to get the franchises for both the Q17 and Q25 from the city. North Shore was only allowed to keep the Q17 route, and as compensation, the city assured them of a new route between Flushing and Jamaica via Main Street. This route would go into service when a bridge was built to carry Main Street over the Grand Central Parkway in 1938; this route is today's Q44.[14]

On July 1, 1939, the Q17 became interlined with the Q20, meaning that north of Flushing the bus would continue via the Q20 route to College Point.[6][15] The service was designated "Q17-20" or "Q20-17" and rollsigns would display Q17/20.[6][16][17][18] On December 16, 1940, the Q17-20 route's southern terminal was moved from the 165th Street Bus Terminal to the intersection of 168th Street and Jamaica Avenue, three blocks east.[16] The route been running to the 165th Street Terminal since North Shore took the terminal over in mid-1939.[19] Beginning on June 8, 1942 due to restrictions on gasoline and tire usage during World War II, the service was truncated to 14th Avenue and 122nd Street in College Point.[6][20] Service north of 14th Avenue was restored on February 4, 1946.[17] The Q20 was separated from the Q17 during off-peak "base period" hours on January 27, 1947.[21] In March of that year, North Shore Bus would be taken over by the New York City Board of Transportation (later the New York City Transit Authority), making the bus routes city operated.[22][23][24] The joint Q17-20 service later became popular among students of St. John's University, and residents from Jamaica Estates and Flushing Heights (now Kew Gardens Hills) shopping in Downtown Flushing.[25][8][26]

On February 3, 1957, the Transit Authority separated the Q17 and Q20 services at all times.[27][25][8][28]

By 1960, the Q17 was rerouted onto 188th Street between Jamaica and Fresh Meadows.[10]

On December 11, 1988, when the Archer Avenue Line opened,[29][30][31] the Q17's southern terminal was moved one block east and south to Archer Avenue and Merrick Boulevard. Limited-stop service began on September 8, 2003.[32] In August 2014, the northern layover area of the Q17 and Q27 was shifted from Prince Street west of Main Street near St. George's Church, to 39th Avenue and 138th Street east of Main Street.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ "Q17 Limited only operates bi-directionally during weekday rush hours". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

References

  1. ^ "54 Bus Routes Win Approval By City". nytimes.com. The New York Times. January 28, 1931. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b c MTA Regional Bus Operations. ["Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) "Q17 bus schedule"]. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); templatestyles stripmarker in |url= at position 1 (help)
  3. ^ "Facts and Figures". mta.info. 2011-08-28. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  4. ^ a b c "Transit & Bus Committee Meeting July 2014" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 28, 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
  6. ^ a b c d "For the Convenience of A, B and C Car Owners". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. December 22, 1942. p. 7. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  7. ^ North Shore Bus Company (July 29, 1942). "For the Convenience of Queens Bus Riders". Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Mooney Jr., Joseph W. (February 1, 1957). "New Bus Schedules Will Force Some Riders to Transfer Twice". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 6. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  9. ^ "1975 Queens Bus Map". wardmaps.com. New York City Transit Authority. 1975. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  10. ^ a b "TA Gets Plea To Reinstate Bus Route". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. December 19, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  11. ^ "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  12. ^ "Pick Tentative Bus Operators; Queens Objects". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 19, 1931. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  13. ^ "North Shore Company Takes Over Rival's Routes". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 24, 1935. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Harvey Sees New Bus Route As Spur to Queens Shopping: Ceremonies Mark Opening of Jamaica-Flushing Transit Line". Long Island Daily Press. Section Two. Fultonhistory.com. March 23, 1938. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  15. ^ "College Point Buses Ready". Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. June 30, 1939. p. 26. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Estates Buses Abandon Jamaica Terminal Stop". Long Island Daily Press. Fultonhistory.com. December 16, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  17. ^ a b North Shore Bus Company (February 1, 1946). "To Our Riders". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 20. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  18. ^ Q17/20 Rollsign
  19. ^ "North Shore Buses Start From Terminal Today". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. June 25, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Bus Schedules Revised to Save Gas and Tires: Transit Commission Order Goes Into Effect June 8 on Queens Routes". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. May 27, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  21. ^ North Shore Bus Company (January 24, 1947). "Notice of Change in Bus Schedules". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 11. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  22. ^ "CITY TAKES OVER BUS LINE: O'Connor Selected to Operate North Shore System". The New York Times. March 30, 1947. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  23. ^ Sparberg, Andrew J. (1 October 2014). From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-6190-1.
  24. ^ "120-Passenger Vehicles Added For Next Week: 10 City Lines Will HAve All New Equipment by Wednesday". Fultonhistory.com. Long Island Star-Journal. December 31, 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  25. ^ a b Mooney Jr., Joseph W. (February 1, 1957). "New Bus Schedules Will Force Some Riders to Transfer Twice". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 1. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  26. ^ "TA Gets Plea To Reinstate Bus Route". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. December 19, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  27. ^ "College Point Backs Move to Curb TA". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. January 14, 1957. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  28. ^ Mooney, Jr., Joseph W. (February 2, 1957). "Bus Cuts Begin at Midnight And Bayside Hills Won'y Like 'Em". Long Island Star-Journal. Fultonhistory.com. p. 1. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  29. ^ New York Times, All Aboard...Somewhere...for Subway Changes!, December 12, 1988, section B, page 1
  30. ^ Johnson, Kirk (November 12, 1988). "M.T.A. Refuses To Change Plan On Bus Routes". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  31. ^ "Queens Merchants Win More Bus Service". nytimes.com. The New York Times. March 17, 1989. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  32. ^ Woodberry, Warren, Jr. (September 8, 2003). "TA SHIFTS GEARS ON SIX BUS ROUTES". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 16 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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