Q37 (New York City bus)

Q37
111th Street
Overview
System	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator	MTA Bus Company
Garage	JFK Depot
Vehicle	Orion VII Orion VII Next Generation
Began service	1939
Route
Locale	Queens
Communities served	Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park
Landmarks served	Queens Borough Hall, Aqueduct Racetrack
Start	Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike and Kew Gardens Road / Union Turnpike station
Via	Park Lane South, 111th Street, 135th Avenue
End	South Ozone Park – 150th Avenue and 149th Avenue
Length	4.8 miles (7.7 km)[1]
Service
Operates	All times except late nights[2]
Daily ridership	2,296,322 (2015)[3]
Fare	$2.75 (MetroCard or coins)
Cash	Coins only (exact change required)
Transfers	Yes
Timetable	Q37
Route map ← Q36  {{{system_nav}}}  Q38 →

The Q37 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, United States, running primarily along 111th Street between Kew Gardens and South Ozone Park. The Q37 was formerly privately operated by Green Bus Lines, under a subsidized franchise with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). The route is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the MTA Bus Company brand.

Route description and service

The Q37 bus originates at Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike, where a vast majority of the riders of the Q37 transfer to the New York City Subway at the Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike station. The bus turns via Kew Gardens Road, and then turns south via 80th Road, and then buses turn onto Park Lane. Buses at this point going northbound continue via Park Lane and then turn on Union Turnpike. After running via Park Lane, the Q37 turns onto Park Lane South, which is on the border of Kew Gardens and Forest Park. Then the bus turns east on Myrtle Avenue, and then it turns southeast via 111th Street, and it continues to run via 111th Street until Rockaway Boulevard, passing through Richmond Hill and Ozone Park. The bus route then turns into Aqueduct Race Track to serve the Resorts World Casino. Afterwards, the route continues onto Rockaway Boulevard before turning southeast via various local streets. The bus then turns east via 135th Avenue, and then the bus turns onto South Conduit Avenue before reaching the route's terminal at 149th Avenue and 150th Avenue in South Ozone Park.^[2][4]

History

Early operation

Originally operated by General Omnibus Company, service began in January 1939.^[5]

In 1936, Queens was divided into four zones, for bus operating franchise purposes. 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. The Q37 fell into Zone C, the zone for Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and the Rockaways, and the route was awarded to Green Bus Lines.^[6][7][8]

On November 23, 1941, the Q37 was extended from Jamaica Avenue to Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens.^[9]

MTA takeover

On January 9, 2006, the MTA Bus Company took over the operations of the Green Bus Line routes.^[10][11][12]

On October 30, 2011, daily service via Aqueduct Racetrack was added, to serve the Resorts World Casino. Also on this date, the Q37 was rerouted to operate on 133rd Avenue, Lefferts Boulevard and 135th Avenue, in both directions. Service on 116th Street was discontinued.^[1][13][14]

On February 24, 2013, Q37 buses stopped running via 150th Avenue. Instead, the bus route was changed, with buses running via South Conduit Avenue between 130th Street and 134th Street. The route was changed in order to avoid congestion at the Sanitation yard on 150th Street. An additional reason for the change was to allow buses to avoid making a turn onto South Conduit Avenue from 132nd Street, because there is no traffic light at this intersection and vehicles often pass at high speeds, often causing severe delays. Additionally, 132nd Street is a narrow residential block.^[15][16]

See also

• Q10 (New York City bus)

References

1. "MTA Bus Operations Committee Meeting December 2012" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. December 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
2. Q37 bus schedule MTA Regional Bus Operations.
3. "Facts and Figures". mta.info. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
4. "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
5. "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
6. "NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
7. "Bus Franchises For Queens Are Granted by City: 12-Year Old Problem Is Solved by Action of Board of Estimate". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 24, 1936. Retrieved 1 January 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Local Bus Route Taken Over by New Operator: First Green Line Buses Run Sunday Morning: Have 2 Other Local Runs" (PDF). The Leader-Observer. November 19, 1936. Retrieved June 20, 2016 – via Fulton History.
9. "Bus Route Is Extended". The New York Times. November 19, 1941. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
10. Silverman, Norman (July 26, 2010). "The Merger of 7 Private Bus Companies into MTA Bus" (PDF). apta.com. American Public Transportation Association, Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
11. Lueck, Thomas J. (April 23, 2005). "City to Buy Private Bus Company for Service in Three Boroughs". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
12. "Mayor Bloomberg Announces MTA Takeover of Green Bus Lines". The official website of the City of New York. 2006-01-08. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
13. "mta.info | Planned Service Notices". web.mta.info. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
14. "TRANSIT NEWS and Updates: Metropolitan Transportation Authority". Time Newsweekly. November 10, 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
15. "MTA changes routes for three area buses". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
16. "mta.info | Planned Service Changes". 2013-04-21. Archived from the original on April 21, 2013. Retrieved 2016-06-17.