One morning in early July, I ran out of my house to make my way to the Q39 bus stop. Pressed for time, I eagerly ran the two blocks to my regular stop with only four minutes to spare. When I arrived, I was surprised to find the bus stop sign was nowhere to be found. It had been removed. Sweating, and confused, I checked my Transit app to find that I would have to run another two blocks just to reach the next bus stop. 

Just as I reached the next stop, the Q39 arrived. Out of breath, I stepped onto the bus and pulled out my OMNY card. As I tapped it, I asked the driver if the bus would no longer stop at my regular bus stop. He shook his head and confirmed that the stop was no longer part of the Q39’s bus route. I felt a sense of disappointment rush through my body as I thanked the driver for the clarification and made my way to find a seat.  

I frequently used the same bus stop for three years until now and had grown accustomed to the same public transportation route. To find that inconvenient changes had been made to not only the Q39 bus, but other buses on my route was extremely stressful for me. I had thought about the inconvenience this would prove to be in the future for not only me but the millions of others who take MTA buses everyday.

Some commuters have expressed their full support for the new Queens routes. According to CBS news, frequent NYC bus riders have said that as long as their commute has been made faster, they’re happy. It is good to see that these changes have made it easier for at least some New Yorkers to get from point A to point B. However, it’s important to consider the costs that some of these quicker commutes come with, and in my experience, the problem truly lies with how the changes either have made certain routes more difficult to access or have removed other routes entirely.

On June 29, phase 1 of the new Queens MTA Bus Routes took effect. Not only had some of the bus routes changed, but some of the buses were entirely discontinued. Buses such as the Q15A, Q20A, Q20B, and Q34 were removed, and buses such as the Q14, Q98, and Q74 Limited were introduced. Following these changes on August 31, the second phase of the new Queens bus routes introduced more changes such as the reroute of the Q47, Q37, and the discontinuation of the Q10.  These changes have caused disruptions for some riders, leading to longer commute times, confusion on which buses to take, and confusion over where to transfer.

The change in bus service to Main St/Melbourne Av has caused disruptions in the commuting routes for a number of THHS students. The bus stop stands just five minutes away from the school, and is considered one of the key bus stops for students. The introduction of the new Q20 is meant to be a more efficient alternative for the Q20A as it mostly follows the same route. However, following the Queens reroutes, the loss of the Q20B means one less bus will be traveling through Main St/Melbourne Av. This would overall increase wait times, or students would have to wait for the Q44 as an alternative route.

There have also been changes to the Q64 route, which is a key bus for THHS students who live in Forest Hills. The main bus stop students would take was on Jewel Ave and 147th street, approximately 8 minutes away from THHS. Following route changes, students now have to walk an extra block making the walk ten minutes long to reach Jewel Ave/150 St instead of 147th St.

Some may argue that with the use of a cell phone, these changes won’t have a massive effect on the community as live updates and bus stops can be easily found, but this is simply not always the case. Not all students have access to the internet during transit. I encountered a situation where a girl approached me to ask for directions on how to get to the Q88 bus stop since she had no device to help her. 

For first time or new riders, this redesign will build on top of the many sudden updates and stresses of using public transportation, resulting in confusion and frustration.