Garage Queens Village Depot | Locale Queens | |
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System MTA Regional Bus Operations Operator New York City Transit Authority Vehicle Orion VII
Orion VII Next Generation
Nova Bus LFS Began service 1939
1974 (Q46 limited-stop service) | ||
The Q46 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, United States, running primarily along Union Turnpike from a transfer with the Subway in Kew Gardens to either Glen Oaks, or Long Island Jewish Hospital in Lake Success.
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Originally named the Q44A, the bus route was originally operated by the North Shore Bus Company from December 4, 1939 to 1947. On April 12, 1990, the bus route was renumbered to Q46. It was extended from Lakeville Road to Long Island Jewish Hospital on September 7, 1997. Overnight and weekend service to Glen Oaks eliminated in September 2002.
Route description and service
The Q46 begins on the north side of Queens Boulevard at the Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike subway station (E F trains) of the IND Queens Boulevard Line, and travels via Union Turnpike. At 260th Street in Glen Oaks near the east end of Union Turnpike, the route splits into two branches. One branch, which operates only on weekdays, turns north onto 260th Street and terminates at Little Neck Parkway near the Queens County Farm Museum. The full-time branch continues east on Union Turnpike until Lakeville Road, where the bus turns north and briefly enters Nassau County, and then terminates at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJ). Prior to 2008, LIJ-bound buses entered the hospital grounds and terminated at a dedicated layover area. In February of that year, the Q46 began terminating outside the hospital gates due to construction. As of 2015, the Q46 terminates within LIJ.
Limited-stop service is operated along the Q46 route during rush hours. Limited-stop service is bidirectional during the AM rush hour, and in the peak-direction during the PM rush hour. Limited-stop buses make limited stops between Queens Boulevard and Springfield Boulevard, and local stops east of Springfield. Local service operates between Kew Gardens and Springfield Boulevard. During the AM rush hour, eastbound Q46 locals terminate in Glen Oaks, while eastbound Q46 limiteds terminated at LIJ, with Kew Gardens-bound limited service originating from either terminal. During the PM rush hour, Q46 locals terminate at Springfield Boulevard, while limiteds alternate between Glen Oaks of LIJ. No limited-stop service operates on weekends.
History
The North Shore Bus Company began operating a bus route along Union Turnpike on December 4, 1939. Prior to World War II, the route was originally the Union Turnpike branch of the Q44, running between Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens and 188th Street. By 1942, the route was extended to Hollis Court Boulevard at the east end of Cunningham Park. It was later renamed the Q44A. In 1947, North Shore Bus would be taken over by the Board of Transportation, making the bus route city operated.
On December 7, 1947, under city control, the Q44A was extended from Springfield Boulevard to Glen Oaks Village at Union Turnpike and 247th Street to serve new apartments there. At a later point the bus was extended to Lakeville Road.
On January 13, 1950, a spur of the Q44A was approved to turn off at 260th Street and operate via 260th Street to Little Neck Parkway.
Limited-stop service began on February 11, 1974. Along with the M15, the two routes became the first to use limited service in the city. Limited-stop service would be bidirectional during the AM rush hour, and peak-direction during the PM rush hour. In April 1974, an extension of the Q44A to Long Island Jewish Hospital was approved, which made the first city route to extend into Nassau County. These limited-stop buses were labeled as expresses. Eastbound expresses only stopped at Main Street, 149th Street, and Springfield Boulevard before making all stops. After running local to Winchester Boulevard, westbound expresses only stopped at Cloverdale Boulevard (226th Street), Springfield Boulevard, 149th Street, Main Street, and the subway. Some buses on the Glen Oaks Branch used to continue up Little Neck Parkway, turning west on the Grand Central Parkway service road, and turning onto Commonwealth Road, going east on the Grand Central Parkway service road, before it terminated at Little Neck Parkway and 260 Street. Between 4:50 and 6:35 PM, local service only ran to Springfield Boulevard, and free transfers were issued to continue past Springfield Boulevard via express Q44As.
When the Queens Village depot was opened on September 8, 1974, the Q44A was reassigned from Flushing Depot (the former North Shore Bus Company facility). Around this time, there was a third branch in Little Neck, separate from the Glen Oaks branch. This branch diverged north at Commonwealth Boulevard, running along Commonwealth and the Grand Central Parkway service road and terminating at Little Neck Parkway. The Q44A was renumbered to the Q46 on April 12, 1990. The Q46 was extended from Lakeville Road to Long Island Jewish Hospital on September 7, 1997.
Overnight and weekend service to Glen Oaks was eliminated on September 8, 2002. On February 2, 2008, the LIJ branch's terminal was moved to Lakeville Road outside the hospital gates due to construction within the hospital grounds, particularly a new women's hospital adjacent to the bus stop. The Katz Women's Hospital was completed in December 2011, and the Q46 began running to a new terminal within the hospital.