Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards buses

q11, q21 q52, q53
Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards line
Two 2017 XD60s (6032 & 6064) on the Q52 & Q53 SBS at Metropolitan Avenue
Overview
System	MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator	MTA Bus Company
Garage	Far Rockaway Depot (Q11, Q21) JFK Depot (Q52 SBS) LaGuardia Depot (Q53 SBS)
Vehicle	Q11, Q21: Orion VII NG HEV Nova Bus LFS New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 Q52/Q53 SBS: New Flyer Xcelsior XD60
Livery	Select Q53 SBS buses only: Select Bus Service
Began service	1918 (Q11) 1923 (Q21) 1950 (Q53) 2012 (Q52) 2017 (Q52/Q53 SBS)
Route
Locale	Queens, New York, U.S.
Communities served	Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Middle Village, Glendale, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Howard Beach/Lindenwood, Broad Channel, Rockaway Beach/Hammels, Rockaway Park, Arverne
Start	Q11, Q21, Q52: Elmhurst – Woodhaven Blvd/Queens Center Mall Q53: Woodside – 61 St
Via	Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards
End	Q11: Old Howard Beach or Hamilton Beach Q21: Howard Beach – 164 Av Q52: Arverne – Beach 54 St Q53: Rockaway Park – Beach 116 St
Length	14 miles (23 km) (Q53)[1]: 8  13.4 miles (21.6 km) (Q52)[2] 6 miles (9.7 km) (Q21; Queens Boulevard to 164 Av)[3]: 19  Q11 (Elmhurst to Hamilton Beach): 6.9 miles (11.1 km) Q11 (Elmhurst to Old Howard Beach): 7.1 miles (11.4 km)
Other routes	Q41 109th Avenue/Cross Bay Boulevard
Service
Operates	24 hours (Q11, Q53 SBS)[note 1][4][5]
Annual patronage	Q11: 872,945 (2023)[6] Q21: 599,983 (2023)[6] Q52 and Q53: 4,186,151 (2023)[6]
Transfers	Yes
Timetable	Q11/Q21 Q52/Q53 SBS
Route map Woodside – 61st Street  Q53  ​ 75th Street ​​​​​ 78th Street Whitney Avenue Justice Avenue– Queens Boulevard ​  Q11   Q21   Q52  Woodhaven Boulevard ​ Hoffman Drive Local stops Wetherole Street 61st Road–Alderton Street 62nd Road 63rd Road–Penelope Avenue Local stops Furmanville–65th Avenues 66th Avenue–66th Road 68th Avenue–Yellowstone Boulevard Metropolitan Avenue–Polo Place 81st Avenue–81st Road Myrtle Avenue Local stops Forest Park Drive 85th Road Jamaica Avenue ​ 89th Avenue 91st Avenue Local stops Atlantic Avenue 97th Avenue 101st Avenue Rockaway Boulevard Local stops Sutter Avenue Doxey Place Linden Boulevard Pitkin Avenue  Q11  Q11 local stops 96th Street 135th Drive 149th–Eckford Avenues Centreville Street Raleigh Street 99th Place North Conduit Avenue 155th Avenue 156th Avenue 157th Avenue 158th Avenue 159th Avenue 159th Road 160th Avenue 161st Avenue 162nd Avenue 1st Street 163rd Avenue Rau Court 164th Avenue 96th Street 164th Drive 98th Street Old Howard / Hamilton Beach – 165th Avenue  Q11  149th Avenue Q21 local stops 151st Avenue 153rd Avenue 89th Street 86th Street 155th Avenue Shore Parkway 157th Avenue 86th Street 87th Street 89th Street 157th Avenue 159th Avenue 159th Avenue Q21 local stops 92nd Street 89th Street / 160th Avenue 86th Street / 160th Avenue 84th Street / 160th Avenue 161st Avenue 162nd Avenue 163rd Avenue Q21 local stops 84th Street 87th Street / 164th Avenue 89th Street / 164th Avenue Howard Beach – 164th Avenue  Q21  Addabbo Bridge Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Noel Road ​ 16th–17th Roads Cross Bay Bridge Beach 96th Street ​ Beach 102nd Street Beach 108th Street ​ Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street  Q53  ​ Beach 91st Street ​ Beach 84th Street Beach 73rd–74th Streets Beach 67th Street Beach 59th Street–Rockaway Freeway Arverne – Beach 54th Street  Q52  Legend SBS/Local stops Local stops  Q11  Local terminal  Q11  Part-time terminal  Q21  Local terminal  Q52  SBS terminal  Q53  SBS terminal ​ Subway connection ← Q10 ← Q20 ← Q50 ← Q44 SBS (by borough) ← B46 SBS (by route number)  {{{system_nav}}}  Q12 → Q22 → Q54 → Q70 SBS → M60 SBS →

The Q11, Q21, Q52, and Q53 bus routes constitute a public transit corridor running along Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards in Queens, New York City. The corridor extends primarily along the length of the two boulevards through "mainland" Queens, a distance of 6 miles (9.7 km)^[3]: 19 between Elmhurst and the Jamaica Bay shore in Howard Beach. The Q52 and Q53 buses, which provide Select Bus Service along the corridor, continue south across Jamaica Bay to the Rockaway peninsula, one of the few public transit options between the peninsula and the rest of the city.

The Q11 and Q21 were formerly privately operated by Green Bus Lines, and the Q53 was formerly operated by Triboro Coach, under subsidized franchises with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). The Q11 and Q21 started service along the corridor in 1918 and 1923, respectively. These routes came under the control of Green Bus Lines in the 1930s when the borough's bus system was divided into four lettered "zones", with "Zone C" including Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and the Rockaways operated by Green Lines. An additional route along the corridor, the Q53, was added in 1950, to replace the Long Island Rail Road's Rockaway Beach Branch service to the Rockaways, which was shut down due to a trestle fire. This service was operated by Triboro Coach.

In 2006, all three routes had their operations taken over by the MTA Bus Company brand of MTA Regional Bus Operations. The Q53 originally was a premium fare service, with a long nonstop segment from Rego Park to Broad Channel, as it was a replacement service for rail. Soon after the MTA's takeover of the route, it was converted to be a limited-stop service, with six stops along the corridor. Subsequently, the Q21 was extended up Woodhaven Boulevard, and its southern terminus in the Rockaways was switched. Increased ridership resulted in the creation of the Q21 Limited; this was soon replaced by the Q52 Limited, which replaced Q21 service south of Howard Beach.

Since 2008, the Woodhaven-Cross Bay corridor has undergone studies for Select Bus Service (SBS) implementation, which has converted the Q52 and Q53 into bus rapid transit routes. However, the project was delayed by controversy over proposed changes to the corridor, including left-turn bans and the proposed installation of bus lanes in the corridor's median. The first phase of the project began service on November 12, 2017.

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