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| Re: History of the Q19A/Q69 and the Q101R/Q100 [Q33A/Q51[ (311072) | |||
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Re: History of the Q19A/Q69 and the Q101R/Q100 [Q33A/Q51[ |
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Posted by Union Tpke on Thu Mar 3 20:07:26 2016, in response to History of the Q19A/Q69 and the Q101R/Q100, posted by Union Tpke on Mon Feb 29 20:40:07 2016.  This is what I have so far for the history. In the 1930s, the New York City Board of Transportation (predecessor to the New York City Transit Authority) separated bus service in Queens into four zones. Zone A in Western Queens (Woodside, Astoria, and Long Island City) was awarded to Triboro Coach, including the Q19A franchise along Ditmars Boulevard and 21st Street (Van Alst Avenue). Service on the Q19A began on August 18, 1934, competing with the parallel 31st Street and Vernon Boulevard streetcar lines of the Steinway Railway (now the Q102 and Q103 buses respectively). At Ditmars, the bus stops were in the middle of the block of 31st St near the subway entrance. Not sure the exact year they combined but probably in the mid to late 50s, as by 1962 they were already combined. The original setup was more convenient for subway riders, as the bus stop was adjacent to the station, unlike now. But through bus riders not destined for the subway had to transfer buses. In the 1960s and 1970s, many Q19A rush hour runs from Queens Plaza terminated and turned back at 31st Street. The Q19A was originally two separate routes-the Q19A ran from Queens Plaza via its current route as the Q69 but terminated at the Ditmars Boulevard subway station. A separate route, the Q33A, ran from Ditmars Boulevard east along Ditmars to 82nd Street and then along the current Q69 route. The Q33A was also called the 82nd Street Crosstown – Ditmars route. In the early 1960s, the two routes were combined. Prior to the creation of the Q101R, the Q101 operated by Steinway Transit (successor to the Steinway Railway) served Rikers Island, running local down Steinway Street to Queens Plaza, and across the Queensboro Bridge to Midtown Manhattan. Service to Rikers began around 1967; the bridge from Queens to the island was opened on November 22, 1966. Some local residents complained of having to share the route with Rikers-bound passengers. The Q101R was created in the 1980s, with the Q101 truncated to Hazen Street and 19th Avenue. Originally, the Q101R ran non-stop between Long Island City and the Rikers Island parking lot. Steinway would merge with sister company Queens Transit Corporation to become Queens-Steinway Transit Corporation in 1986. The company became Queens Surface Corporation in 1988. On February 27, 2005, the MTA Bus Company took over the operations of the Queens Surface routes including the Q101R, part of the city's takeover of all the remaining privately operated bus routes. On February 2, 2006, the operations of Triboro Coach including the Q19A were taken over by MTA Bus. As part of the takeover, the Q101R and other former Steinway Transit routes in western Queens were moved to the former Triboro Coach depot (LaGuardia Depot). On April 6, 2008, the Q101R was renumbered as the Q100,[20] and on April 20, 2008, the Q19A was renumbered the Q69. On June 22, 2008, the Q100 stop on 20th Avenue at the Astoria power plant was added. Q100 limited-stop service along 21st Street began on February 1, 2009. What is the deal with the Q51? |
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