Queens’s new Select Bust Service route is NYC's longest

More than 40,000 daily riders across several different neighborhoods will benefit from the new service

On Monday, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city's Department of Transportation along with the MTA have rolled out a new Select Bus Service route in Queens that will run along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards. The new route will service commuters in neighborhoods that include Elmhurst, Rego Park, Woodhaven, Howard Beach, Rockaway Park, and more, providing quicker connections to subway lines and additional bus routes.

"Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevard are critical roads in Queens— and from the Rockaways to Elmhurst, residents deserve this first-class service," said Mayor de Blasio in a statement.

The new Q52/Q53 Select Bus Service route spans 14.7 miles, making it the longest route for the service. City officials believe that the bus route will also result in Vision Zero safety improvements, given that both Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards are high traffic streets with a heavy number of reported accidents.

"The new service follows a three-year process of community engagement, and we made many adjustments to our plans along the way," said DOT Commmissioner Polly Trottenberg. "[T]he end result of which will not only be better bus service but significant safety benefits on one of New York City's widest and most crash-prone roadways."

Back in October, Mayor de Blasio announced plans to introduce 21 new routes over the next 10 years, with Queens getting the bulk of the new routes. A $270 million boost in the city's bus infrastructure will help ensure that things go according to plan.

• NYC Select Bus Service will come to 21 new routes in the next decade [Curbed]