Rockaway Bus Changes to Take Place at the End of Summer

On Monday, April 7, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held an event at Queens Borough Hall to announce that the specific dates this summer that each Queens bus route is slated to change or take effect.

The Queens Bus Network Redesign project is now available online at mta.info/queensbus, where bus customers can access a project phasing guide, outlining the timing of the redesign changes, and the new route look-up tool which allows users to select any bus route from a drop-down menu to see the latest information on their specific route(s), when the route will be changing and links to additional detailed information.

“The Queens Bus Network Redesign is a game-changer for the 800,000 borough residents who ride an MTA bus each day. As we prepare for the official rollout of the redesign this summer to speed up commutes and make our system easier to navigate, I encourage all our straphangers in Queens to get informed on potential changes to your most frequently used routes,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I was proud to work hand-in-hand with the MTA and all our partners on this plan and I couldn’t be more excited to see what a world of difference it will make in the daily lives of our neighbors as they travel to work, school and everywhere in between.”

The implementation of the new bus network will take place in two phases, aligning with regular seasonal timetable changes on Sunday, June 29, and Sunday, August 31, or the respective next regular service day. In Phase One, 16 new routes will launch, 67 routes will change, and five routes will be discontinued. In Phase Two, one new route will launch, 37 routes will change, and one route will be discontinued. The final plan includes a total of 124 routes (vs 113 existing): 94 local routes, and 30 express routes.

For Rockaway’s buses, the Q22, Q35 and Q52 routes will change August 31. Rockaway’s express buses, the QM15, QM16 and QM17 will change on September 2.

The Q22 service west of Beach 116th Street will be discontinued and replaced by the Q35. To the east, the Q22 will be extended to the Far Rockaway LIRR station. Two extended trips per day will serve Bayswater.

The Q35 will be rerouted from Newport Ave. to Rockaway Beach Blvd. It will also be extended east to terminate at the Beach 108th Street ferry landing instead of Beach 116th Street. The Q52 will be extended further east to Beach 50th Street in Edgemere. You must use OMNY to pay your fare if you board at Beach Channel Dr and Beach 51st Street.

The QM15 will keep its current routing. The Queens-bound stop at 153 Ave./151 Ave. been removed. The QM16 will keep its current routing. PM peak frequencies will decrease slightly.

The new route look-up tool works with Google Translate, which enables customers to read information about their specific route(s) in their preferred language. For additional ways to learn of new travel options, customers are encouraged to visit mta.info/queensbus, where they can preview the new network with Remix, an interactive web-based mapping tool that enables customers to see if and how the route changes in the new network.

While NYC DOT will continue to change physical signage at bus stops throughout the spring in order to complete the necessary work by the launch dates, all Queens Redesign-related service changes will take place on June 29 and August 31, 2025, or the next respective regular service day. During this time, customers can rely on the MTA app and Bus Time to provide the most accurate service information. In addition, the MTA is installing signage alerting customers to the upcoming Queens Redesign changes in the permanent Guide-A-Ride (GAR) boxes that can be found on most bus stop poles.

As part of the public education campaign that began on Feb. 20, on-board bus announcements and additional digital and print signage will go up across bus stops, buses and the subway system this spring, alerting customers that changes to the decades-old Queens bus network are coming this summer. And in addition to promoting the phasing information across all MTA channels, the project team plans to present to Queens community boards in April and May. Pop-up outreach events will be announced as the first implementation date, June 29, approaches as well as more details about the planned Customer Ambassador Program.