Since its initial launch in 2008, Select Bus Service (SBS) routes have been increasing the speed of bus service in all boroughs except for Queens.

That’s about to change.

The community engagement process for Queens’ first SBS route, which will run along Woodhaven Boulevard, is now underway. The New York City Department of Transportation and the MTA will be holding a series of public workshops, the first of which is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. at JHS 210 Elizabeth Blackwell, 93-11 101st Avenue in Jamaica, Queens.

This project focuses on converting the limited-stop Q52/53 bus routes that travel along the Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard corridor to SBS. The corridor’s massive width – six central lanes and four service lanes – allows for the potential to employ full-featured bus rapid transit (BRT), complete with exclusive bus lanes in the center median, that could help decrease travel time by 30 percent.

As part of a Citywide Congested Corridors Project, the City has been studying traffic patterns along the 3.2 miles of Woodhaven Boulevard from Queens Boulevard to Liberty Avenue/Rockaway Boulevard. The study found that the corridor is one of the most dangerous corridors in the city for drivers and pedestrians, with long crossing distances, heavy congestion at certain intersections and slow bus service. And although some spot improvements have been made, safety issues persist. People who use this road every day – pedestrians, transit riders, cyclists and drivers – remain at serious risk for injury or death. Earlier this year, Woodhaven Boulevard was named Queens’ most dangerous road for walking for the second year in a row in TSTC’s annual Most Dangerous Roads analysis.

Share your concerns and ideas about bus service and pedestrian safety in the Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard corridor on Wednesday, April 23 and learn how key features like bus lanes, pedestrian islands, and improved signalization can transform this deadly street into a safer corridor.