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Route description and service

Q29 service runs seven days a week, from 4:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. between 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and 80th Street and Myrtle Avenue in Glendale. Weekdays in the peak direction between 6:30 and 8:00 a.m., alternate buses terminate at Queens Blvd and 59th Avenue near the Queens Center Mall.^[1][2]

History

On November 28, 1931, the Kings Coach Company began operating the Q29, 90th Street Crosstown, bus route.^[3] On November 11, 1932, the New York City Board of Estimate deferred action on the forms of contracts with six companies, and approved them for nine companies, including for the Q29 by Kings Coach, completing a step in the operation of regular bus service in Queens under one-year franchises. Nearly all the bus contracts approved were opposed by rival bus companies, and trolley and railroad companies.^[4]

The Kings Coach Company received a one-year franchise for the bus route from New York City on December 30, 1932. On June 19, 1933, a Certificate of Public Need and Necessity took effect for the remainder of the duration of the franchise for the route.^[3] On March 6, 1934, the franchise division office of the secretary of the New York City Board of Estimate published a list of bus routes for which franchises would be awarded, including the Q29. The contracts for all of these routes, except for the Q20, expired one year following the execution of their contracts by the Mayor. The companies with the contracts provided a return to the city of 10 percent of profits. While several civic groups in Queens had requested that the city grant long-term franchises to bus operators that had satisfactorily operated their routes, the Board of Estimate proceeded with plans to continue to grant one-year franchises based on bids and the best all-around conditions that were offered. It was expected that the Board of Estimate would approve the routes on March 16, 1934, and put them out for bid on April 5, 1934. As part of the agreement for new franchises, all routes, except for the Q21 and Q22, were to require a flat five-cent fare.^[5]

On November 14, 1934, the New York City Board of Estimate approved 15 five-year franchises covering 28 bus routes. Each franchise contract had a clause allowing them to be revoked if city adopted Mayor LaGuardia's proposal to municipalize operation of the Queens bus system. The Board approved all contracts before it, including for the Q29 to Kings Coach Corporation, except those for Transit Coach Corporation and Nevins Queens Lines. The previous week, Mayor LaGuardia presented his plan for municipal operation of Queens bus service to the Board in a resolution. Under his proposal, a board of directors would control new contracts forming limited dividend corporations. The board of directors would consist of two members of the Board of Estimate, a member of the Board of Transportation, and three representatives that would be elected by stockholders of the operating company. This would allow the city to partially directly control the bus system. As the debt used in setting up the limited dividend corporations was amortized, the city would take control of the bus system.^[6]

On July 5, 1935, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court issued a decision reversing Justice Lockwood's denial of a Writ Of Mandamus that directed the city to legalize the operation of 28 bus lines in Queens, including the Q29, that had been operating under temporary permits, with some operating under expired franchises. The court found that New York City was without authority in operating its own bus lines absent an express statute or legislative authority, and that the routes had to be franchised. However, it stayed its own decision, permitting the city to take time to resolve the issue.^[7] On July 18, 1935, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court ruled that 18 bus routes operating temporary permits, including the Q29, could operate for another six months, before having to be discontinued or made compliant with the transportation law.^[8]

On September 24, 1936, the Triboro Coach Corporation took over the Q29 route. During this takeover, it also took over the Q23 from the North Shore Bus Company, Q33 from the Municipal Motor Bus Company, the Q38 from the Affiliated Bus Transit Corporation, and the Q39 from National City Lines.^{[9][10][11][12]}

On January 15, 1954, the Triboro Coach Corporation opened the East Elmhurst Depot, replacing Woodside Depots, which closed during the same year. The Q29 was moved into the East Elmhurst Depot.^[13]

Around August 2000, the Q29 was severly detoured in both directions due to the closure of the Long Island Expressway for construction purposes. The route towards Jackson Heights ran to Woodhaven Blvd on Queens Blvd, turned left on Queens Blvd to 63rd Drive, and then turned right on 63rd Drive onto Woodhaven Blvd to return to its regular route. Towards Glendale, the route ran to Queens Blvd on 57th Av, turned left on Queens Blvd to 62nd Road, turned right on 62nd Road to Weatherhole Street, turned left on Weatherhole Street onto Woodhaven Blvd and then turned left on Woodhaven Blvd back onto the regular route.^[14]

On February 2, 2006, the Triboro Coach Corporation was taken over by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), under MTA Bus Company. In term, all routes were sent to the newly formed corporation, including the Q29.^[15] On April 10, 2006, while the MTA was decommisioning the depot of its CNG operations, the depot bursted into flames after a gas compressor station blew. Service on all routes was severly disrupted, which included the loss of buses stationary at the depot^[16]

Bus redesign

In December 2019, the MTA released a draft for the Queens Bus Redesign. As part of the draft, the Q29 was discontinued completely, with chunks of the route being taken over by others. The QT10, which would've ran between Marine Air Terminal and Woodhaven Blvd, would replace the 82nd St and Hampton St corridors up to the terminus in Woodhaven, while the QT82, which would've ran between East Elmhurst and Glendale, would replace service down 80th St south of Woodhaven Blvd. The Redesign was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the city in 2020, ^[17] and the draft plan was dropped due to negative feedback from the public.

A new revised draft was released in March 2022.^[18] The Q29 was cut completely similar to the 2019 draft, with the route being replaced by other newly created routes. The new Q21, running between Jackson Heights and Howard Beach, would take over the Hampton St/92 St Portion to/from Woodhaven Blvd. The Q80 would've taken over the Dry Harbor Road corridor to Glendale. In December 2023, the final plan for the redesign was released.^[19] The route was not changed, but would have multiple stops removed in an effort to have improved stop spacing. Frequencies were also changed to match the patterns of ridership.

The final draft for the Queens Bus Redesign was released in December 2023. The plan would keep the Q29 intact, while removing some bus stops along the way. On December 17, 2024, addendums to the final plan were released. The plan approved by the MTA Board, with two phases to occur during the summer. The Q29 was apart of Phase I, which began on June 29, 2025. Despite no major route changes, the Q29 was moved from MTA Bus Company's LaGuardia Bus Depot to New York City Transit's Grand Av Bus Depot.

See also

• Q58 (New York City bus)

References

External Links

Media related to Buses in Queens, New York City at Wikimedia Commons

Q029 029