u/Takethismafiaup

I did pretty well with my last express bus route proposal for the Bee Line. The only consistant complaint was that the Bee Line wouldn't have the money for it.

Anyways, if you've been to Astoria, Randalls Island, Port Chester or Harlem, you know that you can access all 3 boroughs via use of the Triborough/RFK bridge. However, one thing ive noticed is that from the queens side, theres no way to get into the bronx without having to go all the back to Manhattan which is unfortunate because theres definetly a decent number of people who need to go from queens to the bronx all the time. I see it when a horde of people come off the M60 at lexington to crowd the 4, 5 and 6 trains.

Im thinking a route called the BX37 could help alleviate crowding on the lexington av lines by offering folks an alternative comming from Queens to continue there trip via bus or get on the subway at a later less congested stop via the bus.

For its stops in Queens, it can honestly just have one stop, which would be Hoyt Av, 31 st. It's also easier for the operator to loop around to the other direction in this area since it's a service road. Also, other routes cover the Astoria neighborhood well enough + N and W trains are nearby.

Then it'll go on the bridge and use I-278 to head into the Bronx onto 138 St and make additional stops on 138 St until it reaches its terminal, 3 Av 138 St. I know its a short route but it's again just meant to connect 2 boroughs and connect to the other lengthier routes nearby.

Available Bus and subway connections: (N), (W), (6), <6>, BX1, BX2, M60 SBS, Q19, M125, BX21, BX33, BX32

Scheduling: I think that 1 trip every 30 minutes would suffice. It's not a long route, and it doesn't make too many stops. However, im not opposed to it having a rush hour only schedule like the M98 or BX20.

Let me know what you think. It honestly seems like a no brainer that I wouldnt be surprise if the MTA already has a route like this in the works.

I always wondered why the Bee Line never operated as many express buses into Manhattan compared to New Jersey Transit, with over 50+ routes. The ridership is certainly there as ive seen BXM4C buses packed with every seat filled.

I digress, I remember the BXM4C used to go as far down as Wall Street before it got cut back to 5th Avenue, along with weekend service. I think it's time in 2026 when bus ridership is getting back to pre-COVID ridership levels and in some parts of the system record high, Bee Line should take advantage and add another express line alongside the BXM4C. I'm proposing the BXM18C, or I guess, in the Bee Line system, it would be called, like, the 27? Anyways, these are the resurrected stops that would be brought back to the new route in question on the Manhattan portion:

• Chambers Street / Centre Street (Near City Hall)
• Broadway / Cortlandt Street (World Trade Center area)
• Broadway / Wall Street (Trinity Church / Stock Exchange)
• Broadway / Battery Place (Bowling Green / Battery Park)
• Whitehall Street / South Ferry
• Water Street / Broad Street
• Water Street / Wall Street / Gouveneur Lane
• Water Street / Fulton Street
• Pearl Street
• Madison Ave and 23rd

From here, the route will run alongside the BXM4C in Manhattan until its final Northbound Manhattan stop, Madison Avenue and 99 St)

Then the bus will run on i95 until the exit on i95 and East 222nd Street. Run along Boston Post Rd and possibly make 1 or 2 drop-off stops. MTA does permit Bee Line to run some of its routes in the Bronx, but I'm not sure if express bus drop-off / pick up in the Bronx was in the agreement. Could cause some competition for the nearby MTA Bronx express buses like the BXM10. Anyways it can make 1 or 2 drop-off stops in the Bronx portion of Boston Post Road and then go straight until it gets to Pelham Manor. It can make several drop-off/pick-up stops along Boston Rd, as it will continue to go straight as the road turns into Main St. Then, makes a turn onto North Av, making more pick up / drop offs until it finally reaches its terminal in New Rochelle.

Pros:

I think it would be a great route. It offers straphangers the opportunity to not have to go all the way to Grand Central from downtown to get to their home or work in Westchester County. They can take the bus to New Rochelle and save money on Metro-North peak fare and overcrowding. For those in Westchester County, it offers express service to Manhattan from Pelham Manor, which riders would otherwise have to take a bus to connect to the start of the 5 train, which is a long route. For both sides, it offers a nice alternative when the Metro North might be going through bad service delays/disruptions.

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Cons:

Bee-Line still uses the aging Orion Suburbans, which I have no hate for but they are extremely old and don't think they are in good enough shape to run on a new pilot route.

Traffic can also be really bad, making the bus less of an option for people. The Metro North does face service delays or disruptions, but they aren't as bad or frequent as Amtrak / New Jersey Transit. They can pretty much hold their own weight, so people might be comfortable just taking the train as it is. Even if it means having to crowd on a Lexington Avenue train from downtown for a few stops until Grand Central.

For whatever reason, Bee Line charges a little more than the MTA's standard express bus fare. What's even more audacious is that you don't get a 2-hour transfer either. This severely compromises the route because another good selling point was that people would be able to transfer onto the subway or another Bee Line route if need be and travel more coverage that a train would otherwise be limited to by tracks.

Let me know what you think. 😄