On the Express: Queens express buses offer a smooth ride to Manhattan, for the most part

A typical weekday in NYC starts with the buzz of an alarm clock, leaving the house on time and battling the sounds of honking horns before tackling a seemingly never-ending to-do list.

But a ride on a Queens express bus offers a quiet reprieve within that hectic morning routine. Cushioned seats, a quiet ride and friendly drivers are some of the features that make a Queens express bus commute worth the ride.

amNewYork rode the QM34, one of more than two dozen express buses that serve Queens residents, on a recent Thursday. According to the MTA’s bus tracker, the bus arrived on time at Eliot Avenue and 85th Street in Middle Village. As the last stop in Queens, it took the bus around 15 minutes to reach the Queens Midtown Tunnel via the Long Island Expressway.

Only three people boarded the bus at amNewYork’s stop, and only about 14 passengers were already onboard. That’s a far cry from Staten Island express buses, where passengers are often stuck standing in the aisle on their nearly two-hour commutes into Manhattan. Of course, it was also late August, prime time for summer vacations.

Commuter Lisa Allie Reardon is a Queens express bus fan. She takes both the QM34 and QM24.

“I love the express buses,” she enthusiastically said. “The drivers are friendly, and the buses are clean.”

The express bus is her preferred method of public transit into Manhattan.

“It beats taking the subway. I’ve been taking them for over 30 years now,” she said.

Other riders described the $7 Queens express bus rides as “really good” and “peaceful.”

An express bus arrives at Eliot Avenue and 85th Street in Maspeth, Queens.Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon

Still, not every ride promises a rose garden. Many Queens express buses are at the mercy of the ever-crowded Long Island Expressway.

While the Aug. 28 QM34 was an easy ride on the LIE’s service road, two of the expressway’s westbound lanes were blocked due to FDNY activity.

As a result, other express buses, including the QM15, were in the QM34’s rearview mirror.

Staten Island express buses: Riders express a different experience

Meanwhile, across the city and across a bridge, Staten Island commuters are advocating to improve their express bus services. They have expressed frustration about late and canceled buses, as well as overcrowding. The borough, with only the Staten Island Ferry as the other public transit option into Manhattan, relies heavily on express bus service.

Borough President Vito Fossella met with MTA officials last month at Borough Hall to go over ways to improve service. According to the beep, there were more than 1,400 weekday express bus cancellations in June and July.

The MTA said improvements were made recently on Staten Island, including personnel changes, retraining employees on service standards, and stricter enforcement of repair and maintenance protocols, to get buses back on the road faster.

In the meantime, the MTA is planning a fare hike for its subways and buses in January. Express bus fare throughout the city will likely increase from $7 to $7.25 for a one-way ride.