Bx18 (New York City bus)

Last updated

bx18A
bx18B
170th Street Circulator Loop Line
MTA NYC logo.svg
Overview
System MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator New York City Transit Authority
Garage Kingsbridge Depot
Vehicle Nova Bus LFS
Nova Bus LFS HEV
New Flyer Xcelsior XE40
Began serviceJune 22, 1941
Route
Locale The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Communities served Morrisania, Morris Heights, Highbridge
Start Morrisania  – East 170th Street & Grand Concourse (clockwise)
ViaMacombs Road, Undercliff Avenue, West 168th Street (Bx18A only), Sedgwick Avenue, Macombs Road (Bx18B only)
End Morrisania  – East 170th Street & Grand Concourse (counterclockwise)
Service
OperatesAll times except late nights
Annual patronage292,659 (2023) [1]
TransfersYes
Timetable Bx18 bus
  Bx17  {{{system_nav}}}  Bx19  

The Bx18A and Bx18B (collectively referred to as Bx18A/B or Bx18) bus routes constitute the 170th Street Circulator Loop Line. These bus routes run through a loop after 170th Street. The Bx18A goes through Undercliff Avenue while the Bx18B follows Sedgwick Avenue until turning back to 170th Street.

Contents

Route description

The Bx18A and Bx18B loop route begins at 170th Street and Grand Concourse near the 170th Street station. Then it continues on through the street line until at the 170th Street-Jerome Avenue station. Turning around against to loops. The Bx18A goes through Macombs Road then turns slightly left to Undercliff Avenue. The Bx18B does the same thing at Macombs but it only turns slightly left to Sedgwick Avenue. Those two bus routes finally meet again via 168th Street. And lastly, their destination is at 170th Street and Grand Concourse near the 170th Street station as of an clockwise.

History

The Bx18 started as a single route on June 22, 1941. The original eastern terminus was at Claremont Parkway-Webster Avenue.

Service was cut back to its current terminus in July 1974. The original western terminus was at Andrews Avenue-West 175th Street. It was extended west via the former Bx39 service (which was discontinued in 1953) to the River Park Towers in July 1974.

On June 26, 2022, the route was extended south from River Park Towers to 168th Street and east on 168th Street, Shakespeare Avenue, and 170th Street to the Grand Concourse, making it a loop route. On January 8, 2023, the Bx18 was split into the Bx18A and Bx18B to label each loop. [2] [3] [4]

As part of a pilot program by the MTA to make five bus routes free (one in each borough), the Bx18 was selected alongside the B60, M116, Q4 and S46/96 to become fare-free in July 2023. [5] [6] The pilot program would last six to twelve months and buses would display a "Fare Free" sign, similar to the one used on the Q70. [7] The pilot will run from September 24, 2023 until at least March 30, 2024. [8] [9] [10] Though ten U.S. Congress members requested in April 2024 that the state government provide additional funding for the fare-free pilot program, [11] [12] state lawmakers declined to reauthorize funding for the program. [13] The fare-free program ended on August 31, 2024. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroCard</span> Public transit payment system in the New York City area

The MetroCard is a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on transportation in the New York City area. It is a payment method for the New York City Subway, New York City Transit buses and MTA buses. The MetroCard is also accepted by several partner agencies: Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), the PATH train system, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Subway stations</span> Rapid transit system in New York City

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system that serves four of the five boroughs of New York City, New York: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Its operator is the New York City Transit Authority, which is itself controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York. In 2015, an average of 5.65 million passengers used the system daily, making it the busiest rapid transit system in the United States and the 11th busiest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station</span> New York City Subway station in Queens

The Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station is a two-level station on the IND and BMT Archer Avenue Lines of the New York City Subway. It is located at the intersection of Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. It is served by the E and J trains at all times, as well as the Z train during rush hours in the peak direction. This station has four tracks and two island platforms, with two platform levels: E trains stop on the upper level while J/Z trains stop on the lower level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B60 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The Wilson Avenue Line is a public transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, running along Wilson Avenue and Rockaway Avenue between Williamsburg and Canarsie. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the B60 bus route, operated by MTA New York City Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B15 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Brooklyn, New York

The Sumner Avenue Line and New Lots Avenue Line were two streetcar lines in Brooklyn, New York City, running mainly along Marcus Garvey Boulevard, East 98th Street, and New Lots Avenue between northern Bedford–Stuyvesant and New Lots. Originally streetcar lines, the two lines were combined as a bus route in 1947. That bus route became the present B15 Marcus Garvey Boulevard / New Lots Avenue service, operated by MTA New York City Bus' East New York Depot in East New York. The B15 continues east from New Lots to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City transit fares</span>

The fares for services operated under the brands of MTA Regional Bus, New York City Subway, Staten Island Railway (SIR), PATH, Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, NYC Ferry, and the suburban bus operators Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) and Westchester County Bee-Line System (Bee-Line) are listed below. As of 2024, most bus routes, the subway, the Staten Island Railway, and the Roosevelt Island Tramway charge a $2.90 fare; a higher fare is charged for ferries, express buses, and the AirTrain JFK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M116 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Manhattan, New York

The 116th Street Line is a public transit line in Manhattan, running mostly along 116th Street. Originally a streetcar line, it is now the M116 bus route operated by the New York City Transit Authority, operating between the Upper West Side and East Harlem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q4 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens, New York

The Q4 bus route constitutes a public transit corridor running along Merrick Boulevard and the easternmost portion of Linden Boulevard in southeastern Queens, New York City. The route runs from the Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station to Cambria Heights near the Queens–Nassau County border. The Q4 also provides limited-stop service along the corridor during peak weekday hours. The route is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the New York City Transit brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q6 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens, New York

The Q6 constitutes a bus route between Jamaica, Queens, and John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City. Originally operated by Green Bus Lines, it is now operated by the MTA Bus Company. It does not serve the terminals at JFK Airport. Limited-stop service, which began in 2010, operates in the peak direction during rush hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q37 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens, New York

The Q37 bus route constitutes a public transit line in Queens, New York City, running primarily along 111th Street between Kew Gardens and South Ozone Park. The Q37 was formerly privately operated by Green Bus Lines, under a subsidized franchise with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). The route is now operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the MTA Bus Company brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bx1 and Bx2 buses</span> Bus routes in the Bronx, New York

The Bx1 and Bx2 are two bus routes that run on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, New York City. The routes, which are operated by the MTA Regional Bus Operations, also follow Sedgwick Avenue and Mosholu Parkway for a short distance at their northern end. As the numbers suggest, these were the first two bus routes in the Bronx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTA Regional Bus Operations</span> Bus operator in New York City

MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It was created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations in New York City operated by the MTA. As of February 2018, MTA Regional Bus Operations runs 234 local routes, 71 express routes, and 20 Select Bus Service routes. Its fleet of 5,840 buses is the largest municipal bus fleet in the United States and operates 24/7. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 730,924,600, or about 2,531,200 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q70 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens, New York

The LaGuardia Link Q70 Select Bus Service bus route is a public transit line in Queens, New York City, running primarily along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. It runs between the 61st Street–Woodside station—with transfers to the New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road—and Terminals B and C at LaGuardia Airport, with one intermediate stop at the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station. This route is operated by MTA Regional Bus Operations under the MTA Bus Company brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q55 (New York City bus)</span> Bus route in Queens, New York

The Richmond Hill Line is a surface transit line on Myrtle Avenue in Queens, New York City. Once a streetcar line owned by the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, it was replaced on April 26, 1950 by the B55 bus route. The trolley tracks were not removed until April 1955, when Myrtle Avenue was being repaved. On December 11, 1988, the bus was relabeled as the Q55 Myrtle Avenue (East) bus route (as opposed to the B54 route on the western portion of Myrtle Avenue), operated by the New York City Transit Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Turnpike express buses</span> Express bus routes in Queens and Manhattan, New York

The QM1, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, QM31, QM35, and QM36 bus routes constitute a public transit line in New York City, operating express between Northeast Queens and Midtown or Downtown Manhattan. The routes operate primarily on Union Turnpike in Queens, and travel non-stop via Queens Boulevard, the Long Island Expressway, and the Midtown Tunnel or Queensboro Bridge between Queens and Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technology of the New York City Subway</span>

Since the late 20th century, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started several projects to maintain and improve the New York City Subway. Some of these projects, such as subway line automation, proposed platform screen doors, the FASTRACK maintenance program, and infrastructural improvements proposed in 2015–2019 Capital Program, contribute toward improving the system's efficiency. Others, such as train-arrival "countdown clocks", "Help Point" station intercoms, "On the Go! Travel Station" passenger kiosks, wireless and cellular network connections in stations, MetroCard fare payment alternatives, and digital ads, are meant to benefit individual passengers. Yet others, including the various methods of subway construction, do not directly impact the passenger interface, but are used to make subway operations efficient.

OMNY is a contactless fare payment system, currently being implemented for use on public transit in the New York metropolitan area. OMNY can currently be used to pay fares at all New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway stations, on all MTA buses, AirTrain JFK, Metro North's Hudson Rail Link, and on the Roosevelt Island Tram; when completely rolled out, it will also replace the MetroCard on Bee-Line buses, and NICE buses. OMNY will also expand beyond the current scope of the MetroCard to include the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Central Madison</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Manhattan, New York

Grand Central Madison is a commuter rail terminal for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the East Side Access project, the new terminal started construction in 2008 and opened on January 25, 2023. The station sits beneath Grand Central Terminal, which serves the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Metro-North Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zohran Mamdani</span> Ugandan-American politician

Zohran Kwame Mamdani is a Ugandan-born American Democratic Socialist politician. He is the assembly member for the 36th district of the New York State Assembly, in Queens. Mamdani was elected after defeating incumbent Democrat Aravella Simotas in the 2020 primary.

The Interborough Express (IBX) is a proposed 14-mile (23 km) 24/7 light rail line in New York City. As proposed, the line would operate on its own separate tracks within the existing right-of-way from the Bay Ridge Branch and Fremont Secondary to connect Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and Jackson Heights, Queens. Near the All Faiths Cemetery in Queens, IBX would operate on the street. As of 2023 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) estimated that the project would be operational in 2027.

References

  1. "Subway and bus ridership for 2023". mta.info. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  2. "DRAFT PLAN:Bronx Bus Network Redesign" (PDF). MTA. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  3. "FINAL PLAN:The Bronx Bus Network Redesign". MTA. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  4. "Final Plan:Bx18 Local". MTA. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  5. Brachfeld, Ben (July 17, 2023). "MTA announces five bus routes for fare-free pilot". amNewYork. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  6. "Free bus routes will be part of MTA pilot program heading to NYC this fall". NBC New York. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  7. "Governor Hochul Announces Fare Free Bus Routes Included in MTA Pilot". www.governor.ny.gov. New York State Government. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. "Fare-free pilot on five MTA bus routes". new. Metropolitan Transit Authority. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  9. Charlesworth, Michelle (September 23, 2023). "NYC officials assures New Yorkers new MTA fare-free bus program is 'not a pipe dream'". abc7ny.com. ABC 7 New York. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  10. "Free NYC bus routes in each borough start Sunday as part of MTA program: What to know". nbcnewyork.com. NBC New York. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  11. Shkurhan, Iryna (April 6, 2024). "Members of Congress ask Hochul to fund more fare-free buses amid state budget negotiations – QNS". QNS. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  12. Brachfeld, Ben (March 12, 2024). "State lawmakers propose $90 million for more frequent buses, fare-free pilot in budget response". amNewYork. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  13. Brachfeld, Ben (April 21, 2024). "MTA's free bus experiment will end after not being reauthorized in state budget". amNewYork. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  14. Matteo, Mike (August 29, 2024). "NYC fare-free bus pilot to end this weekend: What riders on Staten Island need to know". silive. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  15. Dawson, Athena (August 29, 2024). "MTA's fare-free bus program slated to end in Queens this week". QNS. Retrieved September 1, 2024.