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M60 (New York City bus)

From Alfawiki
M60 Select Bus Service
Company typePublic transit bus route
IndustryPublic transportation
PredecessorQ49 (initial designation)
Founded1992
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
Manhattan and Queens, New York City
OwnerMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
ParentManhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA)
Websitenew.mta.info

The M60 Select Bus Service operates as a bus route within New York City, managed by the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA) under the umbrella of New York City Transit. This route links the Upper West Side in Manhattan to LaGuardia Airport located in East Elmhurst, Queens, traversing boroughs via the RFK-Triborough Bridge. Notably, the M60 stands as the sole direct public transit connection between Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.

Initiated in 1992 to serve as an airport shuttle, the M60 mainly caters to passengers traveling crosstown along 125th Street through Harlem, making it the most heavily utilized among four bus lines operating on that corridor. On May 25, 2014, this route was upgraded to a Select Bus Service (SBS) with the goal of enhancing access to the airport and improving transit efficiency along 125th Street.

Route description and service

Beginning at West 106th Street and Broadway on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the M60 heads eastward at 120th Street, then proceeds north along Amsterdam Avenue, before turning east onto 125th Street in the neighborhood of Manhattanville. It offers a limited-stop service along 125th Street through Harlem, complementing local bus routes and . The route crosses into Queens via the Triborough Bridge, continuing along Astoria Boulevard, which runs adjacent to the Grand Central Parkway, and then follows 23rd Avenue up to 94th Street. Along this stretch, it serves limited stops within the communities of Astoria and East Elmhurst. Local transit options in these areas include routes , , and . Upon reaching 94th Street, the M60 turns northward into LaGuardia Airport, making stops at Terminals B, C, and A before returning westbound to Manhattan. Some trips heading east conclude at 125th Street & Lexington Avenue without proceeding into Queens.

The M60 offers connections to several subway lines in Manhattan: the IRT West Side Line, the IND Eighth Avenue Line, the IRT Lenox Avenue Line, and the IRT Lexington Avenue Line. Additionally, it links with the Metro-North station at Harlem–125th Street. In Queens, passengers can transfer to the BMT Astoria Line, which provides access to the BMT Broadway Line.

Local bus route

In 1991, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) proposed establishing a bus service connecting Manhattan with LaGuardia Airport. Initially designated as Q49, it was soon renamed M60. The plan received approval in mid-1992, and service commenced on September 13, 1992, operating between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and LaGuardia Airport. On May 1, 1994, the route was extended to reach Columbia University and the subway station at 116th Street. This extension followed a path along 125th Street, Amsterdam Avenue, 120th Street, Claremont Avenue, and Broadway. The expansion responded to demands from residents of Morningside Heights and West Harlem. A survey conducted revealed that 45% of riders were new users of NYC Transit services; prior to this route they had relied on taxis, private car services, or walking.

By June 1995, the route was lengthened by approximately 0.4 miles to terminate at West 106th Street and Broadway. It was rerouted from Claremont Avenue to Broadway due to community feedback. This adjustment established a direct transit link between LaGuardia Airport and Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Between 1997 and 2004, ridership on the M60 surged by 237%, leading to a reduction in wait times from about twenty minutes down to under ten minutes by the early 2000s. On October 12, 2009, as part of a pilot program involving ten buses aimed at facilitating airport travelers’ needs, luggage racks were installed on M60 buses. Subsequently, starting in August 2011, articulated buses began operating daily on this route; by September 2012 these vehicles fully replaced standard buses on the line.

Select Bus Service route

In 2009, the MTA and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) selected the M60 as a candidate for Phase II of Select Bus Service (SBS), targeting improvements to the sluggish crosstown transit on 125th Street. Additionally, the M60 was included in the LaGuardia Airport Access Alternatives Analysis, a joint effort with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey aimed at enhancing bus connections to LaGuardia Airport. This evaluation focused on addressing delays affecting routes such as the M60, Q33, Q47, Q48, and Q72.[1][2] A 2011 study by the Regional Plan Association recommended implementing dedicated busways along the Grand Central Parkway to accelerate M60 travel times.[3]

The M60 ranks among three SBS routes proposed as part of the LaGuardia Alternatives Analysis.[2] The Q70 Limited transitioned into an SBS service in September 2016,[4] while a planned extension of another route to LaGuardia remains without funding.[5] These initiatives were designed to deliver affordable transit enhancements for LaGuardia, which lacks direct rapid transit links to Manhattan.[6]

Following extensive studies and community engagement through 2011, official plans for the M60 SBS were unveiled in October 2012. As the busiest among four crosstown buses on 125th Street, the M60 was slated for conversion into a limited-stop service that would cut stops from eleven down to six. The plan also included dedicated bus lanes and deployment of articulated buses outfitted with luggage compartments.[7][8] However, opposition from Harlem residents and state senator Bill Perkins concerning parking space reductions delayed implementation in mid-2013.[9][10][11]

In October 2013, after eliminating proposed bus lanes between Morningside Avenue and Lenox Avenue due to community concerns, the project was reinstated.[8] The M60 SBS officially commenced service on May 25, 2014,[12][7][8] with a formal launch event held two days later.[13]

As part of its strategic plan "Extending Transit's Reach" released in January 2023, the MTA announced plans to equip the M60 SBS fleet with bike racks.[14][15] By 2024, all buses on this route had been fitted with these bike racks.[16]

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MTADOTPA-LGAAlt-June2011
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SBS-LGAImproveSummary-2013
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NY1-Q70-Sep2016
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MTA-Transit&Bus-February2014
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NYCDOT-M60SBS-Oct2013
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WNYC-M60Kill-June2013
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SBS-M60Implement-2014
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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