Q10 (New York City bus)
| Company type | Public transportation route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transit |
| Predecessor | Travelers Bus Lines, Green Bus Lines |
| Founded | 1931 |
| Founder | New York City Board of Estimate (authorized route) |
| Headquarters | Queens, New York City , United States |
Area served | Queens, New York City |
| Owner | MTA Bus Company (a division of MTA Regional Bus Operations) |
| Website | web |
The Q10 bus route serves as a vital public transportation corridor within Queens, New York City, primarily running along Lefferts Boulevard between the subway connection at Kew Gardens and the Lefferts Boulevard station of the AirTrain JFK at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Initially operated by Green Bus Lines, the route is currently under the management of the MTA Bus Company, a division of MTA Regional Bus Operations.
Route description and service
The Q10 provides two service options: a local route that stops at every designated stop, and a limited-stop variant that bypasses select stops. The limited service operates daily from approximately 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM.
Heading southbound, the Q10 begins at the Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike subway station, offering connections to subway lines serving eastern Queens. The route follows 80th Road and Austin Street before turning south onto Lefferts Boulevard, continuing to Rockaway Boulevard. Local buses then turn left onto Rockaway Boulevard to cover South Ozone Park, proceeding along 130th Street and 150th Avenue before arriving at the AirTrain JFK station on Lefferts Boulevard via Pan Am Road. In contrast, limited-stop buses take a more direct path along Lefferts Boulevard straight to the AirTrain station. During evening peak periods, some local buses originate at Queens Boulevard and 80th Road, traveling to either 150th Avenue or directly to the AirTrain station.
For northbound trips, the Q10 commences at Lefferts Boulevard station. Limited-stop buses travel directly north, while local buses take a longer circuitous route via Pan Am Road, 134th Street, 150th Avenue, 130th Street, and Rockaway Boulevard before rejoining Lefferts Boulevard. Both services continue northeast to Kew Gardens Road and conclude at 80th Road. During morning rush hours, certain local trips start from 150th Avenue.
Prior to 2006, an express service labeled Q10A operated nonstop between Kew Gardens and JFK Airport Terminal 4 during morning rush hours via the Van Wyck Expressway. This express offering was discontinued and replaced by the current Q10 Limited service.
Early operation
Around 1921, the New York City Board of Estimate authorized a bus route linking South Ozone Park and Jamaica along Lefferts Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard. This line connected Jamaica Avenue near 114th Street with Richmond Hill Circle in South Ozone Park, Queens. During the 1920s, this route was incorporated into the Lefferts–Bergen Landing line managed by the NYC Department of Plant & Structure, following Lefferts Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard, and Old South Road. In 1925, the Richmond Hill Bus Corporation submitted an application for a franchise to operate this service.
The designation Q10 was introduced in 1931 for a route primarily serving Lefferts and Rockaway Boulevards. Initially, it operated three branches: Old South Road (close to today’s Belt Parkway), Hamilton Beach, and Richmond Hill Circle. The Old South Road branch was later rerouted to Rockaway Boulevard and became the most frequent service with buses arriving every two minutes during peak times. Service to Hamilton Beach ran every eight minutes during rush periods but did not operate in early mornings.
On November 11, 1932, contracts were approved by the Board of Estimate for nine companies including Travelers Bus Company, which had been incorporated in October 1931 and sought rights to operate the Q10 route. Travelers Bus Lines was awarded a one-year franchise on December 30, 1932, effective March 17, 1933. The route was extended by about three miles on July 4, 1934. A new franchise contract was granted on June 5, 1935, extending operations through December 31, 1938.
In 1936, Queens was divided into four bus operating zones for franchising purposes. The Q10 fell within Zone C—covering Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and the Rockaways—and was assigned to Green Bus Lines. On November 15, 1936, Green Bus Lines took over operation of the Q10 route from Travelers Bus Lines.
Subway and Airport Connections
On March 19, 1941, modifications were made to the Q10 bus route to enhance safety and improve its link with the Independent Subway System (IND) at Kew Gardens. Previously, passengers disembarked on Kew Gardens Road, a location that had witnessed three fatal traffic accidents. After intervention by Councilman James A. Burke, traffic flow on Austin Street and 80th Road was reversed, enabling buses to conclude their trips adjacent to the subway entrance. This terminal loop configuration remains intact to this day.
Following the inauguration of Idlewild Airport in 1947, Green Bus Lines obtained exclusive transit privileges, extending the Q10 service from Richmond Hill Circle directly to the airport. On February 9, 1962, the Board of Estimate approved Green Bus Lines’ request to introduce the Q10A express route to Idlewild Airport (currently JFK), which operated along the Van Wyck Expressway during weekday mornings with a fare of 25 cents.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, many travelers to JFK opted for the subway combined with the Q10 as a more economical alternative to taxi services. A 2004 study by Urbitran Associates revealed that the Q10 operated at peak frequencies of up to 12 buses per hour and recommended discontinuing the Q10A in favor of a limited-stop version of the Q10 running along Lefferts Boulevard. This proposal aimed to increase peak service frequency to 18 buses per hour and expedite travel times between JFK Airport and Lefferts Boulevard in both directions.
2000s and 2010s
On January 9, 2006, operations of Green Bus Lines routes were transferred to the MTA Bus Company. Subsequently, on September 3, 2006, the Q10A service was eliminated due to low patronage and overlap with AirTrain JFK, replaced by a Q10 Limited service that operated with limited stops on weekdays and Saturdays. At this point, AirTrain JFK assumed coverage for all JFK terminals except Terminal 4. To increase ridership, limited-stop service was extended to Sundays with longer operating hours starting April 6, 2008.
Beginning September 4, 2011, Q10 local buses traveling along Lefferts Boulevard were rerouted to stay on Lefferts Boulevard south of Conduit Avenue and proceed into JFK Airport via Pan Am Road. This change discontinued service along Conduit Avenue and access to JFK at 134th Street.
Due to construction activities at Terminal 4 on May 30, 2012, Q10 buses were redirected to terminate at Terminal 5 near the former Terminal 6 site. On February 24, 2013, short-turn buses adjusted their routing to circumvent congestion and safety concerns near a sanitation yard and a narrow residential street.
Effective April 28, 2013, all Q10 buses operating via Lefferts Boulevard south of Rockaway Boulevard transitioned exclusively to limited-stop service. Additional stops were incorporated and service hours expanded to match previous local schedules.
On May 4, 2013, articulated buses replaced standard-length vehicles on the Q10 route—making it the second route in Queens after another line to adopt these higher-capacity buses. As one of the city’s top three busiest routes frequently experiencing overcrowding, this upgrade enhanced passenger capacity but faced resistance from some local residents and businesses worried about traffic flow and parking impacts. Following this change, service frequency was slightly reduced in April 2014.
The New York City Department of Transportation’s 2017 Bus Forward report identified the Q10 Limited as a potential candidate for conversion into Select Bus Service.
On January 8, 2018, the Q10 route within JFK Airport was altered for a more streamlined path; two low-ridership stops near 150th Avenue and Van Wyck Expressway service road were removed in favor of routing along 134th Street. In June 2019, MTA proposed rerouting the southbound local segment between 130th and 134th Streets onto South Conduit Avenue instead of traveling via 150th and 149th Avenues to avoid an unsuitable bus stop located near a sanitation yard.
Queens bus network overhaul
In December 2019, the MTA unveiled a preliminary plan to revamp the Queens bus system. This proposal suggested eliminating the Q10 and Q64 routes in favor of a high-frequency "intra-borough" service designated as the QT14, operating between Electchester and the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain station. The plan involved removing local stops and limited service south of the AirTrain station. However, implementation was postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, and widespread opposition resulted in abandoning the initial draft.
By February 2022, adjustments were made to the Q10 local and limited services, shortening their route to terminate at Lefferts Boulevard station. This change accommodated ongoing construction at JFK Airport and was expected to remain in effect through at least 2026. The segment no longer served by the Q10 was covered by an extended Q3 route.
A subsequent redesign introduced in March 2022 redefined the Q10 as a "limited-stop" line with an increased number of stops compared to its previous iteration. The northern extension reached Electchester via Queens Boulevard and Jewel Avenue, aligning with the earlier proposed QT14 routing. Local service within South Ozone Park was discontinued, and the southern endpoint remained fixed at Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain station.
The finalized redesign plan, published in December 2023, retained the Q10 as a limited-stop route without extending it northward or merging it with the Q64.
On December 17, 2024, supplementary adjustments reinstated the Q10 local branch as a "rush hour" service featuring a more direct route through South Ozone Park. The limited branch was replaced by a newly created Q80 route. This revised strategy received approval from the MTA Board on January 29, 2025, with rollout planned in two stages during Summer 2025. Both routes are included in Phase II starting August 31, 2025; concurrently, the Q80 designation changed from “Limited” to “Local.”
See also
- Green Bus Lines
- Q37 (New York City bus), a nearby parallel service