Q72 (New York City bus)
| Company type | Public benefit corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Queens, New York City |
| Products | Bus services |
| Owner | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
| Parent | Metropolitan Transportation Authority |
| Website | www |
The Q72 bus route runs along Junction Boulevard and 94th Street within Queens, New York City, linking the neighborhoods of Rego Park and East Elmhurst before reaching LaGuardia Airport. This route is operated by the MTA Bus Company as part of MTA Regional Bus Operations.
Initially established as a streetcar line known as the North Beach line or Junction Boulevard line, it primarily traveled on what was then Junction Avenue (now Junction Boulevard) to access the North Beach resort area along the Bowery Bay shoreline. Service commenced in the late 1890s, functioning either as a shuttle or connecting the Flushing–Ridgewood Line and Grand Street Line. These streetcar lines were all converted to bus service during the 1940s. From 1961 until its acquisition by MTA Bus Company in 2006, the Junction Boulevard route was privately operated by Triboro Coach.
Streetcar line
The Junction Boulevard line, also called the North Beach line, originated as a branch off the Grand Street and Flushing–Ridgewood lines. It began at Corona Avenue and Junction Avenue (later renamed Junction Boulevard), heading north through Jackson Heights and Corona. The route then proceeded eastward and northward along Old Bowery Road (later known as Jackson Mill Road) passing through East Elmhurst, crossing Jackson Mill Pond, and concluding at a loop near the North Beach amusement area—currently occupied by LaGuardia Airport. During the 1920s, service to the waterfront ended following the decline of North Beach resorts; by 1939, the line was cut back to Ditmars Boulevard and never extended to serve LaGuardia Airport. The combined operation of Grand Street/Grand Avenue and Junction Boulevard was also referred to as the Maspeth−North Beach Line.
Between May 15, 1923, and October 27, 1925, the New York and Queens County Railway utilized tracks on the Junction Boulevard line for routes originating at Northern Boulevard. Trolley service connected College Point, Flushing, and Jamaica to the Junction Boulevard station on the IRT Flushing Line at Roosevelt Avenue. This service concluded when the Flushing Line was extended to 111th Street. Presently, remnants of Jackson Mill Road’s former path are visible in segments of 97th Street, northern sections of 94th Street, and several short street portions that still bear the Jackson Mill Road name.
Current bus service
The Q72 bus commences at Junction Boulevard and Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, close to the Rego Center shopping area and the 63rd Drive subway stop. It follows the historic trolley alignment along Junction Boulevard before turning north onto 94th Street en route to East Elmhurst and ultimately LaGuardia Airport. During peak travel times, select Q72 buses short-turn at 95th Street and Ditmars Boulevard. Prior to 2006, this route ended at Ditmars Boulevard just outside LaGuardia Airport, with buses entering airport grounds only during early morning and late night hours.
The Q72 serves LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminals B, C, and D but does not make stops at the Marine Air Terminal. Service to the American Airlines facility near Terminal B was discontinued as of September 8, 2013. Operations for this route are based out of the LaGuardia Depot, which was formerly known as Triboro Coach’s East Elmhurst depot.
Streetcar line
The Grand Street Line commenced electrified operations on May 21, 1894, under the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) and later its subsidiary, the Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation (B&QT). This service ran between Maspeth in Queens and ferry terminals in western Brooklyn. By June 1, the route was extended northward to North Beach, mainly to serve the Gala Amusement Park, which was owned by the Steinway family. By 1896, the Fresh Pond Road Line—later known as the Flushing–Ridgewood Line—linked Ridgewood Terminal to North Beach and reached Flushing by 1899, merging its route with the Grand Street Line.
During the 1920s, the closure of North Beach resorts occurred due to Prohibition laws and pollution issues in Bowery Bay, leading to a reduction of the Junction line south of the amusement district. By 1929, this line operated as a shuttle connecting Corona Avenue and East Elmhurst. Around this time, street grids were established in Jackson Heights, Corona, and East Elmhurst; however, Jackson Mill Road retained its winding path because of the streetcar route. In 1935, upgrades to the Junction Boulevard line included a concrete roadbed, reinforced rails, and enhanced trolley wiring. Service along Grand Avenue was extended again on Junction Boulevard toward the end of 1936.
In 1938, New York City mandated that B&QT discontinue service north of the future Grand Central Parkway due to construction of New York Municipal Airport (later LaGuardia Airport) on what had been North Beach. Disputes over extending transit service directly to the airport halted further expansion; consequently, the final trolley trip to North Beach occurred on December 9, 1938. Afterward, service was cut back to Ditmars Boulevard. LaGuardia Airport opened on October 15, 1939, with specialized B&QT bus routes providing connections from trolleys to airport terminals.
Bus service
Following the consolidation of New York City's transit systems in 1940, numerous streetcar lines in Queens were replaced by bus routes. The Junction Boulevard trolley was reduced to shuttle operation in February 1946 before being fully converted to bus service on August 25, 1949. The new bus route was realigned onto 94th Street north of 32nd Avenue. Although initial plans considered extending service to LaGuardia Airport and Queens Boulevard, it ultimately operated solely between Corona Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard/Grand Central Parkway. Despite running entirely within Queens boundaries, it bore the designation "B72," where "B" indicated Brooklyn; this numbering pattern was also used for other Queens routes. The route was initially dispatched from the now-defunct Crosstown Depot in Brooklyn. A proposed but never implemented B72A shuttle intended to link LaGuardia terminals and replace the former Q48 line.
In both 1954 and 1960, Green Bus Lines along with affiliated companies sought to assume control over several city-operated routes in Queens and Brooklyn, including Junction Boulevard’s line. At the same time, the New York City Transit Authority pursued plans to extend the B72 southward to Queens Boulevard. In 1960, operations for B72 shifted to Flushing Depot located in Queens. On January 22, 1961, Triboro Coach assumed control of this route, renumbering it Q72 and expanding its southern terminus to Queens Boulevard to better serve growing residential neighborhoods such as Rego Park and Elmhurst as well as commercial hubs like Alexander’s department store (now Rego Center). The northern extension reached LaGuardia Airport’s Marine Air Terminal. This transfer made Q72 unique as it was the sole city route handed over to a private operator; this change also ended a longstanding free transfer arrangement with the B58 Flushing–Ridgewood line at Corona Avenue. By the decade of the 1970s, service had been shortened back to Ditmars Boulevard and 94th Street once again.
MTA takeover
On February 2, 2006, the operational control of Triboro Coach was transferred to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), operating under the MTA Bus Company umbrella. Later that year, in September, the Q72 route was extended to reach LaGuardia Airport. Beginning October 12, 2009, luggage racks were installed on Q72 buses as part of a pilot initiative involving ten vehicles, designed to enhance passenger movement on routes serving the airport.
Bus redesigns
In December 2019, the MTA unveiled a preliminary proposal to restructure the Queens bus network. The plan suggested that the Q72 would terminate at Ditmars Boulevard, with most stops along the route removed. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, implementation was postponed and the initial draft was ultimately abandoned following unfavorable public response.
A new version of the redesign was introduced in March 2022. Under this updated plan, the Q72 would maintain service to LaGuardia Airport but feature an altered southern endpoint. The route would divert onto 62nd Drive, Queens Boulevard, and 59th Avenue to provide access to Queens Center Mall and the Woodhaven Boulevard station. This adjustment corresponds with efforts to upgrade Woodhaven Boulevard for wheelchair accessibility, unlike the station at 63rd Drive.
The finalized bus network redesign was published in December 2023. While the Q72’s path remains consistent with prior plans, certain stops situated closely together will be removed. Additionally, service hours and frequency will be modified, including extra rush-hour trips south of Ditmars Boulevard.
On December 17, 2024, further revisions to the finalized proposal introduced stop modifications for the Q72. The MTA Board gave formal approval to this version on January 29, 2025. The Queens Bus Redesign is scheduled for rollout in two stages during Summer 2025; the Q72 is part of Phase II set to begin on August 31, 2025.