Q14 (New York City bus 1920–2010)

The first version of the **Q14** consituted a public transit line in Queens, New York, that ran between Flushing and Whitestone, primarily on Union Street, 149th Street, and 150th Street.

The Q14 was originally a streetcar route, which was replcaed with buses in 1920, initially operated by the North Shore Bus Company. It was later taken over by the New York City Transit Authority. It was discontinued on June 27, 2010, under system-wide budget cuts. It was then partially replaced by the Q15A route on the same date.

## Route description

The Q14 began at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, at the Flushing–Main Street station, and used Main Street and Northern Boulevard to access Union Street, while buses accessing the terminus used Union Street and Roosevelt Avenue. It then continued on Union Avenue until it turned to Wilets Point Boulevard, and then 149th Street. it then continued on 149th Street until northbound buses used Cross Island Parkway Service Road to access 150th Street, while southbound buses used the other side of the service road to access 149th Street. It then continued on 150th Street until it turned to 7th Avenue, and continued on that avenue until it ended at Clintonville Street.

## History

### Streetcar route

In the last week of March 1897, the New York and North Shore Company filed a list of proposed routes, one of them which was in Whitestone. It was to run from the corner to Cryders Lane and 154th Street in Whitestone west along 15th Drive to 150th Street and south down that street to 25th Avenue; then diagonally southeast into Murray Street and south down Murray Street to 35th Avenue, Parsons Boulevard and 15th Avenue along 15th Avenue to 150th Street, and south down 150th Street to 15th Drive, and 149th Street from 15th Avenue to 20th Avenue.

In December of 1897, the New York and North Shore began grading the roadbed and laying the rails in Middle Village and part of Whitestone. Early in the morning of December 23rd the company assembled a team to lay rails in Union Avenue, but began work inside the Whitestone village limits, which had not yet granted a franchise. Passersby reported the business to the trustees, who came running on foot with policemen and the company had to retreat. On the night of December 31, 1897, just a few hours before their powers were the expire forever, the trustees of the village of Jamaica granted the franchise for the trolley line to Jamaica. This was the last franchise needed, and came just in time.

The Whitestone trolley line was initially planned to be opened on July 1, 1910, but was opened in August 12 of that year instead.

### Decline and conversion to bus service

Around this time, many streetcar lines in Queens and the rest of the city began to be replaced by buses, particularly after the unification of city's three primary transit companies in June 1940. In 1920, the Whitestone trolley line was abandoned and replaced with bus service. It was initially operated by the North Shore Bus Company, until it was taken over by the New York City Board of Transportation in 1947, along with the Q14 and its other routes.

On July 11, 1966, the NYCTA moved the terminals of the Q13, Q14, Q16, Q28, and Q44FS from downtown Flushing to the Flushing Parking Field surrounded by 37th Avenue, Union Street, 138th Street, and 39th Avenue on a six-month pilot basis. The change, which was made at the request of multiple Queens elected officials, was intended to provide shelter for riders and reduce downtown congestion. However, due to immediate opposition from shoppers, who complained that the change forced them to walk four blocks to get from the subway to the buses, businessmen, and elected officials, on July 20, 1966, the NYCTA announced that it would undo the change on July 24. Q13, Q16, and Q28 service would go back to terminating on the north side of Roosevelt Avenue to the east of Main Street, while Q14 and Q44FS service would resume terminating on the east side of Main Street at 39th Avenue.

On June 27, 2010, because of a budget crisis, the Q14 was eliminated. The Q15A was subsequently created to partly replace the discontinued Q14.