The Q83 constitutes a bus route in Queens, New York, running primarily on Liberty Avenue and Murdock Avenue between Jamaica and Cambria Heights, Queens. Originally operated by Bee Line Bus, then North Shore Bus Company, it is now operated by New York City Transit under the MTA Regional Bus Operations brand.
Route description[]
The Q83 bus starts at 153rd Street and Hillside Avenue, near the Parson Boulevard station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line, and uses Hillside Avenue and 150th Street to access Archer Avenue, while buses heading to the terminus use 153rd Street. It continues on Archer Avenue until it turns to 165th Street, and goes on the street until it turns to Liberty Avenue, It then continues until it goes on Farmers Boulevard, then Murdock Avenue. It then continues until it uses Colfax Street, 114th Avenue, and 227th Street to access the terminus. Buses heading westbound uses 113th Drive to access Murdock Avenue. During late nights, it uses Springfield Boulevard to access Queens Village station.
Limited-stop service is operated along the Q83 route during rush hours. Limited-stop service operates in the peak-direction to Jamaica during the AM rush hour, and operates in the peak-direction (heading east) during the PM rush hour. Limited-stop buses make limited stops between the Jamaica and Springfield Boulevard, and local stops east of 113th Road and Springfield Boulevard, and west of 153rd Street and Archer Avenue. During the PM rush hour, Q83 locals terminate at Colfax Street, while limiteds run the whole route. No limited-stop service operates on weekends.
History[]
The Q83 bus service began in 1923, as the Q3A, and was originally operated by Bee Line Bus, service began in 1923. The route was extended from Springfield Boulevard and 114th Avenue to 227th Street and 113th Drive between 1946 and 1949.
On November 29, 1956, the NYCTA approved a slate of changes in bus service citywide to take effect on January 22, 1957. Among the changes was the extension of Q3A service to the 179th Street subway station to eliminate congestion at 169th Street.
It was renumbered to Q83 and rerouted on December 11, 1988 to Jamaica Center.
On August 29, 1993, two-way traffic on Archer Avenue and Jamaica Avenue was restored between 138th Street and 168th Street, undoing changes that took effect in November 1990. The change was made to alleviate heavy traffic on Jamaica Avenue. Buses were rerouted to run along Archer Avenue, 165th Street and Liberty Avenue.
Full-time service on the branch via Springfield Boulevard to the Queens Village LIRR station was eliminated on January 4, 2004, with service replaced by an extension of the Q27 from the Queens Village LIRR station to 120th Avenue and Springfield Boulevard.
On January 12, 2004, Jamaica-bound limited-stop service in the a.m. rush hour was rerouted to Liberty Avenue and 160th Street from 168th Street and Archer Avenue to match the travel path during the p.m. rush hour.
Limited-stop service started stopping at Liberty Avenue and 177th Street in both directions on November 3, 2008 to allow for transfers with the Q42.
In December 2019, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Queens bus network. As part of the redesign, the Q83 bus would have been replaced by the QT39, a "suwbay connector" route running between Jamaica and Cambria Heights, and will have limited stops between Jamaica and Hillside Avenue/188th Street; local service was expected to be provided by the QT18. The redesign was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, and the original draft plan was dropped due to negative feedback. A revised plan was released in March 2022. As part of the new plan, the Q83 will become a "zone" route, and it would now terminate at Jamaica Center-Parsons Archer station, instead of 153rd Street and Hillside Avenue. The Q65 would also be extended south to Liberty Avenue and Farmers Boulevard in St. Albans, Queens, providing local service for the Q83 bus along Liberty Avenue, where the Q83 would run nonstop.
