Queens Express Bus to Manhattan?
We live in Bayside, Queens and I’m trying to find the best route for my daughter, who will be going to Stuyvesant H.S. next fall. I have looked at the QM1A: Glen Oaks Express Bus route because it stops at Springfield Blvd / Horace Harding near where we live. However, it seems like that bus only takes to Midtown Manhattan. Does anyone know if it also takes to Downtown Manhattan, preferably around Stuyvesant high area?
Any suggestions of alternate routes that might cut the commute time shorter is appreciated too.
There are a few versions of the QM1/QM1A. One of them goes downtown, and does go as close to Stuyvesant as Church & Vessey. That’s a short walk away, between 5 and 10 minutes. The only way you’d get off mass transit closer to the school is with the subway, and even then, it’s not a huge difference distance-wise.
Other option:
Q27 to Flushing Station. 7 train (there’s a “7-diamond” morning inbound, afternoon/evening outbound express available) to Times Square. 2/3 downtown (the 1 is also an option, but the 2/3 run express) to Chambers Street. 3-block walk to school from there.
The time of this trip could actually be pretty close to that of the QM1A. Remember, buses can get stuck in traffic. I used to take that bus home when getting out of work at 10 PM in midtown, because it flew along. Tried it once at rush hour, and I won’t do that again. Subway/bus would have been much faster. Instead of flying along under Queens Boulevard, this bus sat on Queens Boulevard as if in a parking lot.
My take? Try both routes a few times just for acclimation purposes, see what works best. At certain times of day, the Q27 / 7 train / 2-3 train might be best. At other times, the QM1A might be the way to go.
Either way, it’s a long commute. A large part of the day will be spent commuting.
Find schedules here:
http://mta.info/busco/schedules/index.html
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