Rahul Somvanshi
The MTA will relocate bus operations from Jamaica’s 165th Street Bus Terminal to a temporary facility at 168th Street starting June 1, 2025. The move affects 15 bus routes and nearly 10,000 daily riders, who will use the interim terminal until early 2027 while the current site undergoes private redevelopment.
The temporary terminal, located just one block east at 90-01 168th Street, will serve as the new hub for ten MTA bus routes and five Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus routes that currently operate from the 165th Street location. The affected MTA routes include Q1, Q2, Q3, Q6, Q8, Q9, Q36, Q41, Q76, and Q77, while the impacted NICE routes are N1, N6, N6X, N22, N22X, N24, and N26.
“It was critical that we found a location nearby to continue running bus service as smoothly as possible, while developers at 165th Street rebuild their site,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Thankfully, the temporary bus terminal is only one block over.”
The MTA has leased a commercial parking lot from the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation to create the interim terminal. This proximity to the current location aims to minimize disruption and maintain all existing transfer points between routes while ensuring continued access to the busy Jamaica Avenue commercial district.
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To help riders navigate the change, the MTA has begun updating signage at bus stops and posting notices at the existing terminal. The agency will also update its Bus Time tracking system to reflect the new location. Customer ambassadors will be stationed at both terminals during the initial transition period to guide passengers.
The redevelopment of the 165th Street site comes as the MTA finalizes lease negotiations with the real estate developer. While specific design details for the revamped terminal remain in development, Crichlow noted that the new facility will feature “up-to-date infrastructure that complements the new electric buses we expect to receive in a few years.”
The project represents a significant investment in Jamaica’s transit infrastructure, though it remains separate from the ongoing Jamaica Bus Depot Expansion project. The temporary arrangement is expected to remain in place until approximately the first quarter of 2027, when bus operations would return to the redeveloped 165th Street site.
For the thousands who rely on these bus routes daily, the one-block relocation aims to balance the needs of future development with minimal disruption to current service. The transition will test the MTA’s ability to maintain seamless operations while enabling long-term improvements to one of Queens’ busiest transit hubs.
