1. LIMITED Service. BIG UP. It definitely saves some time for those of us who need the route for longer distances, and we don't need to stop at practically every block along the route. It's a much more comfortable bus ride too, and the bus travels longer distances at more constant speeds.
2. Relatively Ample Service. Rush hour buses come every 5 minutes, with alternating limiteds and locals.
But that's about it with the good part. There are NUMEROUS things I have to say that are bad.
1. LATE EVERY 49 OUT OF 50 TIMES. This route has never been known for being punctual at all. Buses arrive at Main Street Flushing on time. However, it is ALWAYS late after it leaves downtown Flushing. This is due to the bigger problem of traffic, but also due to bus drivers. I understand this is a hard route to drive with many turns and uphills. However, certain bus drivers (I take the route so often I can recognize certain drivers) are always late, because they drive slower than the average speed of the traffic along the road, and spend extra time doing other things during their job. For example, more than once, I have seen bus drivers on the route get off next to a deli to grab some cookies or a drink. Fine, have a snack, but NOT DURING YOUR RUN. YOU DON'T NEED IT YET. Also, I've seen drivers pick up their friends on the street onto the bus, to have a conversation. They get on and talk the day away and get off at the same spot. This is UNACCEPTABLE.
2. TRAFFIC. This route is filled with problems outside of the bus. Flushing is practically a daily bus jam, and there are more buses on the road than cars practically. Flushing is dangerously overcrowded during rush hour, with people rushing for their right route and jay-walking/sprinting through streets. There are JUST TOO MANY ROUTES THERE. Every bus route (about 25 altogether) stop along a stretch of 3 blocks, and about five of them overcrowd the Roosevelt/MainSt intersection, being that it is their terminal, laying over at the worst possible spot. Also, when you have 5 different routes all criss-crossing throughout the place, it gets completely out of hand. One bus can barely make a narrow turn, and when there are hundreds of buses every hour making the same turn, it DOESN'T WORK. Outside of Flushing, it's just as hard. There are about 20 total turns on the Q65 route, and it is not easy for bus drivers to make hard 90 degree turns all the time. Also, on narrow roads like Bowne Street and Sanford Ave, there are many many double parkers, who force 2-way traffic to narrow into a small space, creating much more of a delay.
3. THE BUSES. CNGs are not made for this route. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to like or dislike these buses, but not on the Q65 should they run. It is almost once a month there is a bus that has broken down for whatever reason. Sometimes the engine has a problem, sometimes the bus just can't start up, sometimes even the wheelchair machine goes down but yet it can't go back up, leaving the bus with no choice but the stay there. The route is full of uphills which are very hard to maneuver with a heavy bus like this one. And the bigger the bus, the harder the turns. The LED signs on the Bus are also very bad, and are not easy to read at all. During the day, they are barely visible, under the gleaming sun. During the night, the extra light does not help. And these signs are often dead and broken.
