A day after the City decided to make the Main Street Busway permanent, Council Member Sandra Ung announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to reduce the hours of operation. Council Member Ung made the recommendation to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez during a tour of downtown Flushing in April to discuss local transit issues.

“I want to thank Commissioner Rodriguez and staff of the Queens Borough office of DOT for heeding my request and reducing the number of hours the Main Street Busway is in effect,” said Council Member Sandra Ung. “Since the pilot program started, the local business community has expressed their concerns about the impact the busway has had on their bottom line. Going forward, cars and other passenger vehicles will be allowed on Main Street in the evening to patronize our many stores and restaurants.”

The Department of Transportation will meet with community stakeholders in the coming weeks as part of an ongoing conversation about the busway and to share a timeline for implementing the new rules. Once the changes go into effect, busway regulations will only apply from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Since its inception in January 2021 under the former Councilmember, the busway has been in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Vehicles other than buses and trucks making local deliveries are prohibited from driving down a .6-mile stretch of Main Street between Northern Boulevard and Sanford Avenue. 

Also at the request of Council Member Ung, when DOT begins to change signs along Main Street to reflect the new rules, the agency will improve signage at the intersection of Main Street and 37^th Avenue alerting drivers they are about to enter the busway. DOT will also add additional red paint and markings to make the busway corridor more visible.

Numerous drivers complained to the Council Member’s office about summonses they received from a traffic camera at the location, sometimes on multiple occasions. They said they were unaware they were even committing an infraction due to a lack of prominent signage.

It has especially been an issue for the many visitors who patronize Flushing’s ethnic supermarkets and restaurants. Many were unaware the busway was even put into effect.

“Just last week, my office heard from a person in Middle Village who received two tickets at the intersection, but had no idea the busway even existed,” said Council Member Ung. “I thank DOT for agreeing to improve the signs at the intersection and hopefully spare any more unsuspecting drivers from getting fined.”