M35 and X80 buses explained

Box Width:300px
Subheader:Randalls/Wards Island Buses
System:MTA Regional Bus Operations
Operator:Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (both)
New York City Transit Authority
MTA Bus Company (X80)
Garage:Mother Clara Hale Depot (both)
Other garages (X80)
Vehicle:New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40
New Flyer Xcelsior XD60
Nova Bus LFS articulated
Other vehicles (X80 only)
Open:1936 (M35)
2000s? (X80)
Locale:Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Communities:Randalls and Wards Islands, East Harlem
Start:East Harlem  - Lexington Avenue & 125th Street
Via:RFK Bridge
End:Randalls Island/Wards Island
Length:3miles
Day:All times except late nights (M35)
Special events (X80)
Timetable Link:M35
Annualpatronage:M35: 48,659 (2023)[1]
Transfers:Yes
Map State:collapsed
Previous Line:M34
← X68
Next Line:M42
BM1

The M35 and X80 constitute bus routes between the 125th Street station at Lexington Avenue in Harlem and Randalls and Wards Islands.

Route description

The M35 and X80 begin at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. They both continue south until 124th Street, where they turn and run east until turning onto the RFK Bridge before exiting onto Randalls Island. They both then run south on Central Road and they pass Icahn Stadium, where the X80 terminates. The M35 takes a deviation at Rivers Edge Road to serve the Manhattan Psychiatric Center. The route continues south on Central Road as it becomes Hell Gate Circle, taking another deviation at Sunken Garden Loop to serve Sunken Garden and the Charles H. Gay Center. It then continues south on Hell Gate Circle until it loops back around onto Central Road where it heads north and passes by Icahn Stadium, where the X80 joins it as it continues north onto Bronx Shore Road, u-turning at the end of the road before turning right onto the RFK Bridge. They then turn onto 126th Street, where they continue westbound until turning left on Lexington Avenue and terminating there.[2]

The X80 only runs during special events, and costs $7.00 for travel towards Randalls/Wards Islands, and is free towards Harlem.

History

The TB bus route was started on July 11, 1936, by New York Omnibus Company, when the Triborough Bridge opened, after being announced that it would be studied if a shuttle service could be operated on the bridge.[3] The route ran between Harlem, Randalls and Wards Islands, Port Morris and Astoria.[4]

In 1974, the TB was split into three routes, with the M34 running between Harlem and Randalls Island, the M35 running between Harlem and Astoria, and the Bx21 running between Astoria and Port Morris.[5]

The Bx21 was discontinued on February 18, 1984, due to low ridership. The M34 was combined with the M35 in the 1980s, sometime before the M34 designation was reused for the 34th Street Crosstown service.

In September 1992, when the M60 started service, M35 service to Astoria was reduced to rush hours only until 1995, when it was discontinued due to an ongoing budget crisis.[6]

The X80 was started sometime in the 2000s as an express shuttle bus to Randalls Island during special events, with the M35 skipping the stop neat Icahn Stadium whenever the X80 operates. On June 28, 2015, westbound M35 buses were rerouted to serve Hell Gate Circle after running on Sunken Garden Loop.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Subway and bus ridership for 2023. mta.info. April 29, 2024. May 2, 2024. May 2, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502214455/https://new.mta.info/agency/new-york-city-transit/subway-bus-ridership-2023. live.
  2. https://new.mta.info/document/7606. M35.
  3. News: May 16, 1936 . City Gives Permit For Bridge Buses; Authorization to Use Street Terminals Is Temporary and for Summer Months. Moses To Study Fares Board Allows Shuttle Service on Triborough Structure to Facilitate Opening. . The New York Times . August 29, 2024 . August 29, 2024 . https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1936/05/16/87939673.html . live .
  4. Web site: Travel around New York by motorcoach: route map, Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc . mapcollections.brooklynhistory.org . August 29, 2024.
  5. News: 2 Boroughs' Buses Get New Numbers. June 20, 1974. The New York Times. 0362-4331. August 29, 2024. July 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240711203844/http://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/20/archives/2-boroughs-buses-get-new-numbers-route-jumblie-ends-july-1-in.html. live.
  6. News: The New York Times. Coming Transit Reductions: What They Mean for You. August 20, 1995. August 30, 2024.
  7. Web site: Reroute and Bus Stop Relocation on Randall's Island Along Hell Gate Circle. June 2015. web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. en. August 29, 2024. October 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231001050019/http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/planned_servChanges_M35.htm. live.