The first phase of the Queens bus network redesign begins today, affecting about 800,000 riders. The MTA is promising new and improved bus service across the borough. After five years of planning, the redesign is supposed to decrease travel times and make simpler trips for daily riders in the city's largest borough.

On Sunday, the MTA launched 16 new bus routes, changed 67 routes and discontinued five routes as part of the first phase of its Queens Bus Network Redesign project.

Six bus routes will be discontinued as of next week: the Q15A, Q20A, Q20B, Q34, Q48, and QM3. A seventh route, the Q21, will be discontinued at the end of August as part of phase two.