The routes run from the Jamaica Center transit hub and business district to Rosedale, with continued service to Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Nassau County.

The Q4 and Q84 buses also serve the northern portion of the corridor, before diverging east along Linden Boulevard and 120th Avenue respectively.

Alternate buses operate to or from Green Acres Mall in Nassau County, particularly during midday hours and on weekends.

[2][3][7][8][9] Both the Q5 and Q85 employ limited-stop service, running in the peak direction (mornings to Jamaica; afternoons to Rosedale) during weekday rush hour periods.

[2][3][7][8][9][10] Merrick Boulevard is a one-way southbound lane until Liberty Avenue; northbound buses switch over to 168th Street to continue.

[21][22] The Q5 begins at Bay A of the Jamaica Center Bus Terminal, traveling southeast down the entire length of Merrick Boulevard in Queens.

At the county line, the route turns south along Hook Creek Boulevard to Conduit Avenue.

The full-time route turns west a short distance along Sunrise Highway (which runs between South Conduit Avenue and the Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch at this location), terminating at the Rosedale LIRR station at Francis Lewis Boulevard.

[2][7][9] Q5 Limited buses make all stops east of Springfield Boulevard, running to or from the Rosedale LIRR station.

[3][8][9] Q85 Limited buses make all local stops south of Baisley Boulevard and Bedell Street, terminating at 147th Avenue.

[3][9] During most of the AM rush period, peak direction (Jamaica-bound) local buses begin service at Farmers Boulevard and Bedell Street in Rochdale Village, at the Locust Manor LIRR station.

[3] During the afternoon rush, peak (southbound) local buses alternately terminate at Farmers Boulevard or Green Acres.

[29] The second, the Q5S, was a shuttle along Francis Lewis Boulevard between the Rosedale LIRR station at Conduit Avenue and 147th Drive at the southeast corner of Queens.

[58][59][60][61] On November 29, 1956, the NYCTA approved a large slate of cuts in bus service citywide to take effect January 22, 1957.

[64] The Bedell Street branch of the Q5A began operation on August 9, 1964, to serve Rochdale Village and reduce congestion on the other routes along Merrick Boulevard.

This service, which was requested by Queens Borough President Mario J. Cariello, would run weekdays between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m., and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

[67] On April 20, 1975, to cut costs, service on the Farmers Boulevard branch to Huxley Street between 1:15 a.m. and 5 a.m. was eliminated.

[69] On October 5, 1983, the NYCTA held a public hearing on a proposal to add three buses in both the AM and PM peaks on the Q5AB, reducing headways from 5.5 to 4 minutes.

[70] On December 15, 1985, the NYCTA announced it was reconsidering its plan to adjust service to Rochdale Village, and would conduct a survey with community input over the following three to four weeks.

[71] On September 10, 1987, the NYCTA held a public hearing on a series of proposed changes in bus service in Southeast Queens.

[72] The other two changes in Merrick Boulevard service would extend the Q5 by 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to serve the Green Acres Shopping Center, and the discontinuation of the Q5AS Laurelton Shuttle, which had low ridership.

[32] In March 1992, merchants in Jamaica criticized a NYCTA proposal to extend the Q85 to Green Acres Shopping Center in Valley Stream as they believed it would divert shoppers from their stores to promote economic development in Nassau County.

The proposal was spurred due to surveys showing that people in Southeast Queens wanted additional service to the mall.

[79] This extension took effect on September 20, 1992, with buses running to the mall every 25 minutes between 9 a.m. and 12 a.m.[80] In 1993, the routes began traveling on Archer Avenue in both directions.

[81] On January 10, 1994, limited-stop service on the Q85 began, with all weekday peak-direction trips (between 6:35 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. westbound, and 4:00 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.) on the Rosedale branch being converted to limiteds.

In January 1995, after an evaluation of the service, it was recommended to continue operating the Q85 limited, and that a limited-stop be added on the Q4, Q5, and Q85 at 109th Avenue and Merrick Boulevard.

The Q86 was a short feeder route to the LIRR station at Rosedale, and to mitigate its loss, a UniTicket fare agreement to the Q85 was provided.

[86] On January 14, 2004, the MTA instituted the current limited-stop bypass in the Jamaica business district via Liberty Avenue and 160th Street.

On March 26, 2007, members of Community Board 13 spoke out against the proposal because parking on Merrick Boulevard would have been eliminated for peak hour bus lanes.

[100] On January 29, 2025, the current plan was approved by the MTA Board, and the Queens Bus Redesign will go into effect by Labor Day.