In December 2019, the MTA released a draft redesign of the Queens bus network. As part of the redesign, the Q23 would have been replaced by a high-density "intra-borough" route, the QT11, running along 108th Street, Queens Boulevard, Union Turnpike, and 188th Street to Fresh Meadows. The QT11 would still originate in East Elmhurst but would continue along 108th Street between Ditmars and Queens Boulevards. The existing routings in Corona and Forest Hills would have been replaced by two "neighborhood" bus routes, the QT82 and QT87 respectively. The redesign was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, and the original draft plan was dropped due to negative feedback. At the time, the Q23 was one of the slowest bus routes in New York City due to its serpentine path. From 2018 to 2022, it consistently traveled slower than , the average speed of New York City bus routes.
