Saturday, April 23, 2011

More development, less public transportation


From the Daily News:

A high school senior fed up with the MTA's service in Astoria has launched a petition to restore the Manhattan-bound express bus.

"This would be a one-seat ride to lower Manhattan and the east side of Manhattan," said Ali Fadil, 17, a senior at the Academy of American Studies in Long Island City.

Fadil's petition, online at petitiononline.com, calls for two express lines to pick up riders along Ditmars Blvd. and 21st St., with one headed into lower Manhattan and the other into midtown.

"This would help a lot of people," Fadil said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority scrapped its Q22 express bus from Astoria to Manhattan because of low ridership, an agency official said.

"Given its low ridership, high per-passenger cost and the close proximity of local bus and subway service, it was discontinued in June 2010 and there are no plans to restore the route," said MTA spokeswoman Deirdre Parker.

Some locals said adding an express bus is more than just a good idea - it's a necessity.

Evie Hantzopoulos, 45, executive director of a nonprofit group in Manhattan, said the population boom in Astoria means straphangers need options.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Evie Hantzopoulos, 45, executive director of a nonprofit group in Manhattan, said the population boom in Astoria means straphangers need options.
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Anyone waiting for a train at the Broadway station, or getting off a train, any time of day, knows there are thousands of people getting on and off, AND YET:

"According to the 2010 Census results ... Astoria ... lost more residents than any other neighborhood in the city." [Astoria: -10329, Steinway -6070, Old Astoria -1033, LIC -1074]

"Chronicle article sparks Census probe demand"
Queens Chronicle, April 21, 2011, page 4

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20460287&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=8

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20459796&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=8

Anonymous said...

Insane census figures. Complete fraud.

As for the bus, it ran up 21st ave, one block north of ditmars and the q69. If it ran down ditmars, more people would have been aware of it and more likely to take it.

It also didn't go far. E57th was the last stop in manhattan. something that went further downtown would have been much more useful.

Anonymous said...

It also had way too many stops at Queens. Walking on 21st Street when it still ran, I don't even k ow why it stopped there, The last stop should have been 21st and Astoria Blvd, not 21st and 41st Ave, where the projects are the F train is as well.

Anonymous said...

This is just a stunt to encourage development along the waterfront.

Unless that is the thing you do, you will be ignored in Queens.

Anonymous said...

According to the 2010 Census results ... Astoria ... lost more residents than any other neighborhood in the city." [Astoria: -10329, Steinway -6070, Old Astoria -1033, LIC -1074]

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Funny, this is the communities that are losing owner occupied housing and are being converted to absentee landlords subdividing units.

Anonymous said...

That is not funny at all.