Queens Eagle
All 15 city councilmembers from Queens say they oppose the MTA’s draft plan to overhaul the borough’s bus network, unless significant changes are made to ensure better, more extensive service, particularly in public “transportation deserts.”
The entire Queens delegation issued a joint press release condemning the plan Thursday, citing criticism and concerns from constituents across the borough. Queens residents have specifically complained about a lack of express bus service and proposed route cuts in neighborhoods that do not have subway service, as well as alterations that would severe bus services in specific locations.
“We are deeply concerned about losing bus service on Little Neck Parkway and Braddock Avenue as well as throughout Glen Oaks,” said Northeast Queens Councilmember Barry Grodenchik, whose district does not include a subway line. “We need the bus redesign to provide better, faster, more expansive bus service.”
Councilmember Robert Holden called for an express service line in Maspeth, one of the neighborhoods he represents.
“In District 30, we only have access to two stops on one subway line, so my constituents rely heavily on the bus network,” said Holden, whose district includes the end of the M train line. “Maspeth is in desperate need of an express bus route, but this plan actually reduces the current express routes.
The Queens delegation called on the MTA to revise the plan and commit more money to making an equitable transit system in a borough home to more than 2.3 million residents.
“The goal of public transit should be to take New Yorkers from point A to point B expeditiously,” said Councilmember Adrienne Adams, who represents a swath of Southeast Queens. “The plan in its current form would make this goal unattainable for many residents of Queens especially commuters with limited public transit options.”
The agency hosted community forums on the bus plan in Ridgewood on Tuesday and Flushing on Wednesday. Six additional sessions will take place at 6 p.m. on the following dates:
Jamaica
Jan. 23
Queens Educational Opportunity Center
15829 Archer Ave.
Kew Gardens
Jan. 28
Queens Borough Hall
120-55 Queens Blvd
Ozone Park
Jan. 29
JHS 202 Robert H. Goddard
138-80 Lafayette St.
Corona
Jan. 30
Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center
100-01 Northern Blvd
Long Island City
Feb. 4
Jacob Riis Settlement
1025 41 Ave
Rockaways
Feb. 5
RISE/Rockaway Waterfront Alliance
58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Bayside
Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Korean Community Services
203-05 32nd Ave.
Bellerose
Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Cross Island YMCA, 238-10 Hillside Ave.
9 comments:
Went to the Flushing Library thing last night. Those morons at the MTA didn't book a big enough space in the massive library (there is an auditorium). There was an overflow crowd of people waiting to enter the workshop room. Rather than stand forever in my coat, I cut my losses and left. What an MFing waste of my time and energy. Typical MTA ineptitude. They did, however, train 6 staffers in attendee registration.
If you slipped MTA brass sodium pentathol to make them completely honest, they'd say, "Sorry, but we're not running nearly empty buses every 10 minutes in your neck of the woods."
Typical of The MTA, when they require and publicize "Meetings" they don't want one crowd, too difficult to manage. They break you up into smaller groups, with one MTA Employee to "manage" the discussion. The last thing they want is one large group exchanging ideas in public. They also deliberately choose a room way too small to accommodate the expected number of participants. They don't want you comfortable OR informed. Remember the meetings on the Woodhaven bus lanes. A typical clusterfuck.
Good for Byford leaving, we can only hope Trottenberg joins him soon.
You know Julie, going to these so called #forums# is just a waste of time and energy. The dice has been rolled, decisions were made and by hosting these non-sense events just gives the illusion the people have a say, a voice. They don't. Dog and pony show.
The FLushing meeting had you sit down with zombie representatives who followed a script and didn't understand much
The auditorium has enough space if they didn't put up tables.
And yes, they probably upped the heat to make you leave.
Why don't they use Queens College like they did for redistricting?
Demagogues and deplorables claiming they can have it both ways. That's why Byford quit. Do they want to pay ten bucks for a bus ride? Or end up with buses running only hourly, or less? Or completely drop half the routes. In many places there is no transit midnight to dawn, some even stop at 8pm weekdays, 3pm weekends. Everybody here is me, me, me, never us.
I went not to voice an opinion, but to get some handouts and answers. I didn't think the 430+ page proposal on the website was helpful. They are supposed to email us when future public hearing is. I know now to get there early
I went to a town hall meeting for the homeless shelter in Maspeth. It was an crowded mess. They heard out concerns and they still put them in there. This town hall about the buses is a waste of time. They will do what they set out to do. It is on their agenda to ruin the transit system of Queens. Trust me they will do it. Our response will be okay we will clog our streets up with more cars so we can get to the subways. They have no consideration for the elderly who use these buses or the people who use them for work and school. All they are worried about is putting citibikes on every corner or spots for electric cars to charge. That is why they want to get rid of the bus stops.
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