Don’t make transit in NE Queens worse
ON THE WEB
VISIT US ONLINE AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 24-JAN. 30, 2020 17
BY THOMAS SUOZZI
Northeast Queens is already
a transit desert! Now, the New
York City Transit Authority’s
recently proposed Queens Bus
Network Redesign plan threatens
to eliminate the only oasis
in that desert.
This wrong-headed proposal
of the MTA’s New York City
Transit Authority eliminates
express buses during non-peak
hours, sets bus stops farther
apart, and consolidates or even
eliminates some routes. These
changes would impact mid-day
and late evening service on
some routes and weekend service
on other routes.
For example, the QM6,
which runs from the North
Shore Towers in Glen Oaks to
Midtown Manhattan, would
become the QMT167, running
only every 20-30 minutes during
morning and evening rush
hours on weekdays — no buses
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., no weekends.
Additionally, the plan
includes the total elimination
of the Q36, which runs to and
from the Little Neck LIRR station
through Glen Oaks, Floral
Park, Bellerose, and Queens
Village, impacting thousands
of residents...no way!
In northeast Queens, there
is no subway access and limited
public transportation options
for those who do not drive
to get to work, doctors appointments,
etc. These proposed
changes would greatly alter the
day-to-day lives of thousands of
residents.
Congestion pricing was sold
by the MTA to the residents of
northeast Queens as a way to
generate revenue for improved
public transit. The New York
City Transit Authority must
use congestion pricing revenues
to improve service to this
area and not reduce it.
These proposed changes
have become a rallying cry for
all in northeast Queens and on
Friday, every elected official in
northeast Queens came together
for a joint press conference
to demand community workshops
and meetings so that the
concerns of the residents can
be heard.
First and foremost, the
Transit Authority must hold
multiple community bus redesign
workshops in Le Havre,
Bay Terrace, North Shore Towers,
and Glen Oaks, in addition
to the ones already proposed in
Bayside and Bellerose.
Secondly, the elected officials
in northeast Queens,
who are united in this effort,
are seeking signatures on a
petition which will allow residents
to voice their concerns
over pending changes to existing
bus routes and will demonstrate
the widespread dissatisfaction
with the proposed bus
redesign plan.
Lastly, while I have already
registered my concerns in a
phone call with the President
of the New York City Transit
Authority, Andrew Byford. We
must continue to make these
concerns, of both the elected
officials and residents, well
known to Mr. Byford and the entire
New York City Transit Authority
and MTA leadership.
I applaud each of the elected
officials; Congresswoman
Grace Meng, Senator John Liu,
Senator Leroy Comrie, Assemblyman
Ed Braunstein, Assemblywoman
Nily Rozic, Council
Member Barry Grodenchik,
and Council Member Paul Vallone
for coming together for the
needs of our constituents.
With all the turmoil and distractions
in Washington, DC, it
is essential that we, as elected
officials, remain laser-focused
on the day-to-day issues that
impact the residents that we
represent. I will continue to
work with my colleagues, solicit
input from my constituents,
and stay in constant communication
with the MTA and
the Transit Authority until our
concerns are satisfied. Working
together, we can improve mass
transit in Northeast Queens,
and not harm it.
Congressman Thomas
Suozzi represents the Third
Congressional District in New
York.
COLUMNS
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer
than 300 words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must
include the writer’s name and phone number for verifi cation. Names
may be withheld from publication if requested, but anonymously
sent letters will not be printed. Letters must be received by Thursday
noon to appear in the next week’s paper. All letters become the
property of Schneps Media and may be republished in any format.
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
Crook snatches hundreds of dollars from a woman inside
of Resorts World Casino: NYPD
SUMMARY: Police are looking for a suspect who they say stole approximately
$500 from a woman inside of Resorts World Casino on
Monday.
THOMAS SUOZZI
/QNS.COM
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/QNS.COM
/timesledger
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/residents...no
