LIC to MTA 22 weekends throughout the year. ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO Long Island City residents and business owners are telling the MTA “enough is enough,” as they face yet another round of No. 7 train suspensions. The line will not run in parts of western Queens and Manhattan for more than a dozen weekends this year, starting the end of February, according to a notice from the MTA. The news once again upset residents, business owners and local politicians, who gathered in front of the Vernon Boulevard- Jackson Avenue subway station on January 17 to tell the MTA they are fed up with the constant disruptions and the lack of notice. Between February 28 and July 21, there will be 13 weekend suspensions. Those dates are fi nalized, the transit agency said, but there are nine tentative weekend shutdowns scheduled for August through November. The suspensions will be in effect from 11:45 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza. On some weekends there will also be reduced or express only service between 74th Street- Broadway and Queensboro Plaza. 11 community news Business owners are tired of potential fi nancial losses, residents are sick of longer commutes and local politicians just want the MTA to fi nally listen to their ideas and communicate with the neighborhood. “It is outrageous and all we are asking for is the opportunity to be heard, to present some common sense ideas that we have presented to them year after year after year,” said Senator Michael Gianaris, who has suggested the MTA offer a shuttle bus from Vernon Boulevard through the Queens Midtown Tunnel into the city. “The MTA needs to listen to us once and for all.” Rebecca Trent, LIC resident and owner of The Creek and The Cave on Jackson Avenue, said the area has grown by 500 percent and the suspension will only make business owners’ jobs harder. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive this, I do not know and neither do many of my neighbors,” Trent said, holding back tears. “What they are trying to do to this neighborhood is disgusting, we deserve better, enough is enough.” Trent said that in order to compensate the community for the “irresponsible shutdowns,” the MTA should give local businesses, who will suffer, free ad space at the E and G subway stations and on the trains. The latest round of work is expected to modernize, improve and fortify the Flushing No. 7 line, according to the MTA. The work will also include tunnel duct reconstruction and replacement and improvements on components damaged during Superstorm Sandy. “We have made every effort to schedule these projects simultaneously to get as much work done as we can during these periods,” said MTA NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco. Elected offi cials met with the MTA on February 6 to express the community’s concerns but no changes were made. During the meeting, the agency “expressed the willingness” to communicate with the community and hold more meetings. “The limited good news is that they are engaging in a dialogue with the community on what is needed,” said Gianaris. “The not-sogreat news is when we expressed what the community needs we didn’t get that far. But the dialogue will continue.” FOR THE LIST OF NO. 7 TRAIN SUSPENSIONS, SEE PAGE 12 Photo by Angy Altamirano Long Island City residents, business owners and local politicians rally against the MTA’s recent announcement of No. 7 suspensions for up to
LIC022014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above