FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 1, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 21
oped letters & comments
Amid the pandemic struggles, some
progress made in NYC Transit
BY SARAH E. FEINBERG
To say it’s
been a rough
six months
is an understatement;
the
COVID crisis is
and remains a
national nightmare.
But for
now, the smoke
is starting to
clear here in New York: schools are reopening,
indoor dining is set to resume, and
most importantly for us at Transit, riders
are starting to return to the system in
greater numbers.
We’re inching closer to 2 million daily
riders on the subway and holding steady at
over 1 million on buses. Th is is great news.
I hope you’re among those joining us.
Th e truth is, if you give us a chance, you
might be surprised. For starters, the system
is cleaner than ever thanks to our
around-the-clock disinfecting eff orts on
rolling stock and in stations, and we’re
more focused than ever on improving the
customer experience.
Case in point, the rollout of OMNY —
even the pandemic can’t slow us down.
We just passed the 75 percent completion
mark for subway stations, and all Bronx
buses will be equipped with the new fare
payment system in October. By the end
of the year, it will be available everywhere.
Our new normal has proven just how
crucial it is to have a contactless system in
place. Th e market share of customers using
OMNY skyrocketed by 95 percent over the
last six months, and we’re fast approaching
20 million taps since launching in spring
2019.
Th is week, we’re also reprinting the subway
station map for the fi rst time in two
years, the longest stretch between printings
ever.
Th e new edition includes several updates:
the renaming of two stations in Brooklyn at
Medgar Evers College; the restoration of
N express service in Brooklyn; and new
accessibility markers at stations like the
86th St R, Astoria Boulevard N/W, 1st
Avenue L and Bedford Avenue L. To clarify,
these updates appeared online, in our
apps and on in-station screens right away,
but printings are sporadic. Now the new
map will be installed inside train cars and
in stations.
I want all New Yorkers to be able to get
around our city as easily as possible — with
all the up-to-date route information they
might need, a quick and seamless way to
pay the fare, and above all, a system that is
safe and clean to visit. It’s as simple as that.
Everyone at Transit is working hard to
keep us moving forward, like we were
before the pandemic. Pre-COVID, subways
and buses were seeing the best ontime
performance in years, with our highest
ridership since 2017. We’re not letting
that progress go down the drain. Come
ride with us and see for yourself.
Sarah Feinberg is interim MTA New York
City Transit president.
THE TALE OF TWO NYPDS
Th e NYPD proudly announced the
capture of a Woodside white woman
who threw a bottle at a Black woman
jogger. Th ey further bumped up the
charges as a hate crime because she
allegedly said a racial slur.
How wonderful that a thorough
investigation and expeditious arrest
was made in this case.
I remember another hate crime
assault that occurred in Woodside three
years ago that did not get the same
results.
On Dec. 18, 2017, a white male was
allegedly assaulted by a Black resident
of the then-Quality Inn homeless
hotel outside his auto repair shop on
Queens Boulevard. During the assault,
the Black perpetrator yelled racist slurs
at him. He then fl ed into the homeless
hotel next store to the victim’s shop.
Th e responding police offi cers actually
viewed the video and audio recording
made by the victim. Th ey also saw
the injuries suff ered by the victim at
the hands of the Black perp. Th ey covered
up this hate crime by omitting key
details of the crime and closed out the
police report without the injured victim
even being interviewed by detectives.
I fi rst doubted the story when told to
me by the victim who had to go to the
hospital to treat his injuries.
When I inquired at the station, the
police confi rmed that the case was
closed and the victim was not interviewed
by investigators. When asked
for a reason for lack of procedure in
this matter, I was referred over to the
NYPD’s Legal Unit in order to obtain
a copy of the closed and the revised
report.
Th ere was further lack of cooperation
by the NYPD and the victim when the
victim reported the presence of the perpetrator
at the hotel several times aft er
the incident.
Clearly, the police did not do their
due diligence in this case. Th e bigger
issue is whether the police are providing
services to New Yorkers based on
race of the victim and/or the perpetrator.
Th is would not only be shameful but
a dangerous situation regarding what
we expected from those who are sworn
to protect us.
It’s not hard to believe that political
agendas of those in appointed and
elected positions are in play here.
William Kregler, Woodside
APPLAUDING
TRUMP’S PICK
I would like to applaud President
Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court.
Amy Coney Barrett is a United States
Circuit Judge of the United States Court
of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. As I
have read, she is a woman of high integrity,
intelligence, a profound understanding
of the law, and respect for the
Constitution and the American people.
Let me also mention Amy Coney
Barrett is married and has seven children
and supports what the family is
all about. She also believes that all life is
sacred and needs to be protected.
As such I believe in my opinion that
she would be an invaluable asset to the
Supreme Court and to America.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose
SAIL BOATS IN LITTLE BAY PARK // PHOTO SUBMITTED BY STUART BECKER
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