TIMES, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014 • 30 LIC Residents, Activists Rail Over 7 Line Detours At Town Hall Meeting Six closures from August through November are tentative and expected to be approved shortly. The entire project should be finished by 2017. Van Bramer organized the event and thanked the MTA for coming to hear from the community. On several occasions, he expressed frustration on behalf of many of his constituents in attendance. “The 7 train is the lifeblood of our community,” he said. “It’s shut down again on the weekend. I know you all have suffered and this is not the last time.” The MTA plans to shut the line from Times Square-42nd Street to Queensboro Plaza on the weekends of Apr. 12-14, May 31-June 2, June 7-early morning June 8, June 31-23, June 28-30 and July 19-21. The special exception on Sunday, June 8, is to allow for travelers to the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Additional weekend shutdowns from Times Square-42nd Street to 74th Street-Broadway are scheduled for May 3-5 and May 31-June 2. “I know this isn’t easy, I know this is disruptive, but we have to find a way to make these repairs,” Bianco said of the closures. He began the presentation by MTA officials, explaining the vital need for the work which, when complete, will increase ridership along the Flushing line. “My top priority is the safety and reliability of the system,” Bianco said. He did his best to sympathize with angry riders, and said, “this happens all over the city. I apologize to you, again my apologies.” The three ongoing projects on the 7 are installing communication based train control signaling systems, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Steinway Tube into Manhattan, and track panel replacement throughout. Work on the tube is expected to be completed by 2015. To protect workers safety, repairs on elevated sections of the line, which almost cover its entire length, can only be done during daylight hours and in fair weather according to Joe Leader, senior vice president for subways Communication based train control (CBTC) is a state-of-the-art signaling technology that more accurately determines the exact position of a train. Currently the Canarsie line is the only subway in they system with this technology. When installed, CBTC is a more safe and reliable way to manage train traffic than the current 50 to 90 old signaling system, according Fred Smith, MTA senior vice president for capital program management. “The CBTC is the main driver of this work,” Smith added. He then mentioned recent terrible accidents on rails, including the Metro North derailment in December 2013 and said, CBTC “is the safest system we can provide. The trains stops where it is programmed to stop.” The major reason for a total shutdown of the line is that workers cannot make any repairs to the tube into manhattan while any trains are running because of its narrowness. Originally built for trolley traffic under the East River, and completed in 1907 the tube pre-dates the subway system. It was modified to accommodate subway cars in 1914. With a very narrow tunnel and two tracks, Smith noted, it is too small to allow workers any clearance areas while trains in the opposite direction are in service, thus necessitating the total shutdown in both directions. Rehabilitation work on the Steinway tube is also necessary after damage incurred from Hurricane Sandy. Before the presentation by the MTA, Van Bramer and Gianaris told the crowd they already met with transit officials, but wanted members of the community to hear directly. At Thursday night’s meeting Van Bramer said he “wanted a real shuttle bus from Vernon Blvd. to midtown,” and criticized the MTA for making a 10 minute commute over an hour commute.” He then added, “all of you pay for this service. This is a serious, serious problem for (our) community” and urged residents gathered to “make sure you let the MTA know how you feel.” Riders did just that, lining up at least 10 deep in two aisles to ask questions and voice their concerns. Many were from small businesses that rely on traffic from Manhattan to support their enterprises. Richard Mazda, LIC Arts Open director, was specifically concerned about closures the same weekend as the festival. He complained that “every single year” the event has been held it has had to deal with problems related to the 7 train. The festival has run annually since 2011. It is scheduled for the weekend of May 14-18. Bianco said providing a bus that would benefit riders close to LIC is not appropriate because “It wouldn’t benefit everybody.” “The operation of the shuttle bus will be a very limited time savings. Not everyone is going to Grand Central,” he said. Van Bramer disagreed with this reasoning, and asked aloud if the shuttle bus “would be a better plan” to applause from the crowd. David Rosasco, president of the Woodside Neighborhood Association, took a more measured stance, saying he realizes “work needs to be done,” and that “the safety issue is of great concern.” Jeff Foreman also voiced support for the shuttle bus idea. He thinks it makes sense for the MTA to run a bus through the Queens Midtown Tunnel. “From Grand Central we can go anywhere we want to go,” he said. “There should be a more robust service (to Manhattan).” Explaining their decision to not run a shuttle bus through the Queens Midtown Tunnel from LIC, Bianco stated the MTA rationale is to funnel riders to available train lines. When was asked by Foreman if he could use a MetroCard on the East River ferry, which costs more than a subway ride Bianco said, “we don’t operate the ferry.” “My suggestion is you have to take that up with the city,” he said. Responding to several questions from the elected officials and angry residents regarding the shuttle bus, Bianco said, “the decision in this case is to get our customers over to the subway.” None of Bianco’s answers on the shuttle bus issue seemed to placate the crowd, as many expressed disapproval through audible groans and grunts. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 1- Pat Buchanan News & Opinion The 2016 presidential hopefuls “ are falling at his feet,” said a veteran Republican strategist of the 80-yearold oligarch. Each of those who came—Bush, Chris Christie, and Govs. Scott Walker and John Kasich—apparently auditioned, one by one, before the godfather. In 2016, says Adelson’s top political adviser Andy Abboud, Sheldon’s “ bar for support is going to be much higher. ... There’s going to be a lot more scrutiny.” Guess that means no more Newts. Victor Chaltiel, a major donor and Adelson friend who sits on the board of Las Vegas Sands, tells us Sheldon “ doesn’t want a crazy extremist to be the nominee.” Adds Shawn Steel, a big California GOP money man, Sheldon is a “ very rational guy.” Perhaps. But last fall at Yeshiva University, this “ very rational guy” gave this response to a question from Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on whether he supports U.S. negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program: “No. What do you mean support negotiations? What are we going to negotiate about? What I would say is, ‘Listen, you see that desert out there, I want to show you something.’ ... You pick up your cell phone and you call somewhere in Nebraska and you say, ‘OK let it go.’ “So, there’s an atomic weapon, goes over ballistic missiles, the middle of the desert, that doesn’t hurt a soul. Maybe a couple of rattlesnakes, and scorpions, or whatever. “And then you say, ‘See! The next one is in the middle of Tehran. So, we mean business. You want to be wiped out? Go ahead and take a tough position and continue with your nuclear development. “‘You want to be peaceful. Just reverse it all, and we will guarantee that you can have a nuclear power plant for electricity purposes, energy purposes.’” Adelson’s response was recorded by Philip Weiss of Mondoweiss website who was at Yeshiva and filmed the interview. Weiss says the audience cheered Adelson’s proposed nuclear strike on Iran and no one on the stage, not Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens, peeped a word of dissent. And this is a “ very rational guy,” who doesn’t want “ a crazy extremist to be the nominee”? This is someone Republican presidential candidates must appease, if they don’t want tens of millions in attack ads run against them? This is someone the Republican presidential hopefuls must hearken to now? Again, so it would seem. During his talk before the few dozen members of the RJC, Gov. Chris Christie recounted his recent trip to Israel: “ I took a helicopter ride from the occupied territories” and came “ to understand the military risk that Israel faces every day.” Christie’s effort at bonding boomeranged. An angry Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America confronted Christie to demand that he explain just what he meant by “occupied territories.” For half a century, the United States has considered the West Bank occupied land where Israeli settlements are illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Whatever Christie’s response, it did not satisfy the ZOA or Klein who declared: “ Either Christie doesn’t understand the issue, or he’s hostile to Israel.” Whereupon Christie, in a private audience with Adelson, apologized. A source close to Adelson told Politico that Christie made clear “ that he misspoke when he referred to the ‘occupied territories.’ And he conveyed that he is an unwavering friend and committed supporter of Israel, and was sorry for any confusion that came across as a result of the misstatement.” The governor is a tough guy, but this sounds like groveling. Is this what Republican presidential candidates must do now? Kowtow to this fattest of fat cats who wants to buy himself an American war on Iran? Is that what has become of the party of Reagan?* * * Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “ Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 4- News From The WRBA Please bring proof of residency. Are you unsure whether you are eligible? There are two ways to find out. First, you can call Ulrich’s office at 1-718-738-1083 and ask. Second, you can go to this website: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members /members.shtml (without a period at the end). Then enter your address and borough. If you are a resident of Woodhaven, Ozone Park, or Richmond Hill and it says Eric Ulrich is your City Council representative, you can vote. If you live in Woodhaven but not in Ulrich’s district, that means you are represented by Council Member Elizabeth Crowley. You will not officially be able to vote in participatory budgeting, but there is still a good reason for you to come by our office during voting hours: you can fill out a ballot and we will communicate your preferences to Crowley’s staff. Members of the WRBA are volunteering a lot of their time to ensure that the office will be open for a substantial period so you can vote. We feel it is important for you to have a voice in how this money is spent, and we also believe it would be good for Woodhaven to show that it cares about how city resources are allocated. Here are the projects on which you can vote. You can pick five, and the most popular projects up to $1 million will be funded: • $300,000 to mill and pave two miles of Woodhaven Boulevard; • $50,000 for new signage for three hiking trails in Forest Park; • $450,000 to fix flooding issues and repave the parking lot of the 102nd Precinct; • $80,000 to install real-time bus countdown clocks at four bus stops; • Technology upgrades at P.S. 273 ($100,000), smart boards at P.S. 60 ($91,000), audio-visual upgrades to P.S. 64’s auditorium ($100,000), and replacing the school yard fencing at J.H.S. 210 ($85,000); • $100,000 for new fencing and signage at the Forest Park Dog Park; • $300,000 for complete renovation and replacement of Giovanelli Playground, which is located at Forest Park and Freedom Drive; • $100,000 for interior upgrades at the Richmond Hill Library; and • $150,000 to repave pathways in Forest Park adjacent to the Sgt. Schaefer Memorial (near the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South). If you live outside Woodhaven but are represented by Council Member Ulrich, you can call his office at the number above to find out about whether, when, and where you can cast a ballot. It’s not every day you can decide how $1 million will be spent. Don’t miss this chance. Vote. * * * Editor’s note: Blenkinsopp is member of Community Board 9 and director of communications for the WRBA. For additional information on the WRBA, visit www.woodhavennyc. org. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 4- SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS MEANS MORE THAN WAVING FLAGS. Help Returning Soldiers By Donating To Local Veterans Organizations. HAVE YOU READ A BOOK WITH YOUR CHILD TODAY?
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