FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 29, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
oped
This remarkable photo from 1927 shows Van Dine Avenue (present-day 88th Street) looking north in Glendale. This pastoral
setting disappeared long ago, but the railroad crossing in the foreground — which is part of the Long Island Rail Road
Montauk branch — remains in place. Send your historic photos by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail
printed pictures to A Look Back, Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be
carefully returned to you. Ridgewood Times archives/Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
letters & comments
TROUBLING
NUMBERS OF
HOMELESS IN NYC
As reported, there is alone
10,513 in Queens housing shelters.
Homelessness rose across the
city by 38 percent. In addition
rents went up 18.4 percent but
wages only increased by 4.8 percent.
What is most troubling is that
there is over 60,000 in the homeless
shelters, not to mention those
living on the streets and subways.
Even more troubling is many of
the children in these shelters are
not attending school on a regular
basis.
Th e mayor and the City Council
need to fi nd ways to do better to
help the homeless. I dream of the
day when the are no more homeless
in this great city of ours due
to the compassion of our city leaders.
I was homeless in the 1970s
aft er leaving the U.S. Navy, so I can
truly feel the pain and suff ering of
the homeless.
So I ask the mayor and the City
Council to hear the cries of those
in desperation and only wanting a
place to call “Home sweet home.”
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
BOULEVARD BIKE
LANE UNSAFE
FOR ANYONE
Regarding the Northern
Boulevard bike lane: Th is bike lane
is a tremendous hazard, not only at
this intersection, but at the Cross
Island Parkway North entrance
ramp a couple hundred feet east.
I am an avid biker myself, but
I would never in a million years
want to cross that intersection
alone or with my family on bikes.
Even though I travel that route
oft en, I have diffi culty fi guring out
the logic, or rhythm of the light
pattern. It’s just off . Th e light is
confusing to drivers and bikers
alike.
I’ve witnessed many near fender
benders, and confused bikers
impacted by the strange timing of
the light sequence. Th is intersection
is not in any way safer than
it was previously to the bike lane
being constructed.
I fear what will happen to bike
riders when they become more
active with the warmer weather.
People are going to get seriously
hurt.
QNS member tone601
READER: DON’T
BLAME LEFT FOR
GUN WOES
Th ank goodness the editor of Th e
Courier pointed out the many reasons
why Edward Riecks (“Blame
the Left for Gun Problems,” Letters
& Comments, March 15) is wrong
on the issue of gun control. I question
why they would print his letter
in the fi rst place.
It is completely, ridiculously,
laughable that Mr. Riecks blames
Democrats for “gun problems.”
He ignored facts like the top 10
recipients of NRA donations in
both the Senate and Congress
are Republicans. Or that the
Republican-controlled legislature
of Florida fi nally took some steps to
address (as they put it) a devastating
public health risk. No, I’m not
talking about voting, or even considering
a ban on assault weapons
(nearly all of the 71 Republicans
who have an “A” rating from the
NRA refused to even bring it up for
debate). Instead they began debate
on a bill that declares pornography
a public health risk.
Mr. Riecks goes on to say that
the “do your own thing” mentality
of the 1960s is to blame. Amazing.
Th e peace and love generation is
responsible for the current climate
of mass shootings? I recall Crosby,
Stills & Nash singing “Love the
one you’re with” not “Love the gun
you’re with.”
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
Editor’s note: In response to
Mr. LaRosa’s question about why
this paper ran Mr. Riecks’ letter,
it should be noted that this publication
believes in the freedom
of expression, even if a person’s
viewpoints diff er from the editorial
stance on topics such as gun regulation.
Email your letters to editorial@
qns.com (Subject: Letter to the
Editor) or leave a comment to any
of our stories at QNS.com. You can
also send a letter by regular mail
to Letters to the Editor, 38-15 Bell
Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All letters
are subject to editing. Names will be
withheld upon request, but anonymous
letters will not be considered
for publication. Th e views expressed
in all letters and comments are not
necessarily those of this publication
or its staff .
Queens needs ‘Freedom
Ticket’ to ride
BY BOROUGH PRESIDENT MELINDA KATZ
Th e Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA’s)
“Freedom Ticket” program is gearing up to become a broken
promise that represents a classic bait-and-switch on Queens.
In a transit desert like Queens, residents greatly rely on
buses and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to get around.
Th e problem is that New York City buses — at $2.75 a ride
— are notoriously unreliable and overburdened. Th e LIRR,
while more predictable and time-effi cient, is oft en cost-prohibitive
at $10.25 for a one-way peak ticket between southeast
Queens and Penn Station.
Enter: Th e Freedom Ticket.
First proposed in 2015 by the New York City Transit
Riders Council, the plan calls for a discounted one-way $6.50
fare for about a half-hour ride between six Queens LIRR stations
(Rosedale, Laurelton, Locust Manor, St. Albans, Hollis
and Queens Village) and either Penn Station in Manhattan
or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
It’s a great idea, and holds much promise. Many — myself
included — endorsed the plan, and were pleased when the
MTA, with much fanfare, announced over a year ago that
it was poised to implement a pilot version of the Freedom
Ticket concept. It was meant to determine whether lowering
the LIRR fare would not only increase LIRR ridership,
but assist in alleviating overcrowded trains on the E and F
subway lines.
Th en recently, and rather quietly, the MTA began discussions
to revise the plan by totally omitting Penn Station
from the pilot.
Instead — and much to Queens’ dismay — they suggest
that those who partake in the Freedom Ticket pilot
from southeast Queens go only to the Atlantic Terminal in
Brooklyn. From there, LIRR riders are forced to take the
subway into Manhattan. By excluding the Manhattan option
on the LIRR, as was originally proposed as the pilot, that’s
easily an additional 30 to 45 minutes each way on top of the
existing commute.
So what would this mean in terms of transportation
options for the families of southeast Queens?
Say you’re going to midtown from Rosedale during the
morning rush hour. You could
A) Spend 30 to 60 minutes driving by car and possibly
pay a $5.76 toll each way (we won’t even discuss the parking
once you get into Manhattan);
B) Cough up $10.25 for a 37-minute ride into Penn
Station;
C) Take the Q5 or Q85 bus from virtually the fi rst stop to
the last stop at Parsons and Archer, then hop on the E train
for a 60- to 90-minute commute into Penn Station, OR;
D) Get a $6.50 one-way Freedom Ticket for a 37-minute
ride to fi rst stop in Brooklyn, then transfer to the subway for
an additional 30-minute ride to Penn. Th at’s, of course, on
a rare good day when the trains are actually running nearly
on time.
It’s not an ideal choice for any commuter. “Freedom”
becomes a misnomer.
Let’s be clear about the purpose of the Freedom Ticket. It’s
to off er the LIRR to commuters as a more viable, attractive
mass transit option that saves riders both time and money,
which would in turn help alleviate congestion on the roads
and in the subways.
Instead, the MTA is trying to sell riders an inferior fare
option that would add at least an hour to their round-trip
daily travel in exchange for saving a few bucks. Who — if
they had a choice — would even entertain that? Anyone’s
time is worth more than that.
Th e Freedom Ticket is not about charity. It is a pilot specifically
to determine the eff ects a fairer LIRR price would have
on the LIRR and the subway.
At a time when there is broad citywide agreement of the
need to relieve congestion and prioritize public transportation,
we must make every concerted eff ort to make transit
options more equitable and much more viable.
A LOOK BACK
link
link
link
