4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 2, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
MTA shifts
gears on bus
service tweaks
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic
announced on Monday that service
will be restored to the Q46
and Q44 bus routes aft er reaching
an agreement with the MTA and
New York City Transit (NYCT).
“I am thankful that the MTA
and NYCT listened to the concerns
of the eastern Queens bus
riders and restored Q46 and Q44
service — outer borough transit
riders must not be neglected,” said
Rozic. “Th ese service investments
will give riders more options to
get where they need to go, more
options during rush hour, and
more reason to use subways and
commuter trains instead.
Th e changes, fi rst of which are
to begin in the coming season, will
help alleviate some of the recent
budget cuts that were felt in all
fi ve boroughs. Th e funding for the
changes will come from the outer
borough transit funds secured by
legislators and will have no impact
on the MTA budget.
Th ere will no longer be service
cuts on the Q46 and Q44
lines aft er Rozic had expressed her
opposition to service adjustments
in January to the Q46 bus route,
which primarily runs along Union
Turnpike from Forest Hills to New
Hyde Park. Th e NYCT decreased
Q46 service by reallocating a number
of trips to the local AM peak
hours from the limited service.
According to Rozic, following
the cuts, constituents had complained
of lengthy delays and wait
times along the Q46, which runs
primarily along Union Turnpike
through Kew Gardens, Kew
Gardens Hills, Hillcrest, Fresh
Meadows, Jamaica, Oakland
Gardens, Glen Oaks and Floral
Park.
Th ere were also planned cuts
for the Q44 bus line that had
not yet been implemented, but
have been canceled and service
will continue as is, according to
Rozic’s offi ce. Th e Q44 is a Select
Bus Service line between Jamaica
and the Bronx and serves the
heart of Downtown Flushing
along Main Street.
With an agreement in place
to revert the cuts and service
changes, Darryl Irick, president
of the MTA bus company,
said they’re pleased to be able
to provide additional bus service
along Main Street and Union
Turnpike, allowing riders to get
where they’re going effi ciently, in
a way that doesn’t add costs to
the MTA.
Photo by Jenna Bagcal/QNS
Historic diner in Flushing serves its fi nal meal
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Hundreds fl ocked to Kane’s Diner in
Flushing last week aft er news broke that it
would be closing its doors on May 1.
Ernie Kane founded the diner at 44-15
College Point Blvd. in 1968 and passed it on
to his children George, Patricia and Toni,
who have owned it for the past 15 years.
Th e owners posted the announcement on
their Facebook page on April 25 thanking
patrons for making Kanes “a favorite place
to celebrate your daily moments and special
Cops cuff man who allegedly raped a Flushing spa employee
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
27, Green allegedly entered an unidentifi ed
edavenport@qns.com
parlor in the vicinity of 37th Avenue and
@QNS
Main Street pretending to be customer. Once
inside, Green allegedly asked for a foot massage
Police arrested a Bronx man accused
from the 56-year-old female employee.
of raping a 56-year-old spa employee in
Aft er the employee led Green into the
Flushing on Saturday.
massage room, Green allegedly pinned her
Terrell Green, 21, was arrested on April
against the bed and raped her. Green then
29 following an ongoing investigation by
allegedly took the victim’s cellphone, but he
police. He was charged with rape, robbery,
dropped it as he fl ed the scene.
burglary and grand larceny.
Th e victim was taken to a local hospital in
According to police, at 2:30 p.m. on April
stable condition.
days.”
Multiple reports confi rmed that the Kane
family sold the property for $15 million to
Long Island-based developer Kenny Liu.
Liu has developed residential properties in
Flushing and Rego Park.
South Ozone Park resident Manny
Lacayo and his family had their last meal
at the diner on April 28. Th e patron recalls
that he had been coming to Kane’s for over
10 years.
“It was crowded but nice. Th e workers
were very emotional and they got to hug
everyone,” Lacayo said. “Th e workers made
you feel like you were at home.”
Lacayo said that his niece suggested the
fi nal meal at Kane’s, where he enjoyed his
favorite diner meal of steak and eggs. He
recalled that he used to frequent the diner
when his mom was alive and it was the
place where he and his family shared a meal
aft er she passed.
He added that he oft en ate at Kane’s even
aft er he moved from Elmhurst to South
Ozone Park.
“I went to Kanes instead of going to
places near me,” said Lacayo.
Lane Clark said that going to Kanes Diner
was like a “rite of passage” for people. Th e
Queens native said that he always enjoyed
the clean and friendly atmosphere and “nice
choice of menu items.”
“Th ey never had a standard menu, they
always used celebrity names or a double
entendre,” said Clark, who has eaten at the
diner for 15 years. “It gave them more fl avor,
fl air and personality than other places.”
He added that it was a shame to see mom
and pop establishments like Kanes go by the
wayside in favor of bigger franchises.
George, who currently lives in Nassau
County, was the head manager of the
diner for the past 15 years. His sisters and
co-owners Toni and Patricia traveled once a
month from their homes in Florida to help
run the establishment.
Kane’s will be open until 8 p.m. on May 1
and there will be a liquidation auction later
this month.
Flushing Post fi rst reported the news
about the diner’s last day.
Photo via Getty Images/Inset courtesy of NYPD
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