4 The Courier sun • DECEMBER 10, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com The New York City Transit Riders Council is proposing a Freedom Ticket to alleviate the burden of people living in transportation deserts. ‘FREEDOM TICKET’ WOULD ALLOW FRE TRANSFERS BETWEN RAIL, SUBWAY AND BUS By Angela Matua [email protected] @AngelaMatua Many southeast Queens residents know all too well that they have some of the longest work commutes in the city. The New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) is proposing a new fare they say would slash costs and time spent traveling to and from work. The council proposed last week creating a “Freedom Ticket” allowing unlimited subway, bus and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or Metro- North Railroad trips within the five boroughs for $215 a month. Some Queens commuters who rely on a combination of the LIRR and MTA subways and buses to get around currently fork over $218 for a monthly LIRR pass on top of $116.50 for a monthly MetroCard. The NYCTRC, the citizens advisory committee to the MTA, released a report last Wednesday advocating for the new fare. Commutes for people living in transportation deserts like southeast Queens may stretch up to 15 hours per week, the report said. The cheapest travel options include a bus or dollar van ride to a subway, but a $10 LIRR ride — which is out of reach for many residents in the area — can shave off considerable time from a rider’s commute. Dollar vans, a popular option for people living in transportation deserts such as eastern Queens, have been a topic of controversy. Many operate illegally and there have been several van-related shootings and car chases within the last year. Councilmen I. Daneek Miller and Rory Lancman introduced the Commuter Van Reform Act in July to raise fines for illegally operating vans. A trip from Rosedale to Manhattan with the LIRR takes 40 minutes, while taking a bus or dollar van and then the subway takes 86 minutes, the report found. The report also argues that the Freedom Ticket would ease congestion on the heavily used E, J and Z lines. During a.m. peak hours, 34 percent of seats on the LIRR between southeast Queens and Jamaica are empty and 23 percent of seats between Jamaica and Penn Station are not used. The cheaper fair would encourage riders to utilize the commuter rail, according to the report. The council also suggested creating a one-way Freedom Ticket that would cost $6.50 — more than a bus or subway ticket but less than a one-way LIRR ticket — and cut travel time. The group, chaired by Andrew Albert, suggests implementing the Freedom Ticket in phases starting in 2017. The first phase would allow southeast Queens riders to purchase the ticket. By 2019, the fare would be expanded to areas where Metro- North and LIRR stations are 0.8 miles or farther from the nearest subway station. The Freedom Ticket would be implemented citywide by 2021. The MTA recently struck down an idea to create a free shuttle bus to LaGuardia Airport. A spokesperson for the MTA said the agency would “consider” implementing the Freedom Ticket. “It’s an interesting proposal to alleviate the concerns of some of our customers, though it would certainly carry a financial impact for the MTA as well, so we’ll consider it next year as we determine how to structure the next in our series of modest fare increases equivalent to the rate of inflation,” spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. Mayor calls for unity with Muslims in Jamaica By Robert Pozarycki [email protected]/@robbpoz An overflow crowd at the Jamaica Muslim Center greeted Mayor Bill de Blasio for a visit during evening prayers on Friday and applauded his vow that the city would work to strengthen its ties with Muslims across the five boroughs. “For the whole city, we know we have to do more, but we also have an important mission to deepen the relationship between the Muslim community and the city government,” de Blasio said. “This is a community that wants to have a close working relationship with the city government. It’s up to us to make sure that we are meeting that, and that we are creating that deep partnership.” The mayor acknowledged that his visit comes at a time of great strife around the world following recent terrorist attacks in Paris and last week’s mass shooting at an office in San Bernardino, California, which the FBI declared on Friday as a terrorist attack. De Blasio said the city and country must “reject hatred in all its forms” and that “we need to be clear that the cycle of hatred is such a dangerous one.” He alluded to calls from certain politicians across the country that the U.S. increase scrutiny on those of the Muslim faith in noting that division among the American people is exactly what the terrorists who perpetrated recent attacks desire. “The last thing terrorists want to see is respect for all peoples. The last thing terrorists want to see is inclusion. The last thing terrorists want to see is democracy and respect for human rights,” de Blasio said. “Their entire construct is based on division, but it’s incumbent upon us in a free and democratic society to therefore live up to our best ideals so that every member of the community knows this society fully is available.” “The last thing terrorists want to see is democracy and respect for human rights” The mayor encouraged a greater collaboration between the Muslim community and the NYPD, a relationship that came under strain after reports surfaced of secret police surveillance of mosques across the region in recent years. He urged Muslim New Yorkers, especially, not to keep silent in the wake of a hate crime perpetrated against them. “We can only stop hate crimes if they are reported and if we have the full support of the community in pursuing those who have done these acts of hate,” de Blasio said. “The NYPD needs you to be the partner to stop these acts of discrimination. And we know something else … this Muslim community of New York City is an ally in the fight against terror.” Mayor Bill de Blasio
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