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Rego Park Town Hall Held on QueensLink After Negative Report from MTA

By Celia Bernhardt

cbernhardt@queensledger.com

QueensLink held a community town hall in Rego Park’s Queens Library on Thursday, Oct. 12, with a presentation detailing their transit proposal and ample time for discussion and questions from attendees. In the wake of the MTA’s negative assessment of their proposal, presenters continued arguing for its importance.

The QueensLink plan calls to reactivate the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch rail and use it to connect North and South Queens via the M train. Advocates emphasize that Southeastern Queens is a transit desert saddled with long commutes into the city, as well as difficulty accessing other parts of Queens. In the MTA’s recently released 20-year needs assessment, QueensLink was given a relatively low rating compared to other capital project proposals.

Lead by QueensLink’s chief design strategist Andrew Lynch, the event drew a crowd of around two dozen. Audience members had no shortage of questions about the nitty gritty of the project and how it would be implemented.

Responding to an audience member’s question of how long the entire process, start-to-finish, would take, Lynch said that a full impact study would take up to two years, and construction could take up to ten.

One attendee expressed concern about how the planned route runs an above-ground train through his community’s parking lot.

“I live in Forest View Crescent,” he said. “If they run a train through there, we’re gonna lose a lot of parking space.”

Lynch explained that QueensLink was in the process of increasing communication with the housing complex, and would take their concerns into consideration. “We are going to be doing walking tours of that area with members of your building to get a better sense of it. And we are going to be doing events like this literally at your community room,” Lynch said.

“This is definitely an area…that we need more feedback on. And we didn’t understand these issues until the last event, but that’s why we’re reaching out to your building to get a better understanding of this,” Lynch said, before adding, “The big issue that was actually brought up to us was access for the fire department to come in the back of the building.”

Lynch also mentioned that Queenslink was considering incorporating multiple noise-reducing elements into the design of the rail’s above-ground portions, so that noise wouldn’t burden on residents living close to the train.

Among the attendees was Leroy Comrie, State Senator for senate district 14 in Southeastern Queens and chairman of the committee on corporations, authorities, and commissions, which oversees the MTA.

A QueensLink organizer asked Comrie if he would support allocating money in the state’s budget for an environmental impact study so that proponents of the plan “could really see if it’s possible.” Comrie affirmed that he was in support of such a use of funds.

“On the state level, we’re trying to get them to include it in the needs assessment as well so we can have a fair understanding of it,” Comrie said. “But when the MTA doesn’t want to do something, they just double down.”

Comrie also mentioned that it was important to address concerns like noise and parking.

“My concern was that, frankly, the folks in the Forest Hills area wouldn’t want to train rumbling through their backyards, because in some areas it’s less than five feet away from people’s backyard,” Comrie said. “That was my concern about it. So if you’ve met that challenge and can get past that, you know, that would make sense.”

Comrie spoke about what Queenslink was up against, and advised them moving forward that Councilmember Lynn Shulman would be a key person to get support from. “If you can get her on board, we could get a long way to getting there.”

Six Weekends of 7 Line Closures into Queensboro Plaza

7 Line Suspended between 34th St.-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza on Select Weekends beginning in February

Queensboro Plaza South Side Rendering. Photo: MTA

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

 

Seven train line service will be suspended between 34th St.-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza for six weeks, with the first of these closures beginning Saturday, Feb. 4. 

During these weekends, the MTA will be constructing two elevators at Queensboro Plaza in an effort to make the station fully accessible.

The service change for the first weekend is scheduled to be in effect from 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 until 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6.

The following weekends will have service changes beginning at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday:

  • Feb. 11 – Feb. 12
  • Feb. 25 – Feb. 26
  • Mar. 11 – Mar. 12
  • Mar. 25 – Mar. 26
  • Apr. 22 – Apr. 23

Free shuttle buses will be provided between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon Blvd – Jackson Av, as well as between Times Square and 34 St-Hudson Yards.

Construction at Queensboro Plaza includes an elevator at the southern entrance of the station and an elevator between the mezzanine and the two platforms. 

The mezzanine is expected to receive new lighting and be expanded by approximately 50 square feet. There will also be updates to the pedestrian bridge. 

To make the station fully accessible, the project will consist of new boarding areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with new platform edges and upgrades to existing street and station stairs to current ADA standards.

“The improvements coming to Queensboro Plaza will greatly benefit tens of thousands of riders,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey in a statement. “Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, especially for a city like New York where mass transit is essential for many. When complete, the project will provide critical accessibility upgrades, security updates, and customer experience improvements throughout the station.” 

The MTA describes the planned work on Queensboro Plaza as a “complex construction project” in a press release due to the rapidly growing, densely populated neighborhood. 

According to the MTA, Queensboro Plaza served approximately 70,000 rides on average every weekday in November 2022, and work will be required over the 11-lane wide approach to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, including two bike lanes. 

“Building in dense urban environments, with infrastructure that dates back more than 100 years, is complex and challenging,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer in the press release. “But making our system accessible is essential and so we are finding creative ways to meet that challenge. Queensboro Plaza is a perfect example, taking advantage of private investment to maximize the benefit for riders while minimizing cost to the MTA.”  

The project for building an accessible entrance on the south side of Queensboro Plaza is expected to be completed by mid-2024, and is budgeted for $74 million. There will also be upgrades made to the fire alarm system, installation of a new security camera system, a new public address system and digital information screens. 

The north side’s entrance is also set to become an accessible entrance, done so through the Zoning for Accessibility (ZFA) program. This entrance is anticipated to be completed by 2025, and will be financed by the developer of 25-01 Queens Plaza North under the ZFA transit improvement bonus program. This is expected to save the MTA millions of dollars in construction and maintenance costs.

ZFA enables developers, in exchange for an increase in their building’s density, to improve access to public transit in the busiest areas of the city.  To learn more about the program, visit https://new.mta.info/accessibility/zoning-for-accessibility

The MTA also announced that there will be weekend service changes on the N line in May.

Additional weekend service changes are expected throughout the year and in 2024.

Community discusses Bus Network Redesign

As part of their public outreach efforts, the MTA is holding workshops in each community district — from Astoria to Rockaway — to hear feedback about their Queens Bus Network Redesign Plan.

After an 18-month pause on the project, which was initially developed in 2019, the MTA released the most updated draft.

They said in a presentation that after the recent public outreach has been completed, that feedback will be analyzed and implemented into a proposed final plan.

The goal of the Bus Network Redesign is to modernize the city’s bus network and provide faster, more efficient service to the nearly 800,000 customers who rely on it.

The plan is slated to eliminate a total of 1,685 bus stops, as well as offer 85 routes to the borough.

Residents of Community District 5 — which covers Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth, had the opportunity to provide feedback to MTA representatives at last Wednesday’s virtual workshop, and many of them were quite skeptical about the plan.

“The proposed change to the Q39 removing all service in Ridgewood removes access to several colleges not served by the Q67,” one concerned resident said. “Q67 frequency is 30 minutes, which does not improve Q39 service. The only option would be the Q58, which is already overcrowded, and transfer to the Q39 somewhere.”

The proposed Q39 would be extended north to Astoria via 21 Street and Astoria Blvd, replacing Q103 service there, and providing new connections across western Queens.

It would also terminate in Maspeth instead of serving Ridgewood, which would be provided by the potential Q67 bus. It will also no longer operate on a 24-hour timeline.

As part of the plan, the MTA created online profiles for each individual bus route in Queens in order for customers to analyze the proposals in depth.

The profiles suggest alternate connections by bus and train to compensate for any service that was changed or eliminated, as well as average stop spacing, total length, proposed frequency and span, and a map to provide a visual guide for the route’s changes.

Another Ridgewood resident pointed out that a stop on Menahan Street and Fresh Pond Road along the Q58 has been skipped as a result of nearby construction and stressed that it needs to be addressed in the new plan.

The same resident also brought up an error in the MTA’s plan regarding the QM24 and QM25 buses, which say there will be a stop on Fresh Pond Road and Gates Avenue, however, there is currently no bus stop at Gates Avenue.

“I think that was just an error because there is a stop at Fresh Pond and Grove, and that would make perfect sense to keep the bus stop there. But if you remove the bus stop at Bleecker Street and move the Grove stop, it’s such a tremendous difference to be able to walk all the way over to Gates Avenue,” she said.
Lucille Songhai, an MTA representative, said she and other employees will continue to do research regarding the road operations, which will likely be reflected in the final plan.

MTA representative Daniel Randall reminded all attendees that the current plan is merely a draft at this point, and that all feedback, questions, and concerns are welcome.

“All this feedback is very useful,” he said. “You know your communities better than we do.”

Randall added that “the fact that you’re naming economic institutions, schools, and local infrastructure is really helpful because that will inform the next phase of this plan.”

More information about the Queens Bus Network Redesign Plan is available on the MTA’s website for anyone to view. Community members can register for any of the MTA’s virtual bus workshops through June 2 as well.

MTA releases Queens Bus Network Redesign draft plan

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority rolled out its new Queens Bus Network Redesign draft plan, after receiving over 11,000 public comments on their initial attempt to redesign the bus network in 2019.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the brakes were put on the initiative in March 2020. Now, the MTA is ready to start back up again with a fresh perspective after the agency received an “unprecedented number of comments” about the original draft plan released in December 2019.

The MTA says its focus is now on routing, bus stop locations, and providing frequent and reliable bus service throughout the borough. In 2019, the bus network served nearly 800,000 average weekday riders with over 100 routes.

“The Queens New Draft Plan is the third to be released, but in some ways, may be the most important of the five because Queens has, historically, had less subway service relative to its size and population than the other boroughs,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “So many people depend on buses for access to jobs, education, culture and everything else New York has to offer. The New Draft Plan reimagines both local and express service to address the evolving needs of Queens communities, with a focus on more reliable service, faster travel, better connections, and ease of use.”

MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, Interim NYCT President Craig Cipriano, Acting MTA Bus President/SVP NYCT Buses Frank Annicaro, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announce the Queens Bus Network Redesign Draft Plan at Jamaica Av. & 150th St. on Tuesday, Mar. 29, 2022. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

With over half of Queens residents relying on public transportation for their daily commute, at least 11 percent commute primarily by bus, the MTA says. Although ridership dropped significantly during the pandemic — to roughly 46 percent of pre-pandemic levels — ridership is slowly continuing to recover as New Yorkers return to work and their daily activities.

More direct routes in congested areas, like downtown Flushing and Jamaica, are in the pipeline for the redesign. The MTA says a contributing factor to congestion in Flushing and Jamaica are the result of bus routes that end in those neighborhoods.

The MTA is also placing a priority on creating a more efficient bus system by removing and adjusting closely-spaced bus stops along routes in hopes of expediting service. The MTA says with seconds shaved off of existing bus routes, there is a “positive cascading effect” on overall travel times with fewer bus stops.

A total of 85 bus routes (up from 82 currently) are proposed for the local bus network, which can be broken down into four different route types, including 35 local routes, 27 rush routes, 16 limited routes and seven crosstown Select-Bus Service routes.

The MTA will also continue its work with the city’s Department of Transportation to build upon its achievements of dedicated bus lanes, like the ones that were installed last year in Jamaica.

DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez lent his support to the bus network redesign plan, calling efficient bus service a top priority for commuters from Queens.

“The majority of Queens residents rely on public transportation for their commutes and making sure their buses are running on time and unobstructed has been one of our top priorities,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We strongly support the holistic efforts of the borough bus network redesigns to improve bus service, through simplified routings, improved access to important destinations, and improved bus stop spacing.”

In its latest redesign draft plan, the MTA says they are looking into more direct routing and finding new connections to subway stations and other bus routes. New bus routes may have less stops, but this is countered with a proposed frequency increase and fewer route variations or branches.

For example, the proposed Q46 bus route would only serve LIJ Hospital, while the proposed Q48 bus route would only serve Glen Oaks.

Proposed changes to the Express Bus Network include one new express route, serving southeast Queens from Springfield Gardens and Rochdale to Midtown Manhattan. The MTA is also proposing to discontinue the QM3 line that runs between Little Neck and Midtown Manhattan due to low ridership, as well as to retire the QM10 and QM40 lines in order for more direct routes (the proposed QM11, QM12 and QM42 lines) to take their place.

In an effort to gather feedback from locals, the MTA is holding virtual workshops that start on Monday, April 18 for local Community Boards. All workshops will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Community Board 1 (Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside) will be the first virtual workshop held on Monday, April 18, with the rest to follow.

Thank the FTA

Dear Editor,
How disappointing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) forgot to acknowledge the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for providing the funding to pay for the new subway cars purchased on behalf of New York City Transit during a recent ceremony held in Brooklyn marking delivery of the first five cars.
A series of FTA grants to the MTA over several years will pay for most of the base bid of $1.44 billion awarded to Kawasaki to purchase 535 new state-of-the-art R211 subway cars.
They will primarily replace a similar number of subway cars currently operating on the A & C lines that have reached their useful life.
There are also option clauses to the contract that afford the MTA opportunities to purchase up to 1,077 additional cars at a cost of $3.7 billion. FTA funding will also pay for many of these cars, as well.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck

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