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Jan. 29, 2020 By Kristen Torres
Transportation advocates and elected officials are rallying in Jackson Heights Thursday to protest proposed bus service cuts included in the MTA’s draft plan to overhaul the Queens bus network.
The rally—which is slated to take place at 5:15 p.m. in Travers Park, located at 76-9 34th Ave.—is being organized by Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo, a community activist and candidate for the New York State Assembly.
Participants in the rally will then walk over to a scheduled community meeting with MTA officials concerning the Queens Bus Network Redesign Draft Plan. That meeting will be held at Langston Hughes Library, located at 100-01 Northern Blvd., from 6 to 8 p.m.
“We are protesting the MTA’s outreach, their tone-deaf plan and the stealth service cuts we were not supposed to notice,” O’Doherty-Naranjo wrote in a statement Wednesday.
The event is being held to voice opposition about the draft plan, which has come under fire across Queens since its release on Dec. 31. On a local level, residents are upset that the plan would not provide east-west service to take residents to and from the 74th Street Roosevelt Avenue subway station.
Advocates are demanding the MTA include more routes and increase bus frequency in the next version of the plan, which is set to be unveiled later this year. They are also calling on MTA officials to route more buses toward accessible train stops.
“The plan completely devalues our seniors, mobility-impaired riders and parents with strollers by not taking accessibility into account,” O’Doherty-Naranjo said.
Council Member Costa Constantinides—a current candidate for Queens Borough President—will attend the rally, alongside transportation advocate Jim Burke, according to O’Doherty-Naranjo.
“We need better buses, more reliable buses, more efficient buses, and more comfortable buses,” O’Doherty-Naranjo said.
“The plan that the MTA is providing is clearly the opposite, and they need to start listening to the people who take these busses before they start cutting our service and stranding riders,” she added.
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10 Comments
The people in Woodside need the Q32. I take thus bus to go to work near Penn Station.
Why do I feel like I live in boondocks if Q32 is gone.
Cant climb stairs so I have avoid trains. This is so insane . MTA needs to STOP OT abuse.
Forty five years ago we pay less of fifty cents we have better services that today with 2.75. On time, better connections, bathrooms on train stations less crimes.
Very bad plan for seniors and people with disabilities
Keep the Q32. Its needed by the people in the community. Bureaucrats don’t live here and they dont know what we need!
The community is absolutely right. Bureaucrats who do not live in the district make plans without knowing the needs of the people who live there. Keep the Q32
I’m disabled but choose to use the Q32 because it goes directly into the city by my doctors. I’m unable to take the train due to 1 elevator and over crowding. This will force me to apply for access a ride, which I have been trying to avoid to keep my independence. Stop building high rise buildings along and over crowding the 7 line and add an escalator at 74 street. The Q32 is a bus that’s been working for more than 35 years. Removing it will cost the city more. Trust me. There are already talks about how access a ride is about to get hit with 1000 applications if the bus is removed.
Ridiculous bus routes redesign. Leave them as is!!! Take in the opinions of the people who actually RIDE these buses DAILY!!!
Make diversity place great again!
I am not sure of all the bus changes but I am very concerned!
I am unclear of the bus charges but si agree this needs some attention