East Elmhurst town hall erupts over Queens bus network redesign
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East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights residents scolded MTA officials over the proposed Queens bus network redesign. Eagle file photo by Jonathan Sperling.
By Victoria Merlino
Angry East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights residents railed against the MTA’s proposed changes to bus lines in Queens at a town hall on Friday night, scolding — and in some cases yelling at — officials over the elimination of favored routes.
The Queens bus network redesign draft plan, released late last year, proposes sweeping changes to the current bus routes in the borough, including what the MTA hopes would be faster travel times overall and better service in the public transit-starved Eastern Queens.
The draft plan remained unpopular since its announcement, with all 15 Queens councilmembers saying last week that they oppose the plan.
More than 150 residents were able to speak directly with MTA representatives, including Chief of Operations Planning Judy McClain, or write their comments on the proposed routes and submit to the transit agency.
“It’s really great to see such an incredible turnout tonight,” McClain said, noting that the MTA has already received over 5,000 comments about the plan. “We need your feedback. We need to hear what you need to get to the store, to get to your jobs, to get to school, see your friends. That’s what we want to do. We want to provide a service that works for you.”
The town hall, hosted by State Sen. Jessica Ramos, gave residents a platform to voice their growing anxiety over the changes, especially to the Q49 route.
“The Q49, they’re totally redesigning in a way that does not serve the public,” said East Elmhurst resident Fernando Valdez. Valdez broke his leg a few months ago, and said his only option to get to work was to take the bus to the 74th Street transit hub in Jackson Heights and take the elevator.
The redesign would force him to use the 90th Street No. 7 train station, which does not have an elevator, he said.
“They did not take the community into account,” Valdez said of the MTA, noting that though he is bilingual, he did not see any Spanish communications from the MTA to explain the draft plan to the heavily Spanish-speaking community.
Dorinda Mapp, another resident, said her husband, who uses a cane, would not be able to get to Roosevelt Avenue without the Q49 bus route.
“As a lifelong resident of the Corona/East Elmhurst/Jackson Heights community, my first thought is that if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Our neighborhood is well-known for being accessible,” she said.
Vanessa Sanchez, a local Girl Scout who attended the meeting with her troop, said that proposed changes to the Q33, Q32 and Q66 would make it more difficult for her and her troop members to get home from school and from troop meetings.
“Our meetings are on Friday nights. Some of us go to the meetings by ourselves and the 7 train isn’t the most safe place; we have to take the buses,” Sanchez said.
MTA spokesperson Amanda Kwan told the Eagle that the agency is excited about the feedback it has received so far on the plan.
“We are excited by the feedback we’ve received so far on our draft plan to dramatically reimagine the Queens bus network, because the redesign is an iterative, customer-led process that will result in better service for hundreds of thousands of customers,” she said. “What we have proposed is a draft that will change as we get more public input, and everyone will have the opportunity to share feedback. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to give Queens residents the bus service they deserve.”
Meetings and workshops about the plan will continue into next month as the MTA looks to receive more comments about the plan. They are as follows:
Kew Gardens
Jan. 28
Queens Borough Hall
120-55 Queens Blvd
Ozone Park
Jan. 29
JHS 202 Robert H. Goddard
138-80 Lafayette St.
Corona
Jan. 30
Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center
100-01 Northern Blvd
Long Island City
Feb. 4
Jacob Riis Settlement
1025 41 Ave
Rockaways
Feb. 5
RISE/Rockaway Waterfront Alliance
58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Bayside
Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Korean Community Services
203-05 32nd Ave.
Bellerose
Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Cross Island YMCA, 238-10 Hillside Ave.
The MTA told the Eagle there would be additional forums in Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Oakland Gardens.
