As most know, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has proposed yet another series of cuts that will drastically alter service. With $40 million in cuts to Access-A-Ride, ten bus routes being eliminated, weekend service cuts to be implemented, and reduced service expected to take effect, the crowds of people waiting to huddle into a urine-soaked car will start to become even more inhospitable than it presently is.
With many of the route cuts affecting express lines and buses that service the Downtown Brooklyn area, it’s easy to think Sheepshead Bay residents needn’t bother opposing this. But they’re wrong.
Nearby train lines D, F, and A lines will all be affected by reduced service, while express buses X29 and X38, which service Coney Island/Seagate, will be eliminated. The B4 bus will no longer travel along Emmons Avenue/Shore Parkway – forcing some Bay residents to walk more than a mile to the nearest bus line.
Perhaps the most devastating cut will be the elimination of Student MetroCards, a luxury that has accommodated NYC youth (and predated by the illustrious bus pass) for ages. With the increased cost of transportation in recent years, the flawed logic of this plan is evident to just about everyone.
Christine Quinn of the New York City Council is encouraging Brooklyn residents to sign her petition, available here . You can also become involved by working with NYPIRG’s Straphangers Campaign or signing up to volunteer (contact Nick Rolf NROLF@council.nyc.gov.).
Of more immediate importance, a public hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at the Brooklyn Museum’s Cantor Auditorium at 6 p.m. There’s strength in numbers, so even if you don’t plan to speak, show them that the issue was important enough to bring you out in the cold weather.
You may recall last week’s article about the confusing sign at Neptune Avenue and Cass Place allowing right turns on red. As of Monday morning the sign was missing in action. We’re not sure if the sign was upset by our article and decided to leave for greener pastures or if it was stolen by some prankster. Another possibility is the sign fell down due to damage; in fact last week the sign was swinging loose in the rain because the bottom rivet broke. Looking for answers Sheepshead Bites contacted Community Board 15 for some answers. They told us, “The sign was not removed by DOT. DOT will replace it as soon as possible.” While we wait for Brooklyn Borough Engineer to get back to us on what a “School Day” means we asked CB15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo for her opinion. According to Scavo, “It is meant to mean Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., September to June.” She goes on to say that the sign is mostly intended for weekend drivers.
At the far corner of Sheephead Bay, where it joins Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach, is a sign that causes a whole mess of confusion, traffic backups, and horn honking. One might think it’s pretty clear: “After Stop Right Turn Permitted On Red Except 8am – 4pm School Days”. You might ask yourself what’s so confusing about this sign on Neptune Avenue and Cass Place that’s written out in pretty clear English. But many in the area can’t seem to agree on what qualifies as a school day. The corner is constantly backed up on days school is not in session due to drivers not knowing what qualifies as a school day. Summer was particularly precarious because nobody knew if summer school counts. What about snow days, Jewish holidays, and a plethora of other days? Doesn’t “school day” mean Monday through Friday or “Any Day School is in Session.” After some poking around on the DOT’s website, the only mention of school days I could find is a note that parking in a school zone is permissible when school is not in recess.
So which is it? Shouldn’t the sign just read Monday – Friday, September – June? It’s not as if there isn’t enough space, the No Parking signs in Manhattan Beach are seasonal. One must also call into question why school days even matter. The nearest school is three blocks away on Brighton 14th. Have you been caught in traffic behind this sign? What do you think?
Just to add a little more inconvenience to your commute…
From Notify NYC:
Emergency personnel are on the scene of a subway smoke condition near West 53rd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. The F and V trains are suspended in Manhattan. B and D trains are diverted onto the A line between West 57th Street and West 4th Street.
We may not have cleaning crews to get rid of the garbage. We may not have agents in the booth to answer questions or keep us safe. Heck, we may not even have trains from time to time. But at least we’ll have a handful of intercoms to voice our garbled and static-infused complaints to some unsympathetic nobody on the other end. Thanks, MTA!
Straphangers should find it easier to reach transit workers in case of emergency as the agency plans to put intercoms on station platforms.
Intercoms linking platforms and token booths are now few and far between – but NYC Transit is including them in all future station rehabilitation projects, a spokesman said.
Among the first to see the communications upgrade will be riders at five Brighton line stations in Brooklyn.
Workers will install 61 of the devices, one every 200 feet, the spokesman said.
Read more from the Daily News.
Sure, we’ve been harping about the devastating changes to the B train express for a while now. But those who don’t read our site were surprised to find this morning that the B is running local. Complaints from surprised residents started pouring in via Twitter this morning.
Don’t just complain to your friends and the Twitterverse, though. Complain to the legislators and the MTA, and help try to find an alternative!
We noticed some new signs posted at the B/Q train platform yesterday, indicating some early trackwork heading up to the much maligned B train express cancellation. The changes are as follows:
B Line: For three consecutive Fridays – September 11, 18, and 25 – service will terminate at 8:45 p.m.
Q Line: For the weekends of September 11 – 14, and September 18 – 21, there will be no trains between Prospect Park and Kings Highway. Service will be replaced by a free shuttle bus between stations. The weekend service changes begin Friday at 9:30 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m. on Monday.
Essentially, it means areas of Southern Brooklyn along the B/Q line are screwed for going into or coming from the city beginning Friday evenings. Thanks MTA!
I never really considered writing the MTA itself as an effective strategy to halt the two-year termination of B express service beginning in September. It just seemed that they’d never listen to me or anyone else who doesn’t control their budget. But one reader, Cat Consequence, sought out the MTA’s online complaint form to let them know what he thought of the changes. Surprise of surprises – the MTA wrote him back. So now I’m urging all of our readers to flood the complaint form. But don’t just flood it, post a copy of your complaint – and their response (if any) – in the comments section. If we’re all receiving canned responses it’ll become obvious pretty quickly. Once again, here’s the link to the MTA’s complaint form: http://mta-nyc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/mta_nyc.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php
In other B train news, neither Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo nor State Senator Marty Golden have received a response to their letters to the MTA president, but they did urge patience. Joan Byrnes, Director of Community Relations for Golden, said that it would be hard for them to justify a tougher campaign against the MTA’s B train plans without more outcry from the community. Golden, we remind you, is a state senator and has a vote when it comes to the MTA budget. To date he has received just two or three complaints. So I’m again asking for you to contact your state senators immediately.
State Senator Martin J. Golden
718-238-6044 - golden@senate.state.ny.us
State Senator Carl Kruger
718-743-8610 - kruger@senate.state.ny.us
We told you this morning that Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo wrote the MTA, and now we’ve found out that State Senator Marty Golden has followed suit. Joan Byrnes, Director of Community Affairs for Golden, left a copy of the letter as a comment to our original article about B service termination. We’re putting it up front for everyone to see:
August 10, 2009
President Howard H. Roberts Jr.
MTA New York City Transit
2 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Dear President Roberts, Jr.,
The recent news of the cuts in service on the B line for two years has caused great concern and disappointment within my district. I have seen complaints on the local blogs and have received them at my office as well. I hope that we will be able to work together to accommodate the riders of this line. While they are thankful to have the repairs take place, the everyday necessity of their commute continues to exist, and the extreme nature of these cuts is causing a major disturbance.
I ask that you consider the possibilities available before making such a cut that will severely inconvenience thousands of riders. Making express service possible during rush hours is the best way to calm the concerns of the people. Two years is too long to deny the residents a service they count on and continually pay into! I sincerely urge you to find a middle ground so that the MTA and the commuters on the Brighton line can both benefit.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further please contact my Director of Community Affairs, Joan Byrnes at 718-238-6044 or jbyrnes@senate.state.ny.us. I remain,
Sincerely Yours,
Martin J. Golden
Good work, readers. Your letters to Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo has helped spur her to action. After receiving several dozen letters from outraged Sheepshead Bites readers, Scavo sent a hard copy letter direct to the president of MTA New York City Transit, Howard H. Roberts Jr., demanding that they take a look into alternatives to closing down B express service for two years.
Scavo says it wasn’t just the letters, but also witnessing the current commuter clutter on the platform.
“Tuesday morning I was personally there at 8 a.m.,” she said. “The entire B platform was three deep. And I want to know why that many people need to be inconvenienced for a construction project.”
Scavo’s letter goes on to say that other options can be found, including having the train switch from local to express and express to local at various locations, thus easing the burden.
Although Scavo couldn’t provide us with a copy of that letter, she says it went out Tuesday morning. She’ll notify us when she hears back.
If you sent an e-mail to Scavo, don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. This still has a long way to go, and if B express service is to be saved we must continue to put pressure on our leaders. Scavo told me previously that, in addition to the closures, transit officials told her that only three – THREE – cars will be added to the tracks, which means we’ll be facing severe congestion issues. And you can bet we’re facing another fare hike next year, so in addition to crappier service we’ll be paying even higher prices.
This is a crisis caused by awful management and a disregard for commuters, but only you have the power to help stop it. Keep contacting your leaders. We’ve already heard from one local official that they received a call from the MTA complaining about our efforts at Sheepshead Bites – so they are taking notice. Keep on writing letters, and be sure to enlist your friends and families who use the B train as well.
