: 1084479664

Three City Councilmembers joined forces last week in an effort to voice their concerns over the MTA bus takeover that is supposed to become official on July 1.

As Councilmen John Liu, Joe Addabbo, Jr. and James Sanders stood on the corner of Cross Bay Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, a corner where Green Bus Lines stop, they asked where the plans are from the city that detail everything that will be occurring on July 1.

“There have been few details about what’s happening during the takeover,” said Liu. “There cannot be any kind of disruption of bus service and in the long term there should not be the elimination of lines or reduction and frequency in service,” added Liu.

The three Councilmen are also members of the Transportation Committee which will have hearings on May 13 and June 3.
“There are a lot of questions that we need answers to,” said Addabbo. These questions pertain to job security for private bus line employees, if there will be a reduction in services, a cut in services and what will happen with the bus depots. “Will this bus stop still be here on July 1,” asked Addabbo.

“Mr. Mayor, where’s the plan?” asked Sanders. “Do for Queens what you’re willing to do for the people of Long Island,” he added.

Sanders feels the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which will take over the bus routes, needs to study bus routes and lines again, because many areas in South and Southeast Queens need the buses the most.

“There are concerns about moving stops around and increasing limited stop lines,” said Liu.

According to Sanders, around 5,000 homes are being built within his area of Southeast Queens, and there have been “the same amount of buses we’ve had already.” The city has “to do more and don’t tell us to do more for less,” said Sanders.

At presstime, MTA officials did not comment, but assured the Tribune that all matters are being discussed in detail.