New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli: MTA Bus Fleet Maintenance Too Expensive

Nearly half of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus fleet—including virtually all of the fleet’s hybrid-engine buses—have not been properly inspected according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. In addition, 62 percent of the MTA’s buses failed to meet reliability goals despite maintenance costs that topped $777.7 million in 2008. That amount was double the maintenance costs of other comparable transportation agencies around the nation.

“New Yorkers aren’t getting what they pay for when it comes to bus service,” said DiNapoli. “Other cities across the nation spend much less on maintenance and get better results. The MTA needs to step up bus maintenance performance and bring down maintenance costs.”

Three of the MTA’s seven constituent agencies provide bus service in New York City and Long Island. The MTA’s Regional Bus Operations oversees the authority’s 6,200-bus fleet and maintenance services at 29 depots and two overhaul facilities. DiNapoli’s audit examined records from the MTA’s Regional Bus Operations division between 2007 and 2009.

Auditors found that:

• Nearly two-thirds of the 29 bus depots did not meet their performance goals;
• Maintenance costs per mile of operation were much higher than other bus fleets around the nation;
• 584 of the MTA’s 1,255 required maintenance inspections were performed poorly, or not at all; and;
• Mechanical failures were more frequent than expected. One depot had a goal of 4,674 miles between failures, but its actual distance traveled between failures was 3,581 miles.

DiNapoli’s auditors recommended the MTA:

• Improve the reliability of its bus fleet;
• Identify reasons why maintenance costs are so high and develop a plan to reduce them, and;
• Prepare a comprehensive maintenance plan that includes information on maintenance program objectives and unscheduled maintenance operations.

MTA officials agreed with DiNapoli’s recommendations. Click here to read the full audit, or visit www.osc.state.ny.us.

China to Build Ginormous Buses that Cars Can Drive Under By Richard Lai -- Engadget

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China's envisioning: huge friggin' buses engulfing smaller cars on the road. Despite the silly picture and the eccentric "3D Express Coach" branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses. Fancy hitching a ride? You better start planning your move to Beijing's Mentougou district, which is where Huashi will commence building its first 186km of track at year's end. For now, enjoy the Chinese demo video after the break.

Bloomberg Can Make Slight Improvements, but City Hall Doesn't Have Money, Power to Improve Transit by Adam Lisberg - NY Daily News

Mayor Bloomberg misled the public about transportation matters during mayoral campaign...He made promises he knew he couldn't keep...But what else is new..?

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New Yorkers can mull Mayor Bloomberg's campaign promises as they are forced to settle for longer commutes after N, W train cuts. Lombard for News

New York wakes up this morning with two fewer subway lines, 36 fewer bus routes, longer waits and more crowded rides all across town.

Perhaps you can use the extra time on your commute to think about how Mayor Bloomberg promised you free crosstown buses last summer.

It was the splashiest part of his 34-point transit plan: He said most riders on the M50 and other crosstown routes use free transfers off another bus or subway, so charging them was a waste of time.

"The lost revenue is trivial," he said. "We've done the survey."

The mayor promised more: The F train would start running express on unused tracks again. Three closed LIRR stations in Queens would reopen. Staten Island would get a train line on the North Shore.

A year later, none of that has come true. The MTA doesn't have enough money to keep all its trains and buses running, much less expand them or let people ride them for free.

One insider says Bloomberg's city staff never thought free buses could work, even as the campaign staff ran with it.

"That was the laugher," he said. "He had to know it was a joke. Nice campaign fodder, though."

Other parts of Bloomberg's plan are coming true. Most of them were already underway at the MTA, or can be done with minimal cost to the city, but they're real.

Countdown clocks have been arriving in subway stations along the 4-5-6 line. New high-speed bus routes are coming to First and Second Aves. Bloomberg has no control over the MTA, but gets along well with new MTA boss Jay Walder.

Just last week, Bloomberg jump-started his campaign pledge for expanded commuter van service, starting in neighborhoods hit by the MTA's service cuts.

New Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, who privatized buses when he was mayor of Indianapolis, tweeted the next night: "Looking for all good ideas to improve NYC service levels."

The big things take money, however - money the city and the MTA don't have.

When a Staten Islander asked Bloomberg a few weeks ago if he could help with the bus cuts, the mayor brushed him off and said his hands were tied.

"You are getting the short end of the stick, and you should be out there screaming," Bloomberg said. "I don't know what else to tell you."

It was an admission of reality: City Hall can work on the margins to make life easier for straphangers, but it doesn't have the money or power for big transit changes.

That shouldn't surprise anyone in New York - unless they believed what Bloomberg promised them last year.

Pols, Union Leaders Decry Bus Service Cuts by Michael Cusenza -Queens Chronicle

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Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, civic and union leaders and representatives of several elected officials Thursday rallied outside Borough Hall on Queens Boulevard to protest impending service cuts to several bus routes.

According to Daneek Miller, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056, which represents drivers and mechanics in MTA New York City Transit’s Queens bus division, the cuts are slated for June 27 and will affect the Q14, Q15, Q24, Q26, Q30, Q31, Q42, Q48, Q74, Q75, Q76, Q79, Q89, QM22, QM23 and X51.

“We’re at a pivotal point,” Miller said. “Do not devastate this economy and this borough any more than already has been done.”

Marshall outlined the crucial role buses play in Queens, especially in areas where subway service is minimal or nonexistent. She also said the cuts fly in the face of environmental responsibility.

“Isn’t it true that we’re encouraged to take public transportation?” Marshall asked. “Well, where is it? We need additional bus lines. Don’t cut — give us more.”

Donovan Richards, deputy chief of staff to City Councilman James Sanders Jr. (D-Laurelton), said public transportation in Far Rockaway already is “dismal,” before noting that MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jay Walder was raised in the Rockaways and should be mindful of how integral buses are to the borough.

Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio also appealed to Walder’s roots and said the cuts aren’t all that surprising.

“Queens has been shortchanged forever — across the board,” Gulluscio said.

Elkanah Reed, aide to Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), said that while Weprin understands the MTA must balance its budget, “we need all sides to be represented so we can meet the needs of the Queens community.”

Miller said the agency and Walder “refuse to exercise other options that would avert these cuts,” including reallocating federal stimulus funding to operations.

“Instead, they chose to balance their books on the backs of working people who depend on these bus lines each day,” Miller said.

A spokesman for the MTA said the agency had no comment on the rally.

Thursday’s assemblage came two weeks after a rally in Little Neck to save the Q79, which may be eliminated entirely. Henry Euler, First Vice President of the Auburndale Improvement Association, said he relies on the neighboring Q76, a route also facing cuts.

“It really is necessary to maintain those north-south lines,” Euler said.

Miller concluded the rally by comparing the MTA to a family unit.

“I understand that, at times, families can be dysfunctional,” Miller said. “But as the head of the family, Jay Walder should act more responsibly.”

DOT Discusses Ways to Improve Busy Intersection by Patricia Adams - Forum News

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The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) made a presentation to Community Board 10 last week regarding the intersection at Liberty Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard.

The project which is nearing the implementation phase is designed to address intersection safety and traffic improvements.

The original study for the problem area was launched after a child pedestrian fatality occurred at Crossbay Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. The intersection was also identified by NYPD as a challenging location. A request for review by the Queens DOT Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy prompted the study which falls within the Woodhaven Boulevard Congested Corridors study area.

Representatives pointed out that the area has many existing conditions contributing to congestion and safety threats. Seven bus lines, the Rockaway Blvd. subway station and an elevated train which runs over Liberty Avenue all converge on the intersection.

Other major problems include a peak traffic volume of more than 2,000 vehicles an hour, complex physical geometry and very large pedestrian volume-- a large percentage of them children.

According to a scale of severity-weighted scale ranking Queens’ intersections, Rockaway & Woodhaven Boulevard ranks in the 99th percentile with nearby Rockaway Blvd. and 94th street close behind in the 89th percentile.

A total of 207 injuries were documented from 2004-2008 with two pedestrian fatalities included.

Following the conclusion of the study the DOT has made several recommendations to
address concerns. At Crossbay and Woodhaven Boulevards, two streets will be converted to plaza space, expansion in the north bound left turn lanes and added capacity at
Rockaway Boulevard.

At Rockaway Boulevard and Liberty Avenue proposed solutions include constructing a pedestrian refuge island,while expanding an existing one and installing a traffic signal at 96th street and a more direct crosswalk.

Among the overall benefits, according to the DOT, is the reduction of conflict between pedestrians, vehicle and bus traffic. All intersections will be more crosser-friendly at a rate of 3.5 feet/sec and more easily navigable for both drivers and pedestrians. The plan also offers reduced crossing distances, more public space and simpler, safer left turns.

Later in the week DOT Commissioner Maura McCarthy and other representatives from DOT made an additional presentation for community members and media to kick off a study to look at congestion along Liberty Avenue from Woodhaven Boulevard to the Van Wyck Expressway.

MTA Bought Jet Fuel To Power Buses by Luke Funk - Fox New York

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A new audit claims that New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Company spent millions of dollars on jet fuel to power buses instead of cheaper, lower grade fuel that would power the vehicles.

The New York State Comptroller's office says the agencies spent an extra $39 million on fuel due to wasteful practices and improper oversight.

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the MTA Bus Company’s records showed unexplained discrepancies in fuel delivery, quality and usage.

DiNapoli said, “Buses don’t need jet fuel, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

The MTA Bus Company was created in 2004 to absorb seven private companies operating under franchises from the New York City Department of Transportation.

Diesel fuel powers 78 percent of the bus fleet. The fleet can use either the widely-available diesel fuel known as ULSD#2 or ultra low sulfur diesel #1 (jet/kerosene).

In 2003, the MTA signed a five-year contract with Sprague Energy Corporation to supply jet/kerosene despite ULSD#2 being a cheaper and equally environmentally friendly alternative by 2006.

Even after that contract ended, the MTA extended their deal with Sprague. The audit claims the contract extension cost the MTA an extra $27.5 million.

The one-year contract extension required both NYC Transit and MTA Bus to absorb a 55 cent per gallon price increase and a minimum purchase of 50 million gallons of fuel.

The MTA could have paid nearly 29 cents less per gallon under an existing statewide contract.

Woodhaven Blvd. Changes Studied ... and Studied, As Locals Ask Why City's Taking So Long to Act by Nicholas Hirshon - Daily News

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TRAFFIC ANALYSTS are studying whether outfitting Woodhaven Blvd. with reconfigured intersections, more medians and a right of way for rapid-transit buses would curb backups and accidents, city officials said last week.

A city Department of Transportation report expected next year on the north-south thoroughfare will also consider signal-timing changes and restrictions on where drivers can turn, agency spokesman Scott Gastel said.

"This study is going to have a major impact long term," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Rockaway Beach), who attended a closed-door meeting last Tuesday at which the city laid out its plans to community leaders.

DOT expects to host four more forums - some for the public, others just for community board members and elected officials - before pitching its final proposal to the boards in the spring.

Locals who attended last week's session blasted the city for dragging its feet on the study, which covers a 3.2-mile stretch of Woodhaven Blvd. from Queens Blvd. to Rockaway Blvd./Liberty Ave.

"They're procrastinating," said Mary Ann Carey, district manager of Community Board 9 in Kew Gardens. "It really is idiotic. I would like to see it move."

The leaders of community boards in Forest Hills, Glendale and South Ozone Park also questioned why the city - which began collecting the data in January 2008 - still hasn't finished.

"I was disappointed," said Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6 in Forest Hills. He said he expected more from the meeting.

Gastel blamed the delays on expanding the scope and cost of the study to add intersections based on community pleas.

Still, Vincent Arcuri of Community Board 5 wondered why the city didn't include traffic-clogged Park Lane South in its investigation.

Views varied on rapid bus transit, which aims to speed up service with a dedicated right-of-way and curbside payment, but would take away lanes for cars.

Ulrich warned it could become a "very explosive issue very soon," while Community Board 10 member David Quintana stressed its public transportation value.

"It would free up so much space if people had a more effective and reliable way to get up Woodhaven Blvd.," said Quintana, 52, of Ozone Park.

A Real Hero: Quick-thinking Teen Rachel Guzy Pulled Bus Brake After Driver Dropped Dead BY Henrick Karoliszyn, Edgar Sandoval and Rich Schapiro - NYDN

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Camp counselor Rachel Guzy, 16, saved 9 kids after their bus driver had a heart attack and died while driving.

A quick-thinking 16-year-old girl - who doesn't even know how to drive - was hailed as a hero on Wednesday for saving a bus full of kids after the driver dropped dead behind the wheel.

"If not for Rachel, we could have been dead or at the hospital," Artemis Sacramone, 12, a camper at the Magic Carpet Day Camp, said Wednesday, a day after camp counselor Rachel Guzy's heroic act.

"You can only hope a counselor acts like she did," said Brett Tawil, owner of the Bayside, Queens, camp. "In the tragedy, we have a hero."

Rachel sprang into action after driver Ramon Fernandez collapsed and tumbled out of the bus as it roared toward an Elmhurst intersection Tuesday afternoon. Aboard the bus were nine children, ages 7 to 14, and Rachel, who doesn't even have a learner's permit.

Rachel quickly bounded into the driver's seat and pulled the emergency brake, slowing the vehicle before it crashed into a minivan.

No one was seriously hurt in the accident.

Fernandez was later pronounced dead, apparently from a heart attack.

Artemis was among a slew of campers, staffers and even the bus driver's relatives who hailed Rachel as a hero - but the quick-thinking teen from Astoria wasn't having any of it.

"I just did what I had to do," Rachel said Wednesday. "Everything went through my mind. I worried about the kids. I worried about the driver. I knew I had to react."

The trouble started just before 4:30 p.m. when Fernandez complained of being hot and stopped the bus outside a bodega, so Rachel could get him some water.

The campers had spent the afternoon bowling in Flushing and were on their way home.

After Rachel returned with the water, Fernandez continued along his route with the bus' doors open.

He was talking with Rachel when he suddenly collapsed as the bus approached the intersection of Hampton St. and Elmhurst Ave.

"Out of nowhere, there was a car coming and he just kept driving," said Rachel, a first-year counselor.

"He was slouched over. I thought he was picking something up, but then, next thing is, he rolls off the bus."

Several frightened campers began shrieking. Rachel didn't hesitate.

"I just jumped into the driver's seat, and the first thing I did was press down on the brake as hard as I could," Rachel said. "Then I pulled the emergency brake.

"I was a nervous wreck. I was shaking and I was crying. I couldn't breathe. It was the scariest thing I've ever had to do in my life."

Rachel, a junior at Bryant High School in Long Island City, said she had a sense of what to do because she had spent time messing "around with everything on the bus. I never knew it would pay off. I guess it pays to be curious."

Camper Nicole Doyle, 11, said Rachel's flash of courage didn't surprise her.

"She really cares about the kids," Nicole said. "The kids were her main concern. They always are."

As the campers and staff celebrated Rachel's heroism, Fernandez's relatives mourned the sudden loss of a man they described as a devoted dad and fierce protector of kids.

"He loved those children and would have done everything he could to make sure they were safe," Fernandez's sister Guillermina Rosa said before praising Rachel.

"She was a very brave young woman - to be only 16 and think to pull the brakes."

Fernandez, a married father from Valley Stream, L.I., with two adult children, had been a school bus driver for 15 years, relatives said

Fernandez's niece said Rachel's actions added a silver lining to the tragedy.

"This is a tragedy for us, but she just came through," Keila Fernandez said. "He did what he could. Until his last moment, he tried to stop the bus - but his heart took him away."

Elimination of Q56 Bus Has Woodhaven Worried by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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The residents of Woodhaven are deeply concerned as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority prepares to shut down one of their most critical modes of transportation — the Q56 bus, known locally as the Jamaica Avenue bus.

As part of its “doomsday budget,” passed March 25 and due to take effect in June, the MTA will eliminate all service on the Q56, which runs along Jamaica Avenue from 171st Street in Jamaica to Van Sinderen Avenue in Brooklyn.

The line serves the communities of Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven in Queens and Cypress Hills and East New York in Brooklyn. “They’re crippling us,” said Maria Thomson, executive director of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp. and Woodhaven Business Improvement District.

People take the Q56 to Jamaica Hospital and into Jamaica, where they can access a number of human resource agencies, such as the Social Security Administration. Students take the bus to different schools located along the route and seniors, who rely most heavily on the line, use it as an alternative to the J train, which many cannot access because it is elevated.

Seniors “cannot take the J line. They have got to take the buses because they’re more convenient for them and they’re more accessible physically,” Thomson said, adding that the MTA’s elimination of the route will cause major problems for Woodhaven’s shopping district.

“Our BID is 25 blocks. A lot of people take that Jamaica Avenue bus from one location on our avenue to the other and they would have nothing available to them if they discontinue that bus,” Thomson said. “There is no substitute for that bus.”

In her testimony to the MTA board during its public hearings, Thomson asked the members, “What are you thinking? How can you discontinue a bus that has no replacement?”

Thomson has reached out to a number of elected officials to make them aware of the situation. “They are lobbying for us,” she said and working on the community’s behalf to get the line reinstated in the budget.

Weiner and Queens Pols Rally to Save Q74

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), along with other local elected officials and community leaders, rallied on Thursday to save the Q74 line from the chopping block. Standing in front of the Kew Garden bus stop, Rep. Weiner said that both federal stimulus money for MTA and mass transit subsidies in President Obama’s newly released budget should help stave off cutbacks of the Q74.

From L to R: Queens District Leader Mike Simanowitz, Rep. Weiner, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, and Patricia Dolan, President of Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association

Queens Woman Struck, Killed By City Bus - NY1 News

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A young woman died after falling underneath an MTA bus in Queens (note: actually Brooklyn).

Police say it happened around 10 p.m. last night at the intersection of Myrtle and Wyckoff Avenues in Ridgewood.

The 26-year old woman was crossing the street when she fell underneath the back tires of the bus, which appears to have been out of service at the time, according to authorities.

She was taken to Wyckoff Heights Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

One witness says he tried to help the woman after he saw her lying on the ground.

"The bus was turning, when it was turning, it hit her first on the left and she stumbled and she fell on the floor, and it ran over both her legs," he said.

No charges have been filed against the driver.

Newsday - Queens Woman Killed After Slipping Under MTA Bus by Daniel Edward Rosen

A Queens woman died after slipping and falling underneath a passing bus late Friday night.

Hui Wu, 26, of Ridgewood, was crossing Myrtle Avenue when she slipped on a patch of ice, according to New York City police. Hui then fell underneath the rear tires of an MTA bus that was traveling eastbound on Myrtle Avenue.

She was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick where she was pronounced dead.

MTA spokesman Mark Groce said on Saturday that the bus was not carrying any passengers. The driver of the bus, whose name has yet to be released, was questioned and released by police, according to a police spokesman. There is no criminality suspected in the accident.

Council Member Crowley Speaks Out Against MTA Cuts to Public Transportation in 30th CD...

NYC Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley Speaks at MTA Hearings at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel in Flushing Jan 21st

January 20, 2009

The 30th Council District is comprised of the Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Glendale, Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.

As a City Councilmember I must address the MTA planned service reductions which unfairly burdens the residents of my district.

• The elimination of the Q56, Q74, QM 23 bus routes, the reduction in service QM 24 and QM12 bus routes, the elimination of the Z train and the reduction in service to the J train.

• Q56; The Q56 which runs down Jamaica Avenue, a vital business district, needs an MTA bus. The J train which runs above Jamaica Avenue should not be the only option for public transportation on Jamaica Avenue, since the elevated train stations are not handicap accessible and in some stations the stairs to the elevated J trains are in need of repairs and present dangers to commuters.

• Q74 Bus for those going to Queens College, Townsend Harris, and John Bowne High Schools, the elimination of the Q 74 between Kew Gardens and Queens College means that the cost for a round-trip will become $10 since only one transfer is allowed. Three buses will be necessary: from Richmond Hill to Kew Gardens from Kew Gardens to Main Street and Union Turnpike and the Q20 or Q44 up Main Street to school or Queens College. In addition to students, there are many Richmond Hill commuters who take their kids to summer programs at Queens College or work at these sites. I recommend that the Q74 is not eliminated, and if elimination happens please extend the Q37 or Q10 to Queens College.

• The elimination of the QM23, and the reduction of service of the QM24 and QM 12 will lengthen an already long commute for many residents. Our district residents that do not have direct access to the subway system need reliable express bus service into Manhattan

• The elimination of the Z train and J-Skip Stop service will increase the length of time to get downtown making it unbearable for many. The E trains and F trains will become the only train option for many Richmond Hill residents making those trains even more overcrowded, and further crowding the Q10 and Q37 to Kew Gardens.

As a representative for the City, I oppose the increase of the monthly MetroCard from $81 to $105 and the proposed increase of Access-A-Ride doubling the current $2 fare to $4. We must do everything possible to encourage the use of mass transit and sustain a high quality of service but not at the cost of such extraordinary increases. We must charge a fair amount that does not overburden working people particularly at a time when many New Yorkers are experiencing employment hardships. Our seniors and the physically challenged who utilize the service of Access-A-Ride often live on the tightest of budgets and are finding it increasingly more difficult to live in this City.

I must also state that I believe that we have a very intelligent transit system and that I support the need to continuously reinvest in our system's infrastructure. I know the importance of rebuilding for current need and to prepare for the growing need of tomorrow.

While I support your plan for the Second Avenue Subway line and the East Side Access, you must hold the LIRR Third Track with an equal importance to fairly give Queens and Brooklyn residents who commute to Nassau and Suffolk Counties an option for rapid transit. These three projects are immense and only the LIRR Third Track will allow for a "reverse commute" and have any benefit for the growing number of people who live in the communities I represent. These three major capital projects mentioned above will take billions over the course of years before measurable real results happen.

Today I also bring to your attention the condition of much of the real estate owned by the MTA. I am speaking of areas abutting the right-of-ways, empty abandoned lots and sections that ring my neighborhoods that are contaminated areas. This real estate needs to be improved. The tracks identified as LIRR and utilized by private corporations for freight distribution run through Richmond Hill, Glendale, Ridgewood, and Middle Village. The property is poorly maintained and in dire need of beautification.

In addition to your financial troubles you must realize the broad deficit of property in my neighborhoods that could be improved. Please remember that our Queens neighborhoods are not just a doormat for commuters to Manhattan.

Queens Commuters Face Largest Cuts In Bus Routes by Ruschell Boone - NY1

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Riders in Jamaica, Queens who use the Q56 will soon have to find another way to get around the borough. It's one of seven bus routes in Queens slated to be eliminated by the MTA.

That's not sitting well with some commuters.

"If anything they should add more service onto this," said a rider.

"I take this bus from Brooklyn down here to Queens everyday and this really affects me because this is the only way of transportation that I have,” said another. “Taking the J train it doesn't work for me that well."

To help close its $1.2 billion deficit next year the MTA is cutting 26 bus routes across the city. The agency says all of those being eliminated are either close to other bus and subway lines or have low ridership.

Among those being cut are the Q26, Q56, Q74, Q75, and Q84 local buses and the QM22 and 23 express buses.

"It's very inconvenient for regular commuters like me."

And while a number of people we spoke with did not like the changes, but some say they'll make due.

"I take the Q56 and then I take the train, or I just stay on the Q56 and transfer to a different bus," said a rider. "There's multiple ways I can get home so it really doesn't bother me."

The cuts are expected to take effect in the spring.

TWU Endorses Joe Addabbo for New York State Senate...

Roger Toussaint, President of the TWU, Councilman Joe Addabbo, Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, and TWU supporters rally at the Fresh Pond Rd Bus Depot in Ridgewood.

The Transit Workers Union Local 100, and President Roger Toussaint made their official endorsement of Joe Addabbo for State Senate. The union boasts 38,000 active members, 1,700 of whom reside in the 15^th senate district, in addition to 500 retirees.

"We are proud to support Joseph Addabbo for Senate because we know he will be a fighter for the hard-working families of Queens. Joe has fought to improve transportation infrastructure, and always stood up for the working men and women who make our city run. New Yorkers need good jobs and real benefits, and Joe Addabbo will be the change in Albany we so desperately need,” said Roger Toussaint, President of TWU Local 100.

"With the advent of the economic crisis, we need to keep the cost of basic services low, and make sure that hard working New Yorkers have the resources they need to stay strong, and stay in New York. I have focused my attention on affordable healthcare, fair wages, and quality schools. Transportation is also an essential part of that equation which is why I have personally taken up the fight to prevent a fare hike. I know that when faced with a tough budget, you cut first before raising revenue from tax payers," added Joe Addabbo

In August, CM Addabbo created the Fight the Hike campaign in response to the MTA’s threat to raise fares. By September, the campaign had successfully registered 2,000 signatures, which the Councilman presented in person to the MTA.

As a member of the Transportation Committee of the New York City Council, the Councilman has a history of working together with the MTA. In addition, as the Chairman of the Civil Service & Labor committee Addabbo has always fought for workers and good jobs.

Joe Addabbo Meets and Greets Commuters in Ozone Park - PBS New York Voices Films at A-Train Rockaway Blvd Station for Segment on Local Elections

On October 9^th - Joe Addabbo was at the A-Train's Rockaway Boulevard station meeting and greeting subway and bus commuters on Liberty Avenue...

He was accompanied by a PBS film crew with the networks community affairs show, New York Voices...

The PBS crew was doing a segment on local political races which will be broadcast during the October 21st show...

The Show regularly airs on Tuesdays at 10:30 PM on Thirteen/WNET...

NEW YORK VOICES, Thirteen/WNET's Emmy Award-winning public affairs series, reports on the top headlines in politics, finance, education and arts and culture from around New York...

Hosted by Rafael Pi Roman, NEW YORK VOICES presents timely, in depth stories unique to the lives of New Yorkers, examining key issues from legislation in Albany to the latest news right from their neighborhood...

This weekly, half-hour news magazine program features profiles and interviews with a cross-section of news makers, experts and community leaders...

Letter To The Editor - Bike for Freedom by David M. Quintana - Queens Chronicle

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Bike For Freedom

Dear Editor:

I think that with the present price of gas and with the City’s antiquated transportation system, we should be looking into all possible alternatives to rid
personal vehicles from our streets.

Here in Queens, unless you’re traveling to Manhattan, the public transportation system can be impossible to navigate or get where you’re going.There is a dearth of cross-borough buses and all of the train lines are geared to deliver riders in and out of Manhattan. Parking in our neighborhoods is intolerable and the traffic on the roads is insufferable.I’ve seen many a bike rider pass cars stuck in our frequent traffic jams and get to their destination well ahead of the gas-guzzling autos.

As a city and a nation we should be doing all we can to break our dependence on oil from the Middle East. I feel this dependency is damaging our quality of life here in America. It also has our soldiers fighting wars in far flung countries in pursuit of oil for large multi-national energy conglomerates in the guise of bringing freedom to the area.

It is for these reasons and many others that I support the building of bike lanes in Queens and throughout the city.

David M. Quintana
Ozone Park, NY

Increase in Bus Travel Leads to Crowded Buses by Patrick Gallahue- New York Post

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TRANSIT BIGS' 'BLUNDER'-BUS

RIDERS FORCED TO TAKE A 'STAND'

A surge in bus travel is leaving more riders with standing room only, a transit advocacy group charged yesterday.

The rise in ridership over a decade is fast outpacing service increases, leading to a tight squeeze during the morning commute, according to a Straphangers Campaign report.

"Crushed by crowds? Have to wait for more than one bus to go by? It's not your imagination," said Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign. "Transit officials have never caught up to the waves of new bus riders."

Between 1997 and 2007, average weekday ridership on local buses grew 22 percent - from 2 million to 2.45 million - while the number of buses increased only 15 percent.

New York City Transit disputed the claims that it has sat by while passengers are stuck on their feet.

The agency said that overall service - including weekend and express buses - increased 29 percent over the 10 years cited by the campaign, a time when ridership exploded thanks to MetroCards and free subway-to-bus transfers.

NYC Transit also claimed that given the depressed ridership in the mid-'90s, service was already in place for the new riders.

"Important in this discussion is the fact that in 1996, bus ridership was at its lowest point ever, with 492 million annual riders," NYC Transit said in a statement. "The system was nowhere near capacity, allowing for much of the ridership growth since 1996 to be accommodated within existing available capacity."

But Russianoff fired back: "The question is: Has it been enough? . . . We think the agency has been behind the curve."

The report also found that not every borough is feeling the pinch. Service increases in Manhattan and Staten Island actually exceeded ridership growth, according to the report.

But in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx, average weekday ridership growth far surpassed service increases.

Newsday - Rider Groups Says Bus Service Not Keeping Pace

BY STEVE RITEA |steve.ritea@newsday.com

Bus service has not kept pace with increases in city riders, a study by the Straphangers Campaign shows, reporting that average weekday ridership increased 22 percent over the past decade while weekday service grew 15 percent.

"Crushed by crowds? Have to wait for more than one bus to go by? It's not your imagination," said Gene Russianoff, senior attorney for the riders' advocacy group.

Average weekday bus ridership citywide increased from 2 million in September 1997 to 2.45 million in September 2007, the report said, while service rose from 10.4 million to 11.9 million "revenue seat miles," which multiplies the number of seats on each bus by the miles it travels when carrying passengers.

In Queens, ridership increased 30 percent but service only increased 20 percent. Brooklyn had an similar 18 percent gap between ridership and bus service, while the Bronx had a 10 percent gap.

New York City Transit, which runs the service, contends it has added service at the fastest pace ever of any major United States transit agency. From 1997 to 2007, bus service -- including weekend and express routes, not included in the Straphangers study -- increased by 29 percent and extended over virtually all city bus routes.

"You don't just add service and then forget about the weekend," transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said.

Since 2001, he said, bus ridership has increased by only 2.8 percent, compared with a 4.4 percent increase in service in that period.

The Straphangers Campaign reviewed 185 local bus routes on scheduled weekday service.

"We think that's the most important ... service," Russianoff said. "The vast majority of people who use buses and subways are going to and from work."