30 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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New York needs a new transit deal
Queens residents are generally angry that the city’s public transportation
system has been failing all year long — and they have every right to be.
Th e city’s subway system is reliant upon technology that was outdated
decades ago. Th e MTA continues to use subway cars and buses that
are decades old, have logged hundreds of thousands of miles beyond their
intended lifespan and are prone to breaking down frequently. Th e mobility
problems are such that more people are turning to independent modes
of transportation — including bicycling and the automobile, either through
their own vehicles or ridesharing.
Th ere’s a sense that the city’s almost going in reverse here when it comes to
transportation. In the decades since Robert Moses tore apart entire neighborhoods
to build a network of expressways across the city, there’s been a movement
to get New Yorkers to stop driving and to start using public transportation.
In recent years, the de Blasio administration has also fostered the proliferation
of bike lanes which — for better or worse —have aimed to encourage
more bicyclists to take to the streets.
But so many Queens residents still remain reliant upon the automobile.
Th is is especially true in the eastern half of the borough, where the Long
Island Rail Road serves as the sole rail option over the cheaper and more
frequent subway lines that come to an abrupt halt in Jamaica and Flushing.
Th at vehicular reliance will get worse if the city doesn’t do something substantial
to bring the public transportation system up to a state of good repair
and great service. Th at means not only investigation billions of dollars in
upgrading the subways and buses, but also moving forward with proposals
to expand public transportation options — such as a proposed light rail line
between Long Island City and Glendale, or the Brooklyn-Queens Connector
on the East River waterfront.
Money, of course, is the overarching issue here, but the state and city are
not in a position to choose between repairing or expanding. Th ey have to do
both, expenses be damned.
New York City is a 21st-century city reliant upon 20th-century technology
to get around. It needs to fi x the existing problems while also investing in
its future.
We might not be in a depression, but it’s time for a “new deal” program that
will restore our transit system for our modern time. If the federal government
won’t come up with the billions of dollars needed for that eff ort, then the city
and state must work together to fi nd every possible way at raising the necessary
revenue to accomplish this mighty task.
STORY: VIDEO: A third package snatcher targets Flushing resident’s
home despite security upgrades
SUMMARY: A Flushing resident’s home continues to be a target for
thieves who steal packages.
REACH: 16,838 people (as of 7/20/17)