RWD_p012

RT04202017

12 APRIL 20, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM EDITORIAL Ride-sharing won’t fi x our transit woes We are constantly reminded THE HOT TOPIC STORY: Scores of Elmhurst residents left homeless, 11 fi refi ghters injured aft er fi ve-alarm inferno SUMMARY: A fi ve-alarm fi re broke out at an Elmhurst apartment building, leaving many residents homeless and 11 fi refi ghts injured REACH: 20,954 (as of 4/17/17) COMMENTS: ESTABLISHED 1908 Co-Publishers VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS Editor-in-Chief ROBERT POZARYCKI Classifi ed Manager DEBORAH CUSICK Assistant Classifi ed Manager MARLENE RUIZ Reporter ANTHONY GIUDICE © 2017 SCHNEPS NY MEDIA, LLC. General Publication Offi ce: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 TELEPHONE: 1-718-821-7500/7501/7502/7503 FAX: 1-718-224-5441 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB SITE: www.qns.com ON TWITTER @ridgewoodtimes PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY FOR 108 YEARS COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement.TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member Of The New York Press Association SNAPS ELMHURST AT SUNSET Photo by Robert Pozarycki Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @QNS or by emailing [email protected] (subject: Queens Snaps). by local officials that we should use public transportation whenever possible to keep cars off the roads and reduce congestion. But what does a commuter do when the buses and trains they rely upon aren’t showing up on time, besieged by delays and sudden cancellations due to all kinds of system failures? In the digital age, more commuters are turning to ride-sharing. A February New York Times report pointed out that annual subway ridership fell slightly in 2016, the fi rst time the system experienced such a decline in seven years. Ride-sharing was listed among the reasons for this rather unexpected downturn in commuting. Without a doubt, ride-sharing apps such as Uber, Juno and Lyft have made it far more convenient — and rather cheaper — for Queens residents to get where they need to go. Ride-sharing has the added benefi t of creating jobs for scores of drivers who either make it their full-time job or work a few hours each week on the side to make a few bucks. But the increase in ride-sharing is also symptomatic of a far greater problem that will cost billions of dollars and years of time to repair: a public transportation system that’s outdated, broken down and doesn’t give Queens commuters the bang for their buck. For instance, look at the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington line, the only rail link between much of northeast Queens and Manhattan. A recent study by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that it had three of the worst performing scheduled evening rush hour trains in the entire LIRR system. Then there’s the constant construction on the 7 line that has caused dozens of weekend service disruptions over the last few years. Riders in western Queens are bracing for the upcoming two-month closure of the M line for much-needed improvements; this will happen in advance of the two-year shutdown of the L line tube below the East River, which will disconnect Ridgewood, Bushwick and Brooklyn neighborhoods from Manhattan. What alternatives does the MTA offer during construction? Shuttle buses that compete with livery cabs and other vehicles on the same roadways that are growing more congested each week. Queens’ transportation infrastructure is in need of major upgrades, and those in power must provide the resources — billions of dollars in funding — to make it happen. It won’t be cheap, it won’t be quick, but it is a necessity to keep this city moving. Ride-sharing helps the people move, but it doesn’t fi x what’s broken in our borough.


RT04202017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above