Transportation advocates, including state Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (l.), are calling on the MTA to extend summer bus service to and from the Rockaways with hopes of addressing seasonal traffic. File Photo
Southern Queens bus riders are calling on the Metropolitan Transit Authority to step up its summer service as beachgoers flood the region.
Residents from Rockaway teamed up with transportation leaders and elected officials to call on the MTA to increase service along the Q52, Q53 and Q22 bus lines to reduce congestion, stifle pollution and address the busy summer months ahead. State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) fired off a letter to MTA Chairman Thomas F. Prendergast calling for the switch, including more limited-stop connections to the A train at rush hour.
“The Rockaways are already limited when it comes to transportation, and during the summer months, thousands of commuters from all over the city are coming down to utilize our beaches,” he said. “I strongly urge the MTA to help reduce the often long and congested routes to and from our beaches.”
The MTA did not return requests seeking comment.
Phil McManus, a transportation advocate with the Queens Public Transit Committee, has kept his fingers on the pulse of southern Queens transportation options for years and said the extended service during the summer months was essential. His argument came from the economic angle that if transportation to the Rockaways was inconvenient as the summer plodded on, hometown businesses will pay the ultimate price.
“We absolutely need more services to Rockaway and Broad Channell. This is prime time for our beaches, bays, parks, stores, bars, restaurants and our streets,” he said. “I see thousands of people on our beaches and our streets. It’s bad business when getting to Rockaway gets too unbearable. We will lose revenue and reputation.”
Rockaway native Sonia Cassata said she sees firsthand exactly how important more bus services were to her community and stood beside Goldfeder and McManus to put pressure on the MTA.
“Increased bus service would alleviate the volume of beachgoers packed at the bus stop waiting for the next bus to arrive,” she said. “Also, more buses would stop the crowds from running through the street when they see a bus coming, potentially getting injured.”
Goldfeder said the issue came from several constituent complaints after too many rides along crowded buses filled with beach-goers and other visitors straining its already-limited capacity. The new rush of commuters, he said, helped contribute to littering and difficult traveling.
“Worrying about an overcrowded bus passing you by shouldn’t be a concern on your daily commute,” Goldfeder said. “I hope the MTA will listen to the concerns of our community and work to make improvements to increase bus service and ease commute times for our families and visitors.”
By Phil Corso
