Last week marked a milestone in the relationship between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and residents of western Queens.
In a packed town hall-style meeting on Feb. 17, six top MTA officials sat down face to face with residents, responded to an onslaught of questions and complaints and promised to help mitigate the disruptions caused by service cuts on the 7 line.
The 7 has been shut down between Manhattan and Queensboro Plaza for four consecutive weekends, and is slated to be closed for another three, while construction crews work on the tracks.
A shuttle bus runs from the Vernon/Jackson subway stop to Queensboro Plaza, where passengers can catch the N train into midtown, but LIC residents and business owners complain that the shuttle is slow, unreliable and takes riders out of their way.
At last week’s meeting, organized by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), transit authority officials said they would try to run the bus on a continuous loop, rather than having it stand idle between trips. They also said they would try to reschedule construction in the tunnel under the East River, so that the noisy exhaust fan, which ventilates the tube while workers are inside, wouldn’t be running at night when residents are trying to sleep.
Finally, the MTA pledged to give elected officials and Community Board 2 more advance notice of future service disruptions and to engage in “meaningful discussions” with those parties about how to minimize disturbances for residents.
The transit authority’s promises might not sound earth-shattering, but they could be an important first step toward alleviating a tempestuous relationship with the community. Last week’s meeting was the first time in years that the MTA has met with the public in western Queens to discuss 7 line disruptions. Unlike many town hall meetings, which involve residents venting and officials defending their positions with canned statements, this forum spawned dialogue and resulted in concrete promises.
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