MTA SERVICE RESTORATIONS AN OVERDUE VICTORY FOR
60th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
Critical local transportation services restored
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) is applauding the MTA for their announcement of long overdue service restorations and expansions to the S76, S93, X1, and X27 on Staten Island and in Brooklyn, taking effect in October 2012. Malliotakis pointed to an outpouring of community advocacy and cooperation as the main cause for this major victory.
One of the main reasons I sought public office was my frustration with how MTA service cuts have unfairly impacted Brooklyn and Staten Island while fares and fees continue to skyrocket, said Malliotakis. Like many New Yorkers, I saw the bus I rode to work disappear, while our elderly lost their transportation to medical appointments and our neighbors lost their means to commute to work and school, or to shop and visit their families. These bus restorations are absolutely vital to the quality of life and economic viability of my constituents, who once again showed that by speaking in a persistent, unified voice, we can bring positive change to our community. I thank MTA Board Member Allen Cappelli and the members of Amalgamated Transit Union 726 and Transit Workers Union 100 for joining me in this fight, as well as MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota who has demonstrated an understanding of the needs of commuters and worked diligently with us toward a good compromise. This investment in our transportation system is good news, but we must continue to find ways to reduce non-transportation expenses and identify alternative sources of revenue for the agency, to relieve its reliance on increased tolls and fares.
Malliotakis has been an outspoken critic of the MTAs actions to cut services in her district while balancing their budget on the backs of local riders. Last year, she spearheaded a Give Me My Bus Back petition calling for restorations to local bus lines, and joined MTA Board Member Allen Cappelli in successfully lobbying Governor Cuomo to waive $50 million in bond fees and apply that savings toward service restorations. She has also sponsored multiple pieces of legislation to bring accountability and fiscal sanity to MTA, while providing them with the finances necessary to hold the line on costs while restoring critical services.
SERVICE RESTORATIONS/EXPANSIONS:
- S76 (traveling from Oakwood to St. George): Weekend service restored
- X1 (traveling through East Shore from Eltingville to Midtown Manhattan): Will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- S93 (traveling from Bay Ridge to College of Staten Island): Service expanded to run through college campus.
- X27 (traveling from Bay Ridge to Midtown Manhttan): Weekend service restored.
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