NY1
Updated 03/19/2010 11:19 PM
MTA Revises Plans To Cut Transit Service
By: NY1 News
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed Friday to take 11 bus lines off the budget chopping block and extend the M train to replace the discontinued V subway line.
MTA officials said while their agency has a $758 million deficit, they proposed eliminating $8 million in service cuts in response to the large public outcry raised at nine statewide budget hearings.
In the Bronx, the Bx18 bus, which has the borough's fourth-highest ridership, is no longer going to be eliminated.
In Brooklyn, the partial elimination of the B4 and B13 bus routes have been scrapped.
The M22 bus in Manhattan will not have its weekend service nor its service west of City Hall eliminated.
In Queens, service will be partially restored on the Q14 and Q42 buses.
On Staten Island, the S52 bus will cover much of the S42 route, and the S66 bus will pick up some of the route of the discontinued S60.
The M subway train will change from the brown line to the orange line and will be extended to replace part of the discontinued V train.
Originally, the MTA had proposed keeping and extending the V train.
However, the restored services carry a price. The Bx18 bus will cost $1.2 million to run a year, the M22 bus will cost $1 million a year, the B4 and Q42 buses will each cost $800,000 a year and the S52 bus will cost $200,000 a year.
Commuters across the five boroughs expressed gratitude Friday when they heard about the modified service cuts.
"It's cool that people fought for the bus because without it, elderly people can't commute to work. We have little kids that need to get to school. Without it, it wouldn't be possible," said one transit user.
"I'm ecstatic. Can you imagine walking down that hill in the snow, Much less going up?" said another. "It's unbelievable. It's really the right decision."
"They should keep every line they can. Without buses and mass transit, people have to scramble," said a third.
As of late Friday, the MTA would not say where the money for the service restorations would come from.
The MTA Board would still need to approve the proposed changes and $93 million in proposed cuts during an upcoming meeting on Wednesday.
Modified MTA Service Reductions
Brooklyn Buses
• B4 – Service between Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island Hospital reduced to 6-9 a.m., 2-7 p.m.
• B13 – Service west of Wyckoff Hospital discontinued.
Bronx Buses
• Bx14 – Discontinued, Bx8 goes along path to Pelham Bay Park subway station.
• Bx18 – Cut service restored.
• Bx33 – Cut service restored.
Manhattan Buses
• M22 – Service unchanged weekdays, reduced on weekends, discontinued overnight.
Queens Buses
• Q14 – Discontinued, serviced by two-branch service on Q15
• Q42 – Service only during peak hours.
Staten Island Buses
• S42 – Discontinued, S52 to cover majority of route, including service along Clyde Place branch from 5-8:45 a.m., 3 p.m.-12 a.m.
• S60 – Discontinued, S66 to service route only on weekdays
• X1 – Reduced peak-hour service retained, all peak-hour service to terminate at 23rd Street.
• X6 – Discontinued.
• X9 – Service retained during peak periods.
• X2, X3, X4, X5, X7, X8 – Revised service to accommodate former X1 and X6 riders.
Subway
• M line – Service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue would be designated the “M” line, instead of the “V.” The MTA will represent the M line as orange, as it’s a Sixth Avenue route in Manhattan.
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