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News Release: June 25, 2010

Contact: Joe Soldevere, (646) 831-1649

East Side Leaders Deliver 2,400+ Petitions to MTA

to Save Crosstown Bus
Service in East Midtown

-Lawmakers
Lead Fight Against MTA Plans to Leave
Turtle Bay

Without
Crosstown Service on Nights and Weekends-

New York, NY
-- Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney,
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer,
State Senator Liz Krueger,
Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, and
Councilmembers Dan Garodnick and Jessica Lappin delivered more than 2,400
petitions from concerned New York commuters to MTA Chairman Jay Walder urging
him to halt the MTA’s plans to cut crosstown service on nights and
weekends in the Turtle Bay neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan.  The cuts
are scheduled to take effect this Sunday.

Earlier this spring, the MTA announced a series of cutbacks in east
Midtown bus service that, when taken together, will gut access to mass transit
for neighborhood residents, especially on weekends and off-peak hours.  In
response, the East Side leaders have sent a
series of letters to Chairman Walder, urging him to reconsider the cumulative
effects of the MTA’s plans to curtail crosstown service. 
Unfortunately, the MTA said earlier this month that it would move forward with
the service cuts. 

"Our offices have been inundated with calls, emails, letters and
cries for help from residents of this community.   And there is an
outpouring of anger, reflected in the thousands of people who signed our
petitions or contacted our offices.  Altogether, these cuts affect tens of
thousands of New Yorkers and commuters, and they must be reversed,” said
Rep. Maloney.  “The MTA's plan eliminates service on nights and
weekends, and drastically reduces the number of buses during the weekday, right
in the heart of Midtown. To take away crosstown buses from Turtle Bay
and the heart of Manhattan’s
central business district simply makes no sense.   I urge the MTA to
heed the advice of its own customers and restore crosstown service to current
levels.”

“The tremendous public response generated over the last few weeks
demonstrates the concern and opposition New
York commuters have over losing these key
transportation routes.  The MTA’s crosstown bus service cuts will
increase commute times and serve to isolate East Side
residents during off-peak hours. I strongly urge the MTA to reconsider these
cutbacks and ensure the East Side community
has the reliable transportation it needs,” said Borough President
Stringer.

“These more than 2,000 signatures mean something and that
something cannot be ignored," said Senator Krueger (D-Manhattan). 
"These are real people whose lives are going to be tremendously affected
by being cut off from their City.  The MTA must step up and do the right
thing here.”

"The proposed bus cuts for the Turtle Bay
neighborhood would place a disproportionate burden on this community,”
said Assemblyman Bing.  “As a resident of Turtle Bay,
I stand with my colleagues to oppose these cuts and to look for solutions that
will restore crosstown bus service."

"The residents of Turtle
Bay and East Midtown have
spoken, and they are clearly saying that they do not want to be left stranded
by these cuts," said Council Member Dan Garodnick.  "We want the
MTA to hear them, too, and not gut the crosstown bus service that our neighbors
rely upon."

“Without crosstown bus service on nights and weekends, Turtle Bay
residents will be marooned in their community.  Those buses are a key
transportation link between this neighborhood and the rest of Manhattan,” Council Member Jessica
Lappin said.  “That’s why the people of Turtle Bay
have spoken loud and clear in opposition to these poorly-conceived bus service
cuts.  We will continue to fight alongside those residents to persuade the
MTA to abandon this latest scheme.”

Staff members from the East Side
lawmakers’ offices, members of the Turtle Bay Association, and concerned
New Yorkers collected the petitions over the last two weeks.  The
lawmakers sent MTA Chairman Walder a cover letter today along with the
petitions – a copy of which is below.

###

June 25, 2010

Jay H. Walder
Chairman and CEO
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
347 Madison
Avenue
New York, NY
10017

Dear Mr. Walder:

We are writing on behalf of our constituents who ride the M27, M104 and
M50 buses.  The MTA’s decision to eliminate the M27, cross-town
service on the M104 and night and weekend service on the M50 will have a
significant impact on their quality of life, and they are outraged.  As
you can see from the attached materials, we have collected 2,418 signatures,
emails, and letters from individuals who oppose the MTA’s plan to cut
cross-town service on these routes.

Any individual service cut would have a significant effect, but taken
together, the impact on this community is devastating.   If these
cuts are implemented, Turtle
Bay will lose cross-town
bus service outside of business hours.  By the MTA’s own admission,
these service reductions will affect tens of thousands of riders each
week.  This means longer commutes, which will encourage many to take
taxis, increasing car traffic and pollution.  It will leave many elderly
and disabled people waiting on street corners at night for a transfer to a
second bus, which will reduce their willingness to venture out after
dark.  It will isolate this neighborhood, leaving residents with fewer
ways to reach their destinations.  Most of all, it is clear that the cost
of these cuts far outweighs the relatively small savings which the MTA will
accrue.

We believe this outpouring of opposition to the proposed bus cuts
deserves attention, and that it should result in a reconsideration of the
MTA’s decision. We strongly support our constituents’ request to
have cross-town service restored to this neighborhood.  Accordingly, we
would like the opportunity to sit down with you to discuss our concerns in
greater depth.  Dara Adams of Congresswoman Maloney’s office will be
reaching out to your office to arrange a mutually agreeable place and time for
the meeting.                                                             

Sincerely,

CAROLYN B. MALONEY

SCOTT STRINGER

LIZ KRUEGER

JONATHAN BING                

DAN GARODNICK

JESSICA LAPPIN

Joe Soldevere

Press Secretary

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

(212) 860-0606 office

(646) 831-1649 cell

maloney.house.gov