>City Approves Routes Of 150 New Queens Vans

Commuters in southeastern Queens, with the least access to City’s mass transit systems will soon have 150 new vans to get them to and from work and shopping centers.
Ten new van lines will link the Rockaways, Hollis, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica communities to each other as well as to other boroughs in New York City.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) last week granted licenses for 150 new commuter vans, which will soon serve Queens areas with few direct municipal accesses to train or bus lines. The agency approved more than a100 vans for travel within Queens, and the rest for travel to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and The Bronx. The new vans should be in service by mid-year.
The move came as the TLC flexed its muscles after winning a heated court battle with the City Council last month. The victory gave the TLC oversight over commuter van operation by eliminating Council review of the new franchises.
"This is a true victory for the communities that these companies will serve. It is gratifying to see that these residents will finally have the opportunity to choose this form of transportation," said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg. "In response to community demand for these services, the Giuliani Administration has fought for the vans since day one," Fromberg said.
Under TLC rules, the vans must travel along prescribed routes, often meeting passengers at pre-arranged times, and carrying them to a legally pre-determined destination, he explained. The cost for a trip is usually about a dollar.
However, the City Council Transportation Committee, joined by the Transport Workers Union, has claimed that van operators, traveling on City bus lines, not only illegally picked up train-bound commuters but operated unsafe and under-insured vehicles.
City Council spokeswoman Bernice Spitzer criticized the TLC’s rapid expansion. She cited such factors as vehicle safety, commuter needs, municipal enforcement, and inadequate vehicle insurance.
Fromberg said that just-approved van companies must buy new vans and have them checked by the TLC before they can be put into service. Part of the approval process requires a "needs assessment" by the City Transportation Dept., which must determine the new line’s impact on the community’s traffic and safety needs, he said.
Van size determines the amount of vehicle insurance: small vans must have insurance up to $500,000, while larger vans must have between $500,000 and one million. The entire process, from license approval to beginning commuter service, takes several months, he said.