City Council Prepares To Postpone MTA Bus Takeover

The plight of Queens bus riders remains a paramount concern after the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) was a no-show at a Council Transportation Committee hearing Friday.
The transfer of New York Citys subsidized private bus lines to the MTA is scheduled for July 1, but with so many unanswered questions concerning routing, union and non-union workers and fleet replacement, elected officials and residents are filled with doubts.
"It is utterly irresponsible, and this lack of willingness to be held accountable does not hold well for riders," stated City Council Transportation Committee Chair John Liu. "In the total absence of any information about the MTA takeover and the potential of chaos for riders, I am submitting a bill to extend the legal authorization of the private bus companies to operate for another three months."
Liu went on to state that he is confident that the bill will pass before the June 30th deadline and that the council will want to postpone the transfer of service because there is "absolutely no reason to have any faith in the fact that the transfer will occur smoothly by the July 1 deadline."
Publicly, the MTA said they could not show up because of negotiations, but a consensus opinion of councilmembers and union leaders say that is ridiculous.
It has been more than two years since original negotiations began and elected officials feel that at this point negotiations should be over, and definitive plans should be on the table.
Liu is not alone in his views that the current situation is best described as "appalling." Testimony offered at the hearings by Borough President Helen Marshall and several leaders of various Transit Workers Union locals echoed these sentiments.
With only 19 days from the time of the hearing until the actual takeover, the fate of over 4000,000 bus riders still hangs in the balance with no implementation of a substantive plan in place.
Among the crucial issues still not formally addressed is the lack of confirmation of when riders will see new buses and guarantees about maintenance and improved services. The orignial benefit of the plan, in which the city was to save $150 million in subsidies, is also in question. It now appears that the price of upfront transition costs could be close to $1 billion, according to Liu. Additionally there are major concerns about the MTAs right to consolidate or change routes.
Councilmember Joe Addabbo said: "Concern is an understatement. The fact that they [MTA] did not show up for this particular hearing is a sign of total disrespect not only for the council but for union and non-union workers, the administration and, most importantly, the residents who depend on this service every day."
Addabbo went on to say that there is a holdout of information being provided to union and non-union drivers.
Addabbo also suggested that, though serving subpoenas for appearances at council hearings is usually not a common practice, it seems necessary in this case.
"There has been no demonstration of good faith here," he said. "We dont have a clue who to call or what will be the protocol concerning governmental liaisons with the MTA for the riders benefits."
Queens councilmembers contacted by The Queens Courier have all confirmed that their offices are being inundated with calls from concerned, and in some cases, panic-stricken residents.
Borough President Helen Marshall, who spoke at the hearing, was quick to point out vital concerns associated with the takeover.
"I simply cannot allow the people of Queens to fall victim to a plan that has not been fully developed," she said. "This is not an experiment. It means the difference between arriving at work or school and standing on the sidewalk for hundreds of thousands of riders."
Attempts to contact the MTA for comment went unanswered as of press time.