A public hearing will be held Monday evening in Carle Place on the topic of the proposed MTA service cuts to Long Island Rail Road and Long Island Bus.
The MTA reportedly plans to cut LIRR service between Ronkonkoma and Greenport except for summer weekends, eliminate weekend service on the West Hempstead branch and reduce weekend and off-peak weekday service on the Port Washington branch. The cuts are in addition to proposed fare hikes.
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The hearing is a part of a series that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will host to collect public comments on proposals, which are intended to help to close a $750 million budget shortfall due to funding cuts and tax revenue declines. The MTA also recently announced it will layoff 1,000 workers.
“We’ve had to make tough choices to reduce our cost structure,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder. “But we also have had to look at service cuts. I know that service changes are painful, and we’ve sought every way we can to minimize impact on our customers. We encourage everyone to participate in our public hearings.”
In addition to reduced Long Island Rail Road service, several Long Island bus route are on the chopping block.
“Eliminating bus routes will negatively impact commuters and residents including my constituents in Merrick and Freeport who use the N53 and N62 buses to get to work, school and downtown shops and restaurants,” said Nassau County Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick). “Nassau County pays more for its MTA bus service than any other county in the state,” Denenberg added. “Yet, now, the MTA seeks service cuts in Nassau County. This is outrageous!”
Commuters can voice their opinions during the hearing scheduled for March 1 at 6 p.m. at the Chateau Briand on Old Country Road. Registration to speak will close at 9 p.m.
Another hearing will be held Monday, March 8 at the Suffolk County Legislative Building in Riverhead.
Public comments are also being accepted via email though MTA.info, and regular mail by writing to MTA Community Affairs, 347 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.
To learn more details about the proposed service changes, and the methodology used to identify which cuts to propose, go to mta.info, and click on the Public Hearings icon on the lower left portion of the homepage.
