Supporters of the Rockaway Branch line's restoration to rail service received the endorsement below by none other than the TWU - The Transport Workers Union Local 100. A big thank you to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) for helping fight the good fight!
TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen spoke at a press conference
organized by supporters of re-activating the Rockaway Beach Branch, a
3.5 mile stretch of abandoned railroad track that "would connect South
and Northern Queens in a way that is not currently possible," according
to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park). Goldfeder and officials from Queens College released a study that concluded reactivating the line would generate about 500,000 subway rides per day. TWU Local 100 is strongly in favor of the idea, and we favor the use of MTA capital funds to reactivate the line.
"We view this as a once in a lifetime opportunity," Samuelsen said.
"We have existing transit access that has fallen into disuse. In this
instance, we have an opportunity to expand the subways and deliver
transit service to 500,000 riders a day that is desperately needed.
Because it is an existing asset, we have the opportunity to do it at a
fraction of the cost of new construction." He also spoke of the big
economic boost the line would bring to Queens. "We have an existing
transit asset," he reiterated. "Why let it slip out of our hands? Why
not put it back into use for 500,000 transit riders?"
On Thursday, February 12, 2015, TWU President John Samuelson reiterated his support for the restoration of rail service as an opinion in the Queens Chronicle saying that, "...the most meaningful, and often overlooked, difference between the 2 plans is the potential for increasing access to jobs. Reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Line, which was owned and operated by the Long Island rail Road until 1962, would be a far more economically advantageous to the 250,000 people residing within a half-mile of the existing right-of-way."
He later added in the op-ed piece that the fare revenues produced by passengers riding those rails would yield significant farebox recovery that would minimize the strain on NY State's finances but yield a return on investment - something the park plan could not due because ongoing maintenance issues would have to be generated with donations - something local residents are not financially equipped to handle because of their economic situation. Only the High Line in the Chelsea part of Manhattan could hope to achieve enough donations to keep it going.
One final note. Samuelson stated the recovery from Hurricane Sandy cost the MTA $75 million. Putting rail service back here would cost $800 million - a bargain considering what other transportation projects cost. Even NY State Controller DiNapoli wrote that the rails were a cost effective way of expanding the MTA's services.
Copy and paste these links:
http://www.twulocal100.org/story/twu-joins-queens-coalition-re-activate-35-miles-rail-delivering-subway-service-500000
http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/public-transportation-is-right-choice-for-queens/article_8b9bca95-b4ac-561a-b701-35f1290841b6.html
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Stand up against the stealing of our time and prosperity. Enough is enough! Fight for the Queens Rockaway Beach Line and faster transportation!!!
Dear Friends,
This is very Important Rally!!! Stand up against the stealing of our time and prosperity. Enough is enough!
Please
try your best to go to this QueensWay event and tell your family and
friends to fight for the Queens Rockaway Beach Line and faster
transportation. The QueensWay group is trying to stop the best opportunity to
reduce travel times, traffic, pollution and unemployment.
Do you want to travel 2 1/2 hours to cross over Queens by public transportation?
Now is the time to let the city know that there is a better alternative to Bus Rapid Transit on Woodhaven and that is to reuse the Rockaway Line so that precious road space is not reduced by 50% which is what will happen if bike lanes are included in this plan. 25% if they are not. Can cars afford to move any slower on Woodhaven during rush hours? Not everyone can take the bus which will operate along the same routes they do today. There are no alternate auto routes available in the area except for neighboring residential streets. Do we want the cars to use those streets for long distance travel?
Now is the time to let the city know that there is a better alternative to Bus Rapid Transit on Woodhaven and that is to reuse the Rockaway Line so that precious road space is not reduced by 50% which is what will happen if bike lanes are included in this plan. 25% if they are not. Can cars afford to move any slower on Woodhaven during rush hours? Not everyone can take the bus which will operate along the same routes they do today. There are no alternate auto routes available in the area except for neighboring residential streets. Do we want the cars to use those streets for long distance travel?
Please bring a poster supporting the rail option for the Queens Rockaway Beach Line, the transportation plan.
Today,
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 11:00 am at Metropolitan Expeditionary
Learning School 91-30 Metropolitan Avenue Forest Hills.
Philip McManus
Queens Public Transit Committee
718-679-5309
Monday, September 22, 2014
Queens Public Transit Committee Seeks Funding For Lower Manhattan-Rockaway Ferry
Lower Manhattan, Sept. 22, 2014 -
A rally was held tonight as residents of southern Queens invaded Lower Manhattan in an effort to remind people that if enough support isn’t generated
to save the ferry from the Rockaways to Manhattan, the service will end, making
the trip by subway or express bus a longer trip and much less enjoyable.
The mission statement of the Queens
Public Transit Committee is to improve all transportation options for Queens
and the Pier 11 in Manhattan to Rockaway Peninsula is no exception. With Mayor
deBlasio eliminating funding for the ferry link, residents of southern Queens
are furious and have taken to the streets. The Belle Harbor Property Owners
Association is also involved as they seek to protect and enhance the quality
of life in their community. The Ferry is the common thread that binds both
organizations.
Queens Public Transit Committee Chairman Phillip McManus has been fighting for keeping the ferry going but it’s been an uphill fight. To get the attention of Lower Manhattan, he’s organized a walking rally to let people know about it. He said, “We’ll arrive on the ferry at about 5:15 pm at Pier 11 and hold a press conference under the FDR near Wall Street. We will collect names and contact information to organize the passengers. We will also have speeches and a photo opportunity. We’re following up on a rally we had on the steps of City Hall a couple of months ago as part of a process to educate the public about the funding cutoff.”
Queens Public Transit Committee Chairman Phillip McManus has been fighting for keeping the ferry going but it’s been an uphill fight. To get the attention of Lower Manhattan, he’s organized a walking rally to let people know about it. He said, “We’ll arrive on the ferry at about 5:15 pm at Pier 11 and hold a press conference under the FDR near Wall Street. We will collect names and contact information to organize the passengers. We will also have speeches and a photo opportunity. We’re following up on a rally we had on the steps of City Hall a couple of months ago as part of a process to educate the public about the funding cutoff.”
The plan was to march through areas such
as Water Street and Stone Street which is where many people congregate so
they can get the word about the ferry service discontinuance.
Through their past efforts, they
accumulated an array of political figures dedicated to keeping the ferry going.
Among them is Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. She said in a letter to Mayor
deBlasio that, “…The Rockaway Ferry is a necessity for the Rockaway Peninsula
and vital to its resiliency plans. Since the inception of the Rockaway Ferry in
2012, residents have come to view it as a primary means of transportation into
Manhattan.”
New York State Assemblyman Philip
Goldfeder has been a long-time backer of improving transportation options in
southern Queens as healthier transportation options means greater economic
opportunity.
Support
for the ferry isn’t limited to Queens but to Brooklyn as well. City
Councilman Vincent Gentile recently said at the June 11 rally on the steps of
City Hall, “Other areas in the country would kill for a waterfront like we have
here in New York. I want to emphasize the stopover in Brooklyn on the way to the
Rockaways. One ride on the ferry and you’re hooked as opposed to riding the
subway. If people knew if they could get to Manhattan and back easily with a
ferry, they’d use it.”
The walking rally headed south to
the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty Ferry and walk north on Broadway
to Wall Street and loop back to the ferry to Queens while giving out posters,
flyers and asking people to sign petitions.
Before hopping on to the 7:45 pm ferry
back to the Rockaways, Phil McManus showed optimism and said, “The Queens
Public Transit Committee supports faster transportation including the Queens
Rockaway Ferry. We refuse to be second class citizens in a
city where everyone else’s concerns seem to come first.”
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Passing of our friend and mentor, John Rozankowski
Dear Friends, It is with great shock and sadness that I must inform you that our Friend and Mentor John Rozankowski has died of natural causes.
God have Mercy on his Soul.
We're going to miss you, John. A tremendous loss. Thank you for helping the Rockaways, Queens and New York City with your transportation advocacy.
John lived in the Bronx and would take the train to help us. He was a good man.
Our sincerest condolences to his family.
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=217750518435894&id=100952823448998&set=pb.100952823448998.-2207520000.1410959526.&source=42&refid=13
Philip McManus, Chairman
Queens Public Transit CommitteePhilip McManus, Chairman
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Our Rally for Q 52 Bus Extension to Far Rockaway is on Saturday September 20, at Beach 67 Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard at 11 am.
Queens Public Transit Committee Press Release
Release date: September 8, 2014
Media contacts:
Philip McManus, Chairman
Queens Public Transit Committee
Location/Date: Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Beach 67 Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard
Time: 11 AM.
We are gaining influence in Queens.Please
cover this very important meeting as this is a great opportunity to
show how we network and unite with other communities and groups.
Our 'Rally for Q52 Bus Extension to Far Rockaway' is on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Beach 67 Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard at 11am.
Our opinion is that 2 1/2 hours is way too long to get around Queens using mass transit. It's a waste of time, money and destroys opportunities with unnecessary transfers and road delays.
Feel free to contact me for further information with this information below.
Philip McManus, Chairman
http://rockawaybranchline.blogspot.com/
http://rockawaybranchline.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-queens-public-transit-committee-for.html?m=1
www.QueensPublicTransit.com
Our opinion is that 2 1/2 hours is way too long to get around Queens using mass transit. It's a waste of time, money and destroys opportunities with unnecessary transfers and road delays.
We
advocate the extension of bus routes across Queens and the Q52 Limited
Bus to Far Rockaway as a example of how we want to connect buses to more
ferry service as faster transportation (all modes) which saves time and
makes money. More money creates jobs and opportunities.
Currently, the Q 52 doesn't
connect to the Ferry at this time but we need another Ferry stop in Far
Rockaway that would connect with this bus. The Q22, Q35, Q53 and QM16, Q113 and the Q114 should all connect to the Ferry.
We are promoting several petitions and here's a list:
Feel free to contact me for further information with this information below.
Philip McManus, Chairman
Queens Public Transit Committee
http://rockawaybranchline.blogspot.com/
http://rockawaybranchline.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-queens-public-transit-committee-for.html?m=1
www.QueensPublicTransit.com
Friday, August 15, 2014
Next QPTC meeting is Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 7:30 to 9 PM
Dear Friends,
Our next Queens Public Transit Committee meeting is on Wednesday, August 20 from 7:30 to 9 PM at the:
Knights of Columbus
333 Beach 90th Street
Rockaway Beach, Queens.
We hope you can make it as we'll discuss more than one topic.
The fight for the ferry from Lower Manhattan to the Rockaways continues. Important steps have been taken since last month's meeting. There will be a press conference on the steps of City Hall the night after our meeting. There are more actions to complete. It's critical that we come together, discuss the progress that has been made and coordinate our efforts going forward. If you can, sign the petition on our social media too.
Of
course, there are other transportation concerns to address. We've
recently joined the battle to extend the Q52 bus route to serve more
Rockaway residents. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released
a report describing the Rockaway Beach line as a good investment for
the MTA. Momentum is shifting our way -- how can we capitalize, and
where else should we focus our advocacy? Please join us Wednesday and
help us make plans.
We've got work to do.
Mike Scala
Queens Public Transit Committee
Our next Queens Public Transit Committee meeting is on Wednesday, August 20 from 7:30 to 9 PM at the:
Knights of Columbus
333 Beach 90th Street
Rockaway Beach, Queens.
We hope you can make it as we'll discuss more than one topic.
The fight for the ferry from Lower Manhattan to the Rockaways continues. Important steps have been taken since last month's meeting. There will be a press conference on the steps of City Hall the night after our meeting. There are more actions to complete. It's critical that we come together, discuss the progress that has been made and coordinate our efforts going forward. If you can, sign the petition on our social media too.
We've got work to do.
Mike Scala
Queens Public Transit Committee
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Rockaway Committee To Save The Ferry
On Thursday April 3rd 2014 at 6 P.M., the Queens Rockaway Ferry committee is holding a press conference at Beach 108th St. and Beach Channel Drive to say “Thank You” for Mayor de Blasio’s extension of the Rockaway Ferry service. The press conference was delayed due to severe weather over the last few months.
The
Queens Public Transit Committee supports faster transportation
including the Queens Rockaway Ferry. Good luck and congratulations to
the Rockaway Committee to Save the Ferry for a successful event.
The
Committee has confirmed Borough President Melinda Katz (D- Queens),
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway), City Council Member Eric Ulrich
(R-Rockaway), Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Rockaway), Donovan Richards (D-Far
Rockaway), Congressman Gregory Meeks (D- Rockaway), District Leader Lew
M. Simon (D-Rockaway), and for Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Far
Rockaway) Liaison Lisa George attendance.
Thank you.
Philip McManus
Chairman
Queens Public Transit Committee
718-474-0315
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