QUESTION
How can the MTA's Queens bus redesign be influenced to consider older adults and avoid negative impacts?
1:06:28
·
159 sec
Council Member Linda Lee emphasizes the need for community feedback on the MTA's Queens bus redesign to mitigate negative impacts on older adults and the disabled due to reduced bus stops.
- Lee highlights the redesign's potential efficiency improvements at the cost of reducing bus stops, crucial for older adults and the disabled.
- She encourages Queens residents, particularly those with insight into older and disabled communities' needs, to submit feedback online or at public sessions.
- Commissioner Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez suggests targeting feedback on stops near older adult clubs and residential areas.
- Council members discuss past collaborations with MTA, focusing on addressing older adults' transportation needs.
Linda Lee
1:06:28
And then my other question is I'm actually asking if you and the older adults could help us because I'm not sure if the queen's residents are aware, but we have we're in the process right now in terms of finalizing the MTA's doing a queen's bus redesign.
1:06:48
They're rerouted ALL THE BUSES IN QUEEN'S AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE PRE COVID BUT THEN THEY PAUSED ON THE REED DESIGN BECAUSE COVID HAPPENED.
1:06:57
And there's another in person feedback session tomorrow, but you can actually submit online feedback as well as on the website for MTA.
1:07:10
There's actually a place where you can put feedback the reason why I'm bringing this up is because when I had a conversation with MTA, I said, what about the older adults?
1:07:19
Because there are many any concerns because we are a transit desert.
1:07:22
I have no railways in my district.
1:07:24
I don't have a subway.
1:07:25
I don't have a Long Island railroad in my district, but we have a ton of older adults that really need this the bus transportation.
1:07:33
So they're trying to be more efficient, and they're touting efficiency But in terms of efficiency, the way that they're meeting that goal is they're reducing the number of stops.
1:07:43
Right?
1:07:43
But if older adults as well as those who are disabled, and I'm also chair of the disabilities mental health and addictions committee.
1:07:51
And this is a huge problem in the disabilities community as well.
1:07:55
Is I need folks to submit public testimony.
1:07:59
So please, I just encourage anyone here if you all live in Queens.
1:08:02
Please look at at the bus redesign routes and let us know the feedback and submit it because we need to make sure that those bus routes are not negatively impacting our older adults.
Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez
1:08:14
So I'll even go one further, one
Darlene Mealy
1:08:16
of the things we've
Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez
1:08:17
done with MTA in the past.
1:08:18
Yeah.
1:08:19
Obviously, it's too late for tomorrow, is that we would have them make presentations at the older adult clubs.
1:08:24
We've not heard about this.
1:08:25
But what I would do for this one for tomorrow is if you give me the bus stops that are close to older adult clubs that you wanna retain, we will submit something to the MTA.
Linda Lee
1:08:37
Yes.
1:08:38
Next to the older adult cups, but also just like residentially.
1:08:41
Yeah.
1:08:41
We'll talk offline.
1:08:42
But you if I realized that in person, it may be difficult.
1:08:46
So they're still taking public feedback.
1:08:48
So if you just go to the website, they actually have a location where you can input your feedback online.
1:08:54
So or you can reach out to my office as well.
1:08:56
Okay.
1:08:57
I'm Linda Lee just in case.
1:08:58
Sorry.
1:09:00
But, yes, that would be really helpful.
1:09:01
So thank you.
Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez
1:09:02
Yeah.
Crystal Hudson
1:09:04
Thank you, council member.
1:09:06
Okay.