Courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA.

The MTA held a media roundtable at the Jamaica Central Control Building, where officials discussed pressing transit issues, including financial strategies, safety measures, and infrastructure improvements.

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) convened a significant media roundtable on  September 12, at the Jamaica Central Control Building. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, New York City Transit Interim President Demetrius Crichlow, Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free and Senior Advisor for Communications and Policy Shanifah Rieara addressed an array of pressing issues impacting the city’s transit system. The event provided an extensive overview of ongoing and future projects, followed by a Q&A session.

The roundtable began with a presentation focusing on the MTA’s fiscal strategies amidst a backdrop of financial constraints and evolving policy discussions. Lieber emphasized the MTA’s commitment to financial prudence.

“The MTA’s job is to spend as little money as possible,” Lieber said. “We have to put together the proposal, it’s going to come out in the next couple of weeks, and the board, the MTA board, has to actually vote on it this month. It’s actually happening right now. But after that, then it goes to Albany, and they decide.”

He outlined the multi-layered process involved in securing funding, which includes approval from the MTA Board before progressing to the state legislature in Albany. This process is critical in shaping budgetary allocations and ensuring the effective use of taxpayer dollars.

Lieber addressed the current state of policy considerations, notably the potential exclusion of congestion pricing from upcoming budgets.

“We would prefer that it not come from increases in fares or other impacts to the customer,” Liber said. “What we’ve done is we’ve gone back to what we used to do in the old days, for 12 years, where we just had a two percent or three percent increase a year just to keep up with inflation. But we hope that we won’t have to resort to other major taxes and fees.”

He stressed that the MTA is striving to avoid implementing new major taxes and fees, which could burden riders and impact overall transit affordability. This stance reflects a broader effort to manage financial pressures while minimizing the impact on everyday commuters.

Safety and security were prominent topics during the roundtable, with particular focus on antisemitic hate crimes and general transit safety.

“I would never counsel anybody to hide their identities,” Lieber said. “People have a right to be who they are, whether they’re Sikh and they’re wearing a turban or they’re observant Muslims who are wearing a hijab, or they’re observant Jews who are wearing their traditional attire.”

Lieber affirmed the issue, addressing the importance of protecting all passengers and staff. The MTA is actively working to counter these threats, with Lieber emphasizing that hate symbols and graffiti are addressed with urgency.

 Any hate symbols are removed from the system as soon as possible and affected trains are taken out of service until they are thoroughly cleaned, reflecting the MTA’s commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all riders.

Crichlow expanded on the MTA’s security measures, including the extensive installation of surveillance cameras across the subway system.

“Sixty percent of our cars now have cameras inside,” Crichlow said. “Our partnership with NYPD is really strong, in instances where there is a strong case that needs to be handled, we have a very good relationship with them. They always call and ask for the cameras so they can do the investigation and get closer try to stop it from happening.”

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance safety and deter vandalism, complementing efforts to improve overall transit security. The integration of new screens on subways to display anti-hate messages is another step towards fostering a safer environment and combating discriminatory behavior.

The roundtable also covered the MTA’s capital program, which includes significant upgrades to the aging rolling stock. Lieber discussed the importance of maintaining a regular replacement cycle for trains.

“We are committed to using this capital program to dramatically increase investment in rail cars, so that we put ourselves on a path to having a 40 regular replacement cycle, so that cars do not go beyond their useful life,” Lieber said.

The team provided an update on the Inner Borough Express, a major project aimed at enhancing transit connectivity within Queens. He reported that the MTA has completed an important round of planning outreach, including over 50 events.

Another major topic of discussion was the transition to the OMNY fare payment system. The MTA employees highlighted the system’s potential to reduce fare evasion and improve operational efficiency.

The new payment technology is expected to help streamline fare collection and reduce instances of fare evasion on buses. They emphasized the importance of integrating students into the new system.

“It’s a good sign that that people are so excited about OMNY, because you didn’t hear anybody getting excited about bus passes in the past,” Lieber said. “So now we have it at 24/7, 365, four rides a day. Used to be three, and people are excited because it helps kids really use the city and get around. Now, part of the reason we’re doing this is we want to get the students in the habit of tapping and swiping and being MTA customers, not get in the habit of fair evading.”

The team then provided insights into the Queens bus network redesign, a large-scale initiative that aims to revamp the bus system serving over 800,000 residents. The redesign process has involved extensive outreach, with many events held to engage the community and gather feedback. The initiative is poised to bring significant improvements to bus service in Queens, addressing long-standing issues and better meeting the needs of local residents.

The issue of subway surfing, a dangerous activity where individuals ride on top of moving trains, was also addressed. Rieara addressee this topic stating that the MTA started a campaign a year ago to warn students about the dangers of subway surfing using digital messages and voice recordings. While the campaign has been effective, they plan to update it with a new version to further strengthen the safety message. They stressed that ongoing outreach and working with social media companies are crucial because if the message doesn’t reach a wide audience, it won’t be as impactful.

The roundtable offered a detailed look at the MTA’s current priorities and ongoing efforts to enhance the transit system. The discussion highlighted key insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the MTA, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving safety, modernizing infrastructure, and addressing community needs.

Courtesy MTA

Key topics included the MTA’s efforts to manage funding without major fare increases, enhance security with increased surveillance, and implement new technologies like OMNY and the Queens bus network redesign.

Community leaders and residents gathered at a press conference to address the severe crime and lawlessness along Roosevelt Avenue.

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

A community press conference held at 90-20 Elmhurst Avenue on September 5 brought urgent attention to the deteriorating conditions along Roosevelt Avenue. District Leader Hiram Monserrate, along with other community leaders and local residents, voiced their growing frustration over what they describe as an escalating crisis of lawlessness and crime in the Roosevelt Avenue Corridor.

Spanning from approximately 104th Street through Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and extending to 72nd Street, Roosevelt Avenue has allegedly become increasingly dominated by organized crime syndicates, drug traffickers, human traffickers, pimps, and unlicensed street vendors. The area has also seen a surge in illegal marijuana shops and shoplifting rings, contributing to a pervasive sense of insecurity among residents and small business owners.

“Our community deserves better, and we demand it now,” District Leader and former Councilman Hiram Monserrate said. “We are asking the NYPD to bring back the Roosevelt Avenue Task Force, as well as the Operation Take Back initiative. These initiatives will bring hundreds of police officers into this extremely troubled section of Queens.”

Monserrate, who previously served as a council member and police officer, emphasized that during his tenure, Roosevelt Avenue faced challenges but never the level of lawlessness seen today.

“When I represented this community as a council member, we never allowed this,” Monserrate said. “Roosevelt Avenue has always had its challenges but what we have here now is complete lawlessness, it’s disgusting and must be fixed.”

Ramon Ramirez of the Let’s Improve Roosevelt Avenue Coalition also weighed in, condemning the criminal enterprises that have taken root.

“Police officers need to do their jobs and arrests must be made,” Ramirez said. “These people are not shop-lifting because they are hungry this a criminal money-making enterprise that includes the same stolen items being sold by the unlicensed street vendors right here on Roosevelt Avenue and 91st Street. It must stop.”

Amanda Lopez, a coalition member and Elmhurst resident, expressed her personal fear and frustration.

“I was born and raised in this community, and I live here,” Lopez said. “Roosevelt Avenue at present is very scary. As a woman I am in fear just walking home at night or traveling on the 7 Train. Are our elected officials blind? We need positive change immediately; we need to be safe in our neighborhood”.

Ramses Frias, a local resident and candidate for City Council in District 25, expressed deep concerns about the escalating crime and disorder in the area. Frias highlighted the rampant prostitution, illegal street vendors, and overall deterioration that have plagued the community over the past few years. He emphasized that these issues are negatively impacting local businesses and making the neighborhood unsafe for residents, particularly children.

“We need to come together, we need to grow our voices together and become one, to understand that this is no longer tolerated, that we are going to be here, that we are standing up for each other, and that we will proceed and move forward to start a new day,” Frias said.

Drawing on his 43 years of experience living in Elmhurst, Frias urged for immediate action from the NYPD and city officials to address these problems. He called for increased community engagement and support for new leadership that will prioritize restoring safety and vitality to the area.

District Leader Hiram Monserrate, alongside other officials, criticized the failure of elected representatives to tackle the issues plaguing the community.

Marty Dolan, a congressional candidate, addressed the press conference by highlighting the broader implications of the issues facing the community. He emphasized that the deteriorating conditions in neighborhoods like the one in question reflect poorly on New York City as a whole, tarnishing its global image. He criticized the city’s leaders, questioning the absence of figures such as Mayor Eric Adams, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in addressing these issues.

“We’re all connected,” Dolan said. “New York is connected to the world through the media, through social networks. When you have conditions like you have here in this community, it’s a black eye for New York all over the world.”

To address the ongoing crisis, Monserrate unveiled the “Five Point Plan for a Better Roosevelt,” a strategic proposal designed to restore safety and order:

The “Five Point Plan for a Better Roosevelt” proposes a comprehensive strategy to address the escalating crime and disorder along Roosevelt Avenue. It calls for the expansion of the Roosevelt Avenue Task Force to 120 officers, who would be permanently assigned to the area to ensure consistent law enforcement. Additionally, the plan recommends augmenting the 110th and 115th Police Precincts with 50 more officers each to bolster their capacity. To enhance oversight and accountability, it suggests reconfiguring precinct boundaries so that a significant portion of Roosevelt Avenue falls under a single precinct’s jurisdiction.

The plan also advocates for a multi-agency response to enforce quality-of-life violations, such as issuing summonses and seizing goods from unlicensed vendors. It emphasizes the need for community involvement by establishing partnerships with local organizations to gather intelligence, support beautification projects, and strengthen community bonds. Furthermore, it supports legislative changes to amend bail laws to prevent the release of repeat offenders without bail for crimes like shoplifting, which negatively impact local businesses. The plan also calls for increased funding for police, encapsulated in the movement to #refund the police.

During the Q&A session, District Leader Hiram Monserrate strongly criticized the failure of elected officials to address the severe issues plaguing the community. He emphasized that the residents, many of whom are immigrants or their descendants, are subjected to conditions that would be unacceptable in other neighborhoods.

He highlighted the neglect in basic community responsibilities, such as ensuring safety, cleanliness, and adequate protection for vulnerable populations. Monserrate pointed out that the current state of Roosevelt Avenue has turned the area into a national embarrassment, mocked on social media, and that the community deserves much better.

“Everything that we are confronting right now, we are confronting because all our representatives have failed us, every single one of them, even some that are my friends, they have failed us,” Monserrate said. “We should not be subjected to this, Queen is better than this.”

As community leaders and residents rally for immediate action, the pressure mounts on city officials and law enforcement to address the escalating crisis and restore order to this vital Queens thoroughfare.

The “Five Point Plan for a Better Roosevelt” was unveiled, calling for increased police presence, better oversight, and community involvement to restore order and safety to the area.