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QPTC Candidates Night




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GOP candidate for State Senator Michael Conigliaro, GOP candidate for Congress Mike O’Reilly, Queens Public Transportation Committee chairperson Phil McManus and Mike Scala.

GOP candidate for State Senator Michael Conigliaro, GOP candidate for Congress Mike O’Reilly, Queens Public Transportation Committee chairperson Phil McManus and Mike Scala.

On Sept. 29, the Queens Public Transit Committee hosted a “Candidates Night” to give members of the South Queens Community the chance to hear from potential elected officials on transit issues facing the community.

In attendance was Democratic Assembly candidate Stacey Pheffer Amato, State Senator Joe Addabbo, outgoing Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, Republican challenger for Congress, Mike O’Reilly, Republican candidate for State Senate Michael Conigliaro, and Alan Zwirn, the GOP candidate for State Assembly.

The transit issues at stake for the people of South Queens include the coming decision on the QueensRail – a reactivation of the old Rockaway Beach Rail Line proposed by Goldfeder – versus the QueensWay – a High- Line style park along the old RBRL that some groups prefer.

The QPTC is also concerned with the City Wide Ferry service, Select Bus Service, bike lanes, and the tolls on the bridges connecting Rockaway to the rest of Queens.

Each candidate was given the opportunity to address those in attendance with regard to these issues.

All candidates say they are in support of abolishing tolls on the Marine Parkway Bridge on the grounds that there are no other intra-borough tolls in effect throughout the city.

De Blasio’s Vision Zero was also a topic of discussion. Vision Zero is a program derided across the board by all of the candidates. Although the measure has earned the mayor praise, as traffic fatalities have declined 22 percent in the two pilot years of the program, it was criticized as “unfairly discriminatory” toward drivers.

The outer boroughs, Queens included, suffer from a lack of viable transit options and therefore, host a greater number of drivers than Manhattan.

The candidates gave voice to the widespread feeling of abandonment that residents of Queens – especially Rockaway – feel toward city policies under de Blasio that unfairly favor Manhattan and its dearth of drivers at the expense of Queens.

“Why is Queens treated as a second class citizen in the city of New York?” asked Conigliaro.

Programs such as increased bike lanes, Select Bus Service, the increase of red light and speed cameras, as well as the lowering of the speed limit to 25 mph are seen by many pedestrian advocate groups as positive measures, but in Rockaway there seems to be a growing concern that many of the aspects of Vision Zero are seen as a way to make revenue for the city.

“We’re trying to unite commuters, the city tries to divide us by saying we need bike lanes, we need bus lanes,” said Phil McManus, Chairman of the QPTC.

He says drivers are bearing the cost of Vision Zero and the programs that support it, and says law enforcement should ticket pedestrians and other commuters as vigilantly as they ticket drivers.

“If I drive a car and somebody walks in front of me and he doesn’t look, is it my fault that I hit him?” said McManus. “Some commuters pay more than others. And that’s not fair, we should have equality.”

The QPTC has not yet endorsed any of the candidates running for office, and it is not known at the present time if they plan on doing so.


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