MTA of Little Help to Former Q79 Commuters

Riders of the will be up a creek for awhile, at least if last week's meeting with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is any indication.

Representatives from a coalition of area civic associations met last Thursday with MTA officials in attempt to hash out a deal in which the route - which provided access from the Little Neck Long Island Rail Road Station to Floral Park - might be restored. The route was eliminated last June in a spate of cost-cutting measures, much to the resentment of hundreds of commuters who relied on the bus each week, many of whom are left without alternate transit options.

The meeting, arranged by Councilman Mark Weprin, D-Oakland Gardens, was framed as an opportunity for the coalition to present its latest proposal to MTA officials, which consisted of extending the existing Q36 bus line north to encompass the Little Neck LIRR station.

Though the proposed route extension would cost significantly less than the original Q79 bus line, the MTA said it is simply not in a position to dish out additional funds for an under-performing route.

Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for MTA, said that the Q79 was the second lowest performing bus line in the city, with roughly 650 commuters on weekdays and 160 on Saturdays. The average New York City bus line regularly carries 12,000.

“We have said previously that reinstating service would have to be cost neutral and the proposal made by the coalition for an extension to the Q36 does not meet that criterion,” he said in a statement.

The failure of the Taxi and Limousine Commission's van service, which briefly served as the city's alternative to the Q79 but was scrapped , further bolsters MTA's position that for now, the route is simply not meant to be.

Though Little Neck commuters may have to table their dreams of a convenient public transit option for now, Councilman Weprin said he expects restoration of the route to be made a top priority when the MTA regains its financial footing.

"Probably more than half of all bus routes lose some amount of money," he said. "Their job is to provide a service, not to run a business."

Weprin added that perhaps the one positive outcome of the meeting was proving to MTA officials how passionate area residents are about reestablishing a viable public transportation option, saying that if there really are as few riders as the MTA claims, "I must have met every one of them."

“We feel stranded out here in Eastern Queens, and we’re not going to accept this long term," he said. "'Sorry' is not good enough.”