Weprin Calls on MTA to Restore Q75 Bus

Councilman Mark Weprin, D-Oakland Gardens, is calling on the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority to use part of its $40 million surplus to restore the Q75 bus route in northeast Queens.  
Weprin said the route, which connects Oakland Gardens to Jamaica, provided a ride to Jamaica’s subways for borough residents who have few transportation options.   

“It’s the MTA’s obligation to prioritize restoration for commuters in areas where residents rely heavily on buses,” he said. “Eastern Queens has no subway service, so bus service is critical.”  

Weprin said some Oakland Gardens residents are not in walking distance of a bus route following the Q75’s elimination, while others have to take two buses just to reach a subway station.  

The MTA eliminated 32 bus routes, including the Q75, in 2010 as part of $93 million in cuts to city bus and subway service.  

In March, it was announced that a deal between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators could increase the MTA’s funding to $358 million. The increase would give the agency $40 million more than expected to put back into its budget.  

State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, D-Fresh Meadows, also called on the MTA to restore bus service to northeast Queens following the announcement in March.