By Eagle Staff Reporter
And Associated Press

BROOKLYN – The MTA’s planned fare hike and cutbacks, rumored for several days, then made official in an announcement Thursday, got poor reviews in Brooklyn, as expected.

The details of which fares will rise, and by how much, are still being worked out, but if applied across the board, they could raise the cost of a single bus or subway ride to nearly $2.50. A monthly pass would cost nearly $100.

While the attention of the city as a whole was on the fare hikes, a series of projected service cuts would hit Brooklyn hard.

The G train, which since 2003 has only gone to its former northern terminus, 71st Avenue-Continental Avenue in Forest Hills, on the weekends (and often not even then), would now terminate at Court Square at all times.

Many Greenpoint and Williamsburg residents have protested the cutback in Queens, pointing out that they used to shop in Forest Hills but now find it hard to do so. In addition, the line operates with only four-car trains, rare in the transit system.

The M train, which starts in Ridgewood, Queens and then goes onto the Broadway-Brooklyn line, would terminate in Lower Manhattan at all times, rather than going into southern Brooklyn via the West End Line during rush hours as it does now. This would increase overcrowding on the “D� line.

In addition, the “Z� line over the Broadway-Brooklyn line would be discontinued, making the “J� line more overcrowded. Weekend service on the X-27 and X-28 express lines to Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge would be eliminated. In the past, whenever cutbacks to these bus lines have been contemplated, they have been met with petitions and protests from community members.

The Wrong Prescription

Councilman Bill de Blasio said, “I am extremely troubled by the MTA Board’s plan to cut services and increase fares. This is the wrong prescription for New York City. The solution to the MTA’s financial crisis is not nickel and diming the working families who depend on the subway to get to work every day.

“There is another solution to this problem. Reinstating a commuter tax could create similar revenue without placing the entire burden on our city’s residents.�

Borough President Marty Markowitz said, “Yes, these are indeed tough economic times, and we all must do some belt tightening, but we can’t resort to exorbitant fare increases and subway and bus service cuts — or East River bridge tolls — which selectively punish certain boroughs and neighborhoods for what is a regional and state responsibility.

“Brooklyn already represents the largest proportion of mass transit users in the City, and it’s downright discriminatory — especially against our immigrant communities and those hard-working residents who sometimes have no other way to get around — to impose tolls, increase fares, derail subway service or bring buses to a screeching halt when our borough is already paying its fair share. “

Markowitz also called for bringing back the commuter tax; instituting a special state lottery dedicated to transportation; increasing the surcharge fee for car registrations; and imposing a “modest tax� on gasoline in addition to the current gasoline tax – all as ways of raising funds for mass transit.

“On top of this,� he said, “it will be an absolute outrage if the MTA raises the charge for Access-A-Ride service, which serves the disabled and elderly. In Brooklyn, which has more senior residents than any other borough, these cuts would have disastrous effects on our most vulnerable commuters.�

Community Board 1, which represents Greenpoint and Williamsburg, said in a letter to the MTA, “Our district contains vital hubs for transportation and linkages for subway, bus, and ferry service. In fact, our trains and buses have received substantial increases in their ridership. Greenpoint’s and Williamsburg’s populations are growing by leaps and bounds with the extensive development of our waterfront and upland areas.

“We have consistently asked for more service and the creation of additional lines (subway, bus and ferry) to accommodate the burgeoning need.�

Longer Travel Times

While none of the changes would cut off neighborhoods entirely, they will mean longer travel times, more waiting around on the platform, and stuffing more people into subways that are already overcrowded.

MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander said he anticipates “an emotional reaction� from New Yorkers upset with the changes, but said the authority has no choice. It is required by law to balance its budget. If the system doesn’t take action, it would face an estimated $1.4 billion deficit in its operating budget next year and a $3 billion deficit by 2012, Sander said.

The cuts and fare hikes still need to be approved by the MTA’s board before they take effect. That vote is expected in December, following a round of public hearings.

There is also a chance that a commission appointed by New York’s governor to examine the MTA's finances and structure could make alternative recommendations next month.

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