The W and V train cuts have been getting most of the MTA doomsday attention, so the Daily News decided to take a look at changes upsetting residents in Whitestone. The Q15A bus was created as an alternate route of the Q15 bus to help those stranded by the Q14 elimination. The bus goes down a residential stretch of 10th Avenue, and locals say the street isn't wide enough. One asked the Daily News, "A fire truck, usually the first response for a heart attack, how are they gonna get by?"
City Councilman Tony Avella led a protest yesterday, blocking a Q15A from getting down the street while another protester yelled, "We don't want you here, go away." When they finally let it pass, their predictions reportedly came true. The bus was faced with a truck driving in the opposite direction, and the street was too narrow for either to pass. After an hour, police intervention and the three bus riders deciding to abandon their public transportation choice, truck driver Greg Sahakian finally decided to back up and let the bus through. City Council member Dan Halloran had previously denounced the new route, telling the Queens Gazette, "The routing makes no logical sense. Just a half-block east is a commercial strip on a portion of 10th Avenue that is much wider than the MTA’s proposed location."
Residents all over the city have admitted to feeling stranded by the MTA cuts, which have left many with few transportation options, especially on the weekends. M50 rider Noel Moncure said, "I called the MTA and the office of the mayor. It's inhumane to do this to a woman who is 84." An East Village resident on her way to work also discovered the M8 is no longer running on weekends, and said, "I'm late for work. [A cab] will cost me $7, which I can't afford." So, when are those vans going to get their act together?
