Question Number 1: My district has the unfortunate distinction of having more than just one important transportation need. The South Shore has been undeserved in its transportation needs for as long as I can remember. We are the ones that suffer from the long commute that an ancient and crumbling train infrastructure provides, we suffer because politicians and bureaucrats can't decide where to put an economy-boosting South Shore Ferry, and we suffer from the craters that dominate our roads especially if we have to travel from the South Shore all the way to the North to catch the ferry to Manhattan. These transportation hardships are just waiting to be solved if the right leader steps forward and tackles them.

I would work, from the first hour of my term tirelessly, to bring smoother roads to relieve the stresses these dangerous roads place it place on our way of life. At the same time I'll push hard to cut through the red-tape, and bring the long overdue South Shore Ferry to the 51st District. Such a ferry would save over an hour from the commute to Manhattan according to several estimates. Lastly to speed up the commute for those taking the trains, I would have the city hire engineers to propose ways to quicken the ride and then have immediately set to work.

A need is quality subway/bus service, but also important is safe pedestrian access. I testified to support $ for the MTA; I voted for congestion pricing, to provide $ to purchase new BRT buses, improve transit hubs, and reduce traffic congestion; and I advocated for city $, especially for the city share of the student metrocards. I sponsored forums on ways to make buses go faster, and issued a report. Many of the Mayor’s ideas–smartcards, pay before getting on, electronic arrival times-are in our report, which was issued yrs. ago. I sponsored a Transportation Survey (W 55-86 St) to determine the needs. 2 years ago, I held a forum at John Jay College with residents, and then my staff surveyed nearly ALL of the businesses in the study area door-to-door to determine their delivery protocols. I am organizing a 2nd forum, Sept. 22, again at John Jay. This Survey produced suggestions to improve street conditions, including ways to slow traffic for safer crossing. I tried to make the sidewalks/sts. safer by passing a bill to mandate signage in commercial enterprises (Bike Safety Posters LL 10/2007) that lists in many languages the “Rules of the Road” for delivery bicyclists. Seniors are frightened by illegal bicycling, and PD doesn’t have sufficient officers to deal with the problem.

The most important transportation need in my district are the bus services. I intend to address this need by making more buses available to improve the frequency of bus times and taking steps to ensure services run efficiently. Buses are vital for the elderly and children as they are easier to alight than the subway and provide a more local service.

Preservation of all bus lines, with improved timing to prevent bus "clusters," where, due to traffic congestion, a number of buses arrive all at once in one place and causing long lag times. Traffic congestion, especially on 125th Street, needs to be effectively dealt with. As part of the 125th Street Rezoning, I took steps to address this issue by urging DOT to find new parking for all tourist buses, which take up vital space in the 125th Street corridor and emit harmful exhaust, exacerbating health impacts.