MTA hears concerns over cuts

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials heard a unanimous message from speakers at a public hearing at Chateau Briand in Carle Place on Monday -- proposed cuts are unfair to Nassau County residents.

The hearing was one of a series of nine statewide that the MTA is holding between March 1 and 8, at which New York residents can voice their opinions regarding service cuts proposed to close a 2010 budget gap projected at nearly $800 million. At the conclusion of the public hearings, the MTA Board will vote on which services are discontinued and which are saved.

"After being asked to contribute so much more last year, it seems that Long Island is getting a raw deal," said Wayne Edwards, a spokesman for State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, Republican from Merrick, referring to the payroll tax implemented by the MTA last year.

According to Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, government bodies and businesses within the county contribute $6.5 million to the MTA through the payroll tax, the highest in the state outside of New York City. Denenberg urged the MTA to use federal stimulus money to close the budget gap before cutting jobs and services, noting that while the majority of funds are designated for capitol improvements, 10 percent can be used for operating costs.

The N53 bus line, a shuttle that loops around parts of North Merrick and stops at the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, faces discontinuation after a Long Island Bus report found that only five people use the line per trip, making the average cost per passenger nearly $20. The report found that by closing the route, which runs weekdays only, the MTA would see a net annual savings of $130,000.

Claudia Borecky, president of the North Merrick Civic Association, spoke out against the proposed closure at Monday's hearing. "I came here specifically on behalf of the people of North Merrick," Borecky said. "Eliminating the N53 bus line will cause undue hardship for the commuters who rely upon this bus line. Further, the parking lots at the Merrick train station don't have enough spots as it is."

Adding to the ire of 1,100 LIRR riders, the MTA is also proposing to combine four trains on the Babylon line that stops in Merrick and Bellmore into two.

The MTA proposes to combine the 7:33 a.m. Babylon with the 7:40 a.m. peak westbound train and combine the 5:03 p.m. and the 4:57 p.m. eastbound Babylon trains starting in May for a projected savings of $1.054 million.