Brooklyn Borough President

BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARKOWITZ CALLS ON GOVERNOR
AND MAYOR TO GET THE BUSES ROLLING

“During this season of warmth and cheer, it is a terrible holiday gift to leave 8,000 Brooklynites out in the cold. I call on Governor Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg, the MTA, the bus company owners and the union to expeditiously resolve the issues between them and get the buses rolling. I’m outraged that for three days now, Brooklynites, especially those in southern Brooklyn, have been left out in the cold, without the bus service that they depend on for their livelihood.

It is unacceptable that for over two years, union workers for the city’s subsidized bus lines, including Command Bus Company and Green Bus Lines, have been working without a contract. The Governor and the Mayor must do everything in their power to prevent an official strike from causing even more disruptions for Brooklynites and all New York City riders.

The City and the MTA need to get serious about negotiating with the bus companies so that a transition can take place by the April 30, 2005 deadline. The events of this week prove once again that Borough Presidents in New York City should have a seat on the MTA board to ensure that we receive our fair share. Brooklyn deserves no less because we generate the most passengers using the transit system of any borough, with over 31% of the riders.

This bus crisis needs to be solved immediately — Brooklyn riders should not be held hostage in the cold as the talks continue.”

-Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz