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Tropicana, Atlantic City

M is for mourning; R is for regret

By Ben Muessig
The Brooklyn Paper
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Politicians, transportation activists — and a bagpipe player — buried the M and R train in a pre-emptive funeral service for the lines, which face severe service cuts under the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s proposed “Doomsday Budget.”

Pipe player John Maynard belted out the funeral standard “Danny Boy” at the Thursday memorial for the M train, which under the MTA’s planned penny-pinching budget, would terminate in Lower Manhattan instead of Bensonhurst; and the R train, whose Court Street and Lawrence Street stations would be shuttered at night.

“Dearly beloved,” eulogized Gene Russianoff of the transit advocacy group the Straphanger’s Campaign, “We are gathered here to ask Gov. David Paterson and state legislature to spare the M and the R lines from partial extinction by voting for new state aid for the transit system.”

The MTA is considering the cuts — as well as eliminating Williamsburg’s Z train and B39 bus, Bay Ridge’s B37 bus, and Cobble Hill’s B75 bus among other cuts, service reductions and a fare hike — in an attempt to plug its $1.2-billion deficit.

The agency had no comment for this story.

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

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