Nestled between Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights has always been hard to reach via public transportation.
This fact makes the MTA’s recent proposed cuts to local bus service to balance their budget particularly galling, according to Dyker Heights Civic Association (DHCA) President Fran Vella-Marrone.
Vella-Marrone and DHCA members wholeheartedly signed two separate petitions protesting the cuts at their recent meeting.
One of the petitions was circulated through City Councilmember Vincent Gentile’s office and the other through State Sen. Marty Golden’s office.
“We’re underserved by the MTA and against the cuts to the bus service,” said Vella-Marrone.
Among the cuts in bus service is the B4 which runs down Bay Ridge Parkway, the B16, which runs down Fort Hamilton Parkway, and the X28 express bus to Manhattan which runs along 86th Street in Dyker Heights.
“First of all, it will affect the elderly as many of them use the bus to get around into the city and around the neighborhood,” said Vella-Marrone.
“It also affects people who go to work, not just during rush hours, but the off hours as well. We’re already underserved so to take any service away will be really harmful to the residents of Dyker Heights,” she added.
Vella-Marrone said she testified against the proposed budget cuts last year and the reinstated the service and added a payroll tax on businesses to pay for it.
Now these same businesses that pay the extra tax will still see cuts to the B37 on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge on a commercial thoroughfare, she said.
“These taxes get passed along to residents as prices increase, and we support both the senator and councilman for standing up, and we support the petitions they have out there,” she added.
