A Mill Basin street was co-named in honor of a slain bus driver last week in a ceremony at the Flatbush Bus Depot.
Bus drivers, transit union officials, and local politicians joined friends and family on May 29 to celebrate the life of Edwin Thomas, a driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority who was stabbed to death by a passenger while driving the B46 route in 2008.
E. 49th Street at Fillmore Avenue is now Edwin Thomas Way, and a plaque bearing his name and image was mounted outside the depot.
The co-naming was a fitting commemoration of a man who was beloved by co-workers and respected by passengers, his daughter said.
“It was a very long journey and now it finally ended with the street renaming for my dad,” said Edley Thomas. “My family is really happy and we would like to thank everybody who had to deal with it. It’s a big accomplishment for me and my family, because now we can go to E. 49th Street and Fillmore Avenue and see that our father is recognized for being the hard worker that he was.”
Seeing the family glowing with pride thrilled a representative of the bus-drivers’ union.
“I was so happy,” said John Patafio, vice president of the Transit Authority Surface branch of the Transport Workers Union. “You saw the smiles on the faces of the two children, and the way the bus operators responded in such a positive manner.”
Patafio credited a supporter in the Council and beyond for helping make the co-naming a reality. Councilman Alan Maisel (D–Marine Park) attended the ceremony, along with Borough President Adams, to pay tribute to Thomas.
“Today we honor the life of Edwin Thomas, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our city,” said Maisel. “I salute the transit workers whose unheralded contributions often go without recognition.”
Patafio hopes that the commemoration will bring attention to the other unsung heroes who transport passengers across the borough every day.
“When you drive 2.5 million people, it takes less than one percent to make your day really bad,” he said. “I think most people understand how hard our job is, but we have to remind people.”
