NYC Transit Mends Fences Following Goldfeder Copper Bandit Inquiry

After push from Goldfeder, NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco announces repairs to security fencing, closer monitoring by transit personnel and NYPD

Agency to consider Goldfeder's proposal for running future emergency shuttle buses in Rockaway to avert traffic problems seen in Broad Channel during outage

Howard Beach, Queens - In response to concerns raised by Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D - Howard Beach) over a May security breach and infrastructure theft that stranded commuters for hours, NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco has responded and announced new measures to secure the transit line and improve the agency's contingency plans. 

"The copper theft earlier this year exposed some truly alarming weaknesses in the transit system," said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. "I am pleased that NYC Transit has taken proactive steps to increase security measures along the A-Train and better prepare for future outages. I am hopeful that the system will be more reliable for our families and also hopefully deter future criminals from stealing vital infrastructure."

In a letter to Goldfeder, President Bianco wrote that the transit agency has re-secured three locations where holes were cut in the fence separating the A-Train tracks from the street near the Howard Beach-JFK Station. These holes, the agency contends, allowed individuals to gain access to steal copper cables and cut service to the line on the evening of May 26th. To prevent future theft, the areas are being closely monitored by transit personnel and the NYPD, Bianco stated. 

Bianco also addressed Goldfeder's criticism of the agency's disastrous emergency shuttle service put in place to transport commuters during the morning rush hour following the theft. During the incident, NYC Transit shuttle buses were left idling in traffic lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard while waiting to pick up passengers, causing gridlock for motorists using the main thoroughfare out of Rockaway. 

According to the letter, the agency said it has "learned from the traffic congestion" and recognizes that there is "more room" to queue buses on the Rockaway Peninsula. 

The Howard Beach-JFK Station is a main transportation hub for residents of southern Queens and Rockaway, as well as a connection from the Subway system to the JFK Air Train for airline passengers and airport workers. At the start of the year, the Governor's office announced a record 6.5 million riders in 2014, a 250% increase since the station's completion in 2004. More than one in ten of JFK Airport's 53 million annual passengers used the train last year, the release reports. 

While this most recent outage shed light on the system's vulnerabilities, Goldfeder has long advocated for improved transit options in some of the most underserved communities in the city. 

"Families in southern Queens and Rockaway have some of the longest commutes in the entire city. The last thing we need is to make matters worse by leaving the system more vulnerable," concluded Goldfeder. 

###