By Sofia Mason
Many students at Queensborough use public transit almost every day whether it’s going to school or work. The MTA markets itself as one of the best modes of transportation in New York but recently that has not been the case.
Jasmine, 20, takes buses to Queensborough but when coming home from work she takes the E. “I had to wait 40 minutes for the train to show up the other day. I ended up having to take another route home, it was super frustrating.” She also said similar delays have happened to her multiple other times in the past month. Arthur, 18, has a different kind of concern when he takes the train. “In my neighborhood I don’t feel safe when riding the train especially with all the stuff going on.” He went on to talk about the recent subway shooting where the cops shot bystanders with their wild gunfire. “The extra cops are supposed to make us feel safe, not do the opposite, it’s so messed up.” Peter, 22, uses the subway and buses for school and work just like the rest of the interviewees. His, and many others, problem is with the cost of fares. “The price of fares going up last year really put a strain on my weekly spending.” He takes a train and bus to get to school which is $11.90 every single school day alone not counting food. “I go to school 4 days a week, fares really add up for me.”
While public transit has been really to wearing Queensborough students and many others down in a variety of ways, there are ways to make these trips better. The Transit app is super helpful for letting you know when transportation will arrive. This app is one of the most popular ones and it covers both subway and bus routes nearby down to the minute. Other apps include the official MTA TrainTime app for trains specifically and the official MTA app for all transportation. How to know the reason why your train or bus is delayed can be found on the MTA website https://new.mta.info. On the site you can see what trains to take if your train is not running without having to wait and hear an overhead announcement. For safety in general use the Citizen app. The Citizen app alerts you about nearby things, usually crime, going on. It can be anything like a simple altercation nearby or more serious like a shooting. The police shooting was more of a reckless accident but this app will keep you in the know all the time if you’re a weary traveler. Lastly for free fares as a Queensborough student you should become an ASAP member. ASAP is a program made to help you get through college at a high academic standard and efficiently. In addition to their academic help you can also get a 24/7 OMNY card. In order to stay an ASAP member remember to do your required meetings. Do not fret meetings can be in person or virtual depending on your personal scheduling and aren’t very long. These are not the only benefits that are offered in ASAP but the free cards are crucial to saving money on transit every month.
Students like the ones in this article are just like you. Their concerns help give insight to the Queensborough community on how to use public transportation more efficiently, safer and cheaper. The next time you want to know what’s going on with your surroundings, find an alternate route or need help on fare money remember this article’s tips.
