Local pol fights to reboot the R line
R should stand for relief, according to Councilmember Vincent Gentile, a Bay Ridge pol still frustrated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s lack of response to Ridgeites’ complaints about prolonged wait times since the long-awaited reopening of the Montague Tunnel in September.
In October, the councilmember called on the MTA to conduct a full audit of the R line to which the MTA has responded that the delay can be blamed, in part, on the restored route.
“Short subway lines tend to be more reliable than long subway lines, and the R was no exception during the Montague Tunnel closure,” wrote New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco in a letter to the councilmember dated December 31. “The reopening of the Montague Tunnel returned R service to its normal route between Bay Ridge and Forest Hills, Queens, a considerably longer trip than the service operated between Bay Ridge and Downtown Brooklyn while the tunnel was closed for repairs.”