Our Transportation Plan

STATEMENT: Navigating the New American Neighborhood

Transportation. It is the invisible engine of our lives—so obvious that we often overlook it until it fails us. We are a district on the move, working across every corner of the five boroughs. You might live in Woodhaven, work in Woodside, and have an appointment on the West Side—the logistics of that daily journey are a full-time job in themselves.

For many of our neighbors, including those who are handicapable, transportation is the single biggest antagonist in their lives. Whether it’s an elevator that’s out of service or a bus route that doesn't align with local job hubs, the system too often acts as a barrier rather than a bridge.

The Architect’s View: Mobility as a Right

In 2026, we cannot accept a "benign neglect" approach to our infrastructure. As your Assembly Member, I see transportation as the thread that connects our housing, our health, and our education.

• Reliability for All: I am fighting for a system where a commute from Richmond Hill or Ozone Park is predictable and dignified.

• True Accessibility: We are over 35 years past the passage of the ADA, yet our rail stations remain a challenge for the handicapable. My platform treats accessibility not as a "luxury upgrade," but as a fundamental requirement for a functioning city.

• Neighbors Over Politics: I will audit the "hidden fees" and service cuts that target our outer-borough commuters.

We need an Architect in Albany who understands the technical blueprints of our transit system and the human cost of a late train. Let’s build a New York that actually moves for everyone.

The history of how we move through New York is the history of how we built our communities. As a Community Architect, I look at these layers of transit history as the blueprints that define our modern lives.

The History of Movement: From Native Trails to the MTA

Our streets were not built in a vacuum. Long before the first subway car, our transit system followed the natural landscape of the "New American Neighborhood."

The Foundation (1600s–1800s)

• The First Trails: Many of our modern thoroughfares, including Jamaica Avenue which connects Queens and Brooklyn today, were built directly upon the trail routes of the Lenape people.

• The First Laws: Traffic safety is a 400-year-old issue. In 1652, the first traffic law in New Amsterdam barred wagons and carts from being driven at a gallop.

• The Grid and the Water: The Grid Plan of 1811 set the rectangular foundation for our streets, while the world's first ferry services began to bridge our island communities.

The Age of Steam and "Trolley Dodgers" (Late 1800s)

As the city grew, so did our need for speed. Horse-drawn carriages were replaced by the first elevated trains in 1867, carrying 14 million passengers by 1878.

• The Fan-Powered Subway: From 1870–1873, Alfred E. Beach built a 312-foot pneumatic tunnel under Broadway. The train was literally blown through the tunnel by a giant fan!

• The Birth of the "Dodgers": When steam-powered streetcars replaced horse-drawn ones in Brooklyn, they became notoriously dangerous for pedestrians. Local residents had to "dodge" the trolleys, leading our beloved baseball team to adopt the name the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers in 1895.

Electrification and Expansion (1900s–1950s)

The early 20th century saw the transition to the modern era:

• Electricity & Gas: Trains went electric in 1903, and gas-powered buses arrived in 1905.

• Organization: By 1925, New York had two independently run train services (the IRT and BMT), which were eventually consolidated.

• The Bus Transition: In 1957, the last streetcars disappeared, replaced entirely by the bus system we use today in District 38.

The State of Emergency (2017–Present)

After a century of expansion, our infrastructure began to buckle under the weight of "benign neglect." In 2017, a state of emergency was declared for the MTA due to chronic reliability and crowding issues.

As we look toward the future in 2026, we must remember that our transit system is an "unfinished project." I am running to ensure that we build upon this history with technical competence—fixing the elevators, timing the buses, and ensuring that our "Dodger" spirit is used for building community, not dodging late trains.

As a Community Architect, I believe in following the money to understand why our infrastructure often feels like it's in a state of "benign neglect." By pulling back the curtain on the MTA's corporate structure, we see a system that is over-complicated and potentially draining resources that should be used for our local trains and buses.

The MTA Today: A Corporate Maze

Today, our transit is managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a multi-faceted, state-run corporation. To create a sense of unity, the MTA rebranded its various subsidiaries and affiliates to reflect its massive holdings:

• MTA New York City Transit (NYCT)

• MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)

• MTA Metro-North Railroad (MNR)

• MTA Regional Bus Operations

• MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTA B&T)

• MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR)

• MTA Capital Construction (MTACC)

• First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company (FMTAC)

The FMTAC Mystery: Where Does the Money Go?

Most riders are familiar with the trains, but few have heard of FMTAC. Incorporated on December 5, 1997, it is a "pure captive insurance company" wholly owned by the MTA.

• The Purpose: It was established to "maximize the flexibility and effectiveness" of the MTA’s insurance programs.

• The Assets: As far back as 2013, FMTAC reported total assets of $1.333 Billion.

• The Management: Despite being a public benefit corporation's subsidiary, it is run by an outside entity, the Marsh Captive Solutions Group.

Global Markets vs. Local Needs

While our local stations struggle with cleanliness and reliability, the MTA’s insurance arm operates on a global scale. FMTAC is "fully reinsured" in London, European, and Bermuda marketplaces.

As we navigate the long-term recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, it is disheartening to hear of "funding shortages" and service breakdowns while over $1 Billion of our tax dollars and assets are circulating in international insurance markets rather than fixing the elevators at our local stops.

The Architect’s Audit

As your representative, I will treat the MTA like the technical project it is. We need:

• Transparency: A full public audit of FMTAC and how its $1.3 billion in assets can be better leveraged to support daily operations.

• Local Prioritization: Ensuring that "flexibility" in insurance doesn't mean moving wealth out of Queens and into Bermuda.

• Accountability: Moving the MTA from a "pseudo-state" entity to one that is directly accountable to the neighbors who pay the fares and the taxes.

It is time to bring our transit dollars back to the neighborhoods where they belong.

Building on my experience as the founding director of Jurukan Inc. and my deep involvement with Queens Community Board 9, I have developed a technical blueprint to reclaim our streets. Leadership descends from character, and it is time we lead our own path toward a transportation system that actually serves the "New American Neighborhood".

The "Take It Back" Plan: Neighbors Over Politics

1. Municipal Control: Our City, Our Rules

The current structure of the MTA is a corporate maze that leaves us fending for ourselves.

• The FMTAC Audit: I will open a formal investigation into the First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company, an MTA-owned captive insurance firm with over $1.333 billion in assets that are circulating in global markets instead of fixing our local signals.

• City-Run Transit: I propose bringing the MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) under municipal control. Subways and buses should be run by the city they serve, not a distant state-run board.

• Fair Fares: Because the MTA owns the infrastructure, I will fight for reduced LIRR fares for all New York City residents to make our rails more accessible.

2. The Bus-First Revolution

We cannot build new subway tracks overnight, but we can expand our bus fleet immediately.

• The Meteor-Sized Hole: I will fill the transit desert between Woodside and Woodhaven and the gaps in the Rockaways with aggressive new bus routes.

• Accelerated Lanes: We will install 20–30 miles of new bus lanes annually, double the current rate.

• Cost-Effective Divisions: Instead of expensive "red zone" paint that cracks, I advocate for speed-bump style divisions to physically separate bus lanes at a fraction of the cost.

• ADA Focus: Every new bus and "Bus Border" extension must prioritize ADA compliance to support our seniors and handicapable neighbors.

3. Smart Infrastructure & Safety

• The QueensRail: I will fight to build the QueensRail. The tracks are already there; activating them could reduce commutes to Midtown Manhattan by 30 minutes for our district.

• Curbing Speeding: To stop the surge in drag racing, I propose installing speed strips (beveled ridges) as a quick, economical warning system, alongside faster processing for resident-requested speed bumps and stop signs.

• Removing the Divide: We are one district; it is time to eliminate the Cross Bay Bridge Toll that separates our neighbors.

4. Solving the Parking Crisis

As a "Community Architect," I see the ingenuity of neighbors who create their own parking solutions.

• Legitimizing Driveways: Rather than punishing homeowners for makeshift parking, we should legitimize and regulate these spaces with affordable permits and safety standards. This takes cars off the street and gives families more time together.

• Reverse Angle Parking: I will work with the DOT to implement reverse angle parking, which allows more cars to fit on a block safely.

5. Expanding the Waterway

• Ferry Integration: We must expand citywide ferry service with new stops located closer to NYCHA buildings and better integration into the overall mass transit grid.

We have the time and the unique opportunity to make the corrections we’ve been wishing for. Let's build a transit system that works for the people who actually live here.