Charleston Depot Is Officially Open!

[LRG]

There are two destinations the S55 and S56 school trippers go to: Luten Avenue/Eylandt Street or Bertram Avenue/Hylan Boulevard. Both of them originate out of the Eltingville Transit Center. Between 8:00 and 9:00, that's when S55 and S56 service is frequent, but only because of the school trippers. With Christmas break coming up, the S55 and S56 will maintain their half-hour headways but the school trippers won't run.

 

On an added note, the S55 and S56 used to be only one route, running in a loop. The buses would start at the mall and would travel via Amboy Road first, followed by Woodrow Road, and go back to the mall, or via Woodrow Road first, then via Amboy Road.

[checkmatechamp13]

Actually, I think the route didn't even touch the SI Mall or ETC-it ran in one big loop via Annadale Road, Amboy Road, Foster Road, Woodrow Road, and Arden Avenue (I think it also used Drumgoogle Road for a portion of the route too)

 

IIRC, it was called the 115.

[Santa Fe via Willow]

Actually, I think the route didn't even touch the SI Mall or ETC-it ran in one big loop via Annadale Road, Amboy Road, Foster Road, Woodrow Road, and Arden Avenue (I think it also used Drumgoogle Road for a portion of the route too)

 

IIRC, it was called the 115.

 

The 115 it was. And you're right. Based on old maps I've seen it didn't go to the mall.

[checkmatechamp13]

Here's a 1969 Staten Island Bus Map: http://images.nycsubway.org/maps/bus-bklyn-si1969-frnt2-m.jpg

 

As you can see, the 115 was a circulator for the South Shore-the only routes it connected with were the 103 and 113 (present-day S78 and S74), as well as the SIR. I would assume that back then, there was no reason to go to New Springville-the SI Mall wasn't built until the 1970s (I think it was 1971 or 1973).

 

Back then, I think it was some kind of airport (I would assume that it wasn't a big one, or else it would be a no-brainer to run some more routes there). The major hub was in Port Richmond (as you can see, more lines passed through Port Richmond Avenue/Richmond Terrace, including the 102 and 3 (present-day S44 and S46). It looks like the 3 went Castleton Avenue-Clove Road-Richmond Terrace-Port Richmond Avenue-Castleton Avenue to serve the Port Richmond Terminal. I believe there was ferry service leaving from there until 1962.

 

Other bus maps (including the Brooklyn section of the 1969 bus map) are available here: http://www.nycsubway.org/maps/busmaps.html

[LRG]

Thanks for the map. Service has changed tremendously since the 60s!

 

It's astonishing as to how the R4 (today's S59) was the only route to run through New Springville and then a myriad of buses have since made their way to the area.

 

I also see the R110 (today's S54) has its original southern terminal set at the Seaview Hospital...I wonder why the S54 wasn't cut back to Seaview Hospital outside of rush hours, but then again the route has awkward ridership.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Thanks for the map. Service has changed tremendously since the 60s!

 

It's astonishing as to how the R4 (today's S59) was the only route to run through New Springville and then a myriad of buses have since made their way to the area.

 

I also see the R110 (today's S54) has its original southern terminal set at the Seaview Hospital...I wonder why the S54 wasn't cut back to Seaview Hospital outside of rush hours, but then again the route has awkward ridership.

 

Many areas of Staten Island were not that developed, especially on the South Shore. Remember that the Fresh Kill Landfill was still open. The Verrazano bridge didn't open until 1969 and so the population was still relatively small. Overdevelopment started to heat up back in 90s or so. It still has this small town feel to a degree but overdevelopment has helped to spurt the need for more bus services here.

[checkmatechamp13]

Actually, the bridge was opened on November 21, 1964.

 

When the bridge first opened, the areas that rapidly began to develop were the areas further east-Arrochar, South Beach, and Grasmere. Later on, in the 1970s, development began to spread further westward, to areas like Willowbrook, Westerleigh, and New Springville (like I said, the SI Mall opened in the 1970s)

 

The South Shore was probably developed later-probably in the 1990s or so.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Actually, the bridge was opened on November 21, 1964.

 

When the bridge first opened, the areas that rapidly began to develop were the areas further east-Arrochar, South Beach, and Grasmere. Later on, in the 1970s, development began to spread further westward, to areas like Willowbrook, Westerleigh, and New Springville (like I said, the SI Mall opened in the 1970s)

 

The South Shore was probably developed later-probably in the 1990s or so.

 

Pardon the typo... The lower level opened in 1969...