Survey says most SI borough residents are on board for subway to Brooklyn

[IntExp]

This is interesting- some SI'ers want subway service. Hmm.....(Article courtesy of SILive.com)

 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Dig the subway tunnel to Brooklyn.

That's the strong sentiment expressed by more than 70 percent of Staten Islanders surveyed by the Advance.

 

It's hardly a new concept: Staten Island voted to join the city in 1898 in part because of a promise that we'd be connected to the subway system that would open six years later. By 1924, groundbreaking ceremonies for the Brooklyn-Richmond Freight and Passenger Tunnel Construction were held, but the project was abandoned soon after.

 

The multibillion-dollar cost appears to have scared any transportation officials away from committing funds to revisit the project. But there is still strong interest on the Island.

 

The Advance asked 104 Island residents if they thought it was a good idea to develop the subway plan. Half of the interviews in the unscientific survey were conducted among Staten Island Ferry commuters while the rest were conducted with Islanders equally distributed among the North Shore, Mid-Island and South Shore.

 

Seventy-three of the 104 surveyed -- approximately 70 percent -- said build it.

 

Anthony Damadeo, of Annadale, cited overcrowded buses for his support.

"They should have subways on the Island," Damadeo said. "I think it would be good because the 79 (linking Bay Ridge and the Staten Island Mall), you could never get a seat, and the 53 (Bay Ridge-Port Richmond) -- forget about it. Everybody's hanging out the window for God's sake."

 

Another supporter of the tunnel idea -- Audie Parker of Great Kills -- said adding express lanes and buses to the roads only compounds the traffic problem. He said improved subway access would represent a firm step toward getting cars off the streets. But he doesn't see the political will to get it done.

 

"Bloomberg was talking about extending the 7 train into New Jersey," Parker said. "Now he's worried about Jersey commuters. What about the Staten Island commuters?"

 

With the absence of any type of subway infrastructure on Staten Island, and of course immense costs associated with tunneling more than a mile under water, Livingston resident Oliver Perry shot down the proposal.

"We only have the [Verrazano-Narrows] bridge and the ferry," Perry said. "While it's not as convenient as more people would like it to be, it's here already. It's established infrastructure. A new tunnel would be too costly; it could be better spent in other ways."

 

Others were skeptical of the value of building a subway to Brooklyn.

Although a tunnel connecting Brooklyn to the Island would provide another transportation option and tie the borough into the rest of the New York City subway system, those trudging into Manhattan would still face a long trip, said Frieda Riven, of New Springville.

 

"I don't see the benefit," Ms. Riven said, as it takes her an hour-and-a-half to get into Manhattan now. "I live in Heartland Village. How long will it take me to get to it, and then what do I do? I get to Brooklyn; then what, another 45 minutes to get to Manhattan. I think there has to be a better solution."

Eltingville resident Chris Baskin echoed Ms. Riven's views.

 

"To Brooklyn? No," Baskin said. "If it was Manhattan, I would say maybe."

Still, a strong majority voiced support for the idea, largely citing the need for transportation improvements in the city and a solution to the Island's chronic traffic congestion.

 

"I think it's a great idea," said Frank Gallinaro of Castleton Corners. "The current system to get to Brooklyn without a car is way too convoluted and takes a long time. I believe that transportation between the boroughs in general needs major improvements as well as the transportation on the Island."

 

For the many Islanders who have roots in Brooklyn, the prospect of having an alternative to Brooklyn is appealing.

 

"Yes, absolutely," said Louise Noviello, of Charleston. "We're Brooklyn girls to begin with."

 

"Definitely," her friend Catherine Caporusso, also of Charleston enthusiastically said. "The only access we have now is a bridge, and it's a killer."

 

 

Read more-

A case of Staten Island tunnel vision; Advance survey says most borough residents are on board for subway to Brooklyn | SILive.com

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Oh please. Another BS article by the Advance. One of the worst newspapers in the city with their shoddy reporting and stats. They interviewed 104 people on an island of almost 500,000 and then claim that an overwhelming amount of Islanders support this idea??? LOL

 

I was about to say... I was never polled on this and apparently many other Islanders weren't either. We need a more direct way to Manhattan period. So what? You've got a subway link to Brooklyn, but what about how long it takes you to get to that link?? Just a minor detail.

[IntExp]

Oh please. Another BS article by the Advance. One of the worst newspapers in the city with their shoddy reporting and stats. They interviewed 104 people on an island of almost 500,000 and then claim that an overwhelming amount of Islanders support this idea??? LOL

Well hey, it's at least something. And i don't much about SI to be honest, so I now for next time.

 

I was about to say... I was never polled on this and apparently many other Islanders weren't either. We need a more direct way to Manhattan period. So what? You've got a subway link to Brooklyn, but what about how long it takes you to get to that link?? Just a minor detail.

 

Would you support a direct tunnel to SI with subway service, or as you've stated before, would you work to shut it down. And yes, it'll probably be a very long time before any work on a subway connection to SI would even get started. :tdown::cry:

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well hey, it's at least something. And i don't much about SI to be honest, so I now for next time.

 

 

 

Would you support a direct tunnel to SI with subway service, or as you've stated before, would you work to shut it down. And yes, it'll probably be a very long time before any work on a subway connection to SI would even get started. :tdown::cry:

 

Well I don't think every place is meant to have a subway and there are other things that can be done to move people faster. They need to start with improving bus service first and making buses faster because you still have to get to the subways in order to ride them. Even with subways, if our infrastructure isn't improved then we'll still have a headache with a subway that's all. Staten Island has a small town feel to it with the city buses giving it a small city vibe, but the infrastructure matches the small town feel and until that is addressed I don't see traffic getting any better on Staten Island.

[Roadcruiser1]

The only other solution besides the subway is light rail across the Verrazano which is also a feasible idea. The tunnel approach and everything is all feasible except for the fact that two lanes would have to be removed, but hey Staten Islanders want it right?

[LRG]

Improving transit in SI is far more important than an extension for the into New Jersey. I say a direct connection to Manhattan would be better but it's way too difficult due to the differences in seabed levels in the New York Bay.

[Roadcruiser1]

Improving transit in SI is far more important than an extension for the into New Jersey. I say a direct connection to Manhattan would be better but it's way too difficult due to the differences in seabed levels in the New York Bay.

 

Yeah the tunnel would be 90 feet under sea level near Manhattan, but it would have to be 110 feet under sea level in Staten Island. This tunnel would be way too complicated.

[8thAveExpress]

Of course they're going to be on board with the idea! I'd be on board with it too, if I lived in Staten Island, so I'd be able to get off that floating dump faster!

 

Just because people are on board with an idea, doesn't mean there's money for it!

 

And I agree with Via Garibaldi 8. The Advance sucks.

[Roadcruiser1]

Actually the final option would be Select Bus Service for Staten Island.

[mark1447]

Some of these SI folks still think the SIRTOA is a Subway. While it does have the R44 Subway cars, it doesn't make it a subway with the signalling, connection with the RR main segment and those BL20s sitting at Clifton.

 

It would be nice to send a Subway to and from SI and Brooklyn or some sort of Light Rail. But with connecting to the current SIRTOA ROW, I dont see that happening. Unless converted into the Subway system.

 

Maybe even extend the NJT HBLR into Staten Island and open up the North Shore. (Whats the progress with this?)

 

Those in SI do have options around, Express Bus, Local Bus, SIRTOA, Ferry, Car, etc. Hopefully the SBS would help relief all this.

 

But I do agree that Bloomberg shouldn't focus on NJ with the . Amtrak is already got that covered with the new Gateway tunnel for NEC. He should focus on important things. Staten Island is also important.

[checkmatechamp13]

Oh please. Another BS article by the Advance. One of the worst newspapers in the city with their shoddy reporting and stats. They interviewed 104 people on an island of almost 500,000 and then claim that an overwhelming amount of Islanders support this idea??? LOL

 

I was about to say... I was never polled on this and apparently many other Islanders weren't either. We need a more direct way to Manhattan period. So what? You've got a subway link to Brooklyn, but what about how long it takes you to get to that link?? Just a minor detail.

 

And they also said it wasn't even a scientific study. Plus, it was 70% of the people who supported it. They would have a better case if it were something like 90% of the people.

 

As far as getting to the subway, if you don't live near it, you simply don't use it. That woman who lives in Heartland Village would have to stick with the bus to the ferry or the express bus (though going through Brooklyn would be a good alternative if there was a problem with the ferry).

 

Well I don't think every place is meant to have a subway and there are other things that can be done to move people faster. They need to start with improving bus service first and making buses faster because you still have to get to the subways in order to ride them. Even with subways, if our infrastructure isn't improved then we'll still have a headache with a subway that's all. Staten Island has a small town feel to it with the city buses giving it a small city vibe, but the infrastructure matches the small town feel and until that is addressed I don't see traffic getting any better on Staten Island.

 

Yeah, you should improve the buses first because it's a short-term solution. However, in the long term, subway service is better for moving the masses (of course, with bus service to supplement/complement it)

 

Yeah, not every place is meant to have a subway, but SI isn't one of those places. Our population density is 8,000 people per square mile, which while it isn't a lot, is greater than that of many other cities with better rail transit, like St. Louis and Portland.

 

And you have to consider that with oil being expensive like it is, the car problem might take care if itself. You'll probably see more people going car-free (or at least getting rid of their second or third car) and taking buses and trains, which will reduce congestion.

 

1) It would be nice to send a Subway to and from SI and Brooklyn or some sort of Light Rail. But with connecting to the current SIRTOA ROW, I dont see that happening. Unless converted into the Subway system.

 

2) Maybe even extend the NJT HBLR into Staten Island and open up the North Shore. (Whats the progress with this?)

 

3) Those in SI do have options around, Express Bus, Local Bus, SIRTOA, Ferry, Car, etc. Hopefully the SBS would help relief all this.

 

 

1) That's likely how it would be done (if it were done). I mean, you could try to squeeze it onto the 4th Avenue Line (probably as a local, since the express tracks are close to capacity), or if the SAS were ever completed, you could send it there.

 

2) They have a Phase II Study that was completed, and had their last public meeting in 2008, so I don't know what else they plan to do.

 

3) Like I said, +SBS+ is good for a short-term solution, but long-term we need better rail transit.

 

Also, it would be nice if the ferry ran more frequently. If it ran on 10 minute headways during rush hour and 15 minute headways off-peak (with smaller boats), it would definitely make it easier to get off SI. Plus, you have more flexibility in scheduling because buses don't have to be timed to meet the ferry (I mean, it's nice if you can still have them connect, so you don't have to wait 10 minutes for a ferry, but it's not as crucial as on the current headways)

[Roadcruiser1]

Like I have suggested Staten Island can have the best of both worlds. A large light rail system (since there is rejection to the subway) connecting it to New Jersey and Brooklyn linking the West Shore while providing transportation to the Mall, and the purchase of high speed ferries on the Staten Island Ferry to increase the speed of the journey to Manhattan while shortening the wait time. This would increase development and the population of Staten Island. If I was an architect that would be my plan for Staten Island, but I am not one right now, but I am studying to be one. I hope that by the year 2030 Staten Island would have all this and would have a population size that would triple from 500,000 to 1,500,000. Mostly because immigrants would be moving in to Staten Island because of the mass transit that would serve the borough.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

And they also said it wasn't even a scientific study.

 

Oh spare me with the BS. You're starting to annoy me with the minor details. I didn't say anything about it being a scientific study. You don't poll a 104 people in a borough with close to 500,000 people and then say that the majority of the island supports a subway. Even if they did the study and said the majority of Islanders were against the subway I would say the same thing. The point is that the article is completely misleading and misguided. We get it. We need a faster form of transportation that moves more people. No need to keeping harping on it. Hell, for all we know they could've surveyed the 104 people in a friggin' parking lot in one day. That's not exactly what I call a majority or at all representative. Now, since you're so head over hills for a friggin' subway here, you and all of the other diehards can fork over the money to build it. That's the key thing here. Who is going to pay for it and is it really going to have any real impact on making a difference for the commutes of thousands of Islanders. Until that is resolved there will never be a subway or any sort of rail link on the island. The very people in that article talking about how they want a subway will be the first ones to cry about their taxes going up to pay for it, and don't think for a minute that our representatives are going to be forking over large sums of money for a subway either. They talk a good game about how we don't even have a subway here, but their priorities are elsewhere. If anything a light rail will come here before a subway.

 

Staten Islanders, particularly the native ones, don't care for what the island has turned into. It's still suburban but not as suburban as it used to be and most of the folks talking about wanting a subway are from Brooklyn anyway, so of course they think it's "cool" to have a subway. They want Staten Island to be the new Brooklyn and it's not, and I have to admit that it's not as nice as it used to be when I first came here. I'm not at all convinced that having a subway is going to make much of a difference, esp. not if it only serves one part of the island and still forces people to make two to three transfers when they can have just no transfers on the express bus.

 

Look at how many express buses run along Hylan Blvd when you have the SIR there.

 

 

Yeah, you should improve the buses first because it's a short-term solution. However, in the long term, subway service is better for moving the masses (of course, with bus service to supplement/complement it)

 

Yeah, not every place is meant to have a subway, but SI isn't one of those places. Our population density is 8,000 people per square mile.

 

Like I said, deal with not only the bus problem BUT the infrastructure as well. We can't even get our streets paved properly out here and these folks want to talk about building a subway. Talk about priorities. Then you have all of the households with 2 and 3 cars per household and these folks are going to leave their cars at home to schlepp on the subway when they won't even walk to the corner store without using their car for fear of being seen walking?? Give me a break. Not happening.

 

Waited years for Broadway to be paved and it took them damn there three days of blocking up our side streets in West Brighton to pave it and over by Forest Avenue they did such a half @ssed job that it isn't even real. The street already is starting to form potholes because they (the DOT) didn't fill it properly and smooth it out when they paved it. :mad:

 

 

Like I have suggested Staten Island can have the best of both worlds. A large light rail system (since there is rejection to the subway) connecting it to New Jersey and Brooklyn linking the West Shore while providing transportation to the Mall, and the purchase of high speed ferries on the Staten Island Ferry to increase the speed of the journey to Manhattan while shortening the wait time. This would increase development and the population of Staten Island. If I was an architect that would be my plan for Staten Island, but I am not one right now, but I am studying to be one. I hope that by the year 2030 Staten Island would have all this and would have a population size that would triple from 500,000 to 1,500,000. Mostly because immigrants would be moving in to Staten Island because of the mass transit that would serve the borough.

 

I moved to the suburbs for the reason... If I wanted a subway and hoards of people and loads of apartment buildings I could move back to Brooklyn for that. No need to move to Staten Island for that. That's like saying Long Island needs a better subway system and a bigger population. Let's see how many folks in the Hamptons want subways and want all of these folks running around in their affluent neighborhood.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[checkmatechamp13]

1) Oh spare me with the BS. You're starting to annoy me with the minor details.

 

2) The very people in that article talking about how they want a subway will be the first ones to cry about their taxes going up to pay for it, and don't think for a minute that our representatives are going to be forking over large sums of money for a subway either. They talk a good game about how we don't even have a subway here, but their priorities are elsewhere. If anything a light rail will come here before a subway.

 

3) Staten Islanders, particularly the native ones, don't care for what the island has turned into. It's still suburban but not as suburban as it used to be and most of the folks talking about wanting a subway are from Brooklyn anyway, so of course they think it's "cool" to have a subway. They want Staten Island to be the new Brooklyn and it's not, and I have to admit that it's not as nice as it used to be when I first came here. I'm not at all convinced that having a subway is going to make much of a difference, esp. not if it only serves one part of the island and still forces people to make two to three transfers when they can have just no transfers on the express bus.

 

Look at how many express buses run along Hylan Blvd when you have the SIR there.

 

4) Like I said, deal with not only the bus problem BUT the infrastructure as well. We can't even get our streets paved properly out here and these folks want to talk about building a subway. Talk about priorities. Then you have all of the households with 2 and 3 cars per household and these folks are going to leave their cars at home to schlepp on the subway when they won't even walk to the corner store without using their car for fear of being seen walking?? Give me a break. Not happening.

 

 

1) What the f*ck are you talking about??????????? I never even said you said it was a scientific survey. The article says that the SI Advance conducted an unscientific survey and I was backing you up that it was stupid.

 

You know what, since you won't accept my strengthening your point, it was a great idea to survey only 104 people when the population of SI is over 468,000. You happy now? :tdown::mad:

 

2) And you know that how? Subways save on operating costs in the long run.

 

3) Alright, then people will still take the express bus. There are areas that work fine with both subways and express buses, but at least it gives you more options.

 

4) I consider transit to be a priority over cars simply because it moves people more efficiently.

 

But I see your point: If they can't find money for the small things like potholes, they're not going to find money for a subway to Brooklyn anytime soon.

[goten2255]

for me i would say its a great idea, the proposal of the hudson bergan light rail to staten island is a wonderful idea and also i am a very strong support for public transportation and among many things.

 

but i been thinking about also NJ communters coming to staten island and i have thought of PATH coming into Staten island as well since both Staten island railway and PATH are technically railroads per say they both can collerbarte with each other service if the North shore route would be restored even better for PATH, SIR and Hudson bergan light rail to use it.

 

and speaking of HBLR why not bring service on the west side of Staten island as well it can bring towns overthere that doesn't have access to the SIR and also retain their identities.

 

also yes i do support of a subway to Staten Island but it doesn't have to be all tunnel it can be elevated and on its own right of way like the SIR currently has.

 

anyways i am not living in NYC at the moment and is living in Miami Florida

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1) What the f*ck are you talking about??????????? I never even said you said it was a scientific survey. The article says that the SI Advance conducted an unscientific survey and I was backing you up that it was stupid.

 

You know what, since you won't accept my strengthening your point, it was a great idea to survey only 104 people when the population of SI is over 468,000. You happy now? :tdown::mad:

 

Yeah well I'm so used to you jumping on the other side of the fence that your first few lines sounded like you were saying the exact opposite, as if I was getting annoyed about the study for no good reason. So now both of us can put up the cranky/mad face.(:mad:)

 

2) And you know that how? Subways save on operating costs in the long run.

 

Yeah, well subways aren't for everywhere. Folks move to the suburbs accepting certain things. If these folks are so crazed over them, let em move back to Brooklyn. Plenty of subways there. I just get sick of everyone trying to make Staten Island like the rest of the 4 boroughs. We're a part of NYC and we're UNIQUE. We're on an island and just because the other 4 boroughs have subways doesn't mean that we automatically must have subways here. People are already complaining about the congestion here as it is and having subways here IMO will only make matters worse, esp. without any improvements to the infrastructure. First we need to get more trucks off of the roads here and have those trucks moved by rail.

 

We have narrow sidewalks or no sidewalks in many parts of the borough and narrow streets and it's like this because Staten Island wasn't built for the masses and unless those infrastructure issues are addressed, you're creating a nightmare.

 

3) Alright, then people will still take the express bus. There are areas that work fine with both subways and express buses, but at least it gives you more options.

 

I agree. We're more suited for either a light rail or something like MetroNorth. Commuter trains are generally more comfy and folks are more willing to use them if they don't make so many stops and are easily accessible.

 

4) I consider transit to be a priority over cars simply because it moves people more efficiently.

 

But I see your point: If they can't find money for the small things like potholes, they're not going to find money for a subway to Brooklyn anytime soon.

 

Or better yet, they'd rather have someone else foot the bill, but not for a subway. A light rail, like Grimm is pushing for.

[SIR North Shore]

Here's an idea, the MTA should split the S79 +SBS+ into the S79A to Bay Ridge & the S79B to the South Ferry bus loop on the manhattan side! Since charleston opened Yukon now has an empty lot along Forest Hill Road that used to hold express buses but can also fit plenty of Novabus artics.

[Roadcruiser1]

for me i would say its a great idea, the proposal of the hudson bergan light rail to staten island is a wonderful idea and also i am a very strong support for public transportation and among many things.

 

but i been thinking about also NJ communters coming to staten island and i have thought of PATH coming into Staten island as well since both Staten island railway and PATH are technically railroads per say they both can collerbarte with each other service if the North shore route would be restored even better for PATH, SIR and Hudson bergan light rail to use it.

 

and speaking of HBLR why not bring service on the west side of Staten island as well it can bring towns overthere that doesn't have access to the SIR and also retain their identities.

 

also yes i do support of a subway to Staten Island but it doesn't have to be all tunnel it can be elevated and on its own right of way like the SIR currently has.

 

anyways i am not living in NYC at the moment and is living in Miami Florida

 

PATH is way too far to even consider sending to Staten Island and there are no bridges or tunnels to link it to Staten Island.

 

Here's an idea, the MTA should split the S79 +SBS+ into the S79A to Bay Ridge & the S79B to the South Ferry bus loop on the manhattan side! Since charleston opened Yukon now has an empty lot along Forest Hill Road that used to hold express buses but can also fit plenty of Novabus artics.

 

What the hell?

[checkmatechamp13]

1) Yeah, well subways aren't for everywhere. Folks move to the suburbs accepting certain things. If these folks are so crazed over them, let em move back to Brooklyn. Plenty of subways there. I just get sick of everyone trying to make Staten Island like the rest of the 4 boroughs. We're a part of NYC and we're UNIQUE. We're on an island and just because the other 4 boroughs have subways doesn't mean that we automatically must have subways here. People are already complaining about the congestion here as it is and having subways here IMO will only make matters worse, esp. without any improvements to the infrastructure. First we need to get more trucks off of the roads here and have those trucks moved by rail.

 

2) I agree. We're more suited for either a light rail or something like MetroNorth. Commuter trains are generally more comfy and folks are more willing to use them if they don't make so many stops and are easily accessible.

 

3) Or better yet, they'd rather have someone else foot the bill, but not for a subway. A light rail, like Grimm is pushing for.

 

1) First of all, you act like the rail line is going to run through every single neighborhood on SI. It's not. The only areas that would be affected would be those along the current SIR and the North Shore Line if it ever gets rebuilt, and even then, areas in the South Shore are still pretty far out so they'd likely see little to no changes.

 

2) What's so good about light rail? It's still going to attract development except that it has less capacity to handle it. And if the current SIR is heavy rail, what would be the point in building a light rail from St. George to Brooklyn and/or Manhattan. You'd have to make another transfer and it would have less capacity than the current SIR, and you'd get rid of any possibility of linking it up with the subway.

 

Light rail would work for an HBLR extension because it already is light rail.

 

In any case, the point is that people can still have multiple options. They'll still have their express buses, but they'll also have the rail line if they don't want to spend the money or if there's a problem with the express bus.

 

3) Isn't that the case with everybody? We'd all like somebody else to foot the bill, but if it comes down to it, I'm sure a lot of people would accept paying for it themselves.

 

And see #2. Light rail would make absolutely no sense to connect us to Brooklyn and/or Manhattan, and nobody has ever proposed it. The only light rail ever actually proposed was an extension of the HBLR and possibly the North Shore Rail Line if they're too stupid not to make it heavy rail.

 

Here's an idea, the MTA should split the S79 +SBS+ into the S79A to Bay Ridge & the S79B to the South Ferry bus loop on the manhattan side! Since charleston opened Yukon now has an empty lot along Forest Hill Road that used to hold express buses but can also fit plenty of Novabus artics.

 

What would be the point in that? Yeah, I'd love an easier way to get to Manhattan for $2.25, but the operating costs on the S79B would be huge.

 

PATH is way too far to even consider sending to Staten Island and there are no bridges or tunnels to link it to Staten Island.

 

 

It's not that much longer than a St. George to Lower Manhattan tunnel would be.

[Roadcruiser1]

It's cheaper to utilize existing infrastructure. Light rail would have the same benefit and would be cheaper and faster than any subway/railroad extension.

 

Oh yeah 534 people voted on the SI Live website. 72% of them supports a subway or some other transportation system to Staten Island.

[Guest lance25]

Isn't the idea to get Staten Islanders into Manhattan (and the rest of the city) faster? I'm not seeing how light rail would help. One would have to take either a bus or the Staten Island Railway to this inter-borough light rail (likely to Brooklyn because anything from Richmond directly to Manhattan would take an age) then to the subway to get into Manhattan. Sorry, but I'm not seeing the time-savings here. Just saying.

 

There does need to be some kind of transit improvements between Staten Island and the rest of the city though. There also needs to be better connections as well. Unless you take a detour into Jersey, all you have is the SI Ferry or the VZN Bridge to get off of Staten Island.

 

Oh, and by the way Roadcruiser1, we know it wasn't a scientific study or survey because of the low amount of people surveyed. That point has already been established.

[Roadcruiser1]

But I already pointed that the solution would be high speed ferries on the current Staten Island Ferry. You can also increase the destinations available for the ferries. South Ferry doesn't cut it. You can have new ferries run to Midtown, Hoboken, DUMBO, and Coney Island, and you can also have something similar to the East River Ferry for the Staten Island South Shore. This would decrease traffic jams, and congestion at the St. George Ferry Terminal, and give more places for Staten Islanders to travel to, and with more ease.

[checkmatechamp13]

It's cheaper to utilize existing infrastructure. Light rail would have the same benefit and would be cheaper and faster than any subway/railroad extension.

 

Oh yeah 534 people voted on the SI Live website. 72% of them supports a subway or some other transportation system to Staten Island.

 

Heavy rail can utilize existing infrastructure as well, though (I assume you're referring to the North Shore Rail because that's the only with with existing infrastructure to utilize)

[Roadcruiser1]

Heavy rail can utilize existing infrastructure as well, though (I assume you're referring to the North Shore Rail because that's the only with with existing infrastructure to utilize)

 

No. I am referring to Bayonne and the Verrazano Narrow Bridges. They can't support heavy rail because of the way they were built. They were built to handle light rail at best, but Robert Moses didn't know that he left the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to be able to carry light rail, and good thing he didn't or else the bridge would have been even lighter and the ramps steeper. Oh yeah and the Bayonne Bridge was built to handle streetcars on purpose, but it can support light rail if it's utilized since the bridge is strong enough to carry them.