news Staten Island's transportation crisis isn't going away

[S78 via Hylan]

Merge the S55/S56 with the S61? I have to disagree on that one.

 

Those routes exist for their own purposes:

The S55 and S56 are used mostly for carrying High School students to and from Tottenville HS. They aren't exactly meant to have high ridership.

The S61 is for coverage. Combing them would only make the route long and unreliable.

 

Leave them as they are.

 

And what is with this idea to extend the S44 or S61 to the Eltingville Transit Center? Neither of those routes need it. You already have the S55, S56, S59, S79 select and the S89 to go from the SI Mall to the ETC. You'd just be overserving it.

Edited February 24, 2015 by S78 via Hylan

[Via Garibaldi 8]

From a North Shore perspective, which I admit I don't know too much about beyond the St. George and Bay Street/Targee St areas, an SBS could work along the routing presented in your post given your familiarity with the area. However, once it crosses from Morningstar to Richmond Avenue, I can see, because of duplication of the s59, the s44 taking on a limited stop role making corresponding stops of the s89 route to Nome Avenue, then to the present stops to the Staten Island Mall to it's current terminus.

 

In my opinion, extending the route to the Eltingville Transit Center is one of those "would be nice" things, but due to the duplication of the s59 along Richmond Ave, it would only work if there is a transfer restriction between the two routes. Personally, I think the s61 should be extended to the Transit Center. I also think it would be a good idea to either absorb either the s55 or s56 into the s61 due to the anemic ridership of the s55/s56 as well as it's rather short travel times, end to end. Doing this could provide possible weekend service to the South Shore.

 

However, getting back to an s44 SBS, I disagree that it would have anything more than a minimal effect on the s89. Again, as a former regular on the s89, it runs well in the present form for its targeted ridership demographic. (Slightly OT but) If midday and weekend service is needed to New Jersey, extend either the   10 or 81 one stop to Forest/Richmond Ave. I might write to the Staten Island and Hudson County politicians (specifically North Shore and Hudson Co. Freeholders) to request the PA's vendor which appears to be TUCS (The Ultimate Cleaning Service) to collect ridership statistics on their seasonal shuttle service they are providing between Bayonne and Staten Island as part of the Raise the Roadway (Bayonne Bridge) project.

 

As for the empty s79-SBS buses, I think this is a result of bunching and possibly overscheduling. I noticed this too.

 

 

I think a lot of credit should also be given to former Borough President and Conservative-party member James Molinaro for his attention to the transportation issues on Staten Island. He did a lot for both public transportation (s79-SBS, s89, ferry and was visible during the 2010 crisis) as well as road/infrastructure improvements (Staten Island Expressway, traffic lights, signage, potholes). Ex-Congressman and convicted drunken driver, Republican Vito Fossella did do well for transportation issues (especially with the SIE repairs) as well as Congressman and City Councilman; personally, I am glad he is out of office.

 

As for ex-Congressman and convicted felon, Republican Michael Grimm, he did an absolutely excellent job of making his opinion known to the Staten Island Advance, but he didn't really have much of a measurable impact other than statements to the press in my opinion and observations (and thankfully he is out of office). Republican State Assemblyman V. Ignizio is doing a good job.

Grimm was good for the South Shore but that was about it.  I voted for him over McMahon who was just a disgrace (did NOTHING for transportation) and when I wrote to Grimm  about express bus service for Westerleigh and West Brighton, he wrote back saying yeah I know all about it, and then turned around and pushed for expanded X22 service.  So much for knowing all about the express bus services lost on the North Shore.  My neighborhood used to have FOUR express buses running down Forest Avenue.  They canned the X16, and then got rid of the X13 by merging it with the Super Express X14 which used to only serve Midtown.  That left only the X30 and X14 and what really disgusted me is that the officials stood by and let it happen even though we made our voices very clear in the affluent parts of Westerleigh, West Brighton, etc. about needing our express bus service.  What irritated me about living on the North Shore (and a big reason why I left) was the fact that even though areas near and south of Forest Avenue were quite affluent and safe, the politicians treated everything north of the SIE as one big ghetto and catered primarily to the Mid Island and South Shore.  I considered moving further south on Staten Island, but nothing appealed to me and some of the areas that I considered  Emerson Hill, Todt Hill, Grymes Hill... All of those areas are lovely but too far from the express bus.  I have a friend who lives in Tottenville and wanted to accept a job in Midtown but didn't want to use the X22.... I told her she was out of her mind and would definitely need the X22 if she wanted to get to work and still have her sanity.

[Xfer2Nowhere]

Did anyone suggest making the S89 an SBS yet?

[S78 via Hylan]

Did anyone suggest making the S89 an SBS yet?

I don't see a need for it. The route is fine as it is.

[BreeddekalbL]

Grimm was good for the South Shore but that was about it.  I voted for him over McMahon who was just a disgrace (did NOTHING for transportation) and when I wrote to Grimm  about express bus service for Westerleigh and West Brighton, he wrote back saying yeah I know all about it, and then turned around and pushed for expanded X22 service.  So much for knowing all about the express bus services lost on the North Shore.  My neighborhood used to have FOUR express buses running down Forest Avenue.  They canned the X16, and then got rid of the X13 by merging it with the Super Express X14 which used to only serve Midtown.  That left only the X30 and X14 and what really disgusted me is that the officials stood by and let it happen even though we made our voices very clear in the affluent parts of Westerleigh, West Brighton, etc. about needing our express bus service.  What irritated me about living on the North Shore (and a big reason why I left) was the fact that even though areas near and south of Forest Avenue were quite affluent and safe, the politicians treated everything north of the SIE as one big ghetto and catered primarily to the Mid Island and South Shore.  I considered moving further south on Staten Island, but nothing appealed to me and some of the areas that I considered  Emerson Hill, Todt Hill, Grymes Hill... All of those areas are lovely but too far from the express bus.  I have a friend who lives in Tottenville and wanted to accept a job in Midtown but didn't want to use the X22.... I told her she was out of her mind and would definitely need the X22 if she wanted to get to work and still have her sanity.

 

Have you considered Eltingville that's where my uncle (the one who i mentioned as a former t/a bus operator)? Or is it too iffy for you in terms of your commute etc?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Have you considered Eltingville that's where my uncle (the one who i mentioned as a former t/a bus operator)? Or is it too iffy for you in terms of your commute etc?

Nah, I'm happy where I'm at. I have no desire to move back to Staten Island anytime soon.  

[Xfer2Nowhere]

I don't see a need for it. The route is fine as it is.

The real reason why I suggest it is that it would bring full-time limited service to Richmond Avenue, a [likely] full-time NJ service, and could put bus lanes on the only street on Staten Island that could handle them. Not to mention the benefit to the S44/94, S59, X10, and X17.

[LTA1992]

Until ridership shows a need for it, it wont happen. Money that could be used elsewhere would be wasted.

[rsperez93]

they should make the subway to SI a reality. that was a big legend i always heard

Yeah that would be awesome. Then the people of NYC would actually be able to feel like NYC is all one big community. Staten Island needs to become a part of the transit system.

[LTA1992]

It could have happened if not for Hylan's distaste in private operation of the subways. Construction was begun on a mixed use freight-rapid transit tunnel in the 20s. There were many problems with that as it not associated with the Dual Systems Contracts (and in effect slowed construction on those lines) and no deal had been made with the freight operators about who would use the tunnel. It was cancelled and was maintained into the 30s. The tunnel shafts still exist to this day.