Statement of William Henderson, PCAC Executive Director
on the Staten Island Express Redesign Project
MTA New York City Transit Committee Meeting
MTA Headquarters, 2 Broadway, New York, NY
June 18, 2018
Good morning, my name is Bill Henderson and I am the Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. I am here to speak on behalf of the New York City Transit Riders Council in strong support of the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign Project. This redesign is the first step in reimagining the City’s overall bus network. These improvements are long overdue, and we would like to thank the talented staff at NYC Transit for their hard work and proactive community engagement. We also want to thank our elected leaders, and in particular Borough President Oddo, for their strong support of this project.
Much of the Staten Island bus network has been in place for over fifty years. In that time the Borough’s express bus network grew through ad-hoc additions and changes. Many existing express bus routes are indirect and include lengthy on-Island travel before heading non-stop into Manhattan. By more effectively and efficiently using existing resources, the recommendations put forth are operationally and fiscally feasible.
Some of the benefits of the redesign include:
• Reducing the average length of travel in Manhattan from 3 miles to 1.5 miles
• Creating more direct routes by reducing the average number of turns at intersections
• Increasing route mileage spent running non-stop on highways
• Increasing distance between bus stops to keep buses moving
We understand that these changes may inconvenience some riders, but in exchange, express bus users will receive increased bus speeds, improved reliability, a more efficient network, and ultimately more daily express bus trips with the present level of resources. Further by making travel more efficient, these changes will strengthen connections between various parts of the city.
Although the work on the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign started long before the development and recent release of NYC Transit’s Fast Forward plan, it provides an excellent foundation for redesign of the bus network throughout the City. While this won’t be easy, the end result will be a more cohesive, efficient, and reliable bus network.
We urge you to approve the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign Project.
Download here: 061818 NYCTRC Staten Island Express bus Redesign.dotx