MTA New York City Transit and State Assembly Member Michael Cusick today announced that community outreach is beginning for the West Shore Transit Alternatives Analysis to find new ways to enhance public transit options on Staten Island’s West Shore. 

The study, which is sponsored by NYC Transit in partnership with Assembly Member Cusick, looks holistically at the transportation needs and patterns of West Shore residents, and identifies transit improvements to bring better mass transit options and connections between key locations on Staten Island and Manhattan. Possible options include, but are not limited to, short-term and long-term improvements through additional or enhanced express or local bus service, Bus Rapid Transit, and rail service. It will also build upon previous studies with similar scope or focus on West Shore transit needs.

“We have a renewed focus on public transit on Staten Island, particularly after our redesign of the express bus network has proven that we have a vocal customer base with great feedback and on-the-ground knowledge to share with us,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “That is valuable information we need to attract more people to take mass transit, and the West Shore transit study helps us find those residents who live or work within our network and give them a reason to become new customers.”

"This is an important first step to alleviate the frustrations Staten Islanders have been facing for years during their commutes,” said Assembly Member Cusick. “Through the funding provided by the state Legislature, we will now be able to move forward in analyzing how to efficiently move commuters along the West Shore corridor.”

Over the coming months, NYC Transit staff will conduct customer surveys designed to gather data and information on the community’s travel needs and wishes to better inform possible service improvements and development of travel alternatives. Personnel have started to distribute questionnaires to customers on local and express buses on Staten Island to gather information on current and future travel patterns within and outside the borough. Additionally, NYC Transit will launch a web-based survey targeted at major employers and universities on Staten Island to survey participants on their current travel itineraries, attitudes toward travel options, modes of travel and frequencies to gather insight on opportunities to improve service.

NYC Transit personnel will also conduct robust community outreach through meetings with local elected officials and stakeholders through spring 2019, with additional outreach at local events such as street fairs and community open houses planned in the summer and fall to gather public feedback on options identified by the study. The entire study is expected to take a year, with a final recommendation expected in 2020.

NYC Transit is committed to improving public transit across Staten Island, such as through the development of a new Bus Rapid Transit system to provide faster travel for thousands of residents along the North Store to and from the St. George Ferry Terminal. That project is undergoing an environmental study that will take approximately 24 months. The communities encompassed by the West Shore Transit Alternatives Analysis include Bloomfield, Travis, Chelsea, Arden Heights, Rossville, Woodrow and Charleston, and includes Staten Island Railway stations from Annadale to Arthur Kill.

Assembly Member Michael Reilly said: “I am glad to hear that we are finally taking a serious look at expanding public transportation options on the West Shore of Staten Island. In a place with the longest commute time in the nation, this analysis is an important milestone that will provide meaningful insight on the potential for enhanced transit options for the West Shore, which if implemented could have a profound impact on this borough’s economy. I look forward to seeing the results once this analysis is completed.”