Quote:

Not every job in Jersey City goes to a resident in Jersey City. Especially true with respect to the financial services jobs that are being created on the waterfront.

Quote:

Staten Island residents and politicos in particular have been asking for this for years. The main obstacle has been that the various transit agencies do not tend to cooperate.

Creating new transit options is a good idea. In addition to the current demand which is higher than you seem to think, it also encourages people to move and/or take jobs in these areas, because they know that they can get to and from the places.

Re. The commuting from SI to HC, I noticed that most outsiders consider JC a suburb, because jobs are way less than inhabitants. So I expect that people will come from SI to JC on buses to enjoy our gorgeous night life and our Starbucks.
Suppose this idea was actually a good one, why didn't they come up with this earlier?
Re. FAB's idea, I would prefer a tax for all people coming from Bayonne to JC, although indeed I couldn't care less if there will be a tax for entering Bayonne. Paying 1% extra income tax for Nyc while living in SI would go well with this Bayonne tax.

Have you heard that the city of Paris (as in 'Paris, France' :) ) is renting bikes to residents?
I heard that rich people in Long island, concerned by the global warming, will commute from now on to Manhattan by rickshaw. They say I could save the planet too, all I have to do is pull.

Staten Island Lawmakers Ask For Park And Ride Under Bayonne Bridge

NY1
July 24, 2007

Lawmakers and city buses are gearing up to make the commute from Staten Island to Bayonne easier than ever.

Congressman Vito Fossella and State Senator Andrew Lanza asked the MTA and Port Authority Tuesday to build a ?park and ride? facility underneath the Bayonne Bridge.

The lot would make it easier for commuters to take the new S-89 bus line -- which would take riders from the South Shore to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Bayonne. From there, they could go into Hoboken or Jersey City, or transfer in Bayonne to PATH trains into Manhattan.

The new bus route takes effect this fall and will cost riders $2 each way. It will run every 15 minutes on weekdays during peak hours.

Lets introduce a people toll to enter Bayonne.

Why do people live in Staten Island again?

And not every commuter is looking to Manhattan as the final destination.

This will be of use to commuters who work in Hudson County, and to the residents who get to avoid their cars.

And of course, in addition to the people that this service can currently serve, it will make the Hudson waterfront a more attractive place to work because of better public transportation access.

Quote:

you think taking a bus to a ferry to a subway, or a bus over the verrazano into brooklyn, and then over the east river crossings, and then to a subway, is a piece of cake?

take a look at a map before assuming that the Bayonne Bridge/Light rail/PATH commute makes less sense than the other options available to the majority of SIers who don't live near the ferry terminal.

So, to go from staten island to manhattan will involve Bayone, light rail and PATH? I don't know their options now, but this project should be an astounding success.
I propose a bus to the Newark airport, then take the airtrain, and NJTransit train to midtown Manhattan. Or a bus to PerthAmboy and then the NJT train. Or a bus to the airport, then a flight to JFK. You got the idea.

Very good news, not just because of the transportation option, but because the two agencies from different states are actually cooperating. We'll need more of that, a lot more of that, in the future.

There has been some talk of actually extending the light rail itself over to Staten Island. I understand that the Bayonne Bridge was built to accommodate a rail line, though that never materialized. And there are several other proposed light rail extensions that have a much better chance than that one.

In the meantime, one spunky private carrier is offering Staten Island to Hudson County bus service.

http://www.transportazumah.com/144

Staten Island And Jersey Snuggle Up

New York Press

The MTA announced Monday that Staten Islanders will be getting a brand new bus route in the fall, whisking them over the Bayonne Bridge to the Garden State for easy access to Jersey City and Hoboken via the Hudson Bergen Light Rail and easier access to Manhattan via PATH trains. This marks the first time that city buses will cross state lines, giving Staten Islanders access to jobs in New Jersey and vice versa. ?It?s been a long time coming,? MTA executive director and CEO Elliot ?Lee? Sander said, adding that Staten Islanders have been asking for the route for over eight years now. Eight years? That?s a mighty long wait for a bus, especially a bus to Jersey.

Officials said that approximately 1,200 commuters were expected to use the $2 service between Manhattan?s most ragged-on neighbors daily. Nine S89 buses will run during weekday peak rush hours only, leaving every 15 minutes to Bayonne. The MTA and NJ TRANSIT are now working together to try to arrange a joint monthly ticket for both bus and light rail service and lawmakers hope the new route will ease congestion in the perpetually traffic-plagued borough. The always note-worthy City Councilman Michael McMahon had this to say about the announcement: ?When I heard the news they were going to give us this bus service, I put my hand on the ground to see if hell had frozen over. Staten Island has been shortchanged with mass transportation for years.?

We just hope that this and other public transit improvements will continue now that Bloomberg?s congestion pricing scheme has failed. We?d hate to think that they were all just part of a PR ploy by the Mayor?s office to increase public support for the proposal among residents of the outer boroughs.

Great to see that the MTA and NJ transit are cooperating on setting discounted fares for joint service.

the bus service is to reduce motor vehicle traffic coming from Staten Island into Hudson County, not providing an alternative route to the PATH. Greater access and mobility, a good thing.

New Bus Service To Take Staten Islanders To New Jersey
July 16, 2007

Staten Islanders will soon have another option for getting off the Island, one that officials hope will help alleviate traffic on local roads as well as the Bayonne Bridge.

Officials from several city and state agencies announced plans today for a new bus service that would take Staten Islanders to Bayonne, New Jersey.

From there, commuters could pick up the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, which will take them to Hoboken or Jersey City. They could also transfer in Bayonne to PATH trains into Manhattan.

The bus would cost $2 and would run every 15 minutes during peak hours Monday through Friday.

The MTA and NJ TRANSIT are also working toward an agreement to allow riders to buy a joint monthly ticket for service on the bus route and the light rail.

I don't see how a bus+Light Rail+Path could be cheaper and faster than taking the SI Ferry to Manhattan.

wait...does this mean that (part of) the plan is to have people from staten island take path trains into manhattan? why on earth is that a good idea? aren't they running at near full capacity as it is?

Public buses to begin riding over Bayonne Bridge in the fall

Staten Island Advance -- July 10

Staten Island commuters will be able to take a public bus ride over the Bayonne Bridge and link up with New Jersey's light-rail system beginning this fall, the Advance has learned.

Under a program expected to be announced Friday, sources said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will run nine buses to take commuters from the Island to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Terminal in Bayonne.

There they will be able to get trains to their offices in Hoboken and Jersey City, or can transfer to PATH trains to Manhattan.

-- Contributed by Tom Wrobleski

I wonder if it would make sense to extend the light rail to Staten Island as well as Newark airport.

MTA chief sees new hope for bus service to N.J.
Plan is possible by July for runs to the light rail over Bayonne Bridge

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
By MAURA YATES
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Jersey City-bound commuters are one step closer to realizing their dream for MTA buses to run from Staten Island across the Bayonne Bridge to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Lee Sander said yesterday that he hopes to hammer out a joint service agreement with New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority over the next four to eight weeks, in anticipation of a mid-July announcement of an implementation plan.

Sander had previously said the MTA would not provide service unless and until the current operator, TransportAzumah, ceased running buses on the route.

But in light of a spate of recent complaints about the private carrier, Sander acknowledged there is a need for service now. "It's clear there are shortcomings," he said.

Contrary to earlier reports that the service would be contracted out if the MTA agreed to provide it, Sander said the route could be covered by New York City Transit buses.

"This is a step in the right direction," said Sen. Charles Schumer, who was among many vocal advocates calling for the service. He urged the MTA to act quickly to make the service a reality.

"The present situation does not work," said Borough President James Molinaro, adding he'll "wait and see" what happens in July.

Rep. Vito Fossella called it "a welcome step," and "hopefully a sign of an aggressive approach to satisfy Staten Island's needs."

The Bayonne bus link is one of the initiatives of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Transportation Task Force. The idea, first floated at least seven years ago, has been unanimously supported by the borough's elected officials, including City Councilman Michael McMahon (D-North Shore) and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce.

Sander's announcement came during a wide-ranging discussion with the Advance's editorial board yesterday during which he called Staten Island "a priority" under his tenure.

With a handful of visits to the borough already under his belt, he reiterated his commitment to addressing Staten Island's unique transportation infrastructure and needs.

"The MTA has done a fair amount in Staten Island," Sander said, highlighting gains in local and express bus service and investments in the Staten Island Railway. But, he conceded, "it is not enough, and I think we need to do more."

Among the initiatives under way is a comprehensive study of express bus service, which is expected to be complete next summer. The study will look at demand on each route, and will include recommendations for service adjustments. The express study will be followed by a similar study of local bus service, and the analysis will form the agency's strategy for tackling the next 25 years of service plans, Sander said.

Based on the results, a fourth bus depot could be in the works, on the heels of the third Charleston depot, expected to open in 2009.

"If we see a need for a fourth depot, at least we'll be a little ahead of the curve," Sander said.

Meanwhile, Sander said progress has been made on alleviating traffic tie-ups during the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge construction project, but he said there are no plans to remove the 5 mph barrier arms at the toll plaza. Doing so would cost as much as $150 million in lost revenue over five years, due to toll cheats, he said.

Sander also said the agency is working on addressing complaints about dirty buses and broken air conditioners, seats and lights.

Staten Island is also next in line to test out a new Automatic Vehicle Locator System, which will aid in bus dispatching and scheduling and provide more information for customers, by offering passengers waiting at bus stops the time the bus will arrive.

Maura Yates covers transportation news for the Advance. She may be reached at myates@siadvance.com.