(Advance file photo)

MTA releases express bus study

About 36,000 riders travel between Staten Island and Manhattan on express buses on an average weekday now. The MTA released a study of the express bus network and proposed changes to streamline and improve overall service on Staten Island and in Manhattan.

Staten Island express buses will travel directly to and from Midtown or lower Manhattan, routes will be combined and underused stops will be eliminated as part of the MTA's plans.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Outdated routes and service

The express bus network was primarily developed in the 1960s and 1980s. The borough's demographics and reliance on certain routes have shifted in the decades since then and increased congestion, particularly in Manhattan, have made bus trips long and sometimes unreliable.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Current express bus routes

An estimated 96 percent of existing Staten Island express bus riders only get off at stops in Downtown or Midtown. But nearly 17,000 riders use routes that serve both areas.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Lots of time in traffic

Up to half of running time on some routes is spent on Manhattan streets, often directly above the faster subway network.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Route and stop changes

The MTA's redesign concept for overhauling Staten Island express bus service includes two types of routes to Downtown and Midtown in Manhattan.

The network redesign is comprised of 19 routes that will serve nearly all existing Staten Island express bus riders. Eleven routes will go to Midtown and eight will travel to downtown Manhattan, where riders can transfer to local buses or the subway.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Downtown and Midtown routes

Separating the two service areas will allow Midtown routes to travel in Brooklyn or New Jersey in case of traffic issues or accidents without changing where bus stops are located.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

New stops and routes TBD

Exactly which stops will be axed or where routes will go hasn't been determined. Bus stops on Staten Island and in Manhattan will also be re-spaced but their locations haven't been determined either.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Fewer routes on Hylan

The redesign is meant to also increase service frequency by simplifying the routes.

Right now there's eight routes along the Hylan Boulevard corridor that operate every nine minutes during peak hours. Under the changes, there would be four routes operating every 4.5 minutes along the corridor.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

South Shore service changes

Some existing Staten Island routes -- on the South Shore in particular -- are often indirect and overlap and run in opposite directions. The redesign would organize routes to increase speed and minimize turning.

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Streets served by redesigned routes

Changes will affect most routes.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

(Staten Island Bus Study: Reimagining Express Buses)

Your input wanted

Over 100 Staten Islanders from across the borough participated in three public workshops the MTA conducted for the study.

Staten Islanders can read about the MTA's recommendations and comment on the changes online at www.mta.info/SIExpressBus.