MTA Customer Ambassadors Continue Community Engagement as Launch Date Nears for Streamlined, Faster Staten Island Express Bus Network
Starting Monday, August 6, customer ambassadors from NYC Transit and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) will be staffing key express bus stops on Staten Island and in Manhattan during peak travel times and on weekends to answer questions, assist customers with customized trip planning, and distribute new printed express bus network maps and route-specific timetables.
“Making sure our customers are able to plan their trips on this streamlined, faster express bus network is our top priority on Staten Island right now,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “We had personnel at key locations throughout the Island throughout July and are continuing that effort throughout the month of August as well, and timetables are available for download now.”
To accommodate the majority of express bus customers, the ambassadors will be on Staten Island during morning peak travel times and in Manhattan stops during evening peak travel hours. Key stops in both boroughs will be staffed during the day on weekends. The ambassadors will continue to be out in the system after the August 19 network launch date to ensure that as many customers as possible are helped.
The new printed Staten Island express bus network maps show the redesigned express bus network on Staten Island and Manhattan, and include a list of the new routes and their service frequencies. Printed versions of the new timetables are specific to individual bus lines. Distribution of printed maps and the printed timetables began today, August 3, at the Eltingville Transit Center.
The Staten Island express bus network redesign is the result of a three-year study of Staten Island’s 50-year-old express bus network to evaluate how to improve commutes between Staten Island and Manhattan. The redesigned network speeds commutes by simplifying circuitous routes, updating stop locations and moving routes from known areas of street congestion. Customers also will benefit from increased service, particularly during off-peak hours and weekends. Nearly 36,000 people use Staten Island express buses each weekday. The redesigned network launches on August 19.
