Overview of the Staten Island Express Bus Redesign Project
March 2018
Last May, the MTA issued its "Reimagining Express Buses" report as part of the Staten Island Bus Study. The report recommended a redesign of the existing express bus network to make trips faster and more reliable for our customers' commutes to and from Manhattan. With the goal of providing our customers with the best possible service, we explored ways to quickly make these improvements reality.
MTA expects to launch this redesigned network in August.
Extensive data analysis and input from nearly 2,500 riders led to the creation of the redesigned network, which will offer customers travel times that are similar to, or faster than, their trips today, thereby improving their commutes and quality of life.
Customer feedback for these improvements has been overwhelmingly positive. In a survey of more than 1,000 express bus riders, 76 percent of respondents supported the project. Customers also provided additional meaningful input that helped us further refine the redesign.
If you want to find out more about the new Staten Island express bus network and add your own feedback, you're invited to our three open houses this month, on March 12, 14 and 22. Scroll down for full details.
Under the refined plan, riders will enjoy:
- Simplified service to Manhattan
- More direct routes on Staten Island
- Fewer stops to speed up trips
- Expanded off-peak and weekend service to Manhattan
- Streamlined routing to either Midtown or Downtown Manhattan
And in response to your feedback, the redesigned plan has been revised even further to include direct service to the following locations:
West Street and Battery Park CityTwo new routes will travel directly from the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to Battery Park City and West Street, one from the North Shore and one from the South Shore and Mid-Island.
Greenwich Village and SoHoThe two new routes that serve Battery Park City and West Street will continue north, serving SoHo and Greenwich Village.
Water StreetThree routes will travel directly from the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to Water Street in the Financial District, with options from the North Shore, South Shore, and Mid-Island.
6th AvenueTwo routes will travel northbound on 6th Avenue to Central Park South, one from the North Shore and one from the South Shore and Mid-Island.
Expanded off-peak and Weekend Service in ManhattanUnder this plan, off-peak and weekend service will be expanded to areas of Staten Island that do not currently have it.
Since travel destinations in Manhattan are more widespread in off-peak hours, three off-peak and weekend routes will provide combination Downtown and Midtown service, also making limited stops in SoHo, Greenwich Village, and Chelsea. One new off-peak and weekend route from the South Shore will provide service to Downtown.
Here are maps showing the new weekday peak network, off-peak and weekend network and individual route maps with bus stop locations:
Trying to find which new route is best for you? Here are the new routes that riders of each current route will most likely switch to depending on their destination:
| Current Routes | New Routes |
|---|---|
| X1 | SIM1 / SIM7 / SIM10 / SIM22 |
| X2 | SIM6 / SIM10 |
| X3 | SIM1 / SIM5 / SIM7 |
| X4 | SIM1 / SIM5 / SIM7 |
| X5 | SIM6 / SIM10 / SIM22 |
| X7 | SIM5 / SIM6 / SIM7 / SIM10 |
| X8 | SIM5 |
| X9 | SIM6 / SIM7 / SIM10 |
| X10 | SIM3 / SIM31 / SIM32 / SIM33 / SIM35 |
| X11 | SIM32 |
| X12 | SIM3 / SIM30 / SIM34 |
| X14 | SIM3 / SIM30 / SIM35 |
| X15 | SIM15 |
| X17 | SIM2 / SIM4 / SIM8 / SIM22 / SIM23 / SIM24 |
| X17A | SIM4 |
| X17J | SIM8 |
| X19 | SIM2 |
| X21 | SIM22 |
| X22 | SIM25 / SIM26 |
| X23 | SIM23 / SIM24 / SIM25 |
| X24 | SIM23 / SIM24 |
| X30 | SIM30 |
| X31 | SIM31 |
| X42 | SIM3 / SIM30 |
Monday, March 12
Regina McGinn Education Center
Staten Island University Hospital
475 Seaview Ave (at Mason Ave).
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 14
Elks Lodge No. 841
3250 Richmond Avenue (across the street from Eltingville Transit Center)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 22
All Saints' Episcopal Church
2329 Victory Boulevard at Woolley Avenue
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Staten Island's express bus service was originally designed in the 1960s, but population, work trends and the number of cars on the road have shifted significantly since then. Changes to the network evolved in a piecemeal fashion, until the MTA launched a comprehensive study in 2015 to seek answers to how we could improve the network to provide the best service to our customers.
For more background on the project:
Are you cutting service?
No. We're changing the network to better meet our customers' needs. In fact, by redesigning the network, we're able to make better use of our resources. This will enable us to add more daily trips between Staten Island and Manhattan than we currently offer today.
Will my stop be eliminated?
The vast majority of our customers - nearly 70 percent -- will continue to use the same bus stop that they use today. Other customers will need to use an alternate stop, but only 1 percent of those riders will need to walk for more than 5 minutes from their existing stop to get there. We know that eliminating stops is not ideal, but we're confident that, through these necessary changes, all of our customers will enjoy the greater benefits of a faster, more reliable commute.
Why can't you just keep the existing network and add more buses?
Our goal is to create a network with more reliable service and shorter commute times so our customers can get to their desired destinations in the most efficient way. Rather than just adding more slow-moving buses to poorly performing routes, this plan addresses many of the fundamental problems with the current system and will vastly enhance the commute for our express bus customers.
When will these changes happen?
We expect to launch service on the updated network in August. We'll announce a date in the press, on social media, and on this website once a date is set.
Why have the route numbers changed?
Because the Staten Island express bus network underwent a comprehensive redesign, the route numbers had to be changed. The new 'SIM' (Staten Island to Manhattan) numbering scheme emphasizes to customers that they're being served by a brand new system, and it also makes Staten Island express service consistent with express bus service in the other boroughs (BxM for Bronx to Manhattan, BM for Brooklyn to Manhattan, and QM for Queens to Manhattan).
The MTA wants to provide you with the best possible service, and your feedback will help us to achieve that goal.
Please contact us at any time by filling out the comment form below, going to mta.info, and/or calling 511. TTY/TDD users only may call 711.
You may also reach us anytime on social media:
