Staten Island Bus System In Poor State Of Affairs: Union Member, Local Elected Official, SI Commuters Call Alarm In Press Conference

BP Vito Fossella

2 years ago

BP Fossella, ATU Local 726 President Cassella, Local Elected Officials and SI Commuters to Call Alarm to Poor State of Affairs of SI Bus System

Editor’s note: Staten Islander News previously covered the NYC DOT’s transportation priorities round table event where many islanders voiced these same concerns related to poor public transportation on Staten Island in a variety of areas, including the buses, trains, ferries, and other limited options for Islanders without cars.

Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella was joined by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726 President Daniel Cassella, local elected officials and concerned Staten Island commuters to call out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the poor state of affairs of the local bus transit system. This took place at a press conference at the Yukon Bus Depot on Thursday, September 5th at 12:15 PM.

The call for alarm comes in response to the strikingly poor conditions of the MTA bus system on Staten Island. Many commuters routinely report buses failing to provide reliable service and complete their routes, disrupting their daily commute. Currently, 304 of the 798 buses on Staten Island are out of service or redlined, and more buses daily fail to be sent out for their routes.

The current situation will only get worse with the scheduled closing of one of Staten Island’s four bus depots, which threatens to offload 75 buses and roughly 130 personnel to the other three overwhelmed depots and disrupt traffic and bus service across the island.

The Borough President, the ATU President, local elected officials, and Staten Island commuters sounded the alarm on this poor state of affairs and call for action to fix the system.

Banner Image: BP Fossella at press conference with other elected officials. Image Credit – BP Fossella

BP Vito Fossella

The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.