About the Project

The North Shore Alternatives Analysis Study (NSAA) is a project sponsored by MTA - New York City Transit (NYCT) and funded by the Staten Island Borough President. The study will examine potential public transit alternatives for Staten Island's North Shore. For over a decade the Borough and its residents have shown an untiring interest in improving transit service on the North Shore.

The North Shore rail line opened to passenger and freight service in 1890. Built between Cranford, NJ and the St. George Ferry terminal, the line was operated jointly by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Company (SIRTOA) and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Passenger service ended in 1953 and rail freight service continued until 1989. Rail freight activity was revived in 2005 at Howland Hook on the western end of the North Shore Railroad Right-of-Way (ROW).

In 2004, the North Shore ROW was the subject of a feasibility study by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The PANYNJ study focused on whether transit service would be feasible on the existing ROW and concluded that Light Rail options were the most cost effective alternatives, but Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) options deserved further examination. The PANYNJ study laid out the course for examining future transit options, within the required federal guidelines for this type of project. The next step along that course is the NSAA, which will assess and refine alternatives and select a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).

The concept of transit on the ROW is also examined in the recent New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) North Shore Land Use and Transportation Study, done in conjunction with the New York Department of City Planning. That study is expected to be completed in 2010.

NYCT Diesel-Electric Hybrid Bus	Existing North Shore ROW viaduct
Port Richmond Avenue	Tracks along the base of the Richmond Terrace retaining wall

The Project Study Area

This study area focuses on the North Shore of Staten Island between South Avenue and St. George, bounded by the Kill Van Kull to the north and Victory Boulevard to the south with a corridor extension along South Avenue between Richmond Terrace and Teleport Drive.

Richmond Terrace and Victory Boulevard approximate the northern and southern boundary of the study area, respectively. Richmond Terrace, Victory Boulevard and Forest Avenue are the primary east-west roadways in the study area.

North-south circulation is limited within the study area. The main access routes between the study area and points south (including the Staten Island Expressway) are South Avenue, Harbor Road, Richmond Avenue/Morningstar Road, Route 440 (MLK Expressway), Port Richmond Avenue, Jewett Avenue/Bradley Avenue, Clove Road, Bennett Avenue, Bard Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, Jersey Street, and Bay Street.

At the eastern end of the corridor is the St. George Ferry Terminal, a major intermodal transportation facility, providing connections among local/limited bus routes, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) ferry to Lower Manhattan, and the NYCT Staten Island Railway's St. George-Tottenville line.

NYCT provides local, limited, and express bus stop services along several routes, primarily along Richmond Terrace, Castleton Avenue, Forest Avenue, South Avenue, Port Richmond Avenue, and Broadway. Many of these routes terminate at the St. George Ferry Terminal. A new peak period bus route links western Staten Island and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) in Bayonne, NJ.

The study area is divided into five subregions as depicted in the Project Study Area Map: St. George, New Brighton-Snug Harbor, Port Richmond, Elm Park-Mariners Harbor and Northwest Staten Island.

Purpose and Need

Congested roadway conditions and roadway deficiencies result in long travel times for Staten Island North Shore commuters as well as unreliable bus service (which can lead to crowding). The lack of efficient public transportation choices compels the majority of North Shore travelers to travel by automobile, resulting in air quality and general environmental degradation along with further congestion. North Shore commuters destined for Manhattan have some of the highest trip times in New York City due to travel via multiple modes (requiring transfers) including the local bus network. North Shore travelers with on-island destinations must compete with Manhattan-bound passengers for space on buses with schedules that cater to the timed transfer to the Manhattan-bound Staten Island Ferry. If their destination is not the St. George Ferry Terminal, bus travelers from the study area generally must still go through St. George to make connections since most buses terminate at the Terminal.

The density of development in the study area restricts the ability to add roadway capacity. Projections of increased population will continue to put pressure on the North Shore's transportation network. Economic growth and the livability of the North Shore's communities will be impaired by increasing congestion and insufficient transit alternatives to driving.

Improved transit service is needed to address the following problems:

• Lack of transportation choices for North Shore travelers along the corridor destined to Manhattan, or to other locations on Staten Island
• Congested roadways that lead to increasingly long trip times and unreliable bus service in the study area
• Conflicting off-island and on-island travel needs that are not well-served by the North Shore's current transit system
• Inconvenient transfers between modes (auto to bus, bus to bus)
• Physical constraints in the roadway network that limit the ability to add transit system capacity
• Transit travel times that are not competitive with auto travel times to key destinations or transfer points
• Insufficient transit capacity to support future growth and revitalized development on the North Shore

Goals and Objectives

Based on the problems identified above, NYCT has developed goals and objectives for the Proposed Project, as shown in the following table. Combined, they will guide the development of transportation improvements along the North Shore.

GOAL	OBJECTIVE
IMPROVE MOBILITY	Provide increased and improved travel options along Staten Island's North Shore. Provide a well-integrated and efficient transit system that improves and/or reduces transfers between lines and modes. Improve transit access for the transit-dependent and transit-reliant. Reduce travel time for linked, Manhattan-bound trips. Improve transit reliability. Provide improved transit access to the Teleport. Reduce increasing roadway congestion by attracting auto users to transit.
PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND OPEN SPACE	Improve air quality by providing transit alternatives that moderate the increase of vehicle emissions. Minimize potential adverse impacts on residential areas, businesses and the built environment from the operation of a transit mode on the North Shore. Minimize potential adverse impacts on the natural environment from the operation and construction of a transit mode on the North Shore. Maintain safe and efficient access to land uses along the North Shore.
MAXIMIZE LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR THE GREATEST PUBLIC BENEFIT	Make use of existing capacity in transportation corridors, assets and infrastructure. Advance the most cost-effective transportation options. Increase revenue potential, thereby minimizing the level of subsidy required. Develop transit options that use known and proven technologies suitable for use on the North Shore. Provide a transportation solution that can be implemented in a timely manner.