S2304-2013 Actions

• Jan 15, 2013: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S2304-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2304

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public authorities law, in
relation to the provision of express bus service to the south shore of
Staten Island

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:  To provide continued express bus
Service to the downtown and midtown business districts of Manhattan.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Adds a new Section 1266-j, which directs the Metropolitan
Transportation. Authority (MTA) to fund and operate existing express
bus service routes servicing the South Shore of Staten Island within
the city of New York to the downtown and midtown business districts of
Manhattan.

JUSTIFICATION:  According to U.S. Census data released in early March
2000, Richmond County (Staten Island) is ranked as the fastest growing
county in New York State. The South Shore of Staten Island,
specifically the communities of Tottenville, Richmond Valley, Prince's
Bay, Pleasant Plains, Charleston, Woodrow and Rossville, is the only
area of its size (in terms of population and geography) excluded from
the MTA's full range of publicly provided surface transit services to
and from Manhattan's downtown and midtown business districts.

The MTA operates 30 express bus routes in Staten Island, all north of
Huguenot Avenue. Residents there can find and utilize an express bus
route merely a couple of blocks from their residences. Yet, the MTA
does not provide adequate service south of Huguenot Avenue in the
South Shore area. Due to the lack of service, South Shore residents
who currently opt for bus service must either take MTA local service
to an MTA express stop and then transfer, or take private express bus
or charter bus service through New Jersey. The MTA needs to establish
express bus service throughout all of Staten Island to address the
transportation inequities in the South Shore and grant its residents
the same convenience afforded to the rest of the borough and New York
City. In 2000 legislation was passed by the Senate and Assembly to add
needed express bus service. This legislation was vetoed by the
Governor because an agreement was made through the MTA to serve the
residents of the South Shore with three express buses, two of which
are operated by a private bus company.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2012: S.7156 - Referred to Transportation/A.10435- Referred to
Corporations
2010: S.509 - Referred to Transportation/A.2615.- Referred to
Corporations
2009: S.S09 - Referred to Transportation/A.2615- Referred to
Corporations
2008: S.3038 - Referred to Transportation/A.2415- Referred to
Corporations
2007: S.3038 - Referred to Transportation/A.2415- Referred to
Corporations
2006: S.1842 - Referred to Transportation/A.3535- Referred to
Corporations


2005: S.1842 - Referred to Transportation/A.3535- Referred to
Corporations
2004: S.7542 - Referred to Transportation/A.11626- Referred to
Corporations
2001: Veto
94

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.

S2304-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    2304

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 15, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

  AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the provision
    of express bus service to the south shore of Staten Island

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  The  public  authorities  law  is amended by adding a new
  section 1266-j to read as follows:

    S 1266-J. STATEN ISLAND EXPRESS BUS SERVICE. THE AUTHORITY  IS  HEREBY
  DIRECTED  TO CONTINUE TO FUND AND OPERATE EXPRESS BUS SERVICE TRANSPORT-
  ING RIDERS BETWEEN THE  COMMUNITIES  OF  TOTTENVILLE,  RICHMOND  VALLEY,
  PRINCE'S  BAY,  PLEASANT  PLAINS,  CHARLESTON,  WOODROW AND ROSSVILLE IN
  STATEN ISLAND TO THE  DOWNTOWN  AND/OR  MIDTOWN  BUSINESS  DISTRICTS  OF
  MANHATTAN  ON  ALL ROUTES OPERATING SUCH SERVICE ON APRIL THIRTIETH, TWO
  THOUSAND FOURTEEN. THE AUTHORITY IS HEREBY DIRECTED TO ASSUME AND  OPER-
  ATE  THE  TWO  EXPRESS  BUS  ROUTES SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF HUGUENOT,
  PRINCESS BAY, WOODROW, ROSSVILLE, ANNADALE  AND  ARDEN  HEIGHTS  TO  THE
  MIDTOWN  BUSINESS  DISTRICT  OF MANHATTAN AND BEING OPERATED BY ATLANTIC
  EXPRESS BUS COMPANY ON APRIL THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN AND  BETTER
  KNOWN AS ROUTES NUMBERED X23 AND X24.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD05595-01-3