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A map of the West Shore Light Rail project. To keep up with the transportation needs of Staten Island residents, Sen. Charles Schumer and Borough President James Oddo have implored the Port Authority to sponsor the West Shore Light Rail project. (Image courtesy of the SIEDC)
(Staff-Shot)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- To keep up with the transportation needs of Staten Island residents, Sen. Charles Schumer and Borough President James Oddo have implored the Port Authority to sponsor the West Shore Light Rail project.
According to the U.S. Census from the years 2000 and 2010, Staten Island saw a population growth of 5.6 percent, making it the fastest-growing New York City borough. But infrastructure has struggled to keep up.
The common refrain from local electeds is that Staten Islanders endure one of the longest commutes in the nation. The average commute for an Islander using public transportation takes 69 minutes, according to the Center for an Urban Future, a New York City-based think tank dedicated to highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing New York and other cities, and providing fresh ideas and workable solutions to policymakers.
"With one some of the worst congestion and longest travel times, it's clear that Staten Islanders need additional transportation options, and that's why we need the Port Authority to step up and to make sure the West Shore Light Rail project stays on track," said Schumer in a press release issued Wednesday evening. "Part of the Port Authority's core mission is to plan for -- and build out -- the infrastructure the region needs to remain vibrant and economically competitive, and the West Shore Light Rail is just the kind of effort they should be fully behind."
The Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) launched the West Shore Light Rail project nearly 10 years ago in hopes of bringing a 13.1-mile public transit system to the Island's West Shore.
The rail would run stops from from Richmond Valley to Elm Park, carrying Island commuters to the Bayonne Bridge to connect with New Jersey Transit's Hudson Bergen Light Rail Line.
"There is a perfect storm of needs -- 9,000 new jobs are estimated to come to Staten Island over the next four to five years," said SIEDC Vice President Steven Grillo in an Advance article published this August.
The project has already gone through a feasibility study and is currently awaiting an Alternative Analysis, estimated to cost about $5 million. The analysis will determine the costs and benefits of a light rail through the West Shore.
Over the past decade, the SIEDC had vied for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to pick up the tab. But the MTA's current draft of its five-year capital budget, for 2015 to 2019, is facing a $15.2 billion funding gap. The chances of the agency adding more projects to an already bloated budget are slim.
Instead, Schumer and Oddo argue that the Port Authority -- which already operates several aspects along the rail link, including the Bayonne Bridge and the PATH trains -- would be a better fit, and that the Bayonne Bridge would play a pivotal role in the design of the light rail.
"I join Senator Schumer in urging the Port Authority, a natural partner in this venture, to sponsor this important project," said Oddo. "If Staten Island is to grow into the vibrant, world-class island city that I know it can be, transportation infrastructure needs to be a top priority. The West Shore Light Rail project is a vital component of that infrastructure, bringing connectivity between Staten Island's South and West shores to New Jersey via the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. It will take cars off our already congested roads and pare our commute times, which are the longest in the nation."
The two have written a letter to Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye and MTA Chair Thomas Prendergast. It calls for the Port Authority to sponsor the rail and prioritize the project on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's (NYMTC) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to more quickly bring in federal and state planning funding, and eventually, construction funding.
The TIP outlines federally funded transportation projects proposed for the NYMTC area over a five-year period, including improvements to various transportation modes and facilities.
Both the Port Authority and MTA are currently reviewing the letter, according to the agencies' spokesmen.
"Now more than ever, because of expected growth on Staten Island, the borough is in need of additional transportation options. The West Shore Light Rail project will provide a critical link between the borough and New Jersey, allowing residents and visitors to commute to and from Staten Island and Manhattan with greater ease," Schumer said in the release.
The West Shore Light Rail has been a hot topic in Advance editorial board meetings during this election season. Assembly member Joe Borelli has come out in support of a West Shore bus rapid transit system, citing that a bus-based route along the West Shore would be more flexible (e.g. more buses could be added to the route to accommodate passenger needs) and that there is already a built-in ridership.
An Alternative Analysis will help decide the most efficient public transportation medium for the route.
Along with the light rail, other transportation projects like the North Shore Bus Rapid Transit and the Verrazano pathway are currently in need of funding to continue their various stages of development.