Q&A
Discussion on 34th Street bus route elimination and closing remarks
1:58:41
·
96 sec
James Wong explains the reasons for eliminating the 34th Street shuttle bus, citing low ridership and high subsidies. Council Member Restler responds by emphasizing the importance of reliable ferry service for his constituents and requests reconsideration of service reductions.
- Wong explains that the 34th Street shuttle bus was eliminated due to low ridership and high per-rider subsidies
- Restler stresses the importance of dependable ferry service for waterfront residents, including late evening hours
- He urges EDC to reconsider evening schedules, describing the ferry as a 'lifeline' for North Brooklyn residents
- Restler concludes by thanking the chairs for holding the hearing
James Wong
1:58:41
As it relates to the shuttle bus, the shuttle bus unfortunately never rebounded after the pandemic.
1:58:47
The shuttle bus on East 34th Street served 4 different routes.
1:58:50
It should in my mind was always a thing that, you know, everyone who's coming to Midtown should want to ride this shuttle bus and take it and go further inland.
1:58:58
We were seeing subsidies per rider of over $30 per trip.
1:59:03
So for an individual person who's getting off of the ferry for whom we already had a subsidy.
1:59:07
We were talking about a $30 subsidy for that shuttle bus because it was so underutilized despite our efforts to encourage people to ride it, to get people onboard.
1:59:16
So as part of that, we really made a a a choice to right size the services that we had.
Lincoln Restler
1:59:22
Okay.
1:59:23
I, you know, I appreciate, and I'll shut up here.
1:59:25
But I appreciate that there was at different times of day in Creekservice.
1:59:31
But for many of my constituents who moved into waterfront developments in the north side in Greenpoint, they did it the idea that they would be able to depend on ferry service and not just ferry service, you know, during the heart of rush hour in the morning and and narrowly in the evening.
1:59:47
They wanna be able to take the ferry if they're coming home from work at 7:30 or 8 o'clock and be able to access it very reliably.
1:59:53
And the reductions in service have been a real challenge.
1:59:56
We've heard many complaints from constituents.
1:59:58
It's an ongoing concern, and we really do hope that you'll consider revisiting those evening schedules because they're a real important lifeline for folks who live on the waterfront in the North Brooklyn portion of our district.
2:00:11
Thank you very much, and thank you to the cheers for having us here in today.
Amanda FarÃas
2:00:14
Thank you, counsel member.
2:00:15
I'd like to recognize counsel and proceedings.
