Special report: Nightmare bus commute solutions in sight? To modernize bus service, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is conducting its Staten Island Comprehensive Bus Study to re-envision how its fleet of 31 local and 20 express routes can navigate Staten Island Island's very old infrastructure. (Video by Vincent Barone)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island officials gathered Tuesday on Victory Boulevard to urge the public to attend the Metropolitan Transit Authority's final Comprehensive Bus study public workshop next week. The last meeting on Feb. 9 will begin at 7:30 p.m., inside Staten Island Technical High School, 485 Clawson St., in New Dorp. 
officials will be on hand to listen as Mid-Island residents make suggestions and voice their concerns on the current status of the borough's antiquated bus routes. Two workshops were previously held for South Shore residents at the CYO-MIV Community Center in Pleasant Plains and North Shore residents at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in December."The commutes have become so hellish," said Borough President James Oddo, who opined that the faces of frustrated borough residents will help solve the Island's mass transit problems. "When someone who's enduring that [commute] on a daily basis stands in front of a public official, and emotes in that frustration, it's an appeal to their duty as a public servant to makes changes." Joining Oddo Tuesday afternoon was Councilmen Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) and Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island), who each stressed the importance of public participation in the final workshop. "We know that [residents] are frustrated," said Matteo, "but we have the at the table ready to hear us -- we're not going to give up." "We need this study to justify our position that Staten Island's [bus] service needs to expand," added Borelli.
A representative from the office of Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) provided a statement. "The solutions we need will come from the observations of the real people who ride our buses every day," she said. "Their input will be invaluable as we seek to make short, medium, and long-term changes. The bus study on Staten Island processes public input, through workshops and surveys; talks with with elected officials and uses its wealth of digital data to help analyze the needs of different Island communities. The study is scheduled to be published by the end of 2016. Residents can check for updates here. If you are unable to attend the workshop, the MTA is fielding emailed suggestions at SIBusStudy@nyct.com.
Source + 6 minute video: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/mta_bus_study_oddo_announces_f.html
