Roosevelt Island Red Bus Shuttle To Queens Subway Discontinued After March 31 Due To Sparse Ridership - Manhattan Shuttle Service Continues For Now

Image of Soon To Be Changed Red Bus Shuttle Schedule From RIOC

The Roosevelt Island Red Bus Shuttle service to Queens subway station and Manhattan was intended to provide an additional transportation option for Roosevelt Island residents and workers during the scheduled 6 month Tram Shutdown. How is that working out in terms of ridership usage? Not so well according to RIOC President Steve Shane's March 10 report (Item 2B):

... Shuttle Red Bus service to Queens Plaza (to accommodate handicapped access) during week day morning rush hours is running from 7:00 AM until 9:30 AM, operating every half hour, departing from the west side of East main Street outside the Riverwalk Bar on the hour and half hour, Senior Center (546 Main) 5 minutes later and across from PS 217 five minutes later. The ridership is very sparse and when there are zero riders by the time the last departure stop is reached, the bus does not go to Queens, but just circles the Island as part of regular service...

The ridership is so sparse that it was decided during the March 17 RIOC Board Operations Committee meeting that the rush hour Roosevelt Island Red Bus Shuttle to Queens subway station is not worth continuing after March 31 but the Red Bus Shuttle to and from Manhattan, which has slightly more riders, will continue at least through the end of April. During the meeting it was said the cost of providing taxi service to all those using the Shuttle service would be cheaper than running the shuttle bus. Will have more specific ridership numbers later as an update.

Webcast of the March 17 RIOC Board Operations and Governance Committee meeting available in audio format only.