Roosevelt Island Resident Asks RIOC For More Red Bus Stops - At Sportspark Pool, Southpoint Park And Every 2 Blocks
View Larger Map of Proposed Sportspark Red Bus Stop
Does Roosevelt Island need more stops for the Red Bus? At least one Southtown resident thinks so and sent the following message to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Executive Staff.
Please add another bus stop for the Red Bus and the Q102 behind the Sports Park at the Pool entrance as it is hard to get to for those of us that have mobility issues everyday, and really for anyone on the rest of the island, especially in bad storms and seeing as the red bus stops at the stop sign, that would be a great place for one. I wish it would be important to RIOCC that a lot of people depend on the buses here, the Red Bus and the Q102 to get around, yet it seems that getting to the Tram and the F Train is the only important place the buses go to on the South end of the RI.More on the Roosevelt Island Red Bus Route, Schedule and Stops from earlier posts.
The Red Bus and the Q102 should make stops every 2 blocks on this island...I also would love to see a stop down at the new Freedom Park for both the Red Bus and the Q102...please make more bus stops more important on this island, is any one listening?
So many people work and play on the Southern tip of the island, it would be wonderful to know one could get on a bus to go down there to the Pool and the new Freedom Park, as well as all the other events at Sport Park...I would like to see the Red bus go to Gold Water so families could get the the hospital to visit their loved ones as well, not to mention the fact that then one could get on one of the buses to come back home or go to the F Train, Post office or to the the Library or to meet a friend at the Trellis.
There are about 4000 people that live in the South Town area and the bus stops in South Town are few and far between...why is that? We like to use the stores and shops on the island as well and use of the bus is a wonderful thing especially when your legs and feet do not want to cooperate and do what they are supposed to do every day.
Please, Please put more bus stops on the South end of the island and make life a little easier and more enjoyable for those that need the bus system here, I am imploring you.
Thank you very much
26 comments :
I think RIOC took the first step in this direction with the new loop around the sportspark. I also recall seeing a futuristic map of R.Island with a subway station at the southern end of the hospital. And, of course, we have to transport future tourists to the FDR memorial.
BUT I think everything south of the tram station should be a separate loop, so we do not end up with another "Octagon" extension.
For that matter we should have a bus service to lighthouse park if we have a bus service to Southpoint
Okay, I think I like the idea to have more stops south of the tram. I think a line that goes from end to end of the island including both hospitals would be great to have. But a stop every two blocks? There are enough stops on Main Street already.
Now, I am curious, though, how many years and studies it will take the RIOC to come up with a reasonable schedule for those extended routes.
As if the buses weren't slow enough, let's add *more* stops and make it so that walking to the subway really is faster.
And I have to imagine that once there's actually something to access at Southpoint, the bus route will be reconsidered. But who knows when that park will be finished.
Not feeling it.
Why would anyone deny accessibility to someone that needs it? The purpose of the bus is accessibility for all and if one cannot get where they need to - whats the point in the bus at all?
Providing better and more accessibility to sports park and other interests (when they become available) south of the tram is beneficial for those businesses as well.
RIOC should implement a plan immediately and I would suggest to not make its trial runs during the rush hours, if at all, until a final plan is in effect.
I'm all for a few more stops, but ideally this would be done along with making the Octagon Express bus stop at 40 and 10 River Road. That would unload the rush-hour local bus, and help fill up the mostly-empty express.
Of course, if the express is full, it could skip the RR stops.
Poster above wants a lot for 25 cents. Forget about it Manhattan Park residents. The Octagon Express is paid for by Octagon residents through their Management Company, and is not stopping at 40 or 10 River Rd. If you want that service, get your Mangement Company to pay for it.
I heard when the new Southpoint Park Opens in the Spring, the bus routes will accommodate going down there as well.
Manhattan Park does buy for the bus. Octagon doesn't pay for its own bus - the bus they use is he Red Buse which was used to transport all residents before.
Manhattan Park does pay for the bus; this was the arrangement when MP was built.
The Octagon pays to OPERATE a bus as an express during rush hours. The bus would otherwise sit idle in a lot, not in regular service. Normal Island resources are not diverted to run the Octagon Express ... stop beating that dead horse.
You guys just have to read the financial report and you'll notice a line item for the express bus service from/to the Octagon. Octagon management pays extra (on top of ground lease etc.) for this service and the RIOC makes a bit more money. Win-win for everybody.
Octagon pays for their express bus service - the question is why did RIOC ever agree to it? MP doesn't have it & it's almost as far from transportation. It's true that Octagon is very out of the way so in some ways an express bus makes sense. The paradox is that very often the express is pretty much empty heading down Main St, which continues to irk riders along the route,meaning a good proportion of the population of the entire island except for ST residents- so Mike is also correct - why not fill the bus @ MP before heading south. Maybe MP Mgt could chip in some money to the operation of the express.
The buses are delayed as much by other cars in the bottlenecks that we have created as by stopping to pick up the residents. There are fewer stops on Main Street today than there were in the past.Until RIOC clears Main Street, they need to put more buses on the street - preferably smaller and more maneu-verable than the current model.
The Octagon buses add to the congestion with their lower utilization.
WALK YOU LAZY BUMS! What do you want for a quarter? The fare hasn't gone up in years and all you guys do is complain, complain, complain. RIOC is probably losing their shirt on this service. Stop complaining!
Of course we walk, but the bus is needed too. It's a very handy thing to have to save time as well. And the bus should be island-wide, from Lighthouse Park to Southpoint Park. It is quite a hike to either of these parks although both of these parks are supposed to be "vaunted" attractions of RI. There could be a stop at the soccer field/community garden, a stop at the tennis court, a stop at Coler, then a stop at Lighthouse Park.
You need a bus that brings you right to the park? Really? The walk from the Octagon stop to the park (three minutes tops) is a hike?
Look, there are quite a few elderly and disabled residents so even if the walk for a young one to Lighthouse Park from Octagon is a short walk, that doesn't necessarily mean it's an easy walk for an individual who may have mobility problems. You don't see buses stopping 3 minutes away by foot from parks in Manhattan or any other borough. Why not have buses go all the way to the Parks at either tip of RI?
Since "the Red Bus" in the past has found it difficult to maintain intended intervals on the existing shorter routes it appears that we should aim for two separate routes:
One could start at the tram or subway and cover the southern circle (Hospital,and SouthPark/FDR Memorial) while the second route starts at the tram
or subway and cover the longer, northern circle (Southtown, Old town, Manhattan Park, Octagon and Lighthouse Park).
This would mean that one bus route would turn around and go north on the East Road but I still do not see why that cannot be done.
Maybe we should poll the seniors and disabled and see how much demand there is to have a bus going all the way to the park. Also, show me a popular park in NYC that is NOT right off a main traffic artery, i.e. there are buses just by default. Which remote park/beach etc. has public bus service in the NYC area?
I'm pretty sure even "remote" parks in Queens and SI have bus links. Parks are heavily used free recreational areas after all. On RI, why not have a bus that goes from one end of the island to the other - maybe with 2 routes, northern & southern although the problem with 2 routes is to make the trip to Lighthouse Park from say MP the rider would have to transfer & pay an additional fare - wasting time & money.
In the above post - of course I meant Southpoint not Lighthouse Park. A rider from any of the developments taking a bus south would have to transfer to the bus going to Southpoint - that would represent a waste of time (the wait for the next bus) and money (additional fare).
This is in response to the above blog (12.16 a.m. !!!).
If the expansion gets that far the riders could get free transfers.
If you are going to a leisurepark you are presumably not in a rush,
and I would not consider that a significant factor.
Just to let everyone know that contrary to what riders were told several days ago by one of the (rare) red bus-driving surlies, buses stopping beside the tram going south are supposed to pick up as well as deposit.
And in response to a post above, two blocks can be a painful distance if you have trouble walking.
It is my experience that the red buses do NOT wait at the tram station for the incoming tram. They wait at the kiosk. Elderly and handicapped people have to wait for the next bus to arrive
if they do not walk to the kiosk.
What do all these elderly people do once they get off the tram and into manhattan. They walk to the nearest bus stop and wait or GASP walk down to wherever they are going. Last time I checked new york city doesnt carry people uptown. Arent most buildings 50 feet from each bus stop or more? Are we really trying to say we want to eliminate the need to walk to anything in the city and somehow not doing that is ignoring our elderly?
Turning the previous comment around why do the people who are clamoring for parking spots on Main Street, East Road and West Road NOT use the bus?
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