Citizens attending a Staten Island Expressway study advisory committee meeting this week were presented with several transit proposals and an introduction to congestion relief pricing. Prominent among the transit concepts proposed by the NY State DOT was a transfer center for buses and rail located adjacent to the Grasmere neighborhood, where the Staten Island Railway crosses under the expressway. Residents turned out largely to protest the proposal, citing concerns that a transit center would exacerbate local traffic problems. Concept drawings were also presented for light rail lines down the center of the expressway median and along the island's north shore, prompting one citizen to remind the audience that NJ is well ahead of Staten Island in developing light rail, and therefore stands to reap the economic and mobility benefits far sooner.

The group also watched "Buying Time," an introductory video on congestion relief pricing produced by the Minnesota DOT (see review, MTR #171). Higher tolls during peak periods could significantly reduce the congestion that plagues the corridor, just as lower fares on Staten Island express buses have boosted ridership. Comments from the audience were generally favorable, in particular when it came to applying pricing to trucks. The only individual to speak out against the concept was a AAA spokesman, who had not previously attended any of the SIE meetings.

Plans to add both a bus lane and a truck climbing lane on portions of the SIE were announced as "early action" projects at the end of the meeting. A Tri-State Campaign representative questioned the bus lane, which the DOT is reportedly engineering to passenger car specifications (see last issue), and the group was assured that more details would be provided before the projects were advanced further.