 
'Traffic Busters'
Staten Island Advance - Wednesday, July 02, 2008
What Mark Twain said about Mother Nature often seems to apply to
traffic on Staten Island: "Everybody complains about the weather,
but nobody does anything about it," he observed.
Yet our 21st century transportation crisis isn't an act of God, it's
man-made. Nor is it a force beyond control -- despite the complaints
of harried drivers.
Doing the opposite of complaining about traffic jams is the College
of Staten Island.
For setting an example that we urge other Island employers to
follow, CSI has just won top honors at the third annual Regional
Commuter Choice Awards, a government-backed effort to highlight
transit gains.
The Willowbrook institution was designated a "Traffic Buster"
because of its strides in easing the commutes of its staff and
students.
For all Staten Islanders, the problem is daunting.
It's well known that we currently face the worst commute among U.S.
drivers -- an average journey to work of 41.3 minutes. Plus,
Islanders have an average mass transit commute of 68.6 minutes, the
longest in New York City. Nearly 12 percent of Island commuters --
the top such rate in the nation -- face workday trips of 90-plus
minutes each way.
The response by CSI includes a new shuttle from the ferry terminal
to its campus, a fleet of electric cars, extended bus service and
bike facilities.
"It's nice to be recognized for the work we've been doing, trying to
bring new ideas and help the community," said Dr. Jonathan Peters, a
CSI professor and transportation expert. "We take it from the
laboratory and get it out into the community and help people have a
better day going to and from work."
The Regional Choice Awards are sponsored by the New York
Metropolitan Transportation Council, a planning organization
designated by the governor of New York and the federal government.
It collaborates with the Metropolitan Mobility Network, a group that
focuses on steps to ease tri-state congestion.
To qualify for the awards, employers -- such as the College of
Staten Island -- must show a commitment to getting employees to try
alternatives to driving single-occupancy vehicles to work.
This should become a goal of more businesses, non-profits and other
groups on Staten Island
Workday options can include car and van pooling, mass transit or
bicycling.
"As a major employer and trip destination in the region, CSI is
actively involved in identifying and providing effective mass
transit alternatives to allow students and staff to travel without
the use of private automobiles," said Dr. Peters.
With the city's largest campus (204 acres), the college is trying to
boost mobility on and off site.
Major initiatives by the College of Staten Island:
A Staten Island Ferry shuttle for CSI students and staff has been
tested successfully. It was able to reduce travel time for students
from about 45 minutes on the S-62 bus to about 25 minutes on the
shuttle. Ridership was about 15,000 for the one-month (about 700
riders per day) pilot program ending March 28. The shuttle is to
enter full-time service for the fall semester.
CSI operates a fleet of 25 electric Daimler-Chrysler GEM cars on
campus to provide enhanced mobility for staff members. This fleet
provides 92 percent of the electric vehicle miles provided by the
New York Power Authority in Richmond County.
The college launched limited stop bus service in between Brooklyn
and the Willowbrook campus in 2004. Current average daily ridership
is over 1,300 people. Usage grew by 58 percent in 2007.
CSI is also seeking to provide car-sharing alternatives, reconfigure
the on-campus shuttle bus system, improve links to New York City
Transit bus routes and do transit planning based on student home
locations.
In 2000, the College of Staten Island set out to create a center of
study for the social problems facing this borough. The Center for
the Study of Staten Island was established in 2002. High on the
priority list of problems was transportation, of course.
The CSI center has helped to focus community and political support
for transit improvements and it has identified some of the core
issues of the Mayor's Staten Island Transportation Task Force.
Through its Staten Island Project, CSI provided extensive analysis
and support to local groups and political leaders on the value of
the S-89 city bus link to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Bayonne.
After a long fight, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
finally agreed to establish the service for Staten Island commuters.
Beyond that, the College of Staten Island deserves even more credit
for doing research on a wide variety of traffic and mass transit
problems.
Finding a way out of gridlock would be speeded if more resources can
be tapped in both the public and private sectors.
Reprinted here with permission
from the
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