Our asks of MTA

BACKGROUND

The two islands, combined in 1960, have been connected by the RFK Bridge or Triboro Bridge, to Manhattan, the South Bronx, and Astoria Queens since 1936.  While automotive access has been in place since 1936 from 3 boroughs, Randall’s Island is only accessible via public transport from one single borough, Manhattan, via a single bus line, M35 bus.  

What’s on Randall’s Island: This centrally located island has experienced a number of major heavy investments in the last few decades – often spearheaded by Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA).  The island now provides access to Icahn Stadium, 20 indoor tennis courts at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, 60+ athletic fields for baseball and soccer, golf, and access for fishing. It also offers New Yorkers access to playgrounds, wetlands, a native garden, and one of the city’s largest urban farms. In addition to the sporting and recreational amenities found on the island. Various seasonal venues, such as Electric Zoo, Governors Ball Music Festival, and the Panorama Music Festival, all bring visitors from throughout the 5 boroughs. A number of facilities on the island are important sources of jobs for New Yorkers too. These facilities include a major water treatment facility, the NYC Fire Academy, a police bureau, shelters, hospital..etc.

DISAPPOINTING LOST IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

While the city continues to invest heavily into improve the green space on Randall’s Island, with corresponding increase in usage of the island, surprisingly New Yorkers lost access to the Island. It is perhaps because the benefectors of the public transportation are from many parts of New York City and has yet found a consolidated voice to advocate for its interest during the MTA bus redesign processes. Below are the bus lanes that goes to the island that has since been cancelled.

SOCIAL INEQUITIES

What we are addressing here is an issue of lack of public access valuable green space, leaving such space primarily to privileged car-owning visitors.  As a result of limited public transit access, Randall’s Island stands as a symbol of systemic income, racial and environmental inequity in terms of access to public land, parks, and greenspace. 

This inequity is, perhaps, most powerfully seen in the routine utilization of the island by organizations that can afford to charter private shuttles (such as private schools). Residents without cars, who live in the South Bronx and Queens, are unfairly deprived of access to recreational opportunities, employment options, personal network and social services. It is also useful to note that due to the lack of public transport options, funding designated for social services and recreational activities to the providers on the island are now diverted to pay for private shuttles, which is an inefficient use of social resources and further disadvantages the population we need to help.

CURRENT GROUP OF DISADVANTAGED NYC RESIDENTS

Expanding the M35 bus route or adding new bus routes from Queens and The Bronx  would be an important step to improve the quality of life, economic opportunities, and recreation access to Randall’s Island for the island proximate residents 

1. For the residents of the South Bronx and Queens,
   • Residents, especially children in public schools, will have much better access valuable green space and exercise opportunities
   • The adults will have better access to the jobs on Randall’s Island, or potentially to Manhattan and South Bronx, depending on the new bus routes 

2. For the residents on Randall’s Island,
   • They will be given a fairer and better access to visit their families, access healthcare and social services, and seek jobs in the South Bronx, Queens, and beyond. The residents on the island are a vulnerable population who need abundance of physical and emotional support. Lack of access to these support systems hampers their ability to recover and rebuild their lives

3. For providers on the Island Wards Island that provide various forms of recreation and social services:
   • They can significantly improve their ability to hire and retain staff, especially allowing them to hire staff from the South Bronx and Queens who do not own a car
   •  They can reallocate moneys from funding private shuttles to  benefiting their clients
   • Recreational space providers, and event organizers will benefit from higher attendance to their events

POSSIBLE CHANGES IN BUS ROUTES

To restore lost services, we presented two alternatives bus routes that can connect Randall’s Island again to the 2 areas it was previously connected to in Astoria and South Bronx.

Suggestion 1 : Add two stops to the existing M35 bus : One simpler way is to have the M35 bus stop at two more stops that used to be connected to the island

• In the South Bronx, add a stop at the Cypress Avenue Station connected to the 6 line and
• in Queens, add a stop at the Astoria Blvd Station connected to the NW line.

Suggestion 2: Add a new bus line to connect the 2, 4, 6, and N, W subway : Another method is to keep the existing M35 bus unchanged and add another bus line to connect the Bronx and Queens via. Randall’s Island.  More specifically, this new bus line will connect the two boroughs:

• In the Bronx, add 2 stops at the 3^rd Ave – 149 Station and the Cypress Avenue Station, which are connected to 2, 4 and 6 subway, and
• In Queens, add 2 stops at the Astoria Blvd and Broadway Stations in Astoria, with the goal to provide these Astoria residents, who currently have limited access to large green space more options.  

According to the latest MTA studies, the Interboro Express light rail being planned will only extend from Brooklyn’s Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park to Queens’ Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. This means the planned light rail line will no longer extend from the Roosevelt Avenue Station to Randall’s Island and Manhattan. This unwelcomed news, however, means there is an even greater need to connect Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens via a bus line similar to ones we proposed here to supplement the lost of triboro connectivity.