STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Canceled express bus service as a result of ongoing protests across New York City left some Staten Islanders scrambling for an alternate route last night on their way home from work.
On Tuesday evening, just after 7 p.m., the MTA announced via Twitter that all Staten Island-bound express buses were completing their final trips and that service would be suspended for the rest of the night due to protest activity in Manhattan.
The protests were among several across the United States following the alleged murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
This decision left a number of Staten Islanders who work in Manhattan seemingly stranded, with no adequate time given to plan an alternate route.
Deborah O’Brien, of New Springville, said that she waited at her express bus stop in Bowling Green for several minutes before even noticing that service had been suspended.
“I didn’t even notice the sign on the pole saying that the bus was canceled for a little bit, I was just standing there,” O’Brien recalled.
Eventually, another prospective rider came along and noticed the sign stating that service had been suspended and redirecting commuters to the Staten Island Ferry.
“There was a sign saying the bus had been canceled until further notice and take the Staten Island Ferry,” O’Brien said. “So I had to wait another 30 minutes for the ferry and then have my sister pick me up, because I didn’t have time to figure which local buses were running.”
O’Brien said that the most frustrating part of the situation was the lack of information from the MTA outside of what was posted to Twitter with short notice, making it difficult for riders to plan their commute.
The struggle to return to Staten Island was even more severe for essential workers traveling late at night, with all ride share services, like Uber and Lyft, suspended after 8 p.m. due to the city curfew, and all subway service suspended after 1 a.m. for daily disinfecting.
“What are the alternatives for people who are essential workers finish work after 1 a.m. that use the express bus to go back to Staten Island? No express bus, no subways? What do they do?” one Twitter user asked the MTA.
“Any response?” they added, after three hours without a reply from the agency.
The MTA says that it was forced to suspend the express bus service abruptly due to the sudden, evolving nature of the protests.
“Unscheduled protests and incidents of vandalism in multiple parts of the city led to sudden and unpredictable road blockages, closures and detours last night, forcing delays and cancellations on a number of bus routes,” said MTA spokesman Shams Tarek.
For those traveling during the overnight subway closures, the MTA says they were accommodated by a combination of local buses, the Staten Island Railway and the MTA’s Essential Connector service.
“Overnight during the nightly subway shutdown, local buses, the Staten Island Railway and the MTA’s Essential Connector For-Hire Vehicle service continued to provide service for customers traveling to and from Staten Island,” Tarek said.
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