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City's smallest train sporting biggest growth

By Matthew Sweeney | msweeney@am-ny.com

The Staten Island Railway has experienced an increase in ridership over the previous two years. Kevin Howell, 28, of Staten Island rides the railway in Staten Island. ( (Matt Sweeney, Matt Sweeney / May 18, 2008)

It's the city's smallest train line, but ridership on the Staten Island Railway is growing faster than any other subway or bus line in the system.

Rising fuel prices, improvements to the 14-mile line, a $5 toll on Verrazano Bridge for borough residents, and traffic congestion have all led to a nearly 20% increase in riders over the last two years -- the largest gain in the MTA system, according to Staten Island Rail (SIR) chief John Gaul

A bartender, who only wanted to be identified as Kevin, at Lee's Tavern, just off the Dongan Hills station, said he estimates the train saves him at least $80 a month in gasoline on local trips.

"It's always on time and it's better than having to get aggravated with the idiots out there driving," Kevin said of the rail, which goes from the Staten Island Ferry to Tottenville on the southern tip of the island.

It's shabbier than most rails because the cars -- left-over A trains from the 1970s -- are some of the oldest in use. But beginning this summer, the cars will start getting new interiors, Gaul said. While some riders complained yesterday that the train was dirty, they all said they liked that it ran like clockwork. Its scheduling is coordinated around the Staten Island ferry.

"It's faster than the bus," said Pearl Asumaning, 23. She said she lives just a few minutes from the Grasmere station but had forgotten there was a train line until a couple of months ago.

One of the improvements was to add express service in the rush hour, making a 30-minute trip from the end of the line to the ferry.

While the 20% increase is the largest in the system over the last two years, the number of riders is small. In February 2008, the most recent statistics available, an average of 16,000 weekday riders a day took the railway, up from 14,000 in February 2007. Subway weekday ridership, meanwhile, has increased about 4% over the last year.

"We're still not Lexington Avenue, believe me," Gaul said.

Currently, unlike the filled-to-capacity subway lines on Lexington Avenue or Queens Boulevard, the SIR can handle another 25% increase.

The passenger railway, which is the oldest in New York City and dates back to the B&O Railroad operation in the 19th century, was in decline from the late 1980s until 2004, Gaul said.

The railway used to run with tickets and conductors who walked up and down the cars collecting tickets. But the introduction of the MetroCard meant there was no need for ticket takers on the train. And because fares are only collected with a MetroCard swipe at the ferry terminal, bored teenagers took to riding the rails for free all day. The SIR gained a reputation for being a little wild, Gaul said.

"It did attract more in the way of joy ride use, vandalism, kids acting up and threatening other passengers," he said.

The police have cracked down and there are plans to install live streaming video in off-hour waiting areas for passenger protection.

Another oddity of the line's fare collection is the local tradition of avoiding the $2 fare by getting on and off at the Tompkinsville station, a 7-minute walk from the ferry's St. George stop.

"Everybody does it," said Kevin Howell, 28.

Howell who works as a security guard, has a commute that consists of a free railway ride and a free ferry ride. He only pays for the PATH train from World Trade Center to Jersey City.

Gaul said a turnstile was under construction at the Tompkinsville station to collect money from would-be fare skippers.