Officials: Need bus ridership to climb

The two East End bus routes that offered service this past Sunday -- a first for Suffolk County Transit -- attracted more than a quarter of the lines' usual Saturday ridership.

Legis. Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), who pushed for the extra service, said the numbers were impressive, but other officials said ridership may have to climb considerably for the county to consider making the pilot program permanent.

The last day of this summer's special service is Sept. 5, Labor Day.

The experiment on two busy routes -- the S92, from Riverhead to Orient Point, and the 10C, from East Hampton to Montauk -- came after calls from some Suffolk lawmakers and bus riders for the county to implement a fare hike to fund Sunday service on some bus routes. County Executive Steve Levy first opposed the pilot program, but eventually agreed.

To fund the Sunday service, riders on those lines are paying a $2 fare year-round -- 50 cents more than the typical Suffolk County Transit $1.50 fare.

On Sunday, the first day that service was offered, the two routes carried a combined 475 people -- 28 percent of the lines' usual combined Saturday ridership of 1,673, Suffolk Public Works Commissioner Gilbert Anderson said.

On Monday, July 4, when the two lines offered special holiday service as part of the pilot program, a total of 383 people rode the buses. Suffolk Transit does not normally run on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

Schneiderman said he was "thrilled" with the early ridership figures, which he said demonstrate the need for the added service. He said it's unlikely Sunday ridership could ever match that of Saturday because riders don't have the option of transferring to and from most other lines.

"You don't suddenly provide Sunday service and expect people who have been carpooling to suddenly jump on the bus," Schneiderman said. "It's probably going to take a year or two to establish the success of this program, not one day."

But Anderson said if ridership remains low, "it certainly won't help things" in regard to the program's long-term chances.

The county legislature will evaluate the pilot program's success. Regardless of this summer's ridership, Anderson said he expects the county will renew the program next summer.