{"id":246847,"date":"2025-09-22T17:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/246847\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T17:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:43:10","slug":"curtis-sliwa-swaps-the-subway-for-an-express-bus-ride-on-staten-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/246847\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtis Sliwa swaps the subway for an express bus ride on Staten Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa took a ride on an MTA<\/a> express bus from Staten Island to Manhattan on Sunday, breaking from his daily subway campaign adventures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a video posted on social media, Sliwa rides the SIM4C from the borough\u2019s South Shore neighborhood of Huguenot into Manhattan while narrating problems that plague the system.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s called the Huguenot to Manhattan express. Well, guess what, I was waiting 40 to 45 minutes. There\u2019s no express in that,\u201d he said. \u201cI hear continual complaints<\/a> from the Staten Island express bus riders that this is common. Delays constantly, especially the weekend. You might as well pack it in and take a bus to the ferry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elizabeth, an express bus rider from Staten Island, echoed Sliwa\u2019s remarks.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the SIM4C is never on time,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

Express buses are managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a state-run agency. Although the MTA makes most major decisions on topics such as bus frequency, bus redesigns, and fare, city officials, including the mayor, city council, and transportation commissioner, can still influence buses, especially when it comes to traffic speed and street redesigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sliwa said as mayor he would \u201cremedy\u201d the problems that riders experience, especially in regard to delays.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI will remedy this as mayor,\u201d he said in the video. \u201cI\u2019ve experienced it, I\u2019ve heard the complaints. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for the mayoral candidates to take mass transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a phone interview with amNewYork, Sliwa explained more how he would improve the citywide bus system if he is elected mayor.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t control it, I understand that as mayor, but I can certainly put pressure on them,\u201d he said, adding that the city would also benefit from more high-speed ferries in transit-deserted neighborhoods such as Canarsie and the South Shore of Staten Island.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He questioned whether the city\u2019s implementation of bus lanes have helped improve travel times.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have all these bus lanes that we never had years before,\u201d the Republican and Independent candidate said. \u201cYears before, the bus would have to negotiate its way through vehicular traffic. That\u2019s a reason for delay. But now we have all these special bus lanes, and still. And no explanations from the MTA. They\u2019re like impervious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"manCurtis Sliwa at an express bus stop in Lower Manhattan.Photo by Rusat Ramgopal<\/p>\n

If elected, would Sliwa continue to support the installation of bus lanes? In short, he said he would have to look into it more \u2014 and consult additional experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the service matched the bus lanes. I\u2019d have to do the spreadsheets. Because again, it\u2019s the MTA,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

amNewYork contacted the MTA for comments on this story and is awaiting a response.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Calling in the \u201cTrain Daddy\u201d<\/p>\n

Sliwa said he would also consult former MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford, informally known as the \u201cTrain Daddy\u201d<\/a> by transit gurus. Byford is now a special advisor to Amtrak, overseeing the Trump administration\u2019s pricey makeover of Penn Station in Midtown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat guy loves mass transit,\u201d Sliwa said about Byford, and then gave him a special message. \u201cAndy, I know you\u2019re doing the federal project for the Trump Administration, Penn Station. But you\u2019re the expert. Tell me where the bus lanes would be most effective and where they wouldn\u2019t be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sliwa also called the Train Daddy a \u201cgreat resource,\u201d especially now that he will be in NYC more overseeing the Penn Station redesign.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MTA is not providing the service, and all they keep doing is raising the fares. That\u2019s the one thing you can get a Zohranista to agree with MAGA,\u201d referencing election opponent Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump supporters, respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, express bus riders, some of the city\u2019s 6 million daily transit users, said no matter who is in office, they would look forward to improvements in the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring rush hour, they\u2019re ok, but other times?\u201d commuter Anthony said. \u201cI\u2019ve had buses pass me because they were too crowded.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Another commuter, Sean, said the mayor \u2014 whoever is elected \u2014 is at the mercy of the MTA.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cBorough presidents and mayors of the past have spoken about improvements to transportation for years in this borough, only to fail,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

He did, however, \u201cgive props\u201d to Sliwa for riding the bus and speaking to commuters.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s the same story for every administration in City Hall,\u201d he said. \u201cThe MTA simply doesn\u2019t care about Staten Island.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

But still, another Staten Island commuter, Helene, told amNewYork last month that she enjoys riding express buses.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYears ago, there was standing-room only on the bus, but it has improved,\u201d she said, before adding a comment about the express bus service\u2019s likely fare increase<\/a> from $7 to $7.25 in January.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not happy about that,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n