St. George Terminal

St. George Terminal
Staten Island Ferry terminal

The St. George Terminal on Staten Island
Location One Bay Street
Staten Island, New York, 10301
United States
Coordinates 40°38′36″N 74°4′27″W / 40.64333°N 74.07417°W / 40.64333; -74.07417 (St. George station)Coordinates: 40°38′36″N 74°4′27″W / 40.64333°N 74.07417°W / 40.64333; -74.07417 (St. George station)
Operated by New York City Department of Transportation
Line(s) Staten Island Ferry
Connections Railway transport Staten Island Railway at St. George
New York City Bus local routes S40, S42, S44, S46, S48, S51, S52, S61, S62, S66, S74, S76, S78
New York City Bus limited-stop routes S81, S84, S86, S90, S91, S92, S94, S96, S98
Construction
Structure type Open-cut[1]
Disabled access
Services
Preceding station   Staten Island Ferry   Following station
Terminus
Staten Island FerryTerminus

St. George Terminal is a ferry, railway, bus, and park and ride transit center in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City. It is located at the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Bay Street, near Staten Island Borough Hall, Richmond County Bank Ballpark and Richmond County Supreme Court. St. George is one of the few remaining rail-sea connections in the United States.

History

A new ferry and rail terminal at the St. George site (then called St. George's Landing)[2] and an extension of the Staten Island Railway (then called Staten Island Rapid Transit or SIRT) north form Vanderbilt's Landing (today's Clifton Station) had been proposed in the 1870s by the owners of the Staten Island Railroad, George Law, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Erastus Wiman, to replace the various ferry sites on the north and east shores Staten Island.[3][4] St. George was selected due to it being the closest point from Staten Island to Manhattan, approximately a 5 miles (8.0 km) distance.[3][5] The name of the terminal and the local neighborhood were renamed to St. George in honor of Law, allegedly as a concession by Wiman in order to build the terminal and connecting tunnel on land owned by Law.[6][7][8] An extension of the line to Tompkinsville was opened in 1884, and the underground tunnel between Tompkinsville and the terminal was constructed from 1884 to 1885.[9] The ferry terminal was opened in early 1886, while the rail terminal opened in March of that year.[10][2][11] The terminal's entrance building would be opened in 1897.[5]

The St. George rail terminal as originally built was constructed of wood, with no overhead obstructions.[12] Adjacent to the station was a large freight terminal called the St. George Yard, where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's freight operations exchanged with car floats to other terminals in the New York Harbor.[9] The B&O also operated the SIRT and ferries under a 99-year lease signed in 1885.[5] A trolley terminal for the Staten Island Electric Company was formerly located above the ferryhouse.[12][13]

The St. George tunnel was lengthened in 1905.[9] It was built with two portals at its north end; one on the geographic east side currently in use by the SIR, and an additional western portal intended for the Staten Island Tunnel, which would have traveled across the Narrows and connected to the New York City Subway's BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn.[9] In 1923 an excavation shaft for the Narrows tunnel was constructed at the south end of the terminal near Shore Road, though construction was halted in 1925.[5][12][14]

On June 25, 1946, a large fire destroyed both the wooden ferry and rail terminals. Full service was restored in July of that year.[3][5][12] A new facility was built by the city, opening on June 8, 1951, which led the tunneling shaft to be filled in.[3][5][12][15] The new facility cost $21 million.[15] The former freight yard was replaced by a NYCDOT Municipal Parking Lot when the new terminal opened, and is now also the site of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.[3][6][15][16][17]

The station served as the northern (eastern) terminus for the SIR North Shore Branch to Arlington and Port Ivory until its closure in 1953. The line used tracks 11 and 12 on the north end of the terminal, which are currently unused.[18][9][5]

Currently, St. George hosts a direct rail-sea connection, one of a few left in the United States.[18]

Staten Island Ferry

Inside the St. George Ferry Terminal
Main article: Staten Island Ferry

St. George Terminal is one of two terminals of the Staten Island Ferry. The other is Whitehall Terminal, on the southern tip of Manhattan near Battery Park. The Staten Island Ferry runs a 24-hour service between the two.

The Staten Island Ferry carries over 19 million annual passengers on 33,000 yearly trips over a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) route that takes approximately 25 minutes each way. Each day, approximately five boats transport about 75,000 passengers during 104 boat trips.

During rush hours, ferries usually run every 15 and 20 minute intervals, decreasing to 30 minutes during the mid-days and evenings, and every 30 minutes during very late or early morning/midnight hours. On weekends, ferries run every 30 and 60 minutes. In November 2006, additional ferries running every 30 minutes were provided during the weekend morning hours—the most significant change in the ferry schedule for about 3 decades.

Staten Island Railway

St. George
Staten Island Railway rapid transit station

From street
Station statistics
Address One Bay Street
Staten Island, NY 10301
Borough Staten Island
Locale St. George
Services SIR Main Line
Transit connections Ferry transport Staten Island Ferry at St. George Terminal
New York City Bus local routes S40, S42, S44, S46, S48, S51, S52, S61, S62, S66, S74, S76, S78
New York City Bus limited-stop routes S81, S84, S86, S90, S91, S92, S94, S96, S98
Structure Open-cut[19]
Platforms 6 island platforms (5 in regular service)
Tracks 12 (10 in regular service)
Other information
Opened March 7, 1886 (1886-03-07)[10]
Accessible
Station succession

Preceding station   Staten Island Railway   Following station
TerminusMain Line
Main Line
AM rush hour express service
No service in this direction
toward Tottenville
Main Line
PM rush hour express service
toward Tottenville
Main Line
Terminus
Staten Island Railway
Ballpark; closed
Terminus
toward Port Ivory
North Shore Branch
closed
A local train at St. George

The rail station, signed as St. George, which opened on March 7, 1886, is the northern terminus of the main line of the Staten Island Railway. Service is provided 24 hours a day, every day. It is also one of two stations that require the US$2.75 fare on entry and exit, the other being Tompkinsville. This station is handicapped accessible and it is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.[20][21]

This station is situated in an open cut below street level, with a four-lane bus terminal and parking lot above it. The station has five active platforms and ten tracks, numbered 1 through 10 from east to west. All tracks end at bumper blocks at their railroad northern (geographic eastern) ends. There is also a sixth island platform with two additional tracks (11 and 12) to the west (geographic north) no longer in revenue service, which historically served the SIRT's North Shore Branch.[22] It currently acts as a passageway to the North Municipal Parking Field on Richmond Terrace, and towards Richmond County Bank Ballpark, one of two access points to this station. The track ballast is present through this construction zone. The mezzanine area has separate fare control areas: the east side for passengers entering, and the west side is for passengers exiting. Station booths and MetroCard vending machines are located on both sides. Just before each platform bay are the old destination indicators to the left and right of each platform entrance, corresponding to each departing track. There are green bulbs above these displays that indicate where the next train will be leaving from. This station originally opened with nothing overhead; no bus bays and no ramps.[9] It was the site of a 1946 fire that nearly destroyed the terminal.[5][3]

Just south of the station towards Tompkinsville, the SIR runs in the system's only tunnel, known as the St. George Tunnel.[9][23]

Station layout
G Street level Exit/Entrance, bus terminal, to Staten Island Ferry
P
Platforms		 Track 12 No regular service
Island platform, not in service
Track 11 No regular service
Track 10 ← [note 1]
Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
Track 9 ← [note 1]
Track 8 ← [note 1]
Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
Track 7 ← [note 1]
Track 6 ← [note 1]
Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
Track 5 ← [note 1]
Track 4 ← [note 1]
Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
Track 3 ← [note 1]
Track 2 ← [note 1]
Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
Track 1 ← [note 1]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Main toward Tottenville (Tompkinsville)
    Main PM Express toward Tottenville (Great Kills)
    (No service: Richmond County Bank Ballpark)

New York City Bus

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates a number of bus routes in Staten Island, New York, United States. Some of them are the direct descendants of streetcar lines (see list of streetcar lines in Staten Island).

S51 bus at St. George Ferry Terminal

Departures are given below by loading bay.

Ramp Routes Destination Notes
A S61 Local
S91 Limited		 Staten Island Mall
  • S61 full-time
  • S91 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S62 Local
S92 Limited		 Travis
via College of Staten Island
  • S62 all times.
  • S92 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S66 Port Richmond
  • Weekdays only.
  • Via Grymes Hill.
S78 Charleston
Bricktown Center Mall
  • S78 all times.
  • Stopped at Ramp D prior to June 27, 2010 service reductions
B S51 Local
S81 Limited		 Grant City
via South Beach
  • S51 all times.
  • S81 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S74 Local
S84 Limited		 Charleston
Bricktown Center Mall
  • S74 all times.
  • S84 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S76 Local
S86 Limited		 Oakwood
  • S76 weekdays only.
  • S86 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
C S46 Local
S96 Limited		 Chelsea
West Shore Plaza
  • S46 all times.
  • S96 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S48 Local
S98 Limited		 Arlington
  • S48 all times.
  • S98 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
D S40 Local
S90 Limited		 Old Place
Goethals Homes
  • S40 all times.
  • S90 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S44 Local
S94 Limited		 Staten Island Mall
via Port Richmond
  • S44 full-time.
  • S94 PM rush-only limited-stop service.
S42 New Brighton
  • Runs rush hours and evenings only
  • Stopped at Ramp C prior to June 27, 2010 service reductions
S52 South Beach
Staten Island University Hospital

See also

References

  1. ↑ Main Line
  2. 1 2 "Rapid Transit on Staten Island". nytimes.com. The New York Times. January 17, 1886. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Roger P. Roess; Gene Sansone (23 August 2012). The Wheels That Drove New York: A History of the New York City Transit System. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 416–. ISBN 978-3-642-30484-2.
  4. ↑ "Staten Islanders Worried: Anxious to Know Who Will Run the Ferryboats to This City". nytimes.com. The New York Times. May 25, 1893. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Leigh, Irvin; Matus, Paul (January 2002). "State Island Rapid Transit: The Essential History". thethirdrail.net. The Third Rail Online. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  6. 1 2 Minn, Michael (December 18, 2009). "History and Future of the North Shore Rail Line on Staten Island" (PDF). michaelminn.net. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Staten Island Ferry Terminal Named to 'Canonize' George Law". The New York Times. May 26, 1929. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Waite, Thomas L. (July 19, 1987). "IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN; ST. GEORGE". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pitanza, Marc (2015). Staten Island Rapid Transit Images of Rail. Arcadia Pubishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-2338-9.
  10. 1 2 "Staten Island's Rapid Transit: The New System Which Lessens Time and Increases Facilities". nytimes.com. The New York Times. March 9, 1886. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  11. ↑ Staten Island Advance (March 27, 2011). "For Erastus Wiman, St. George was a golden opportunity". SILive.com. Staten Island, New York: Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "The City of New York Board of Estimate and Apportionment: The Narrows Tunnel" (PDF). brooklynrail.net. New York City Board of Estimate, Brooklyn Historic Railway Association. 1925. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Two Fires on Staten Island: Ferryhouse at St. George and Overhead Trolley Structure Badly Damaged—Blaze at Cricket Club". nytimes.com. The New York Times. November 13, 1899. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Hylan Swings Pick at Shaft Opening; Formally Starts Work at the Staten Island End of Narrows Tunnel". The New York Times. July 20, 1923. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 "New Ferry Depot Will 'Open' Today: Mayor to Dedicate Terminal at Staten Island That Has Been Used in Part for Year". The New York Times. June 8, 1951. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Matteo, Thomas (November 12, 2014). "Our Changing Island: Site of former B&O rail yards, St. George". SILive.com. Staten Island, New York: Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Municipal Parking Facilities". New York City Department of Transportation.
  18. 1 2 Office of Diane J. Savino (2013). "State Senator Diane J. Savino's 2013 Staten Island Railway Rider Report" (PDF). nysenate.gov. New York State Senate. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  19. ↑ Main Line
  20. ↑ "North Shore line".
  21. ↑ "MTA NYC Transit - Staten Island Railway Strip map (including bus transfers and parking)". Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  22. ↑ "Feasibility Study of the North Shore Railroad Right-of-Way Project Assessment Report March 2004" (PDF). library.wagner.edu. Office of the Staten Island Borough President, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, URS, SYSTRA,. March 2004. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  23. ↑ "6.5: TRANSIT AND RAILROAD OPEN CUTS: STATEN ISLAND" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
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