Government

Number of riders keeps rising on Sunday bus routes

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Sunday bus service ridership is most popular on the S92.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Sunday bus service ridership is most popular on the S92.

Six months after Suffolk County made year-round Sunday bus service available to the public, ridership has steadily increased month-over-month, specifically on the route which spans the East End.

According to numbers provided by Legislator Jay Schneiderman’s office, ridership on Sundays in June topped 5,000 — up from about 1,100 in January.

Suffolk County first started offering Sunday bus service as a pilot program in 2011, solely offering it on the S92 (running from East Marion to East Hampton) and 10C (East Hampton and Montauk) routes during summer months. After making the lines available year-round in 2013, county leaders expanded the offering to seven more routes across the county, as well as the county’s SCAT service, which offers transportation for individuals with disabilities.

A total of 78,892 Sunday bus tickets have been sold in the first half of the year. The S92 bus route — which runs from Orient Point to East Hampton, making stops in Sag Harbor, Water Mill, Southampton Village, Hampton Bays, Flanders and Riverhead — had the most Sunday riders in the county with a total 16,832 riders through the end of June, according to Mr. Schneiderman’s office.

“Public transportation provides people with the ability to access employment, medical care, and other community resources across the county,” said Mr. Schneiderman. “I’m pleased to see the number of residents taking advantage of this service.”

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