Frank J. JohnsWhen the West Shore Expressway opened in 1976, service roads were not built along the entire highway. It's been an uphill battle to get them built ever since. Above, the service road meets a dead end on Bloomingdale Road in Rossville.

As Charleston's busy shopping centers and new housing developments take off, the state Department of Transportation has made connecting the service roads a priority, and the agency is working on plans to join the two sides.

It's easy for New Yorkers younger than a certain age (for argument's sake, we'll put it somewhere near the mid-40s) to not have any idea who Robert Moses was, or to not realize his enormous impact on the city and region.

Moses was not a mayor or governor, yet his impact on the city is easily measured in the same breath at titans such as the late Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

1959 Advance file photoRobert Moses, left, and former Borough President Albert V. Maniscalco conferred many times on the planning and construction of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Officially, he was the "master builder" who shaped the city -- for better or worse -- from the 1930s to the 1960s. It was during that time that Moses built highways and bridges and parks and pools, and was instrumental in bringing the United Nations, Shea Stadium and Lincoln Center to New York.

He was a major force behind the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Staten Island and West Shore expressways here.

Robert Caro wrote a Pulitzer-Prize-winning book about Moses, "The Power Broker," which was highly critical of Moses' way of getting business done.

For more:
* Read his Wikipedia entry
* Read his obituary

The following was featured in a 1997 report in the Advance, part of a year-old series examining Staten Island's major streets:

Kitty Kleinau was holding an armful of geraniums, and she needed some help. Her husband, Paul, was inside the house, and there was no reason why he couldn't carry the geraniums inside for her. So Mrs. Kleinau left the flowers on the curb and walked up the stairs to her home on Richmond Road.

When she walked back outside, Mrs. Kleinau saw a car parked in front of her house. A woman had stopped because she liked the geraniums and wanted to buy them. Now this was 1939, and you didn't turn down money in 1939. So Mrs. Kleinau sold the geraniums. Her husband's services were not needed.

Not yet, at least. Mrs. Kleinau went back and bought some more geraniums. This time, she tried to sell them, and had no trouble doing so. She turned to her husband and asked him to help her build a small, wooden stand. The stand was placed in front of the Kleinaus' house, and more flowers were sold.

Before long, Paul Kleinau was leaving his job at a laundromat to help operate Kitty's Flowers, a Dongan Hills shop located right where Kitty had sold those geraniums. Nearly 60 years later, the flowers are still selling at Kitty's.

When you walk up and down Richmond Road, you hear these kinds of stories. The road has been around for nearly 300 years, and it's seen more than you and I will ever see. So if you hang around and listen, the road will tell you some tales. From Concord to Richmond, five miles long, it is filled with stories.

The following was featured in a 1997 report in the Advance, by Jay Price, part of a year-old series examining Staten Island's major streets:

If you want to experience all that Staten Island has to offer, take a ride down Hylan Boulevard -- the entire 14 miles of it. Start at the very beginning, at a picturesque park, and work your way through the commercial strips, the shopping centers, through residential areas with beautiful homes and open spaces, and then end up at the borough's most historic site.

Nothing more than the fate of a fledgling nation hung in the balance that afternoon of Sept. 11, 1776, when the rebels Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge, representatives of the revolutionary Continental Congress, arrived on the Southwesternmost tip of Staten Island, just a few yards from the terminus of what is now Hylan Boulevard in Tottenville, at the behest of the British Lord Richard Howe.

The following was featured in a 1997 report in the Advance, by Susan Lunny, part of a year-old series examining Staten Island's major streets:

Ask any longtime Staten Islander about the history of Richmond Avenue and they'll be able to tell you about the street in detail. The names of old businesses and the families that lived there all come back to them with ease. . .and with a smile.

You see, you don't have to be a resident of Richmond Avenue to have had strong ties to the street, which was once just a country road. Whether you were from Tompkinsville or Tottenville, you knew Richmond Avenue just as you knew the block you grew up on.

That's because the seven-mile road was filled with former Island hotspots -- from a farmer's market to family farms and familiar, homey restaurants.

On a recent afternoon, Russell Giaccio is happy to take a break from his work at Russo's Garage in Graniteville, a business started by his grandfather Nick Russo 72 years ago, to talk about the street's glorious past.

The following was featured in a 1996 report in the Advance, by Warren Hynes, part of a year-old series examining Staten Island's major streets:

There are few streets in New York City as diverse as Victory Boulevard. In the course of its 8 miles, this street goes from urban to suburban to rural. It is long enough to provide a little bit of everything.

In the 180 years since Daniel D. Tompkins first laid out the road, Victory Boulevard has evolved into a microcosm of Staten Island. It is open air and green space in some areas, yet bumper-to-bumper and exhaust fumes in others. It's pizza and bagel shops, and it's doctors' and lawyers' offices. It is constantly changing, but also steeped in history.

Despite the MTA's gloomy financial outlook, the future for Staten Island buses is better than it has been in decades, thanks to the two new bus depots on the horizon.

The Castleton Depot was originally intended to hold 135 buses, while Yukon was built for 250. Yet the borough's fleet numbers about 800, without nearly enough room to house them, or, more importantly, to fix them when they break down.

An artist's rendering of the Charleston bus depot scheduled to open in early 2010.

Check out a selection of "classic" Advance stories about bus service on Staten Island, including accounts of the very first express bus service on Staten Island in 1968 (yes, they got stuck on the Gowanus. Read on ...).

EXPRESS BUS IN SLOW START
From the pages of the Staten Island Advance, Dec. 10, 1968

BY ANTHONY PROVENZANO

It set no speed records, but most riders were satisfied. That was the consensus of five passengers yesterday, who were the riders on one of the first express bus runs from Great Kills to midtown Manhattan.

They, like others using the morning express buses, had gathered in the biting cold on Hylan Blvd. at the entrance to Great Kills Park, to watch Transit Authority and Borough Hall officials initiate first day service of the Staten Island-Manhattan Express bus service.

Despite the improvements in the physical condition of the borough's buses, there are still plenty of gripes among commuters who complain about long waits between buses, on-board conditions during rush hours that resemble what it must feel like to be packed in a sardine can, and express bus riders who feel a $5 fare is a ripoff if they are forced to stand for an hour on a packed bus, especially after waiting for it at an uncovered shelter.

Hilton FloresA city bus crosses Hylan Boulevard, heading down New Dorp Lane in New Dorp

Here's a look at the history of bus service on Staten Island:

By MAURA YATES and PHIL HELSEL
BYCRED: STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

For decades, a third depot has been seen as critical to the reliability of the borough's bus-transportation network. It's set to open ahead of pace in January 2010; a lease deal for a fourth depot could be made soon.

A year ago, the borough's local bus fleet could be described as aging and decaying. Earlier this month, the first of 159 new hybrid buses to hit local routes here was unveiled.

We want to know what you think about ferry service on Staten Island. Got a question? We'll pass the best questions onto those who can provide the answers. Got a suggestion? We'll make sure it's heard. Post comments below or email us at transportation@siadvance.com.

from the Feb. 1, 1970 edition of the Advance

The Staten Island Ferryboat John F. Kennedy, shortly after its debut in 1965.

There were plenty of ferry headlines during the last 10 years.

There were light notes, like the birth of a baby aboard a ferry in 1961 and the one-night conversion of the John F. Kennedy into a floating art festival -- complete with hippies -- in 1967.

And there was significant change for the better on all fronts.

from the July 10, 1976 edition of the Advance

Photo Courtesy of Peter PatauQueen Elizabeth II visits Manhattan during the 1976 Bicentennial festivities. Her journey through the Upper Bay on July 9, 1976 delayed Staten Island Ferry service for 90 minutes.

Service on the Staten Island Ferry was interrupted for almost an hour and a half today Britain's Queen Elizabeth II cruised from the U.S. Army Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne to the Battery in Manhattan amid elaborate security precautions.

The Secret Service did not allow boats into and out of the Whitehall ferry slip in Manhattan while the queen was transferred from the royal yacht. Britannia to the royal barge for the trip to the Battery. The queen planned to arrive at the Battery at noon following the change of vessels near Liberty Island.

from the June 18, 1976, edition of the Advance

Looking for a faster way to get into Manhattan? Something a little classier with less people, comfy seats and all for the price of a ferry ride? Well, with a little luck and some help from the federal government late-night ferry riders may just have their dreams come true.

Irving SilversteinThe Staten Island ferryboat Andrew Barberi pulls into South Ferry.

Whether it's due to the astronomical rise in gas prices, or out-of-control traffic that has made it next to impossible to predict how long a commute by car will take from one day to the next, more Staten Islanders are taking to the water to get around every day, with tens of thousands of passengers relying on the big, orange and iconic Staten Island Ferry.

Ridership is up 4.2 percent overall on the ferry, which now carries 19.7 million passengers a year, up from 18.9 million last year.

On an average weekday, the boats carry about 65,000 people.

Talk of opening a new South Shore route has some commuters from the borough's most far-flung neighborhoods hoping a trip by water will cut down on travel times that are now considered among the longest in the country.

Irving SilversteinGerald Lebovits of St. George rides the Staten Island ferryboat Guy V. Molinari into Manhattan on a weekday morning.

It's been called the longest commute in the country, a daily hell through which South Shore residents must pass simply to get to work.

But as the city prepares to spend millions on a "fast ferry" from Prince's Bay to Manhattan that would halve a 90-minte trip, some veteran rail and ferry riders shrugged, "meh," last week.

"I guess I would try it out," said James Burgess of Charleston, on the 8:02 a.m. express train toward the ferry and his job at City Hall. "It's long, but other than that it's pretty good."

$1.4 billion price tag for North and West Shore lines proves daunting

The prospect of new North and West Shore rail lines that would form a transit triangle around Staten Island is either the only hope for the borough's car-choked roads, or a pie-in-the-sky proposal that will end up gathering dust on a bookshelf in some planner's office.

The faster travel speeds offered by rail, along with a proposed link to New Jersey, have been embraced by elected officials and business leaders who say they're the key to ensuring a smooth commute through a borough that is fast running out of growing room. It's also seen as a means to lure more businesses to the Island, and as a way to connect more residents to New Jersey's job market.

Michael McWeeneyTHE PROBLEM: The North Shore rail right-of-way is available, but the tracks have fallen into disrepair. Cost to rebuild: $400 million.

Click here
for a graphic.

Trains haven't rolled on Staten Island's North Shore rail line in more than 50 years, and the tracks left behind are a mess. But just over the Bayonne Bridge, a sleek light rail is carrying commuters to and from work in Jersey City and PATH trains to Manhattan -- a link the borough could enjoy, too, if rail plans become a reality.

Staten Islanders who remember riding the North Shore rail line before it was closed in 1953 recalled friendly conductors, clean trains, and a schedule you could set your watch by.

Veena BissramDonna Harvey

As a child of 7 or 8, Donna Harvey, now 61, used to ride the train with her mother from her home in West Brighton to the St. George ferry terminal and on to the amusement park at South Beach.

1860: Cornelius Vanderbilt opens a train line from Eltingville to "Vanderbilt's Landing" in Clifton.

1883: Erastus Wiman and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad begin work on the North Shore and South Beach branches of the St. George-to-Tottenville line.

1886: The North Shore and South Beach branches open.

From the Aug. 13, 1952, edition of the Advance:

Elimination of the five-cent bus-subway transfer July 1 was followed by a 12 per cent increase in railroad passenger traffic, the SIRT reported today.

The SIRT carried 414,315 passengers last month as compared to 369,329 in July 1951, an increase of 44,986 riders.

The most spectacular increase was on the North Shore line, where the jump went from 57,886 to 80,011, a rise of 38 per cent.

From the April 28, 1951 edition of the Advance:

By Ray J. Cannon, Superintendent, Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway

The year 1951 marks the 100th anniversary of rail transportation on Staten Island. From a small beginning the story of its progress leads through a maze of effort and counter-effort, the story of wage earners and of public -- spirited men and women whose aim was to provide Staten Island with a vital transit facility.

In 1851 a group of farmers and businessmen organized and built a railroad from Clifton to Tottenville which connected with the ferry to Perth Amboy. Prominent among the organizers was William H. Vanderbilt, eldest son of the illustrious commodore. The venture did not prove successful, and with many other industries it went bankrupt during the panic of 1857.

From the May 20, 1949 edition of the Advance:

Due to revenue losses which it attributes chiefly to the seven-cent bus fare, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Company is planning to apply shortly to the Public Service Commission for permission to discontinue its passenger service on the island, it was learned yesterday.

According to reports the railroad already has advised the commission of its plan and will present its formal application to that agency in the near future.

The report was confirmed today by Borough President Hall, who said he was aware of the plan, but indicated that the railroad would have considerable difficulty in carrying it out unless the city decides to take it over.

Staten Island's claim to infamy used to be the former Fresh Kills landfill. No longer.

The Staten Island Expressway has overtaken the dump as the borough's sore-spot icon, fueled by its role as a major cog in the region's transportation network, and a relentless crush of trucks, cars, SUVs and buses.

The roadway, jammed to capacity with as many as 170,000 vehicles a day, has exacted an enormous toll on the Island, far beyond a few lost minutes every day and the $8-$10 tolls charged at the bridges at the expressway's east and west entrances.

Advance file photoBrooklyn-bound motorists chug up the Bradley Avenue/Todt Hill incline.

We want to know what you think about Staten Island Expressway traffic. Send your thoughts to transportation@siadvance.com. Got a question? We'll pass the best questions onto those who can provide the answers. Got a suggestion? We'll make sure it's heard.

A ride on the Staten Island Expressway during rush hour is enough to drive motorists to exhaustion before they even get to work in the morning.

That's the reality for thousands of commuters who creep and crawl this way every day. And it's only going to get worse unless changes are made soon.

To see for yourself, check out our video and take a ride with Advance transportation reporter Maura Yates. Trust us: It's better than the real thing.

Believe it: At one time, it was smooth sailing on the Staten Island Expressway.

But it didn't last long. Take a look at our photo gallery from the Advance archives for some rarely seen images taken over the decades.

The pictures tell the story. From the time it opened in 1964 through the 1970s, traffic flowed fairly well on the Staten Island Expressway. By the 1980s, it was crowded.

Today, it's a parking lot much of the day.

We asked Island elected officials: What are the biggest problems facing the S.I. Expressway, and what is your office doing about it?

Here's what they had to say:

7.7 miles: Length of highway
50-60 minutes: Time is takes to traverse the highway during peak traffic
44 years: Age of roadway
50,000 vehicles: Volume of traffic per day, 1965
170,000 vehicles: Volume of traffic on peak days, today
$26 million: Cost of bus lanes opened in 2005
$54 million: Original cost of building entire highway

When the Staten Island Expressway makes headlines, it usually has something to do with the non-stop growth in traffic on the roadway. Read on for a history of the roadway:

From the pages of the Staten Island Advance:

Feb. 24, 1950:
BOROUGH PLANS EXPRESSWAY TO HANDLE NEW BRIDGE TRAFFIC
The Clove Lakes Expressway, for which tentative plans have already been considered, will, with other proposed through-Staten Island highways, make provision for the influx of traffic which will follow construction of the Narrows Bridge.

The borough's preparation to meet their additional traffic toll, still several years in the future, was explained yesterday at the close of a talk given before members of the Staten Island Kiwanis Club and the Staten Island Lions Club by Robert Crosson, chief highway engineer in the Richmond Borough engineering bureau.

Advance file photo1964: The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll plaza, two months before the bridge and eastern end of the Staten Island Expressway opened.

From the pages of the Staten Island Advance:

Nov. 20, 1964:
WHITE RIBBON OF CONCRETE CUTS ACROSS OUR ISLE

Five years ago there were homes, churches, a school and open fields.

Today a ribbon of concrete, bordered by black and green, cuts through the North Shore to form Staten Island's first major highway.

The Staten Island Expressway, completed just under the wire for use by bridge traffic, was a costly, complicated and castigated project.

Advance file photo1969: Motorists with overheated engines park jam on the Staten Island Expressway at the entrance in the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on a warm spring day.

From the pages of the Staten Island Advance:

July 16, 1971:
ACCIDENT SNARLS EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC

Brooklyn-bound traffic on the Staten Island Expressway was snarled at the Targee St. overpass around 4:30 p.m. yesterday as the result of a collision between a truck and an auto.

Advance file photo1979: Staten Island Expressway motorists have something rarely found today: Breathing room.

From the pages of the Staten Island Advance

Aug. 21, 1983:
ISLAND FACING MASSIVE TRAFFIC TIE-UP

No matter which roadways are ultimately chosen to replace the unbuilt section of the Richmond Parkway, the eastern stretch of the Staten Island Expressway will suffer from a sea of cars jamming up the Verrazano Bridge.

Advance file photo1987: New Jersey-bound traffic is backed up toward the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. On the top left, motorists bail out at the Richmond Road/Clove Road exit.

The late Pasquale Caro of Mariners Harbor was the first motorist to travel the sleek North Shore stretch of what was then known as the Clove Lakes Expressway when the barriers were opened on Jan. 30, 1964, at 12:39 p.m.

"It's beautiful. Wonderful," he told the Advance that afternoon. "Wow, what a road!"Caro's daughters, who now reside in Old Bridge, N.J., remember that the expressway (planned by the city's late master builder, Robert Moses) cut their father's intra-borough commute time in half.

Advance file photo1979: Staten Island Expressway motorists have something rarely found today: Breathing room.