Since the mid-1990s, the state has been building new lanes to speed up bus travel times from Staten Island through Brooklyn to the tunnel.

WSJ: Plan to Aid Staten Island Commuters

"We're trying and hoping to find a way to convert more of our customers that drive single-occupant cars to move over to the bus side, " said James Ferrara, president of the MTA's Bridges and Tunnel division, in a phone interview.

WSJ: Plan to Aid Staten Island Commuters