New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) today announced that the 2018 State Budget approved by the State Legislature contains $100,000 for the Town of East Hampton to continue the successful summer bus shuttle in Montauk for the coming summer season.

Thiele first funded the project in 2017. Last year, from late June until Labor Day, East Hampton Town provided a free shuttle bus service in Montauk with regular pickups every 15 to 30 minutes throughout the hamlet between Hither Hills State Park and the downtown and harbor areas. Riders were able to board the bus at pre-scheduled pickup locations, as well as flag down rides along parts of the 16-mile route between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. The Town contracted for the bus service with Hampton Hopper, which ran the mobile-app based shuttle service. Ridership on the shuttle grew from 1,600 passengers its first week to 2,800 passengers by the end of summer.

Thiele stated, “The East End needs more public transit. This year’s state budget provides funding to support the season shuttle in Montauk, as well as $500,000 in state funding for bus connections in association with the South Fork Commuter Connection. That local commuter service is scheduled to begin in early 2019.”