Eye Shuttle Rounds

Round and round and round she goes . . . the East Hampton Village Shuttle, that is. The question at summer's midpoint is: Has the village's $30,000 investment paid off?

Some observers have noted plenty of empty seats as the white vehicle makes its daily rounds from the Lumber Lane lot through the business district and back. But Larry Cantwell, the Village Administrator, said this week that ridership was on the rise and he was encouraged.

Starting at maybe five passengers a day at the beginning of July, the shuttle has averaged 40 to 50 riders a day over the past two weeks and went as high as 91 on Friday, when it rained.

People are using it "primarily to park in the long-term lot and ride downtown," Mr. Cantwell said.

Some, Not All

Most of the riders are employees of village businesses. However, the bus was busy last weekend during Saturday's annual Ladies Village Improvement Society Fair: At least 80 passengers were reported to have used the shuttle that day.

Not all businesses understand the importance of their employees' parking in the more remote lot, the administrator said, a practice village officials would like to see continue at least through October. He reported that employees of the A&P continue to use their own lot, making it difficult for shoppers to find nearby spaces.

The Village Board will assess the shuttle's success after Labor Day. They will have to decide whether to repeat the $400-plus-per-day free rides next year and, if so, whether to maintain the same 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule.

Meanwhile, all indications from Bob Christianson, the bus driver, are that riders enjoy the service and think it's "fun to use." A few - though only two so far - are using it to get to the Post Office.