So there have been some major changes to the express plan (though unfortunately, the finer details like the spans and frequencies haven't been worked out yet). Keep in mind that this is for informational purposes only (It's not my opinion on the changes, but rather a guide on how to make the best use of the new system)
They have come up with the designations of the routes, and the ridership bases they are intended to cover
SIM1: Pretty much the current X1 truncated to Worth Street. Covers X3 riders and X4 riders south of Midland Avenue heading to destinations on Church Street/Broadway.
Off-peak, SIM1C buses are extended up 6th Avenue to end at 57th Street (pretty much the current X1, except it doesn't head west to 7th Avenue before heading east to 5th Avenue).
SIM2: A restructured X19, which covers Arden Heights/Huguenot, and is extended to Tottenville via Hylan Blvd (providing more Downtown coverage on the South Shore). Off-peak service added to maintain off-peak express service in Arden Heights (since the SIM4C would be truncated to Annadale Road), and expand coverage to the southern part of the Hylan Blvd corridor (Technically, it also covers part of the X17 midday route in Tottenville, though very few riders actually use it due to how circuitous it is)
SIM3: A restructured X42, which operates to Port Richmond instead of Mariners Harbor. Covers Midtown-bound X14 riders in Port Richmond, and Midtown-bound X10B riders in Graniteville, as well as X42 riders in Westerleigh & Castleton Corners. For those who live in Mariners Harbor or Arlington, they can either make their way down to the SIM30 on Forest Avenue (whether on foot or via local bus) or take the S48/98 or SIM34 to Forest & Richmond for the SIM3.
Off-peak, the SIM3C will operate via Lower Manhattan (pretty much like the present-day X12 except it operates to Port Richmond instead of Mariners Harbor, and will also operate via Narrows Road instead of staying on the Staten Island Expressway). It will cover present-day X10 riders in Port Richmond, Graniteville, Concord, and Arrochar, as well as provide new coverage in Westerleigh & Castleton Corners.
SIM4: The X17A. Off-peak, SIM4C buses will be extended up 6th Avenue & Madison Avenue to end at 57th Street, and will operate via Gannon Avenue west of Slosson Avenue, covering present-day X10 riders on that corridor. (Riders along Narrows Road in Concord will be accommodated by the SIM3C)
At the height of rush hour, SIM4X buses will operate nonstop between Marsh Avenue & Westport Street and Battery Place in Lower Manhattan.
SIM5: The X8. Accommodates some present-day X4 riders traveling from the central part of Hylan Blvd to Lower Manhattan, who don't want to deal with the slower ride on the SIM1 (as well as present-day X4 riders on Father Capodanno Blvd)
At the height of rush hour, SIM5X buses will operate nonstop between the South Beach Park-and-Ride and Battery Place in Lower Manhattan.
SIM6: A combination of the X5 and X7. Buses will operate via the X7 route on Staten Island, and the X5 route in Manhattan (Staten Island-bound buses will use 5th Avenue instead of Lexington Avenue). Midtown-bound X7 riders can use this route. Present-day X5 riders along Richmond Avenue can take the S79 (or the SIM1/7/10) to Giffords Lane to catch it (or they can take the SIM10 or SIM22 directly to their destination)
At the height of rush hour, SIM6X buses will operate nonstop between the South Beach Park-and-Ride and 23rd Street & 1st Avenue.
SIM7: Operates via the present-day X1 route on Staten Island, and the X7/9 route in Manhattan, except it is truncated to 14th Street. (Riders to/from 23rd Street and points north should use the SIM6 or SIM10).
SIM8: The X17J restructured to operate via Woodrow Road instead of Arden Avenue & Drumgoole Road. Riders along Huguenot Avenue should use the SIM24, and riders along Arden Avenue should use the SIM23. The route was originally supposed to end at Annadale Road & Drumgoole Road West, but it was extended to Huguenot to provide coverage along the eastern part of Woodrow Road. I would assume that in the interest of cost-neutrality, they would probably start half of the trips at the Eltingville Transit Center at the height of rush hour.
SIM10: Operates via the present-day X1 route on Staten Island, and takes the FDR Drive to 23rd Street to reach 6th Avenue (the SIM6 covers Madison Avenue). Covers Midtown-bound riders on the present-day X2, X7, and X9, as well as some riders on the Richmond Avenue portion of the present-day X5.
SIM15: The present-day X15, except it will operate strictly via Water Street instead of via the Downtown Loop.
SIM22: The present-day X21, restructured to operate via 5th/Madison Avenue to 57th Street instead of directly across 42nd Street. It offers an alternative for present-day X17J & X23 riders along Arthur Kill Road, as well as some present-day X5 riders traveling between the Richmond Avenue corridor and Madison Avenue corridor.
SIM23: The present-day X24, restructured to operate directly down Arden Avenue (instead of taking Huguenot Avenue & Woodrow Road to reach it). Covers present-day X17J riders in Arden Heights, and operates to Hylan & Barclay in Southeast Annadale instead of traveling to Tysens Lane in New Dorp with the buses from the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge.
SIM24: Runs the length of Huguenot Avenue, covering some X17J, X23, and X24 riders.
SIM25: Combines the Rossville Avenue & Hylan Blvd portions of the X22 with the Seguine Avenue/Foster Road portions of the X23.
SIM26: Takes over the Bloomingdale Road/Amboy Road portion of the X22, and is a compromise for eliminating the X22A. It also bypasses Arthur Kill Road and remains on the West Shore Expressway (but still stops in Travis).
SIM30: The X30, but it takes some Midtown riders from the present-day X14 (Port Richmond/West Brighton/Westerleigh area) & X42 (Mariners Harbor). It also runs straight across Forest Avenue in the morning instead of detouring down to South Avenue & Goethals Road North.
June 2018 Update - X31/SIM30 Rosebank Branch
Additionally, a new branch will operate from Rosebank to Midtown (so basically, it will start at Tompkins & Hylan, take the S52 route up to Victory, and then take Victory Blvd down to Forest Avenue). If anybody from Rosebank wants an alternative to taking a local bus down to Narrows Road for an express bus, or a local bus down to the ferry, it's now available. Riders who formerly took the old X18 have slightly more alternatives (since the SIM1/15/35 run Downtown whereas only the SIM10 runs to Midtown, and of course for those who choose to use the ferry, parts of Downtown are within walking distance), so there is no corresponding Downtown bus.
SIM31: The X31 rerouted via the FDR Drive, 23rd Street, and 5th/Madison Avenue (instead of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street). Covers some Midtown-bound riders on the X10B. Provides direct service to Kips Bay/East Midtown from the New Springville area, which is presently not covered by the X17J.
SIM32: The X11.
SIM33: Basically the X10B rerouted to Mariners Harbor, and truncated to 14th Street. Also bypasses the Victory Blvd & Richmond Avenue intersection to avoid the associated traffic. Serves as an alternative for X12 riders in Mariners Harbor headed to/from the Greenwich Village area.
SIM34: The X12 truncated to Worth Street.
SIM35: The X14 truncated to the present-day X8 terminal at Frankfort Street (In other words, they're swapping out the X14 for the old X13). Midtown-bound riders should take the SIM3 along Watchogue Road, or the SIM30 along Forest Avenue.
Now, here's a few basic tips I'll give to some commonly-asked questions about travel patterns. It should be noted the the MTA plans on implementing a 3-legged transfer on express buses (so if the second leg of your trip is on the express bus, you get an additional free transfer. Keep in mind that express bus-express bus transfers are currently permitted).
For those of you who plan on using the SIM5/15/35 but work along Church Street/Broadway and don't want to walk from Water Street, you can get off at Battery Place and take the 4/5 train at Bowling Green, or the M55 bus.
For those of you who work in the vicinity of the World Financial Center, but don't live near the SIM7 or SIM33, you can take a bus down to Battery Place and then take the M20 bus. In the afternoon, you have the option of the M20 or the free Downtown Connect shuttle to get down to Battery Place. Alternatively, you can take the M22 across Chambers Street (or the Downtown Connect shuttle in the other direction, towards City Hall) to get to/from the Church/Broadway corridor (It's slower, and I wouldn't recommend it, but it's worth putting it out there as an option).
For SIM35 riders seeking service to Midtown who don't want to transfer to the subway in Lower Manhattan, you can take the SIM35 to Narrows Road & Hylan Blvd, and transfer to the SIM10, which travels via the FDR Drive. (The same applies to SIM15 riders. And if you live in Sunnyside or Concord, the S93 is also an option to reach Hylan & Narrows as well).
For SIM31 riders seeking service to West Midtown, I would recommend either taking the SIM31 (or S61/91) to Bradley Avenue & Gannon Avenue, and then transferring to the SIM32/33, and then transferring to the subway from there, or taking the S61/91 to Victory Blvd and then taking the SIM3. The S57 to either of those routes also works for those who live on Bradley. Of course, those living near the SI Mall or within walking distance of Richmond Avenue (e.g. Merrymount Street) can take the SIM8 directly to West Midtown.
For any X10B riders in Port Richmond seeking service to the World Financial Center or Greenwich Village, you can take the S44 or S59 to Forest & Richmond to catch the SIM33 (alternatively, you can take the S57 to Bradley & Gannon, depending on where you are). For those along Watchogue Road who want access to Greenwich Village, but don't want to take the subway or M55 from the SIM34, you can take the S57 to Gannon Avenue for the SIM33.
It doesn't really negatively affect too many existing riders, but I'll put it out there anyway (because I think there is a large market for South Shore-Downtown service that the MTA did not adequately address in its new plan): For those on the South Shore who don't live along the SIM2, you can take the SIM23/24/25 to Arthur Kill Road, or take the SIM26 to Travis (the SIM26 will bypass Arthur Kill Road). You can use your 3-legged transfer to take the subway after the SIM2 if necessary.
The E, 7, and N/R/W have crosstown segments in Midtown Manhattan, so for those who don't work in the immediate vicinity of 5th Avenue, an alternative to taking the crosstown bus or taking the subway all the way Downtown is to take the E train (along 53rd Street) or the 7 train (along 42nd Street) to 5th Avenue. The N/R/W run crosstown along 59th Street (so they stop at 57th & 7th, 59th & 5th, and 59th & Lexington), and then also run diagonally across Broadway (so you can make a transfer to an express bus at Broadway & 23rd Street). Additionally, you can take the subway to 42nd Street in West Midtown for a "via NJ" route or take the 6 train down to 23rd Street & Park Avenue and catch a "via FDR" express bus there.
For those who need an ADA-accessible subway station, here are some key stations in Midtown & Downtown:
Lexington Avenue Line: 51st Street, 42nd Street, 23rd Street, Bleecker Street, City Hall, Fulton Street, and Bowling Green
Broadway Line: Cortlandt Street, Union Square, Herald Square, and Times Square
Seventh Avenue Line: South Ferry, Fulton Street, Chambers Street, Penn Station, Times Square, and Columbus Circle
Eighth Avenue Line: Fulton Street, World Trade Center (E train only), West 4th Street, 14th Street, Penn Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, 50th Street, Columbus Circle
Sixth Avenue Line: Broadway/Lafayette, West 4th Street, Herald Square, Rockerfeller Center, Lexington Avenue/53rd Street
Flushing Line: Grand Central, Times Square, Hudson Yards
Those in East Midtown can take the 6 to 23rd & Park for the SIM3/6/10/31, or to Union Square, Astor Place, or Bleecker Street for the SIM7/33 (for those worried about getting a seat). Of course, if you want to take the express, you can take the 4/5 to Fulton Street or Bowling Green and catch a bus Downtown. There's also the option of the E or M (the M is usually a little less crowded) to either the World Trade Center or Broadway/Lafayette for an express bus (Heading towards Manhattan, you can catch either train at West 4th Street)
Additionally, there's also the M15 down to Water Street & Frankfort Street for the SIM5/15/35 (it's a slow option, especially if you take the local instead of the SBS, but it's an option nonetheless)
The 1, W, and E trains all start in Lower Manhattan, so you should be able to find a seat fairly easily (the R train usually isn't too bad either) on the inbound trip. Heading back to Staten Island, the E can get pretty crowded, but you should still be able to find a seat on the 1, R, and W. The M train usually isn't too bad either, to give you an idea of lines you should stick to if crowding is a concern.
People who live along Father Capodanno Blvd (or who parked at the park-and-ride) and want to take an express bus to West Street/Greenwich Village can take the S52 to Fingerboard & Narrows for the SIM7 (or if they really want to get a seat, they can take the S51 back to Hylan & Midland for the SIM7). This also helps those who miss the last SIM5 or SIM6, but don't want to deal with taking the S51 from the ferry. Another alternative (for those who live closer to McClean Avenue is to take the S53 to/from Hylan & Clove and catch the SIM7 there) Of course, as mentioned, you can also transfer to the M20/22 or Downtown Connection on the Manhattan side.
EDIT: 7/24/18
It has come to my attention that the evening schedules are completely messed up. Assuming the MTA doesn't put any backup buses in to fill the gap, there will be a large gap between SIM4/32 & SIM4C service, and SIM34 & SIM3C service in Lower Manhattan. Aside from the obvious ferry-local bus/SIR or (R) train to S53/79/93 alternatives, here are a few alternatives that are available for use.
SIM1C to Narrows Road & Fingerboard Road or Narrows Road & Hylan Blvd for the S93
SIM1C to Hylan Blvd & Clove Road for the S53
The last SIM33 is at 7pm from Union Square and 7:24pm from Vesey & West, which provides an alternative for some SIM4C/32 and SIM3C/34 riders.
Regular SIM1 service is available south of Worth Street, and SIM10 service is available north of 23rd Street, so when in doubt, use the subway or local bus to travel to one of those stops (There's also a gap between SIM1 & SIM7 service during the transition periods between peak and off-peak service).
SIM8 service from Midtown is available until 9pm as an alternative to the SIM4C (and also serves some Arden Heights riders on the X17)
If the SIM4C is too crowded in Lower Manhattan, some riders can take the SIM2 to the West Shore Expressway & Victory Blvd and take the S62 back east towards Bulls Head & Willowbrook
EDIT: 8/17/18
It just occurred to me that the NYC ferry service operates along the East Side of Manhattan. So if you work in the vicinity of 34th Street & 1st Avenue, you can take the ferry to Wall Street for $2.75 (there's the Astoria line and East River line) and then take the SIM5/15/35 (or for that matter, walk over to the regular Staten Island Ferry). Seastreak is $5 for the same trip. Those ferries don't offer free transfers to/from the express buses, subway, or local buses, so I personally wouldn't take them, but at the same time, they're an option nonetheless. Maybe if you want the experience of riding a fast ferry (unlike the big, slow, Staten Island Ferry) you can try it. The service generally runs every 20-30 minutes during rush hour.
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