"Ride the Rapid" appears to have been the slogan of Staten Island Rapid Transit in the 1950s, but I can't find evidence of it in the historical New York Times.

http://www.eldcps.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=120&osCsid=52c1039126512241242f8bf7674faf16
Empire State Trolleys (VHS)

This video contains the films of Al Cramer, an early member of the North Jersey Chapter NRHS. Between 1945 and 1949, Al filmed trolley lines in the 5 Boroughs, Westchester, Albany, Rochester, Jamestown and Buffalo. He also took scenes of the Hudson River DayLine and Mt. Beacon Incline.

This video also contains Ron Wallace's "Ride the Rapid", taken during the grade crossing elimination in the 1960's on the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway, along with "New York Ferries" featuring 8 ferry lines from Staten Island to Newburgh, NY

http://www.thethirdrail.net/0201/sirt2.html
The book became the standard history of the line and, indeed, its quasi-official history. The railroad itself sold the book at its St. George ticket booth, under the banner "Read the Rapid," a pun on the railroad's motto, "Ride the Rapid."

http://www.straphangers.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=27;t=000412
This is how the SIR should be run, under its original moniker: SIRT: Ride the Rapid.

(Google Groups)
Staten Island
... a new connection with Conrail's Chemical Coast line, rather than with Conrail's Lehigh Line at Staten Island Junction, Cranford NJ ... Terry morgan "Ride the Rapid"
misc.transport.rail.americas - Sep 11 2001, 8:14 am by terry morgan - 5 messages - 5 authors

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