Ferries could ease transport woes

Real Estate Weekly, June 5, 2002 by Elaine Misonzhnik

If you have ever taken New York subway m the morning, the thought of a commute alternative probably sounds like a dream come true. Well, according to the panelists at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's "Blue Highway" discussion, with a little government help the region's ferry operators will be able to expand routes to as far away as Yonkers in just a year or two.

The president of NY Waterway, Arthur lmperatore, Jr., for example, would like to open new terminals in Riverdale, Long Island City, and Queens West. He thinks that expanded ferry service would serve no only his company, but the region as well, by relieving congestion on the trains and providing outer borough residents with a shorter, more convenient commute.

But Imperatore points out that he cannot possibly compete with public transportation on his own, since government-subsidized subway and bus systems are able to charge significantly less in fair fees.

"Water transportation fills gaps in the regional transportation system," he noted. "But we can't compete with someone who has an unlimited amount of money and never goes out of business. We have been getting subsidies since 9/11 to get people across the Hudson, but we would like the government to keep an open mind about expanding ferry service to other places."

Tom Fox, of New York Water Taxi, would like to increase the number of his routes, as well, bringing water taxi stations to such areas as Greenwich Village, Peter Cooper Town, and the Upper West Side. He admits that his vessels could only serve to "complement larger service providers," but they could relieve the congestion on the ferries during peak hours and provide additional routes for passengers. The point, according to Fox, is "to try to connect more neighborhoods throughout New York City."

But the New York Water Taxi, much as NY Waterway, needs the city government to help these projects come to life.

One promising sign is that the City Council is on the ferry operators' side. David Yassky, a council member, thinks that many waterfront communities are short-changed in terms of mass transportation and suffer economically because of it. Expanding ferry services to underdeveloped areas would revitalize the city and allow more mixed-use development.

"Historically, the New York waterfront has been appropriated for industrial use and the mass transit system does not serve the waterfront areas well," he said. "These are areas that should be redeveloped and ferry service could be enormously helpful."

According to Yassky, the City Council has already created plans for several new ferry routes along the East River, but these have to be implemented within the next few years. "Subsidies will be necessary for waterfront development," he said. "But ferry transportation works in the short term and we have to get it going in the next year or two. The government will have to pitch in."