NY Waterway
Locale | New Jersey New York | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Waterway | Hudson River East River New York Bay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transit type | Passenger ferry Excursions Sightseeing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Port Imperial Ferry Company[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Began operation | December 3, 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of lines | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of vessels | 32[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of terminals | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 18,148 (weekday average, September 2022)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley. The company utilizes public-private partnership with agencies such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Transit, New York City Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide service and maintain docking facilities.[4]
NY Waterway uses ferry slips at three terminals in Manhattan and terminals and slips in Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Edgewater, all located along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, as well as South Amboy in Middlesex County. Commuter peak service is also provided on the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry, Newburgh–Beacon Ferry, and to the Raritan Bayshore. NY Waterway offers excursion and sightseeing trips[5] to Yankee Stadium,[6] Gateway National Recreation Area, and Governors Island.
The Manhattan to Jersey City route is used as one of the alternatives to the George Washington Bridge for connecting the New York City and New Jersey segments of the East Coast Greenway hiking and biking trail.
As of November 2019, NY Waterway has a total fleet of 32 vessels.[2]
History
Founding and early years
In 1981, Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr., a trucking magnate, purchased a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) length of the Weehawken, New Jersey waterfront, where the company is based,[7] from the bankrupt Penn Central for $7.5 million, with the plan to redevelop the brownfield site along the west bank of the Hudson River waterfront and to restore ferry service to it.
In 1986, Imperatore established New York Waterway,[8] with a route across the river between Weehawken Port Imperial and Pier 78 on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan.
Three years later, it began operation between Hoboken Terminal and Battery Park City.[9][10]
During the course of the next decade numerous routes across the Hudson were added.[11] NY Waterway briefly also operated a high-speed ferry from Staten Island to East 34th Street in 1998,[12] but discontinued it due to low ridership. This marked the first time that NY Waterway discontinued a route.[13]
Expansion and near bankruptcy
The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center destroyed the PATH terminal located there, greatly reducing cross-Hudson River passenger capacity. The company was well-positioned to take advantage of government investment in ferry service, receiving subsidies and generous agreements to docking at public facilities.[11][14] NY Waterway service quickly expanded by adding new routes and increasing the frequency of crossings, heavily borrowing to fund the acquisition of additional vessels.
After PATH service was restored ridership significantly declined, the loss of passengers brought the company, unable to reduce its fixed costs, to brink of bankruptcy. By December 2004, there was deep concern that there would be a total shutdown of ferry service, disrupting the commutes of 30,000 daily riders.[15] The Port Authority, as well as city and state agencies had already contracted the construction of new ferry terminals to be leased to private operators. The shutdown was averted when the new Billybey Ferry Company, which had never before operated ferry services, founded by Manhattan lawyer William B. Wachtel, agreed to take over almost half of NY Waterway's equipment and routes. The remaining service remained under control of the Port Imperial Ferry Corporation, the legal name of the original organization. Other ferry and sightseeing boat operators were displeased that the Port Authority approved the transfer without a transparent bidding process.[16]
East River Ferry
In February 2011, NY Waterway was contracted to operate a route calling at slips in Brooklyn and Queens as well as the East River terminals, replacing an earlier peak-only service operated by New York Water Taxi.[17] In June 2011, the NY Waterway-operated East River Ferry line started operations.[18][19] The route was a 7-stop East River service that ran between East 34th Street and Pier 11, making one intermediate stop in Queens and four in Brooklyn. The fare was $4 per one-way ticket.[19]
Subsidized by the City of New York, the service was originally intended for commuters, but after a few months became popular with weekend users and tourists.[20] It was used by two to six times the number of passengers that the city predicted would ride the ferries. From June to November 2011, the ferry accommodated 2,862 riders on an average weekday, as opposed to a projection of 1,488 riders, and it had 4,500 riders on an average weekend, six times the city's projected ridership; in total, the ferry saw 350,000 riders in that period, over 250% of the initial ridership forecast of 134,000 riders.[21] The route was merged into NYC Ferry on May 1, 2017, coming under the operation of Hornblower Cruises.[22][23]
In December 2016, the company announced it would reacquire Billybey Ferry and merge ownership back under a single roof.[24]
2023 FTA grant
In 2023, the state of New Jersey received an $11.3 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for ferries in the state. As a part of this grant, NY Waterway was given $7.298 million to convert four ferries from diesel to hybrid power.[25]
Rescue operations
September 11 attacks
NY Waterway has played a role in a number of rescue and emergency operations.[26] In the immediate aftermath of collapse of the World Trade Center, the company played a major role in the maritime response following the September 11 attacks and the evacuation of passengers who otherwise would have been stranded[27] because of the chaos in the regional transportation network. It is estimated that NY Waterway transported over 150,000 people.[28] The Hudson Riverfront 9/11 Memorial is located near the NY Waterway terminal.
Northeast blackout of 2003
The ferry service also brought people across the river during Northeast Blackout of 2003 when service on New Jersey Transit and Port Authority Trans-Hudson trains could not operate. During the 2005 New York City transit strike it provided alternative transportation.
US Airways Flight 1549
In January 2009, the company was instrumental in the rescue of passengers of US Airways Flight 1549, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after both of its engines failed.[29] The firm gained media attention both for its efforts to rescue passengers from airplane and for its hiring of 19-year-old Brittany Catanzaro as captain. Thanks in part to the successful efforts of Captains Vincent Lombardi and Catanzaro, together with their crews, all aboard were rescued.
Katherine G
On April 6, 2012, a NY Waterway ferry rescued the crew of the Katherine G, a tugboat that capsized near Liberty Island.[30] The ferry's captain, Mohamed Gouda, had also commanded one of the ferries that participated in the flight 1549 rescue.
Controversies
9/11 fraud settlement
In 2003, the U.S. federal government began investigating NY Waterways in allegations that the company defrauded the federal government after the September 11 attacks.[31] In July 2006 NY Waterway agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle civil fraud charges brought by the United States in connection with payments made by the government to NY Waterway for ferry service after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Government alleged in its complaint that NY Waterway inflated its incremental costs, overstated its ferry service profit margin, and submitted false bills to the Port Authority to gain reimbursement for charter boat expenses that NY waterway, in fact, did not incur.[32]
Homeport controversy
The "home port" for maintenance and refueling has long been located at Port Imperial. NY Waterway sold the upland property and in November 2017 purchased the former Union Dry Dock 8-acre (3.2 ha) site in Hoboken to build a new facility.[33] The city and the company are embroiled in a dispute over its construction. The city has refused to grant permission to allow the project to proceed saying that it prevents completion of the a contiguous waterfront walkway. A plan for NJ Transit to purchase the property and lease it to NY Waterway was withdrawn after intervention by Governor Phil Murphy[34][35] NY Waterway is suing the city to allow it to continue with construction.[36] NY Waterway and city reached a deal in which the ferry company would sell the land to the municipality for about $18.5 million, but the sale as of November 2022 had not been finalized.[37]
It was then suggested the homeport in Weehawken would instead be expanded.[38] In January 2022, the Weehawken municipal government passed a resolution opposing the expansion of what has long been a temporary facility.[39] The property in Hoboken again become controversial with proposals to acquire it via eminent domain.[40] In February 2023 the city signed 5-year lease with NY Waterway to continue using the property.[41] It has made applications to improve the site.[42]
Safety issues
On November 24, 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard pulled 23 ferries out of the company's 32-vessel fleet due to safety issues following a routine annual inspection.[2][43] Customers experienced delays the following day, but all but one vessel had resumed service by the evening of November 25.[44]
Alleged Clean Water Act violations
Two former employees alleged in November 2020 that the company ordered employees to dump untreated sewage into the Hudson.[45]
NJ Transit fare-sharing
In June 2012, New Jersey Transit and NY Waterway began a fare-sharing program for riders transferring between the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and ferries at Port Imperial for ten-trip and monthly tickets.[46] in a program called Surf and Turf[47] In May 2013, NY Waterway initiated afternoon bus service along the NJT bus routes 158 and 159R, which travel north to Fort Lee, and 156R, with continuing service to Englewood Cliffs.[48][49] Passengers who purchase a 10-trip or a Monthly Joint Bus-Ferry pass take the bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal during mornings and travel by ferry in the evening.[50]
In December 2014, it was announced that NJT will buy ten buses for NY Waterway's use on its Manhattan bus routes.[50] In January 2016, NY Waterway and NJT introduced the Hudson GoPass, allowing for unlimited use on light rail, ferry and bus routes 156, 158, 159.[51] NJ Transit has also provided funding for boat maintenance and bus purchases.[52]
Routes and terminals
New Jersey—Manhattan services
Manhattan services originate across five localities in New Jersey: Edgewater in Bergen County, and Weehawken, Hoboken, and Jersey City in Hudson County, and South Amboy in Middlesex County.[53] These localities are listed below from north to south.
Intra-NYC services
Terminals | Year begun | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Red Hook/IKEA Erie Basin |
↔ | Midtown / West 39th Street Pier 79, Midtown |
2021[74][75] |
|
Upstream Hudson services
Terminals | Year begun | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Haverstraw | ↔ | Ossining Metro-North station |
2000[56] |
|
Newburgh | Beacon Metro-North station |
2005[76] |
The Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry connects Haverstraw in Rockland County with Ossining in Westchester County. The Ossining terminal is located adjacent to Ossining station, which is served by Metro-North's Hudson Line. The Newburgh–Beacon Ferry connects Newburgh in Orange County with Beacon in Dutchess County. The Beacon terminal is located adjacent to Beacon station, also served by the Hudson Line. Both ferries are operated under a contract from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Manhattan connecting buses
NY Waterway operates connecting bus service for ferry passengers on different routes in Manhattan.
Discontinued services
At various points in the past, NY Waterway has also provided ferry service to other destinations including LaGuardia Airport, Newport, Harborside, Liberty State Park, Belford, Sandy Hook, and Belmar, New Jersey.[56] Ferry services for Belford, Sandy Hook, Atlantic Highlands, and Highlands along the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County, New Jersey were given to Seastreak.
See also
- Circle Line Sightseeing
- Liberty Landing Ferry
- Staten Island Ferry
- List of ferries across the Hudson River to New York City
- List of ferries across the East River
References
- ^ Mestanza, Jean-Pierre (July 1, 2011). "NY Waterway adds ferries to Brooklyn and Queens from Manhattan's Wall Street/Pier 11". NJ.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Coast Guard suspends NY Water ferries over safety issues". Associated Press. November 24, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Private Ferry Monthly Passenger Counts". NYC Open Data. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ Dunlap, David W. (April 7, 2002). "Launching a Flotilla of Ferry Terminals". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ "Your Key to the City". Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ Maurer, Mark (October 6, 2010). "NY Waterway's Yankee Clipper offers 'Sailgate' cruises to all Yankees post-season home games". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ "Nancy Rieger and Armand Pohan". The New York Times. May 20, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
- ^ Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009). "20 Years Crossing the Hudson". Jersey City Reporter. Hoboken: Hudson Reporter. pp. 7 & 16. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Battery Park City Ferry Terminal". McLaren Engineering Group. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ Uhlig, Mark A. (May 5, 1988). "Site in Manhattan is Chosen for New Ferry Terminal". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ a b Bagli, Charles V.; Flynn, Kevin (July 22, 2003). "A Fleet and How It Grew; Ferry Operator's Dominance Draws Rivals' Anger". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ Newman, Andy (December 30, 1997). "Another Ferry Service to Take Over Staten Island Route". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Pristin, Terry (July 7, 1998). "Speedy Ferry Service Between Staten Island and West 38th St. Is Ending". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Bagli, Charles V. (June 25, 2003). "City Lost Money From Ferry Operators' Fees, the Comptroller Finds". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
- ^ Golway, Terry (December 19, 2004). "Transportation; Mutiny on the Hudson". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- ^ McGeehan, Patrick (February 15, 2005). "Port Authority Picks Lawyer To Run Ferries on Hudson". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
- ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 1, 2011). "Ferries to Ply East River Far More Regularly Soon". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ Clark, Roger (June 1, 2011). "East River Ferry Service To Make A Splash". NY1. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ a b Grynbaum, Michael M.; Quinlan, Adriane (June 13, 2011). "East River Ferry Service Begins". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ McGeehan, Patrick (October 16, 2011), "Though Others Failed, New East River Ferries Are a Hit", The New York Times, retrieved October 22, 2011
- ^ McGeehan, Patrick (October 16, 2011). "East River Ferry Service Exceeds Expectations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "NYC launches ferry service with Queens, East River routes". NY Daily News. Associated Press. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ Levine, Alexandra S.; Wolfe, Jonathan (May 1, 2017). "New York Today: Our City's New Ferry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ Moore, Kirk (December 9, 2016). "NY Waterway makes Billybey buyback". WorkBoat. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Higgs, Larry (January 24, 2023). "N.J. is getting $11.3M from feds for hybrid-powered ferries and an upgraded ferry terminal". nj.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Video: NY Waterway ferry boat captain recalls the 9/11 attacks as viewed on the Hudson River". NJ.com. August 25, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ Rife, Judy (October 12, 2005). "Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Crew Set to Go". Times Herald-Record. Middletown. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
- ^ David, Brittney; Atmonavage, Joe; Stanmyre, Matthew (September 10, 2021). "The great boat lift of 9/11: The unsung story of how hundreds of thousands were rescued that tragic day". NJ Advance Media nj.
- ^ Applebome, Peter (January 17, 2009). "A Small Town's Recurring Role as a Rescue Beacon". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
- ^ "Tugboat Capsizes Near Liberty Island; 3 People Rescued". CBS News. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ Bagli, Charles V. (April 18, 2003). "Ferry Operator Is the Target Of U.S. Inquiry". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "Ferry Operator Agrees to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle Civil Charges That It Defrauded the Government After the September 11th Terrorist Attacks" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Hine, Ron (March 8, 2018). "FAQs on the NY Waterway depot proposed for Union Dry Dock property". Fund for a Better Waterfront.
- ^ McDonald, Corey W. (April 24, 2019). "NY Waterway says Hoboken's refusal to talk may be met with legal action". NJ.com.
- ^ Villanova, Patrick (April 24, 2019). "Here's what NY Waterway's proposed Hoboken facility could look like". NJ.com.
- ^ "New rules for Airbnb up for consideration at next Jersey City Council meeting". NJ.com. June 7, 2019.
- ^ West, Teri (November 4, 2022). "Tired of delays and inaction, Weehawken group plans rally to tell NY Waterway: Get out!". NJ.com.
- ^ West, Teri (June 17, 2021). "Hoboken-New York Waterway fight over waterfront land ends with $18.5 million deal". NJ.com.
- ^ Israel, Daniel (January 13, 2022). "Weehawken wants NY Waterway maintenance facility gone". Hudson Reporter.
- ^ Koosau, Mark (October 22, 2022). "Eminent domain for Union Dry Dock site is authorized….again". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ West, Teri (February 17, 2023). "Hoboken OKs New York Waterway lease for Union Dry Dock waterfront property despite concerns". NJ.com.
- ^ West, Teri (April 10, 2023). "NY Waterway heads to Hoboken Planning Board with plans to renovate Union Dry Dock site". NJ.com.
- ^ Zoppo, Avalon (November 24, 2019). "New York Waterway ferries suspended after failing inspections. Here's how it will affect Monday's commute". NJ.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Most NY Waterway Service Restored After Ferries Suspended Due To Safety Inspections". CBS New York. November 25, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Tully, Tracey (December 4, 2020). "Big Ferry Company Dumped Sewage Into Hudson for Years, Whistle-Blowers Say". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "NJ Transit & NY Waterway Joint "Discounted" Ticket". The Star-Ledger. NY Waterway. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ Frassinelli, Mike (May 31, 2012). "NJ Transit, NY Waterway collaborate for cheaper 'Surf and Turf' pass". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ Frassinelli, Mike (May 24, 2013). "Ferry commute sidesteps cramped Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority Bus Terminal". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ '"Try Cruising Home Tonight" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Vena, Joseph R. (September 16, 2013). "NY Waterway Bus-Ferry Travel Option expansion offers commuters faster ride home". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- ^ "Hudson Go Pass". Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ Maag, Christopher (April 14, 2016). "NJ Transit gets $6M for improvements to ferry boats". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ "Ferry Terminals". NY Waterway. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ "Edgewater Ferry Landing". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Midtown / W. 39th St". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "NY Waterway Company History" (PDF). NY Waterway. March 22, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Edgewater Ferry Landing – Midtown/W. 39th St". NY Waterway. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Port Imperial / Weehawken". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Pier 11 / Wall St". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ferries in the Region: Challenges and Opportunities" (PDF). Regional Plan Association. November 2006. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
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- ^ "Lincoln Harbor / Weehawken". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ "Hoboken NJ Transit Terminal". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "Brookfield Place Terminal". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "Paulus Hook – Midtown / W. 39th St". NY Waterway. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ a b "Paulus Hook". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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- ^ "Liberty Harbor / Marin Blvd". www.nywaterway.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
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- ^ "South Amboy Ferry Service – Starts Oct 30". www.nywaterway.com. October 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ "New NY Waterway ferry terminal coming to South Amboy". News 12 – New Jersey. October 19, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "There Is An NY Waterway Ferry Going Directly to IKEA from Manhattan This Summer". NBC New York. July 1, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ Brachfeld, Ben (June 30, 2021). "New IKEA ferry line to launch this weekend • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
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