"I hope that in the near future, all the areas not included in the present plan will be included." Rodriguez will co-chair Monday's Council oversight hearing, dubbed "Evaluating the Plan for a Citywide Ferry System" on the Council website.
"I believe ferries play an important role when it comes to identifying different modes of transportation," Rodriguez said in an interview with the Gotham Gazette. Ydanis Rodriguez, Council member for Washington Heights and Inwood and chair of the City Council transportation committee, said that he is looking forward to hearing more details about the plan from EDC-as well as promoting his own proposal for a ferry route along the west side of Manhattan.
Menchaca represents the busy waterway neighborhood of Red Hook. Residents at a recent community meeting in Long Island City were divided over where the neighborhood's stop should be: at Center Boulevard, close to waterfront high-rises, or at 44th Drive, less pedestrian-friendly but also less disruptive for a nearby boathouse.Ĭouncil Member Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn said EDC should try to offer solutions to siting concerns as it implements the project. The few concerns expressed about the current plan are oriented around the locations of landings. His district includes Long Island City, which has seen tremendous residential development in recent years and will be served by one of the new stops.Īt Monday's Council hearing, Van Bramer said he wants to "get a timeline on just when we can expect the landings to be sited, and when we can start service."Ĭouncil Member Ben Kallos of Manhattan's Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island said making sure the three stations planned for his district are moving forward is a "high priority." "We are in a city with an existing transportation infrastructure that is at capacity.So we need additional alternatives," Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer of Queens said. "I think the bigger danger is neglecting other transit."Ĭouncil members interviewed by Gotham Gazette were all supportive of the plan, which they say will provide a convenient mode of transportation in neighborhoods poorly served by subways. "Because it's cheap, politicians can say they're pro-transit," Nicole Gelinas, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, said. The boats' estimated $55 million price tag and $10 to $20 million annual operating subsidies are also a fraction of the city's $78.5 billion budget for the 2016 fiscal year.
One reason why the ferry plan is uncontroversial may be its relatively small size: its estimated 4.6 million riders per year by 2018 is less than the subway's average daily weekday ridership of nearly 5.6 million in 2014 (with 1.75 billion subway rides for the year). "Beyond connecting residents to jobs in Manhattan, our new citywide ferry system will spur the development of new commercial corridors throughout the outer boroughs," de Blasio said during his State of the City speech. De Blasio said in February that rides would cost $2.75-the same as a subway or bus swipe, though MetroCards won't be accepted for payment-and that the system would bring residents of far-flung waterfront neighborhoods "closer to the opportunities they need."
A sixth route to Staten Island is "proposed" but not part of the two phases or included in cost estimates. The five planned ferry routes, connecting 21 locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, will be rolled out in two phases in 20, according to the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Meanwhile, others like Staten Island Borough President James Oddo want the system expanded further. Ahead of a City Council hearing on the topic scheduled for Monday, no Council member has publicly opposed the plan, while some have loudly praised it.īut this support comes despite concerns from transit advocates that ferries may not be the most cost-effective form of transportation for New Yorkers and that other investments in buses or bike lanes should not be overlooked. Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposed expansion of the city's ferry system, announced in February, appears to be one of the least politically controversial initiatives of his term.
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