Underutilized Waterways Should Be Included in Congestion Pricing Discussion by Vincent Gentile
January 14th, 2008
By City Council Member Vincent Gentile
Imagine a commute free of gridlock and unscheduled delays. Now imagine the sun on your back, flat screen televisions in front of you, and a clear view of Manhattan’s world famous skyline looming before you. That prospect makes going to work early in the morning a lot more bearable.
Did I mention that this trip would take only 20 minutes?
I recently took a ferry ride with local elected officials and concerned citizens on a mock commute from 69th St in Brooklyn to Pier 11 on Wall Street. Our goal was to show the city that returning ferry service to Bay Ridge is not only a desirable and easy way to commute, but it is also a key component of any sensible comprehensive plan to relieve New York City’s choking traffic congestion.
As the debate over congestion pricing intensifies, it is disheartening to see the city ignore a tested solution that would bypass gridlocked roads, relieve the burden on overwhelmed express buses, and reduce overall gas emissions. When Council Member David Yassky and I secured a half-million dollars in fiscal year ’04 to make the 69th St. pier safe and “ferry-friendly,” we had no idea that four years later the money would still sit unused while commuting conditions deteriorated. It boggles my mind to this day that the city would hold hostage this investment in the well-being of our mass transit network.
In southwest Brooklyn, non-drivers have very few transportation options. Express buses are plagued by congestion and bunching, especially during the evening rush hours. One of our local bus routes, the B63, was recently identified by the Straphangers Campaign as the slowest in New York City outside of Manhattan. The R and N subway lines, dubbed “Rarely and Never” by unsympathetic straphangers, are also unreliable, performing well below system-wide standards for on-time performance and breakdown rates. And years of bare-bones maintenance means that not a single one of the 19 subway stations in my district is rated by the MTA as being in a state of “good repair.”
I want the administration to know that the return of ferry service to the 69th Street pier is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. These boats are quiet, quick, green friendly and able to accommodate commuters during peak rush hours. The alternative is to leave commuters to either drive into the city or spend upwards of an hour on subways or buses.
With the city’s recent commitment to bring service to Far Rockaway, all necessary ingredients are in place for ferries to return to Bay Ridge as well. But even as the city makes infrastructure improvements, it has yet to take the steps that would truly integrate ferries into our regional transportation network. Private owners should be guaranteed fare subsidies and allowed to lease city-owned boats. The imminent fare hike imposes an additional burden on commuters who already pay a higher percentage of mass transit operating costs than residents of any other city in the country. It is time for the local and state government to chip in.
Just as important, we need to bring fare integration to ferries: commuters should be able to ride the ferries using the same convenient Metrocards to which they have become accustomed.
I demand that the city at least explore the return of this once vibrant mode of public transportation before I sign off on any legislation approving the Mayor’s congestion pricing proposal. We need to ensure that ferry service is a cornerstone of New York City’s transportation plan, not a footnote. In a city with 578 miles of waterfront, ferry service should be a citywide priority, not just a local solution.
Vincent Gentile is a Democrat representing the Council’s 43rd District, encompassing Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.
Imagine a commute free of gridlock and unscheduled delays. Now imagine the sun on your back, flat screen televisions in front of you, and a clear view of Manhattan’s world famous skyline looming before you. That prospect makes going to work early in the morning a lot more bearable.
Did I mention that this trip would take only 20 minutes?
I recently took a ferry ride with local elected officials and concerned citizens on a mock commute from 69th St in Brooklyn to Pier 11 on Wall Street. Our goal was to show the city that returning ferry service to Bay Ridge is not only a desirable and easy way to commute, but it is also a key component of any sensible comprehensive plan to relieve New York City’s choking traffic congestion.
As the debate over congestion pricing intensifies, it is disheartening to see the city ignore a tested solution that would bypass gridlocked roads, relieve the burden on overwhelmed express buses, and reduce overall gas emissions. When Council Member David Yassky and I secured a half-million dollars in fiscal year ’04 to make the 69th St. pier safe and “ferry-friendly,” we had no idea that four years later the money would still sit unused while commuting conditions deteriorated. It boggles my mind to this day that the city would hold hostage this investment in the well-being of our mass transit network.
In southwest Brooklyn, non-drivers have very few transportation options. Express buses are plagued by congestion and bunching, especially during the evening rush hours. One of our local bus routes, the B63, was recently identified by the Straphangers Campaign as the slowest in New York City outside of Manhattan. The R and N subway lines, dubbed “Rarely and Never” by unsympathetic straphangers, are also unreliable, performing well below system-wide standards for on-time performance and breakdown rates. And years of bare-bones maintenance means that not a single one of the 19 subway stations in my district is rated by the MTA as being in a state of “good repair.”
I want the administration to know that the return of ferry service to the 69th Street pier is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. These boats are quiet, quick, green friendly and able to accommodate commuters during peak rush hours. The alternative is to leave commuters to either drive into the city or spend upwards of an hour on subways or buses.
With the city’s recent commitment to bring service to Far Rockaway, all necessary ingredients are in place for ferries to return to Bay Ridge as well. But even as the city makes infrastructure improvements, it has yet to take the steps that would truly integrate ferries into our regional transportation network. Private owners should be guaranteed fare subsidies and allowed to lease city-owned boats. The imminent fare hike imposes an additional burden on commuters who already pay a higher percentage of mass transit operating costs than residents of any other city in the country. It is time for the local and state government to chip in.
Just as important, we need to bring fare integration to ferries: commuters should be able to ride the ferries using the same convenient Metrocards to which they have become accustomed.
I demand that the city at least explore the return of this once vibrant mode of public transportation before I sign off on any legislation approving the Mayor’s congestion pricing proposal. We need to ensure that ferry service is a cornerstone of New York City’s transportation plan, not a footnote. In a city with 578 miles of waterfront, ferry service should be a citywide priority, not just a local solution.
Vincent Gentile is a Democrat representing the Council’s 43rd District, encompassing Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.
