NY Waterway

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
NY Waterway's Empire State ferry at the Paulus Hook terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey in February 2023
LocaleNew Jersey
New York
WaterwayHudson River
East River
New York Bay
Transit typePassenger ferry
Excursions
Sightseeing
OwnerPort Imperial Ferry Company[1]
Began operationDecember 3, 1986
No. of lines23
No. of vessels32[2]
No. of terminals18
Daily ridership18,148 (weekday average, September 2022)[3]
Websitewww.nywaterway.com
Route map
NY Waterway routes
Edgewater Landing
Weehawken Port Imperial
West Midtown
Lincoln Harbor
14th Street
Hoboken Terminal
Brookfield Place
Paulus Hook
Liberty Harbor
Wall Street

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. 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

The company's headquarters and terminal in Weehawken, New Jersey

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]

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

Coming to the aid of downed 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

Battery Park City Ferry Terminal (on left) is moored in the Hudson River just north of World Financial Center North Cove

9/11 fraud settlement

In 2003, the U.S. federal government began investigating NY Waterways in allegations that the company defrauded the federal government of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack. The United States attorney and the inspector general were trying to determine whether New York Waterway submitted invoices enabling the company to be paid twice for the same expenses and whether it overcharged for other items.[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

Weekday peak hour routes
Weekend routes
A Goldman Sachs-owned ferry at Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal
A ferry on the Liberty Harbor route crossing the Morris Canal

New Jersey—Manhattan services

Manhattan services originate across four localities in New Jersey: Edgewater in Bergen County, and Weehawken, Hoboken, and Jersey City in Hudson County.[53] These localities are listed below from north to south.

Terminals Year begun Notes
Edgewater Edgewater Ferry Landing[54] Midtown / West 39th Street
Pier 79, Midtown[55]
2006[56]
  • Weekday peak service only
  • Intermediate stop in the peak direction at Port Imperial[57]
Weehawken Port Imperial[58] 1986[8]
Pier 11 / Wall Street
Financial District[59]
2000[60]
Lincoln Harbor and 14th Street[62] Midtown / West 39th Street
Pier 79, Midtown[55]
1989 (Lincoln Harbor)[56]
Hoboken 2001 (14th Street)[56]
Hoboken Terminal[63] Brookfield Place
Battery Park City[64]
1989[56]
Pier 11 / Wall Street
Financial District[59]
2001[60]
  • Weekday peak service only
Hoboken Terminal and Paulus Hook[66] Midtown / West 39th Street
Pier 79, Midtown[55]
2017 (Hoboken Terminal)[56]
Jersey City 2001 (Paulus Hook)[56]
Paulus Hook
Exchange Place[66]
Brookfield Place
Battery Park City[64]
1994[56]
Liberty Harbor
Marin Boulevard[67]
Pier 11 / Wall Street
Financial District[59]
2001[56]

Intra-NYC services

Terminals Year begun Notes
IKEA
Erie Basin, Red Hook
Midtown / West 39th Street
Pier 79, Midtown
2021[69][70]
  • Weekend service only
  • Formerly operated by New York Water Taxi
  • Intermediate stop at Pier 11/Wall Street
  • Dropoff only at Pier 11 going northbound only
  • Southbound trips pickup and dropoff at Pier 11.

Upstream Hudson services

The Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry at the Haverstraw dock
Terminals Year begun Notes
Haverstraw Ossining
Train station
2000[56]
  • Weekday peak service only
Newburgh Beacon
Train station
2005[71]
  • Weekday peak service only

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 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, Port Liberté, Belford, Sandy Hook, and Belmar, New Jersey.[56]

See also

References

  1. 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.
  2. "Coast Guard suspends NY Water ferries over safety issues". Associated Press. November 24, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. "Private Ferry Monthly Passenger Counts". NYC Open Data. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  4. Dunlap, David W. (April 7, 2002). "Launching a Flotilla of Ferry Terminals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  5. "Your Key to the City". Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. Maurer, Mark (October 6, 2010). "NY Waterway's Yankee Clipper offers 'Sailgate' cruises to all Yankees post-season home games". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  7. "Nancy Rieger and Armand Pohan". The New York Times. May 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  8. 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 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  9. "Battery Park City Ferry Terminal". McLaren Engineering Group. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  10. Uhlig, Mark A. (May 5, 1988). "Site in Manhattan is Chosen for New Ferry Terminal". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  11. 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 2011-02-20.
  12. Newman, Andy (1997-12-30). "Another Ferry Service to Take Over Staten Island Route". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  13. Pristin, Terry (1998-07-07). "Speedy Ferry Service Between Staten Island and West 38th St. Is Ending". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  14. Bagli, Charles V. (June 25, 2003). "City Lost Money From Ferry Operators' Fees, the Comptroller Finds". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  15. Golway, Terry (December 19, 2004). "Transportation; Mutiny on the Hudson". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  16. McGeehan, Patrick (February 15, 2005). "Port Authority Picks Lawyer To Run Ferries on Hudson". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  17. Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 1, 2011). "Ferries to Ply East River Far More Regularly Soon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  18. 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.
  19. Grynbaum, Michael M.; Quinlan, Adriane (June 13, 2011). "East River Ferry Service Begins". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  20. McGeehan, Patrick (October 16, 2011), "Though Others Failed, New East River Ferries Are a Hit", The New York Times, retrieved 2011-10-22
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  23. Levine, Alexandra S.; Wolfe, Jonathan (2017-05-01). "New York Today: Our City's New Ferry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  24. Moore, Kirk (December 9, 2016). "NY Waterway makes Billybey buyback". WorkBoat. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  25. Higgs, Larry (24 January 2023). "N.J. is getting $11.3M from feds for hybrid-powered ferries and an upgraded ferry terminal". nj.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  26. "Video: NY Waterway ferry boat captain recalls the 9/11 attacks as viewed on the Hudson River". NJ.com. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  27. Rife, Judy (October 12, 2005). "Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Crew Set to Go". Times Herald-Record. Middletown. Archived from the original on 2005-12-12. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  28. 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.
  29. Applebome, Peter (January 17, 2009). "A Small Town's Recurring Role as a Rescue Beacon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  30. "Tugboat Capsizes Near Liberty Island; 3 People Rescued". CBS News. 2012-04-06. Archived from the original on 2012-04-09. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
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  32. "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 18 April 2019.
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  34. McDonald, Corey W. (April 24, 2019). "NY Waterway says Hoboken's refusal to talk may be met with legal action". NJ.com.
  35. Villanova, Patrick (April 24, 2019). "Here's what NY Waterway's proposed Hoboken facility could look like". NJ.com.
  36. "New rules for Airbnb up for consideration at next Jersey City Council meeting". NJ.com. June 7, 2019.
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  40. Koosau, Mark (2022-10-22). "Eminent domain for Union Dry Dock site is authorized….again". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  41. West, Teri (February 17, 2023). "Hoboken OKs New York Waterway lease for Union Dry Dock waterfront property despite concerns". NJ.com.
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  45. Tully, Tracey (4 December 2020). "Big Ferry Company Dumped Sewage Into Hudson for Years, Whistle-Blowers Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
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  51. "Hudson Go Pass". Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
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  64. "Brookfield Place Terminal". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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  66. "Paulus Hook". NY Waterway. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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