Status of Ferry Service?

[msion1]

Does anyone have an update? Sonia mentioned that the Newport ferry service may resume in April. It's almost April and I'm anxiously awaiting the reinstatement of service. Does anyone know if it's really going to happen and when?

[Humanoid]

If they do come back, they'll get some benefit from the PATH rerouting weekend NYC-bound trains. More people would prefer ferry to the train. Hope a trip across the river won't be $5 -- it's just too much for such a short travel distance.
Is the downtown route is scheduled to be going back as well? How about direct ferry to WFC?

[renuka]

Hope the weekend service is good ... would be good to get some info and / or a tentative schedule at the very least.

[DogLover]

I really hope they come back!! The commute on the PATH has been miserable.....it's so overcrowded and hot and when it gets really warm outside, it's going to be even worse.
To generate more revenue, the ferry should consider selling advertising space inside and outside the ferrys. They should wrap the seats with a client's logo or have banners inside and outside of the ferry. I have seen them do this with the buses, so doing it on the ferry would be smart AND profitable.

[Sonia]

We made some calls today, and will let you know, as soon as we hear back.

[msion1]

We made some calls today, and will let you know, as soon as we hear back.

Thanks, Sonia! :)

[Jay3]

Doesnt sound promising.

[Sonia]

Actually, it's a better day! spoke this morning with one of the ferry's owners, and was told they are in the final stage of concluding a new landing agreement with the Lefrak organization, and have recently obtained a draft, which is currently under review by them.

It is hoped that service will recommence by mid to late April, and I was promised a status report by the end of the week. I'll keep you posted. :) :)

[msion1]

HI Sonia, any word by the end of last week on the ferry service resuming?

[Jay3]

Buy a canoe....j/k.

[Sonia]

No news yet. Will call them later.

[msion1]

Buy a canoe....j/k.
If I could get canoe parking, I just might! ;)

[Sonia]

I have an update guys, it's not the best of news, but we'll see what happens. Apparently, ferry service has not started because they are having difficulty securing landing rights on the New York side of the river. According to our understanding, New York does not look favorably at facilitating more commutation on the river because office space is more competitive at this time. We will keep you posted.

[privatepilot]

That sounds like BS... NY Waterway operated that route till 12/31 and operated the Hoboken S. route till 10 days ago before they stopped because of lack of rodership ... so all of a sudden there are "landing rights" issues? If anything, they should have "open slots". Doesnt NY Waterway operate and maintain that pier anyways? Sounds a little fishy if you ask me?

[msion1]

That sounds like BS... NY Waterway operated that route till 12/31 and operated the Hoboken S. route till 10 days ago before they stopped because of lack of rodership ... so all of a sudden there are "landing rights" issues? If anything, they should have "open slots". Doesnt NY Waterway operate and maintain that pier anyways? Sounds a little fishy if you ask me?
Very fishy! They don't have landing rights for their own piers? I thought their name was NEW YORK waterways. Whatever.

[itsted]

I am sorry to hear of the delay. As Mark Twain once said, "Life is one damned thing after another."

Sonia, is there something we can do--someone we can write to or send an email to let them know our support of the reinstated route?

[Sonia]

For the skeptics,

For your info, New York Waterways sold the routes for Newport, Harborside and Colgate sometime ago, although Donald Lilioia from NYW is still involved in it's management. The new company had landing rights for the Newport route before it stopped servicing Newport, but subsequently lost them or gave them up, and must now reapply in order to reinstate its privileges. Although we're not privy to all the inside politics involved in this deal, we have been informed that New York is the issue.

We just got the news yesterday, and have not yet decided on how we can best help. I will get back to you on this issue in the next few days, after I have a chance to speak with some people, and get a sense on what we can do.

[Lisa]

There are too many fish in this river! :D :D

[GoSpeedRacer]

Sonia,

What does office space have to do with the availability of ferry slips. I recollect that the 38th street terminal was funded with federal money so if this is a "political battle" between NY and NJ then we shouldn't be held as pawns over it.

Is there more info or should I call Mr. W directly?

Steve

[Floridian]

What's the latest on this?

Anyone?

Anyone?

NWA?

What about the PATH schedule on the weekends?

Anyone?

Anyone?

NWA?

[ccrider]

So is this it? No more ferry service forever? That is a very sad way to promote an up and coming neighborhood.

[Smurfy]

So is this it? No more ferry service forever? That is a very sad way to promote an up and coming neighborhood.

There were signs up in the PATH station today - "Ferries to Midtown," with a big red arrow pointed towards TOA.

Does this mean the ferry is back in business? :Tara.feed

[DogLover]

There were signs up in the PATH station today - "Ferries to Midtown," with a big red arrow pointed towards TOA.

Does this mean the ferry is back in business? :Tara.feed

Were they in the PATH station or right outside? If they were the signs outside, those signs have been there for a while. No one has bothered to take them down.

[Sonia]

Have faith. Senator Menendez is coming to Town Square on the 13th. Be there to ask for his help!

[Smurfy]

Were they in the PATH station or right outside? If they were the signs outside, those signs have been there for a while. No one has bothered to take them down.

Good question ... I think they were inside (but it was an incredibly stressful day, so I could be wrong)

[Floridian]

Sonia,

You posted it a while ago that this was going to be a done deal and that they were working out the docking fees? Where did you get that information? Why didn't this happen?

[Lenin]

I checked out the ferry pier, the canopy is already beginning its disintegration.

[msion1]

I was really hoping to be able to enjoy this summer by having easy ferry access to the city. The weekend PATH service is a true pain in the butt. Waiting 30 min for a train, just to get the pleasure of stopping in Hoboken each way, before I can get to where I'm going. I'm not even going far - just to Christopher St. Pain, pain, pain.

[Sonia]

We hope you are all planning to attend Saturday's afternoon Town Square Meeting with Senator Menendez. Join us for some dialogue on the ferry issue. We need to show the Senator that this is an important issue for Newport!

[Lenin]

A bit of news from the TIMES:

They just raised the cost of New York Waterway out of Weehawken:

From $5.75 to $6.00 to 38th Street, one way
From $7.75 to $9.00 to the World Financial Center, one way.

If we get Newport Service, the fares will probably be in this ballpark because the Weehawken stop is closer to 38th than either of the Newport runs. But the Weehawken- WFC run is pretty far.

So figure somewhere between $6 and $9 for Newport.

That's pricey!

[privatepilot]

I wonder how they feel considering Newport is just startingits second Phase of devolopment: Shore Club, new buildings and even a Westin Hotel!!

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060601/20060601005939.html?.v=1

[Lenin]

If you mean are they impressed by the additional commuters? Probably not.
If you've ever seen the volume of travellers from the gargantuan park and ride lots to the North, Newport will always be small potatoes to them.

[itsted]

The NY Waterway web site announced that off peak service (between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.) from Colgate to West 39th Street was eliminated as of June 1. This seems to continue the pattern of cutting service rather than adding it.

[GoSpeedRacer]

Back in May - Our distinguished :Tara.hail Senator said that there will be a big announcement in June about reinstating service. We are almost halfway through the month and no word yet. Has anyone heard anything?

GSP sammlung07

[Sonia]

Last I heard, we were suppose to get service reinstated by mid-June, but it looks like there may be a problem. I'll call over this week, and see if I can get a status report.

[cancerdotcom]

i heard we are getting a transporter

with direct beams to midtown wallstreet and the world trade center

[itsted]

I love the idea of a transporter. I'd be happy to write a letter.

One thing though, if it's over $3, some people would rather take the PATH train and save money.

Live long and prosper.

[msion1]

What is a transporter? How is it different from a ferry?

[NSK]

It is possible that they are talking about something similar;)

http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/def_en/kap_5/illustr/transmogrification.gif

[itsted]

Standard equipment for Captain Kirk. Much rarer in the garden state.

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/interiors1.htm

[msion1]

Dang, it, you guys got me again!

[GoSpeedRacer]

Sonia,

Any luck hearing from the movers and shakers that have been involved in getting Ferry service back?

Thanks,

GSP

[Sonia]

GoSpeedRacer sammlung07

Yes, actually I spoke with all of them today. The ferry owner told me he has a problem with an expired preliminary permit, and must obtain a permanent permit from the city, but he was having difficulty connecting with the right person at the city. We reached out to the city person, who promised to call the ferry owner right away.

In the interim, we also spoke with the developer, who has indicated that the real problem here has to do with low ridership, and that the ferry owner is hesistating because of a valid concern that there will be too low a ridership for his company to make money. We'll see.

[itsted]

Thank you so much, Sonia, for your efforts on our behalf to return ferry service to Newport. From the posts I have read here, I would say his concerns about low ridership are valid. They certainly know how to run a ferry service in some senses--the equipment was well maintained (aside from the exterior paint job) and the on-time record was remarkable.

Anyone who has been here long enough to remember the original ferry service (the old Water Taxi) that used to land at the Marina, would certainly remember how many times they would cancel trips (or whole morning or evening rush hours) without notice and how many times their equipment looked like it was held together with spit and a prayer.

The current owners do not seem to have a lot of marketing expertise. Their product is perceived to be overpriced, though we paid $5 a trip for the old Water Taxi trips in 1997, when oil was $18 a barrel. The difference was that there was a substantial discount for multiple trip tickets, bringing the cost down to $3.75. The discount NY Waterway provided for monthly tickets which, after all, do expire at the end of the month, was 5%. If they want volume, they need to capture more of the value-conscious commuter crowd with a ticket price (after discounts) of no more than $5. Even at that price, judging from what I have read here, it will be ch*****ging. But it makes the right gesture. Then they could concentrate on increasing passenger volume.

Then they need to point out the obvious advantages of being in a much more comfortable environment, with glorious views, and a dependable track record of on-time service. They did nothing to promote their service after it was started. The only information we ever got from them were notices of fare increases and service cutbacks. A small program of what used to be called Public Relations would be useful for them, pointing out the advantages of the ferry on a regular basis.

It should be an easy sell, when contrasted that with the PATH train, with its blatant disregard for the ridership. Yes, I know it's cheap. It's like getting a big discount on a root canal. You are happy for the savings, but it is still dental surgery.

I do hope we get another chance to prove ferry service to Newport is viable but it needs to be made clear that true folly is doing the exact thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[msion1]

Well said, Itsted.

[Sonia]

itsted,

Agreed. We'll make sure your post is seen by the right people!

[ccrider]

Agree totally with Itsed.

You also must consider that there will be so many more people in Newport with the Shore Club coming soon, and then the other 4 new buildings. If advertised/marketed properly service will only grow.

I personally have considered the loss of ferry service a serious loss of value in this community. I really hope this can be worked out. But they really ought to stop lying about resuming service, when clearly that is not happening any time in the near future.

[Lenin]

IF Lefrak and NJ Transit adhered to their often stated nonsense about completion of the Waterfront Walkway, anyone from Shore Club 1 and 2 and the other planned pile of towers to the North could easily stroll to the Hoboken Ferry. However, my prediction is that the Waterfront Walkway will not be completed in the lifetime of many current residents.

You cannot rent a Walkway out, nor sell shares in it, thus the landlord has ZERO interest in doing his part.

[GoSpeedRacer]

Five days left in June, so I guess nothing is going to happen??? -Bummer -

GSPsammlung07