Ferry Right For Rockaway

Last week’s ferry ride from the new Riis Landing in Rockaway Point to Downtown Manhattan, in about 32 minutes, gave everyone onboard a taste of what it would be like if Rockawayites were offered this means of transportation. A ferry for Rockaway makes sense and we need to rally together as a community to make this a reality.

Officials from Gateway National Recreation need to be thanked for their vision. By tying the Gateway sites via ferry service, and constructing a ferry landing at the old Coast Guard site, our community now has a marketing tool for commuter service. Obviously this tool has worked, with 10 ferry operators submitting applications and others having expressed interest.

By supporting ferry service as a community, we send a clear message to our elected officials -- we want this to work! Both Councilman Stabile and Congressman Weiner need to get the ferry subsidized. A ferry is a great idea, but if the average middle class working men and women of our community can’t afford it, then how’s it going to improve the overall transportation needs of our residents? For a person traveling into Manhattan five days a week, 52 weeks a year, $5 one way ($10 a day) is a burden. This needs to be addressed for ferry service to work.

As we focus on making ferry service a reality, we need to continue advocating what we deserve from our present transportation services. Whether it’s an express bus or improved A-train service (running more hours directly into Rockaway), we are entitled to the same services that other residents of this city receive.