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Ferry Good Sign

EDC moves forward with citywide ferry plans


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“We’re launching a new citywide ferry service to be open for business in 2017,” Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Feb. 3, during his “State of the City.”

The response from the Rockaway community, which was still upset from the mayor’s decision to cancel the ferry service on Oct. 31, 2014, was almost predictable.

“A ferry in two years. Big deal. It’s like telling a person drowning that a life ring will be tossed to them tomorrow,” said Linda Dee. “We had a ferry and he ended it three months ago. Restart it now and then tweak it during the next two years. That’s what Rockaway needs.”

Many also felt it was an election year promise that would prove to be an empty one.

“A ferry in 2017 may be great news, but no one even knows where the Rockaway stop on the city-wide route will be because they have to ‘study’ it, first,” stated The Wave’s editorial on Feb. 6. “Maybe that’s why they need almost three years to figure it out.”

However, for the last several weeks, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has been meeting behind closed doors with elected officials and other agencies, and has indicated it is ready to move forward with plans for the city-wide ferry which will include a Rockaway stop.

“Ferry service can’t come soon enough for our struggling families, however I am encouraged that we are finally beginning to see movement,” Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder told The Wave. “I met with EDC recently to discuss the ongoing process and environmental impact studies required for the proposed new ferry dock and landing. I look forward to working with the city to ensure that our families have the ferry service we need to grow our local economy and improve our access to the rest of the city.”

According to a memo obtained by The Wave earlier this week, the mayor’s office is looking to spend a little more than $17 million for the “fabrication and construction management / design services for the design and construction of new ferry barges (floating piers) for the expansion East River Ferry Service, Citywide.”

That memo, when released by The Wave on Aug. 10, was met with some skepticism on the peninsula. However, Amy Spitalnick, a spokesperson for Mayor de Blasio, says this comprehensive plan is what the Mayor had in mind all along.

“The new citywide ferry system will link together neighborhoods like the Rockaways that have not had the affordable, convenient, and resilient transit they need,” said Spitalnick. “Approval for this first round of funding is yet another step forward as we build out a sustainable ferry system that will help spur economic development, increase job access, and connect people and businesses across the city.”

According to several sources we spoke with, the plans for the ferry stop in Rockaway is fluid and several are being considered.

Consideration for the entire peninsula’s role in ferry service is part of the plan.

“I look forward to working with Mayor de Blasio and his administration on bringing back a better and more convenient ferry service that serves all Rockaway residents, particularly on the east end.” said Councilman Donovan Richards. “The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy showed how vital additional mass transit opportunities are to the peninsula and this is an important project that will help improve our lack of transit options.”

When the ferry service was canceled last fall, there was speculation that a lack of shuttle service to the ferry from the east end was a hindrance in a permanent solution.

Richards told The Wave that this time around, shuttle service is being discussed.

Under the mayor’s plan, the citywide ferry service would expand the existing East River Ferry service by five new routes and be implemented in two phases. The first phase is expected to begin in 2017, with new ferry routes to Astoria, South Brooklyn, and Rockaway; and the second phase is expected to begin in 2018, with new ferry routes to Soundview and the Lower East Side.

As the plans move forward, the project will include the construction of 10 new ferry landings. Six existing landings will be revamped, and the city plans to utilize five other existing landings as well.

Thanks to the growing popularity of Rockaway as a destination, there are those who feel 2017 is too long to wait. It is a sentiment shared by State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo.

“While I appreciate the efforts to bring a sustainable, full-time ferry to Rockaway, I firmly believe, and have told the Mayor’s administration, that it’s long overdue and there’s no need to wait until 2017,” Addabbo told The Wave. “If the Mayor’s administration wanted to improve transportation in Rockaway and link the peninsula to the rest of the city, we would have had a ferry this year or next year at the latest. We’re working hard to promote the potential of Rockaway, including the expansion of the surfing beaches. If we’re advocating for more people to visit and enjoy Rockaway, they need a better way to get here – soon.”

NYCEDC says it is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will access potential impacts from the project on the environment, directing people to visit a new website at www.nycedc.com/ferry.

Public comments on the EIS can be submitted in the following formats:

Written comments:

Email citywideferryeis@edc.nyc Mail: Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Attn: Denise Pisani, Senior Project Manager, 253 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10007

In-person comments:

Oral comments will be accepted at any of the four public scoping hearings listed in the “Community Outreach and Engagement” section of the website at www.nycedc.com/ferry.

All comments will be accepted until 5 p.m, Oct 8, 2015 .


 

 

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