Sixteen days and counting.
That’s how much longer the Rockaway ferry will be in operation.
The pilot program, launched in May 2008, which provides service from Riis Landing to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to Wall Street, is set to end on March 19, unless a subsidy is provided.
“Unless somebody provides new money, service will end,” said David Lombino, spokesperson for the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which contracted with the New York Water Taxi for service.
A notice on its web site reads, “The New York City Economic Development Corporation has informed us that the Rockaway / Brooklyn Army Terminal ferry service will be terminated on Friday, March 19. We appreciate your patronage and the opportunity to have provided you with safe, reliable transportation. We would hope to have that opportunity again in the future.”
Lombino explained that the ferry has two morning runs to the city and two evening runs to Rockaway. Each trip is one hour, and the fare is $6 each way.
That $6 only covers between 15 and 30 percent of the total operating costs of the ferry, which Lombino said is $90,000 to $150,000 a month.
The remaining costs were made up by city council funds, between $70,000 and $100,000 per month, he said.
That equals a subsidy of $25 per rider.
However, with that money set to dry up, and 120 passengers a day in the winter and 280 per day in the summer, service will end.
Tom Fox, president and CEO of New York Water Taxi told The Courier exclusively, “Having looked into it further, I’m confused by the decision because the service actually pays for itself. The city receives federal funds for mass transit based on a formula that considers passenger miles traveled, and this service generates funding equal to or greater than the city monies spent on it.”
City Councilmember Eric Ulrich is outraged, and has already contacted the mayor’s office, as well as City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who, Fox noted, is trying to save the service and is “pushing for a five-borough water transportation plan.”
Fox, who lives in Breezy Point, said that his own wife takes the ferry. He also said that, “Weekend service to Riis Park from lower Manhattan on summer weekends carries up to 700 passengers or more.”
In addition, from a safety perspective he wonders, “If we ever have to evacuate the Rockaways, how are you getting the people out, if not by boat?”
The EDC is currently conducting a city-wide ferry study “in hopes to re-launch service that is sustainable,” said Lombino. “We want to encourage ferry use.”
