Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an operator Wednesday for a new citywide ferry service, which is on-track to launch in 2017. But as our Bobby Cuza explains, not everyone is on board with the mayor's plan.
It was a promise made early last year:
"Today, we announce that we're launching a new citywide ferry service to open for business in 2017," de Blasio said Feb. 2015.
Wednesday, the mayor announced those plans are moving full steam ahead, naming Hornblower as the operator of the new ferry service, which the city says will result in at least 155 new jobs and the delivery of 18 new ferryboats, to be maintained at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, creating another 40 jobs.
"This is a home run for employment in this city," de Blasio said.
For riders, the new service will expand dramatically on the existing East River ferry service, with three new routes operating from 21 landings across the city, bringing new service to neighborhoods like the Rockaways, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn Heights, Long Island City, Astoria, and Roosevelt Island.
The ferry service will be heavily subsidized by the city, which is investing about $65 million in infrastructure and startup costs, including the construction of ten new ferry landings, then putting in about $30 million a year in operating subsidy.
In fact, with the ferry priced at the same cost as a subway ride, it's projected that the city subsidy will amount to $6.60 per ride. One ferry operator that lost out on the contract says that subsidy will strangle competition.
"There’s no way that you can compete against $2.75 a head," Peter Ebright of New York Water Taxi said. "We will inevitably be forced out of business."
"I'm surprised that the folks at Water Taxi would react this way," de Blasio said. "Their work is different from this work. So I believe there's a bit of a smokescreen here, and they have every opportunity to continue to thrive in this harbor."
After launching next summer, ferry service will expand to Soundview and the lower East Side in 2018.