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Budget wonks urge city to reinstate Staten Island Ferry 50-cent fare

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LRG

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island commuters could be doing what was thought to be no longer possible: Paying for a ride to work on the Staten Island Ferry.

 

And they could be taking long naps on those hard waiting area seats in the wee hours with boats sitting idle, as well.

 

That's because the Independent Budget Office is looking to help balance the budget partly on the backs of borough commuters by reinstating the 50-cent ferry fare and cutting late-night service on the borough's only direct link to Manhattan.

 

All of which would boost New York's $65 billion-plus budget by a whopping $8.5 million.

 

The reaction here is well beyond outrage.

 

The ideas were among several bottom line-boosting and cost-cutting suggestions pitched by the IBO in its latest "Budget Options for New York City" report.

 

The ferry fare was discontinued in the interest of parity in 1997 so that Islanders could be part of the "One City, One Fare" program that gave New Yorkers free transfers between buses and subways.

 

Restoring the fare would put $4.7 million a year into city coffers, the report said.

 

Saying the boats are underutilized, the IBO also suggests that the city cut ferry service between midnight and 5 a.m. weeknights and between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. weekends.

 

Under the IBO plan, commuters would take buses from Whitehall to the St. George Ferry Terminal, saving the city $3.7 million.

 

According to the IBO, fewer than 3 percent of the ferry's 59,000 daily riders take the boat between midnight and 5 a.m.

 

But Islander Joan Wan, who has commuted on the ferry for 33 years, said she's tired of seeing the Island bashed by the city "elite."

 

"Public transportation on Staten Island is already comparable to that of a Third World country," she said in an e-mail to the Advance. "We are the only borough without a subway link. ... Why not propose to shut down the subway system between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.?"

 

City Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn) agreed, saying that the very suggestion of closing the ferry reeks of a "typical Manhattan point of view."

 

"In no other borough would the idea even be raised, to close down a segment of the mass transit system," he said. "It wouldn't enter their consciousness."

 

City Hall was quick to dismiss the IBO's suggestions, with Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying that the mayor isn't considering either option.

 

Other Island lawmakers also heaped scorn on the IBO.

 

"I would in no way support or even consider supporting either of the suggestions from the IBO regarding service cuts and a ferry fare," said City Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore). "I don't believe that the gap in the budget should be tied to the purse strings of Staten Island commuters, who already have very few options."

 

Because the IBO has no role in making budget policy, City Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) said its ideas aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

 

"It borders on the absurd," he said. "It's actually laughable, to put the cost of ferry service on par with the billions the city has wasted on projects like the Second Avenue subway."

 

Link: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/budget_wonks_urge_city_to_rein.html

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FamousNYLover

FamousNYLover

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Speaking of Staten Island Ferry, do you know what happened on 16:50 Spirit of America departure at St. George.

After it drop off passenger at that time, and all the passengers were out, and DOT Crew were very slow and they did not open door until 17:07, and boat did not leave until 17:17, and once it got reach Manhattan, there was PA announcement:

"Ladies & Gentlemen! We're experience delay on Staten Island Ferry. We're waiting for slip to be open. Please be patient and sorry for inconvinience." and did not arrive until Whitehall Ferry Terminal until 17:40, which took more 20 minutes ride into 23 minutes!!

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Gorgor

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They should definitely have a fare for the ferry. The city is freaking about how they don't have any money but the ferry is a perfect place to make a ton of extra money because the only other options for Staten Islanders are the express buses. Even 50 cents, which is nothing to the average person, could help the city a lot because of the amount of people using it.

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Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

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Speaking of Staten Island Ferry, do you know what happened on 16:50 Spirit of America departure at St. George.

After it drop off passenger at that time, and all the passengers were out, and DOT Crew were very slow and they did not open door until 17:07, and boat did not leave until 17:17, and once it got reach Manhattan, there was PA announcement:

"Ladies & Gentlemen! We're experience delay on Staten Island Ferry. We're waiting for slip to be open. Please be patient and sorry for inconvinience." and did not arrive until Whitehall Ferry Terminal until 17:40, which took more 20 minutes ride into 23 minutes!!

 

Sometimes what happens is that they'll have a slip closed because they need to be worked on from the constant banging from the ferries during docking, so during the rush, slips may not be available right away if the ferries start to get backed up and so they'll have to wait until a slip opens up. Of course there are many reasons why the ferry may be delayed, such as harbor traffic, mechanical failure, security concerns/issues, etc. ;)

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Amtrak7

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I agree with them charging for the ferry, but SIR/(1)®/St George bus/SBS customers should get a free transfer.

 

Late night shuttle busing definitely should NOT happen. While the ferry may be expensive to run, buses would have to go via Brooklyn, adding travel time and encouraging more people to take (R)-S53 (since the bus will go that way anyway)

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traildriver

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I agree that there should be a modest fee for the ferry to help pay the costs of operating it. Fifty cents seems a reasonable fee. I do agree that those connecting off of a subway or bus should get an additional free Metrocard transfer to cover the fare, and take away the 'unfair' argument from Staten Islanders. Remember there are those who live in Rockaway, who have to pay a toll to drive even to the main part of their own borough, let alone another borough, unless taking a long detour thru Nassau. Having a fare on the ferry could help discourage homeless from camping out on board, although I don't know firsthand if that is even a problem.

As for late night service, an express bus from the Whitehall terminal to the St. George terminal, with the same fare structure as the ferry could be a viable and fair substitute. Perhaps close to the same running time at that hour, and with arguably more comfortable seating. Another option would be for the DOT to contract with Waterways to operate one of their smaller boats for the late night trips instead of the big ferrys.

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Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

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I agree that there should be a modest fee for the ferry to help pay the costs of operating it. Fifty cents seems a reasonable fee. I do agree that those connecting off of a subway or bus should get an additional free Metrocard transfer to cover the fare, and take away the 'unfair' argument from Staten Islanders. Remember there are those who live in Rockaway, who have to pay a toll to drive even to the main part of their own borough, let alone another borough, unless taking a long detour thru Nassau. Having a fare on the ferry could help discourage homeless from camping out on board, although I don't know firsthand if that is even a problem.

As for late night service, an express bus from the Whitehall terminal to the St. George terminal, with the same fare structure as the ferry could be a viable and fair substitute. Perhaps close to the same running time at that hour, and with arguably more comfortable seating. Another option would be for the DOT to contract with Waterways to operate one of their smaller boats for the late night trips instead of the big ferrys.

 

 

Maybe folks like you should actually take a trip to Staten Island instead of making proposals without any knowledge. They do NOT use the "big" ferries at night. They have smaller boats that they use that are quite full for the late night runs.

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trainfan22

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Having a fare on the ferry could help discourage homeless from camping out on board, although I don't know firsthand if that is even a problem.

 

 

When the boats get to SI they take the ferry OOS so pretty much everyone that's not a DOT employee has to get off the boat, I ridden on SI ferry quite a few times over the years with the most recent ride being last night. I never seen a homeless person stay on the boat, it would be a PITA for them as they would have to get off every time the boat goes to SI.

 

The (E) train is the ideal place for the homeless in NYC.

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LRG

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Time for my input:

 

I think re-instating a fare on the ferry would be a good idea. I remember discussing this same matter last year with a few others here and they agreed. I wonder how the late night service would work though...would passengers have to pay to ride the ferry shuttle buses? My guess is they most likely would...I wonder what equipment they would use....

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traildriver

traildriver

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Maybe folks like you should actually take a trip to Staten Island instead of making proposals without any knowledge. They do NOT use the "big" ferries at night. They have smaller boats that they use that are quite full for the late night runs.

Okay then, I was not aware of that.

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metsfan

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What a stupid idea. While i acknowledge the fiscal issues facing NYC/NYS, 50 cents a trip would absolutely crush tourist use of the service during the day. And don't say well they can go in a different entrance and not have to pay, because that would cost man hours and personnel. The way they have it set up now is how it needs to stay, when the economy recovers fully, maybe put a 10 cent fare for peak hours or something, but this is the wrong time to be talking about fare increases/reinstatement.

 

- A

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Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

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What a stupid idea. While i acknowledge the fiscal issues facing NYC/NYS, 50 cents a trip would absolutely crush tourist use of the service during the day. And don't say well they can go in a different entrance and not have to pay, because that would cost man hours and personnel. The way they have it set up now is how it needs to stay, when the economy recovers fully, maybe put a 10 cent fare for peak hours or something, but this is the wrong time to be talking about fare increases/reinstatement.

 

- A

 

How much do those damn tourists pay to use the other ferries??? I see the lines going all around that park over there by the Ferry terminal and that certainly isn't free. I think it should be put on just for them because they are cheap bastards. They clog up the streets and are so friggin' frugal, so I don't see what benefit they give NYC in terms of monies. Sure they may use taxis or whatever, but they could certainly afford to spend more, esp. the Europeans.

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FamousNYLover

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How much do those damn tourists pay to use the other ferries??? I see the lines going all around that park over there by the Ferry terminal and that certainly isn't free. I think it should be put on just for them because they are cheap bastards. They clog up the streets and are so friggin' frugal, so I don't see what benefit they give NYC in terms of monies. Sure they may use taxis or whatever, but they could certainly afford to spend more, esp. the Europeans.

I think they paid around $12-$13 from Battery Park or Liberty State Park.

http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/tickets/

 

Most tourist like to use CityPass or New York Pass (which can be more money)

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Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

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I think they paid around $12-$13 from Battery Park or Liberty State Park.

http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/tickets/

 

Most tourist like to use CityPass or New York Pass (which can be more money)

 

$12 - 13 in comparison to .50 cents... LOL I doubt they'd complain, esp. the Japanese. They don't mind spending for quality. It's the Europeans that are bloody cheap and the thing is they have a strong Euro now...

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checkmatechamp13

checkmatechamp13

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Everybody: The report regarding the savings that could be obtained is here: http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/options2011.pdf

 

The section regarding overnight ferry service is on page 21 of the pdf file.

 

The plan would call for buses every 20-30 minutes between St. George and Whitehall Street, which would be a net $3.7 million savings.

 

Another thing I find interesting is the idea of eliminating free transportation for private school students, which would save them $10 million for Student MetroCards (which is really just cheating the MTA out of more money, but whatever) and $26 million for school buses.

 

What a stupid idea. While i acknowledge the fiscal issues facing NYC/NYS, 50 cents a trip would absolutely crush tourist use of the service during the day. And don't say well they can go in a different entrance and not have to pay, because that would cost man hours and personnel. The way they have it set up now is how it needs to stay, when the economy recovers fully, maybe put a 10 cent fare for peak hours or something, but this is the wrong time to be talking about fare increases/reinstatement.

 

- A

 

Considering the prices that tourist attractions charge, I doubt a 50 cent fare would cause tourists to abandon the ferry. In fact, a lot of tourists ask questions like "Where can I buy tickets for the SI Ferry?" and "How much is it to ride?".

 

A 10 cent fare would probably cost more to collect than the revenue it brings in, when you consider the cost of maintaining the turnstiles and everything.

 

How much do those damn tourists pay to use the other ferries??? I see the lines going all around that park over there by the Ferry terminal and that certainly isn't free. I think it should be put on just for them because they are cheap bastards. They clog up the streets and are so friggin' frugal, so I don't see what benefit they give NYC in terms of monies. Sure they may use taxis or whatever, but they could certainly afford to spend more, esp. the Europeans.

 

If they are going to NYC, I wouldn't really call them cheap. Like I said, a lot of tourists expected there to be a fare on the ferry.

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Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

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Everybody: The report regarding the savings that could be obtained is here: http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/options2011.pdf

 

The section regarding overnight ferry service is on page 21 of the pdf file.

 

The plan would call for buses every 20-30 minutes between St. George and Whitehall Street, which would be a net $3.7 million savings.

 

Another thing I find interesting is the idea of eliminating free transportation for private school students, which would save them $10 million for Student MetroCards (which is really just cheating the MTA out of more money, but whatever) and $26 million for school buses.

 

 

 

Considering the prices that tourist attractions charge, I doubt a 50 cent fare would cause tourists to abandon the ferry. In fact, a lot of tourists ask questions like "Where can I buy tickets for the SI Ferry?" and "How much is it to ride?".

 

A 10 cent fare would probably cost more to collect than the revenue it brings in, when you consider the cost of maintaining the turnstiles and everything.

 

 

 

If they are going to NYC, I wouldn't really call them cheap. Like I said, a lot of tourists expected there to be a fare on the ferry.

 

Just because they came to NYC doesn't mean that they're not cheap.

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