NY Waterway

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NY Waterway
Locale	Lower Hudson River crossings
Waterway	New York Harbor and lower Hudson River
Transit type	Passenger ferry, Water tours (the latter under contract to Coach USA)
Began operation	December 3, 1986
No. of lines	22
No. of vessels	34
No. of terminals	21
Daily ridership	Approximately30,000[1]
Owner	Arthur Imperatore
Website	NY Waterway
Operator	NY Waterway

NY Waterway is a private ferry system that provides commuter service and tourist excursions in New York Harbor, with service between several points in Manhattan and New Jersey, including Hoboken Terminal. It was founded in 1986 by Arthur E. Imperatore.^[2] Since then, NY Waterway has carried over 65 million passengers. NY Waterway claims to have the largest ferry and excursion fleet in the harbor. The firm has gained media attention both for its efforts to rescue passengers from US Airways Flight 1549 and for its hiring of 20 year-old Brittany Catanzaro as captain. Thanks in a large part to the successful efforts of Captains Vincent Lombardi and Catanzaro, together with their crews, all aboard were rescued.

Although all NY Waterway service appears to be a single entity, it operates some services for the BillyBey Ferry Company, Coach USA, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Contents 1 Effects on ridership due to the September 11, 2001 attacks 2 Routes 2.1 NY Waterway Routes 2.2 BillyBey Ferry Company Routes 2.3 Metropolitan Transportation Authority Routes 2.4 Other services 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Effects on ridership due to the September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center destroyed the PATH terminal located there, greatly reducing cross-Hudson River passenger capacity. To compensate, NY Waterway service was greatly expanded, adding new routes and increasing the frequency of service. To provide for this expanded service, NY Waterway needed to borrow heavily to fund the acquisition of additional vessels.

After PATH service was restored to Lower Manhattan, NY Waterway suffered a tremendous decline in ridership that forced the company to near bankruptcy, as it was unable to reduce its fixed costs including the debt payments on the recently acquired vessels. By December 2004, there was deep concern that there would be a total shutdown of the service, disrupting the commutes of 30,000 daily riders.^[3]

The shutdown was averted when another company, BillyBey Ferry Company, founded by Manhattan lawyer William B. Wachtel, which had never before operated ferry services, agreed to take over almost half of NY Waterway's services. Other New York Harbor ferry and cruise operators were concerned that the Port Authority approved the transfer without opening the process up for bidding.^[4]

[edit] Routes

NY Waterway and the BillyBey Ferry Company's routes operated by NY Waterway serve three ferry terminals in Manhattan, with each being connected to several destinations in New Jersey in addition to two Metropolitan Transportation Authority routes operated by NY Waterway serving Upstate New York, connecting Orange County and Rockland County with the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line to New York City:

[edit] NY Waterway Routes

• From the Midtown Terminal at West 39th Street and the West Side Highway to:
  • Belford/Harbor Way
  • Edgewater Landing
  • Hoboken/14th Street
  • Lincoln Harbor, Weehawken for residents and visitors of Lincoln Harbor and guests of the Lincoln Harbor Sheraton Hotel only
  • Port Imperial, Weehawken
• From the World Financial Center Terminal at River Terrace and Vesey Street to:
  • Belford/Harbor Way
  • Hoboken/14th Street
  • Port Imperial, Weehawken
• From the Wall Street Ferry Pier at South Street and Gouverneur Lane to:
  • Belford/Harbor Way
  • Port Imperial, Weehawken

[edit] BillyBey Ferry Company Routes

• From the Midtown Terminal at West 39th Street and the West Side Highway to:
  • Newport
  • Paulus Hook
• From the World Financial Center Terminal at River Terrace and Vesey Street to:
  • Hoboken/NJ Transit Terminal
  • Paulus Hook
• From the Wall Street Ferry Pier at South Street and Gouverneur Lane to:
  • Hoboken/NJ Transit Terminal
  • Liberty Harbor/Marin Boulevard
  • Paulus Hook
  • Port Liberté

[edit] Metropolitan Transportation Authority Routes

• Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry
• Newburgh-Beacon Ferry

[edit] Other services

NY Waterway also operates various sightseeing and special events cruises around the New York City area; Among these is the Yankee Clipper, which provides game day service between Yankee Stadium and their Midtown terminal making intermediate stops at various points along the East River and Hudson River, and a seasonal Duck tour operated for Coach USA through Midtown Manhattan and on the Hudson River.

[edit] References

1. ^ Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009). "20 years crossing the Hudson" (in English). The Jersey City Reporter (Hoboken: Huson Reporter): pp. 7 & 16. 
2. ^ Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009). "20 years crossing the Hudson" (in English). The Jersey City Reporter (Hoboken: Huson Reporter): pp. 7 & 16. 
3. ^ Golway, Terry (2004-12-19). "Transportation; Mutiny on the Hudson". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE5D91430F93AA25751C1A9629C8B63. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 
4. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (2005-02-15). "Port Authority Picks Lawyer To Run Ferries on Hudson". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E7DB123AF936A25751C0A9639C8B63. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: NY Waterway

• Official site