NY Waterway
File:Nywaterwaylogo.png | |
![]() | |
Locale | New Jersey New York |
---|---|
Waterway | Hudson River East River Upper Bay Lower Bay |
Transit type | passenger ferry excursions sightseeing |
Owner | Arthur Imperatore |
Operator | NY Waterway |
Began operation | December 3, 1986 |
No. of lines | 23 |
No. of vessels | 34 |
No. of terminals | 21 |
Daily ridership | Approximately 30,000[1] |
Website | http://www.nywaterway.com/ NY Waterway |
NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and across the Hudson River. While operations and much marketing come under the NY Waterway logo, the company works with other private companies and in public-private partnership with agencies such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Transit, New York City Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to provide service and maintain docking facilities.
NY Waterway uses ferry slips at three terminals in Manhattan as well as terminals and slips in Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Edgewater, all located along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. Commuter peak service is also provided on the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry, Newburgh–Beacon Ferry, and to the Raritan Bayshore. Excursions and sightseeing trips,[2] include those to Yankee Stadium and, in conjunction with Coach USA, a duck tour.
History
Founding
In 1981 Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr., a trucking magnate, purchased a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) length of the Weehawken, New Jersey waterfront from the bankrupt Penn Central for $7.5 million, with the plan to redevelop the brownfield site as had others along the west bank of the Hudson River waterfront and to restore ferry service to it. In 1986 he established New York Waterway,[1] with a route across the river between Weehawken Port Imperial and Pier 78 on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan. Three years later, it began operation between Hoboken Terminal and Batttery Park City.[3] During the course of the next decade numerous routes were added.
Expansion and near bankruptcy
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 quickly expanded by adding new routes and increasing the frequency of crossings. It borrowed heavily to fund the acquisition of additional vessels. After PATH service was restored ridership significantly declined, the loss of passengers bringing the company, unable to reduce its fixed costs, to brink of bankruptcy. By December 2004, there was deep concern that there would be a total shutdown of ferry service, disrupting the commutes of 30,000 daily riders.[4] The Port Authority, as well as city and state agencies had already contracted the construction of new ferry terminals to be leased to private operators. The shutdown was averted when the new BillyBey Ferry Company which had never before operated ferry services, founded by Manhattan lawyer William B. Wachtel, agreed to take over almost half of NY Waterway's equipment and routes. Other ferry and sightseeing boat operators were displeased that the Port Authority approved the transfer without a transparent bidding process.[5]
Emergencies
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Plane_and_ferry_in_the_Hudson_2.jpg/220px-Plane_and_ferry_in_the_Hudson_2.jpg)
NY Waterway has played a role in a number of rescue and emergency operations. In the immediate after effects of September 11, 2001 attacks, the company was instrumental in the evacuation of passengers who otherwise would have been stranded[6] in Manhattan due to the chaos created in the mass transit system. Ferry service had also played a important role during the Northeast Blackout of 2003, enabling people to make the river crossing since normal service on New Jersey Transit and Port Authority Trans Hudson trains was temporarily discontinued due to power outages. During the 2005 New York City transit strike it provided alternative transportation. In 2009, the New York Waterway was instrumental in the rescue of passengers of US Airways Flight 1549, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River.[7] The firm gained media attention both for its efforts to rescue passengers from airplane 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.
Terminals and routes
West Midtown Ferry Terminal
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Battery_Park_City_North_Cove.jpg/220px-Battery_Park_City_North_Cove.jpg)
at World Financial Center
route | transfers | |
---|---|---|
West Midtown Ferry Terminal[8] West Side Highway at West 39th Street Hudson River Park-Midtown Manhattan |
NY Waterway buses[9][10] New York City Transit buses M42 and M50 | |
notes |
| |
Edgewater Landing | peak service | New Jersey Transit buses NY Waterway buses |
Weehawken Port Imperial[12] Weehawken |
full service | Hudson Bergen Light Rail New Jersey Transit NY Waterway buses |
Lincoln Harbor | residents and guests only | |
14th Street[14] Hoboken |
via Lincoln Harbor off-peak | New Jersey Transit bus |
Pavonia-Newport[15] Jersey City |
peak service | |
Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal[16] Jersey City |
peak service | PATH Hudson Bergen Light Rail New Jersey Transit bus New York Waterway shuttle |
Belford Harbor[17] Raritan Bayshore, Monmouth County |
limited service | via The Narrows & Upper Bay |
Battery Park City Ferry Terminal at the World Financial Center
Pier 11 at Wall Street
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/NY_Waterway_boat_at_Wall_St_Pier_jeh.jpg/220px-NY_Waterway_boat_at_Wall_St_Pier_jeh.jpg)
route | transfers | |
---|---|---|
Pier 11 at Wall Street[30] South Street at Gouverneur Lane |
Liberty Water Taxi New York Water Taxi SeaStreak | |
notes | ||
Weehawken Port Imperial[31] Weehawken |
Hudson Bergen Light Rail New Jersey Transit NY Waterway buses | |
Hoboken Terminal[32] Hoboken |
New Jersey Transit bus | |
Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal[33] Jersey City |
rush hour service | PATH Exchange Place Hudson Bergen Light Rail New Jersey Transit bus NY Waterway shuttle |
Port Liberte[34] Jersey City |
AM peak & aft/eve service | New Jersey Transit bus |
Belford Harbor[35] Raritan Bayshore, Monmouth County |
peak service | via The Narrows & Upper Bay |
Raritan Bayshore routes
route | |
---|---|
Belford Harbor[36] Raritan Bayshore-Middletown-Monmuth County |
via The Narrows & Upper Bay |
notes | |
West Midtown Ferry Terminal[37] | limited service AM change at Pier 11 |
Battery Park City Ferry Terminal[38] | peak service |
Wall Street[39] | peak service |
Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal[40] | peak service |
Upstream Hudson routes
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Newburgh-Beacon_ferry_winter_Beacon_approach.jpg/220px-Newburgh-Beacon_ferry_winter_Beacon_approach.jpg)
transfer | route | transfer |
---|---|---|
Transport of Rockland bus | Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry peak service |
Metro-North Railroad-Hudson Line Bee-Line Bus System |
Newburgh–Beacon Ferry peak service |
Metro-North Railroad-Hudson Line Dutchess County LOOP |
See also
- Circle Line Downtown[41]
- Circle Line Sightseeing[42]
- Ellis Island and Liberty Island ferries[43]
- Governor's Island Ferry[44] (seasonal)
- Liberty Water Taxi[45]
- New York Water Taxi[46]
- SeaStreak[47]
- Staten Island Ferry[48]
- List of ferries across the Hudson River to New York City
- List of ferries across the East River
References
- ^ a b Carroll, Timothy J. (2009-10-11). "20 years crossing the Hudson". The Jersey City Reporter. Hoboken: Hudson Reporter. pp. 7 & 16. Retrieved 2010-01-09. Cite error: The named reference "The Jersey City Reporter" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ NY Waterway Cruises
- ^ [http://www.mgmclaren.com/node/156/ McClaren Architects
- ^ Golway, Terry (2004-12-19). "Transportation; Mutiny on the Hudson". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ McGeehan, Patrick (2005-02-15). "Port Authority Picks Lawyer To Run Ferries on Hudson". New York Times.
- ^ Rife, Judy; October 12, 2005; Newburgh-Beacon ferry crew set to go, Times Herald Record.
- ^ NY Times January 18, 2009
- ^ WMFT routes
- ^ NY Waterway Peak Manhattan bus map
- ^ NY Waterway Off-peak Manhattan bus routes
- ^ WMFT-Edgewater Landing schedule
- ^ Port Imperial WMFT-Port Imperial schedule
- ^ Lincoln Harbor schedule WMFT-Lincoln Harbor schedule
- ^ WMFT-14th Street schedule
- ^ WMFT-Pavonia-Newport scheule
- ^ WMFT-Paulus Hook schedule
- ^ Pier 11-Belford schedule
- ^ "NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FERRY TERMINAL TO OPEN IN BATTERY PARK CITY ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18" (Press release). PorT Authority of New York and New Jersey. March 17, 2009.
- ^ Ohrstrom, Lysandra (June 6, 2008), "Bigger, Better Battery Park Ferry Terminal Finally Arriving", New York Observer
{{citation}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=
(help) - ^ "Battery Park City Ferry Terminal". Project Gallery. Birdair. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ "Internatonal Achievement Awards". Battery Park City Ferry Terminal. IFIA Publications. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Dunlap, David W. (March 17, 2009), "Downtown Gets a New Ferry Terminal", New York Times
{{citation}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=
(help) - ^ WFC routes
- ^ WFC/Port Imperial schedule
- ^ BPC-WFC-14th Street schedule
- ^ BPC/WFC-Hoboken Terminal schedule
- ^ BPC-WFC/Paulus Hook schedule scheudle
- ^ BPC/WFC-Liberty Harbor schdule
- ^ BPC/WFC-Belford schedule
- ^ Pier 11-Wall Street routes
- ^ Pier 111 to Weehawken Port Imperial
- ^ 14th Street Hoboken schedule
- ^ Paulus Hook schedule
- ^ Pier 11-Port Liberte schedule
- ^ Pier 11-Belford schedule
- ^ Belford Harbor routes
- ^ WMFT-Belford schedule
- ^ BPC/WFC-Belford schedule
- ^ Pier 11-Belford schedule
- ^ PH-Belford schedule
- ^ *Circle Line Downtown
- ^ Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
- ^ Ellis Island and Liberty Island Ferry Map
- ^ Governor's Island Ferry
- ^ Statue Cruises|Liberty Water Taxi
- ^ New York Water Taxi
- ^ SeaStreak Official site
- ^ Staten Island Ferry
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Companies established in 1986
- Ferries of New Jersey
- Ferries of New York City
- Ferry companies of New Jersey
- Ferry companies of New York City
- Tourism in New Jersey
- Tourism in New York City
- Tourist activities
- Water transportation in New York City
- Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey
- Companies based in Hudson County, New Jersey
- Port of New York and New Jersey