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Uptown Residents Inch Closer to Ferry Commute

By Heather Grossmann | November 16, 2009 1:22pm | Updated on November 17, 2009 8:06am
The West 125th Street marina is one of the proposed sites for a new ferry landing.
The West 125th Street marina is one of the proposed sites for a new ferry landing.
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Heather Grossmann/DNAinfo

By Heather Grossmann

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — Thanks to the advocacy of several Inwood residents, commuters who live at the top of the island may one day have a new option for traveling downtown — commuter ferry.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have teamed up to study the possibility of establishing a citywide ferry network, including a terminal at the soon-to-be redeveloped Dyckman Marina.

The organizations hope to use commuter ferries to maximize the city’s underused waterfront and reduce congestion on the roads and subways.

Initially, Inwood was left out of the proposal, raising the ire of community residents who wondered how the top of Manhattan had been left out while the city was considering two locations on the west side and three on the east side.

Dyckman Marina in Inwood, which is currently being developed.
Dyckman Marina in Inwood, which is currently being developed.
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John Schuppe/DNAinfo

But after a series of meetings hosted by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Members Jessica Lappin and Dan Garodnick, and vociferous protests from Community Board 12, several new locations will be present in a revised proposal to be issued this week.

Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, a CB12 member, called the original omission “just silly.”

"People have a tendency to be more south-Manhattan-centric. They only get as far as Harlem," Ritter said. "It’s not like this is some nice theoretical waterfront — there is a marina there."

Jerald Tenenbaum, a partner in Manhattan River Group, which is developing the marina at the Dyckman Street site, said he embraced the idea of a ferry stop there.

“We think it would be a good idea,” Tenenbaum said. “It would be good for the neighborhood and we’d welcome the traffic.”

Like Inwood, Morningside Heights also has the advantage of having an existing marine infrastructure. West Harlem Piers Park at 125th Street is currently just a recreational pier, but there is potential for expansion.

At this stage, the EDC is studying each of the sites, analyzing everything from demographics, to water access, to existing land and water development.

The sites currently included in the study are: West 125th Street; West 69th Street; Roosevelt Island; East 75th Street; and East 72nd Street. Additionally, the following five existing ferry landings could be expanded to included Manhattan commuter ferries: Pier 79; the World Financial Center terminal; Pier 11; East 34th Street; and East 90th Street.  

Some residents on the Upper East Side complained about the proposed locations in their neighborhood.

John Moore, a spokesperson for City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin on the Upper East Side, said that Community Board 8 was not happy with the East 62nd Street plan. They had finally succeeded in getting construction for a public park there underway and residents were worried that a ferry landing would increase traffic flow to the area and take away land from the park.

But EDC spokesperson Janel Patterson said that overall the study is progressing well.

“Reactions seem very favorable,” Patterson said. “Almost everyone wants a ferry landing.”

Dyckman Marina in Inwood is currently being developed as one of the ferry station sites.
Dyckman Marina in Inwood is currently being developed as one of the ferry station sites.
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Jon Schuppe/DNAinfo

And Lappin’s office also said Upper East Siders are pleased with the idea of having a ferry station in the 70s, as it would increase access to the hospitals in that area. 

Area residents have a caveat though — they said they would prefer that the ferry landing was on 78th Street, instead of at the proposed 75th Street location, citing the one-way street, large school and many parking garages at the suggested spot.

Councilwoman Lappin is particularly concerned with getting a ferry landing on Roosevelt Island. Commuters from the island to the Manhattan mainland have a choice of one subway stop, which is perpetually packed, or a similarly packed tram. The tram will be shut down for six months beginning in March of 2010, further exacerbating the problem.

A three-year pilot program is planned for the spring of 2011, and will include ferry stops in South Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn, Hunter's Point in Queens, and 35th Street and Pier 11 in Manhattan. 

Jon Schuppe contributed to this article.