New York Water Taxi Ferries

[Edward]

From Derecktor Shipyards:
http://www.derecktor.com/commercial/cm-news/nywt.htm

[ Mamaroneck , NY ] -- New York Water Taxi (NYWT) recently took delivery of “MICKEY MURPHY”, the first of a series of 53’ passenger ferries built by Derecktor Shipyards. With these bright yellow boats sporting a black and white checkered trim, the NYC operator will enhance waterborne transportation for New York City residents and the 16 million tourists who visit the major attractions on the West Side , Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn waterfront each year.

Designed by Nigel Gee & Associates, the new Water Taxi is an all-aluminum catamaran with a low-wake hull and a top speed of 25 knots carrying 54 seated passengers. The vessel is a bow-loader and the passengers walk directly from the bow into the cabin located on the main deck. An ADA ramp allows easy access for wheelchairs, which are accommodated in dedicated spaces in the main cabin. The fully heated and air-conditioned cabin has 54 comfortable seats by Beurteaux (with a total capacity of 75 passengers), a small bar aft and an ADA compliant toilet. Large windows assure ample visibility and a central row of outward-facing back-to-back seats allows passengers to enjoy panoramic views of the cityscape during their ride. The open top deck has a removable seating arrangement for use in excursions and summer cruises. Two Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines, giving out 600 horsepower at 2100 RPM through Twin Disc gears, power the ferry.

Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi, spearheaded the project and put a tremendous effort into the coordination with various city and state authorities involved in the new service and the organization of the vessel routes and operations. “New York Water Taxi is very excited about bringing this service to New Yorkers and being involved with responsible utilization of the city’s waterfront as a transportation resource. “ The flexible multi-use vessels can land at a myriad of business, recreational and residential locations around Manhattan with minor modifications to existing piers.

*

SPECIFICATIONS

Vessel Description...............................Low Wake Passenger Catamaran
Naval Architect.................................. Nigel Gee & Associates
Builder........................................... ..... Derecktor Shipyards
Hull Material...................................... Aluminum alloy
Superstructure.................................... .Aluminum alloy
Accommodations.................................54 Seated (75 max.)
Engines………..……………………. 2 x Detroit Diesel Series 60, 600 BHP, keel cooled
Total capacity……………………… 54 Seated (75 max.)
Class……………………………....... Small Passenger Vessel For Use On Protected Waters Only. USCG, Subchapter "T", Rivers

General Dimensions

Length Overall………………..……. 53.3'
Beam Overall…………...…...………19'
Draught …………….…….....………. 4'


http://www.derecktor.com/images/nywt-routes.jpg

[Edward]

http://www.stateline.org/story.do?storyId=266382
Water Transit: Our Urban Future?

Opinion By Neal Peirce
Special to Stateline.org
October 21, 2002

*
NEW YORK--A small fleet of jaunty water taxis, 53-foot catamarans painted yellow with a checkerboard strip reminiscent of Manhattan's old Checker cabs, has begun to ply the waters daily between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Are these boats harbingers of choice and change in urban transportation, an alternative to the gridlock, fumes and frustration of normal land routes?

Zipping on a clear, windy Saturday morning from Brooklyn's historic Fulton Street landing, past the Brooklyn Bridge, catching a great view of the Statute of Liberty, touching in quickly at Battery Park City, the World Financial Center, Chelsea Piers and West 44th Street--all within a few minutes--I turned into a true believer.

New York already has big ferries bringing thousands of workers from New Jersey and Staten Island to Manhattan. But Tom Fox, New York Water Taxi founder, and his billionaire backer, real estate mogul Douglas Durst, have an even wider vision.

With their speed and flexibility, Fox and Durst believe, high-quality water taxis can fill a vital niche, not just serving tourists and commuters but bringing new life and connectivity to sometimes-isolated neighborhoods and helping open up new parks and cultural institutions along the waterfront.

I've known Fox since the 1980s. A Navy gunner in Vietnam, he's a civic idealist and glad warrior for smart, green, people-sensitive waterfront development. He fought Westway, the proposed mega-highway development on Manhattan's West Side. On a task force formulating a replacement plan, he struggled for a green esplanade running beside the boulevard replacement. He then became president of the Hudson Park Conservancy, drawing up the master plan.

Today major elements of the new park--4.5 miles long, 550 acres, dotted with 14 public piers, esplanades, bikeways and pathways--are coming into place. And Fox's water taxis--specially designed with low-wake hulls and spunky but environmentally friendly engines--are running right along it.

It's an especially sweet moment for Fox, because he'd tried water taxi service in 1997 but failed for lack of sufficient backing or powerful enough equipment. With Durst's hefty financial support, the prospects are now brighter. Plus, Lower Manhattan needs radically improved transportation links to complete its post-Sept. 11 recovery.

On the fiscal side, there's the market of the millions of tourists who continue to pour into New York--even more now to visit the World Trade Center site, directly on Fox's route. Looking across North America, seeing how many cities are situated by oceans, lakes or rivers, it's hard to believe water transportation--catamarans, hydrofoils, monohulls and others--won't be flourishing in the next years. The reason is not just traffic congestion.

Technology breakthroughs are permitting the boats to travel at greater speeds with less environmental impact, while water transit is now eligible for federal assistance under new funding laws.

Plus fun and convenience. Take the 25-minute commuter boat run from Hingham, 17 miles south of Boston. In lieu of sitting an hour or more ``on the perpetually snail-like Southeast Expressway,'' notes The Boston Globe's Paul Kandarian, commuters can avoid all the angry drivers, smoke-belching trucks and blaring horns, enjoying ``clear sailing all the way into the gut of the city's financial district.''

Of the 3,800 daily Hingham ferry commuters, many use the ride for a cup of coffee, to work on their laptops, or just watch magnificent views of the Boston skyline, the harbor islands, planes peeling off into the sky from Logan Airport, or on occasion, spottings of harbor seals or porpoises.

Across the continent, the San Francisco Bay Water Transportation Authority is well into a 10-year plan that will have 70 ferries operating out of 28 terminals.

From Seattle's fabled ferry fleets to proposed service on the Intracoastal Waterway at Palm Beach, Fla., from Louisville, Ky., to Lake Tahoe, Nev., proposed new ferry and water taxi services are sprouting up broadly.

Finer boats clearly do make a difference. Fox's new catamarans, for example, have quality seats in a big-windowed all-weather compartment, an outside viewing area, a bar and electronic displays showing the stops.

But I like New York Water Taxi for another reason. Its homeport is Brooklyn's Red Hook, a hardscrabble neighborhood cruelly isolated by highway and bridge construction a generation ago. Water taxis now give Red Hook direct access to Manhattan, boosting appeal for new families and investment.

Still, directly across from the Red Hook mooring for the bright new yellow taxis is a pier crumbling into the water--a reminder of New York's tough years of waterfront decay.

Fox has named the new catamarans after New York civic heroes. One, the Mickey Murphy, is in honor of Mary Ellen Murphy, a New Yorker who fought passionately (until her death last January, at 84) for preserving working waterfronts, even while opening them to the public. How fitting!

[Edward]

New York City water taxi company takes off

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(October 21, 2002) — NEW YORK — Tom Fox’s taxi cruised toward Wall Street at 28 mph, cutting through waves rather than traffic.

“It’s a lively ride,” said Fox, president of New York Water Taxi, which ferries passengers along the Hudson River and around lower Manhattan to Brooklyn. The water taxi service was launched on Sept. 25, two weeks after the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

All around Manhattan, ferry ridership has grown since the attacks. The region’s largest ferry, New York Waterway, has seen many thousands more daily riders in the past year.

So far, New York Water Taxi’s three yellow, checker-painted vessels carry about 300 people on an average day. Each can accommodate up to 54 passengers on padded indoor seats, plus 20 seated on the upper deck.

Water Taxi was launched with a $4.5 million investment from real estate mogul Douglas Durst.

The most efficient ride is from the stop just under the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan -- a 2 ø-minute scoot across the East River that cuts the alternative subway commute time by about half.

The current six-stop route traces Manhattan’s shore from West 44th Street in midtown to the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn.

Fares vary depending on the time of day and the number of stops, with a one-way, one-stop trip costing $3 during rush hours (and $2 as part of a 10-trip booklet). A trip covering the entire route is $8, and an off-hour, single-stop ride costs $4.

“When you’re out on the water, you really feel the might of New York City. You remember that this was once a bustling commercial harbor,” said Katie Dixon, who works as an architectural designer in the Wall Street neighborhood.

Several times a week, she takes the new ferry three stops to her health club. Before, she used the subway or a cab, which took longer.

“The water taxi to me is a great way to enjoy your day while you’re going to work,” said Vince McGowan, who manages various buildings in Manhattan.

By next year, Fox and Durst plan to add another handful of stops to the Water Taxi route, taking in Manhattan’s Upper West Side as well as stops for Greenwich Village, Tribeca and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. Three more boats are under construction.

[Edward]

New York Water Taxi website is at
http://www.nywatertaxi.com


Need to get around New York? We've got just the ticket.

New York Water Taxi has ticket options to suit every need and every budget. Tickets are available at each of our landings and onboard the boats.
Commuter Service.
Commuter service is available Monday through Friday, from 6:30am–9:30am and 4:30pm–7:00pm. Skip the traffic, the train, the bus and the chaos of getting to and from work. Pick up one of our commuter tickets and travel in speed and comfort for just $3.00 each way.

Midday Service.
Monday through Friday, from 9:30am–4:30pm
Saturday 11:00am–8:00pm
Sunday 11:00am–8:00pm

All-Day Pass.
Hop on and off New York Water Taxi at any time during a 24-hour period with our All-Day Pass. Adults: $15/Seniors 65+ and Children 12 and under: $12

Fun Pass.
Want to go beyond the waterfront? Our Fun Pass allows you to hop on and off our boats and use the MTA bus and subway system to access the entire city. Adults: $19/ Seniors 65+ and Children 12 and under: $16

One-Stop/One-Way Ticket.
If you’re just taking a short trip, from one stop to the next, our One-Stop ticket is the way to go. All ages: $4

If your trip is a bit longer and you’ll be going one way for more than one stop, our One-Way Ticket is the one for you. Adults: $8/Seniors 65+ and Children 12 and under: $6


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[Edward]

New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) and Perry West condominiums (http://www.wirednewyork.com/real_estate/perry_west/default.htm).

http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/perry_west_water_taxi_27oct02.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)



New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) at World Financial Center's North Cove Marina.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/skyscrapers/30hudson/images/30hudson_wfc_sunset_27oct02.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)



New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) leaving Fulton Ferry Landing.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi_fulton_ferry_landing_5oct02.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)



New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) approaching Pier 11 in downtown Manhattan.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi_downtown_skyscrapers_9march03.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)

[ZippyTheChimp]

I love those little yellow boats.

[billyblancoNYC]

I'm really glad to see that people seem to be using them. This really would be great for the city if it really took off as a prime means of transportation.

[Edward]

New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) boat leaving Pier 63 Maritime (http://www.wirednewyork.com/piers/pier63maritime/default.htm) stop, with fireboat John J. Harvey docked at the pier.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/piers/pier63maritime/pier63maritime_water_taxi_28june03.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)

[Edward]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/39617.htm
FERRY FARES ARE FLOATING HIGHER

By MARK BULLIET

August 30, 2003 -- New York Waterway is raising fares on its main ferry routes between New Jersey and Manhattan - and shutting down an East River route.

The 15 percent fare increase kicks in Monday. The Weehawken, N.J.-based company says the extra money is needed to continue expanding what has become the largest commuter ferry operation in the country.

The Port Authority has authorized New York Water Taxi to pick up the dumped route, which runs between Hunters Point in Queens and Wall Street, with stops in between. It was to end yesterday.

New York Water Taxi will begin operating the route Tuesday.

"We got about 200 phone calls, e-mails and petitions," said Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi.

New York Waterway spokesman Pat Smith had a simple reason for giving up the routes: "No one was riding them. The total number of people on all three routes on an average workday was 450 people."

Despite New York Waterway's failure to make the routes a success, Fox believes the smaller scale of water taxis, which seat only 74 passengers, gives his company an edge.

"This fits right into our business model," said Fox. "We think we can succeed where others have failed. We think we can market it better, cut some of the costs, and make a business out of it."

Post-Sept. 11, the ferry service was subsidized by the government on those routes. The subsidies ended three months ago.

"We ran 90 days without subsidies," said Smith.

NY Waterway, which now operates 46 boats, has doubled its business over the past two years. It saw substantial increases in ridership after the terrorist attacks and ridership has soared since then from 30,000 passengers per day to more than 62,000.

However, the company also has come under increasing scrutiny, including a federal investigation into its use of almost $30 million in government subsidies to pay for extra service after 9/11.

[Edward]

New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) on a new route from E 90th Street to E 34th Street. Queensborough Bridge (http://www.wirednewyork.com/bridges/queensborough_bridge/default.htm) in the background. 20 September 2003.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi_20sept03.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)

[TLOZ Link5]

Will New Jersey commuters still use the ferries after PATH service is restored?

[Edward]

New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) approaching the Hunters Point stop in Queens, with Empire State Building and Chrysler Building on the other side of East River.


http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi_queens_8feb04.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)

[BigMac]

This is the first I've read of the water taxi service; very clever and economical.

[sunfly]

Found in a german fotocommunity:
http://www.fs-sunrise.de/image/nywatertaxi.JPG

[TLOZ Link5]

Wow.

[JCDJ]

Nice pic.

[BigMac]

New York Daily News

March 16, 2004

Water taxi waves hello to Red Hook

By WARREN WOODBERRY Jr.

Commuters bound from Brooklyn to the lower Manhattan Financial District just got some ferry good news.

Starting today, New York Water Taxi is running ferry service from Van Brunt St. on the Red Hook waterfront to Wall St.

The service will run from the Beard Street Pier to Brooklyn Army Terminal and on to Pier 11/Wall St., between 6:51a.m. and 10:25 a.m. each weekday, and reverse from 4:24 p.m. to 8:29 p.m.

Boats will leave approximately every 25 minutes.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the Red Hook business community and to be providing reliable transportation," said New York Water Taxi chairman Douglas Durst.

The Red Hook-to-Wall St. ferry is the latest nautical development in a neighborhood with a rich maritime history.

With the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel beginning in the 1950s, Red Hook was isolated, in mass-transit terms, from the rest of Brooklyn and the city.

The conversion from cargo to container in the 1960s significantly reduced maritime commerce on the Red Hook waterfront.

The arrival of ferry service should come as welcome news to a neighborhood currently served by only two city bus lines, with the nearest subway stop in the adjacent Carroll Gardens neighborhood. Locals have long had to rely on bus and subway connections to travel to Manhattan.

New York Water Taxi, which established its operation in Red Hook in 2001, recently relocated its corporate offices from lower Manhattan to the Beard Street Pier.

For ferry fares and schedules, visit the Web site: www.nywatertaxi.com

Copyright 2004 Daily News, L.P.

[Edward]

JERSEY CITY: NEW FERRY OPERATOR Starting tomorrow, New York Water Taxi will take over from NY Waterway the ferry route between the Colgate docks in Jersey City and Pier 11 near Wall Street. That route, which serves about 950 passengers each weekday, could become much busier this spring when Goldman Sachs opens its office tower on Jersey City's waterfront and several thousand people start working at what will be New Jersey's tallest building. NY Waterway also is in danger of losing the rights to a new route between Bayonne and Manhattan.(AP)

[krulltime]

Water taxi service adds to its fleet

by Christine Haughney
June 7, 2004

New York Water Taxi, a ferry service that runs between Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey City, is adding two taxis to its fleet to meet growing demand.

The number of passengers taking the ferry nearly quadrupled to 63,000 in May from 17,500 a year ago.

With $5 million from the New York City Investment Fund and the service's founder, the Durst Buildings Corp., the ferry service has ordered the construction of two 99-passenger catamarans for completion by summer 2005.

Copyright 2004, Crain Communications, Inc

[Edward]

Sea change for Bay Ridge commuters

BY HUGH SON
July 2, 2004

Commuters in Bay Ridge soon will be able to hop a taxi to Manhattan for a measly $5 - a water taxi.

That's because the Red Hook-based New York Water Taxi will expand its ferry service to Bay Ridge after a floating dock is built there early next year, sources said.

"We've had people from Bay Ridge tell us they'd take the water taxi if it were more accessible for pedestrians," said Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi.

Once the terminal is built at the 69th St. Pier - which is walking distance for a large section of Bay Ridge - ferries will make stops there and then Sunset Park before ending at Wall Street in lower Manhattan.

A one-way ride will cost $5; monthly passes reduce the cost to $4.

City Council members David Yassky (D-Brooklyn Heights) and Vincent Gentile (D-Dyker Heights) said they recognized the need to expand transportation options for the southern Brooklyn neighborhood.

Together, they secured the $500,000 needed to pay for the new dock - as well as $125,000 in subsidies to keep the taxicab-yellow ferries chugging.

"It really can represent a sea change in the way commuters choose their way to work," Gentile said.

Yassky noted that using New York City's abundant waterways is the "cheapest, most environmentally friendly way" to expand the city's transportation network - and an important option should disaster strike again.

"We saw on Sept. 11 that ferry service took a quarter of a million people out of downtown Manhattan," Yassky said.

Although the two-year-old company shuttles 70,000 commuters a day from ports in Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey to and from Manhattan, the current Sunset Park line does not have enough commuters yet to turn a profit. It is hoped the new stop in Bay Ridge - which has not seen active commuter ferry use in 40 years - will provide a boost to ridership, Fox said.

For Bay Ridge residents who complain of interminable R train rides, the ferry will be another option besides the express bus to get swiftly into the city, said Community Board 10 district manager Josephine Beckmann.

And apart from taking just 15 minutes to cross the river, the ferry offers other advantages, Fox said.

"It really is gorgeous - you'll be looking at the lower Manhattan skyline every day," he said. "It's a beautiful way to get to work."


All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P.

[Kris]

July 18, 2004

BAY RIDGE

Embracing an Idea of Yore to Bring Manhattan Closer

By JAKE MOONEY

Growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, in the 1950's, Tom Fox used to take a ferry from the 69th Street pier in Bay Ridge to Staten Island, heading for a scenic waterfront that was home to his Boy Scout camp and sheep-dotted hillsides.

The sheep, of course, are long gone and nearly 40 years ago the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge replaced the ferry as a means of transit between the two boroughs. For years, the 69th Street pier has been without ferry service. Besides the closing of the Staten Island line, a route that ran to Lower Manhattan in the late 80's and early 90's also shut down when the pier closed for repairs.

Mr. Fox, now 57 and president of New York Water Taxi, wants to bring back a little of the past. Two City Council members from Brooklyn, Vincent Gentile and David Yassky, have lined up $500,000 in city money to install a floating dock at the pier, and Mr. Fox hopes to be running ferries from 69th Street to Lower Manhattan by next spring.

Mr. Gentile, whose district includes Bay Ridge, says he thinks the service will help bring Brooklyn and Manhattan a little bit closer. "We've seen a lot of families and a lot of young professionals leave Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights because it's difficult to get into the city and work," he said. "I'm looking to reverse that trend."

Traveling to Lower Manhattan from Bay Ridge by subway can take 45 minutes. But the neighborhood has recently become more popular with commuters, in part because of recent changes in subway service that gave the area an express train for the first time in years. Still, Mr. Fox said he had heard new residents complain about their travel time. The ferry ride to Pier 11 at Wall Street, he said, will take about 18 minutes.

His company already has a terminal at 58th Street in Sunset Park - it will remain open even after the 69th Street pier is finished - but it is relatively isolated and hard to reach without a car.

The pier at 69th Street, though, is more pedestrian-friendly. "It's the terminus of a bus route, and it's a commercial street." Mr. Fox said.

For Mr. Gentile, the pier renovation is not about just convenience, but about taking full advantage of the natural resources that attracted settlers to New York hundreds of years ago.

"Other cities would kill for the opportunity to use the waterways that we have in New York," he said.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Edward]

Boat Tour: Brooklyn’s Working Waterfront
Brooklyn Historical Society is pleased to introduce Brooklyn’s Working Waterfront, a new series of guided boat tours along the East River waterfront every Saturday in October and November. Passengers are picked up from South Street Seaport at 11 a.m. and Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn at 11:05 a.m., with drop-off at both locations. Tours approx. one hour; reservations strongly suggested.

Call New York Water Taxi at 212.742.1969.
Members $18, non-members $20, children of members ages 12 and under $12, non-member children 12 and under $14.

[Edward]

Nature of NYC Eco-tours
Sundays in October and November, 9:30-11 am
At Pier 17 South Street Seaport
Cost: $35 ($30 for NYC Audubon Members)

New York City Audubon presents eco-tours on New York Water Taxis, specializing in the seasonal birds of the Harbor.
Join NYC Audubon naturalists for a unique nature experience. Watch fall migrating hawks, eagles and waterfowl while learning about the geology, history, and marine life of the estuary.

Call NY Water Taxi at 212-742-1969 for reservations.

[Edward]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Ferry plan for Williamsburg's new wavers
BY DEBORAH KOLBEN
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2004

Call it the death knell for hipster Williamsburg.

Once only accessible by the downtown L train, the neighborhood could soon have a direct link to Wall Street, and, yes, even midtown Manhattan.

New York Water Taxi, a small ferry service with a fleet of yellow catamarans, is looking to build a dock next to a 14-story luxury condo complex going up at the old Schaeffer brewery near the Williamsburg Bridge.

Once known as an enclave for artists, dotted with trendy boutiques and record stores, a glut of new, high-rent housing is now reeling in bankers and advertising executives with a different set of needs.

While some residents welcome the alternative transportation, others are a bit more skeptical.

"It kind of reminds me of New Jersey, the way they have all those ferries," said Dana Doggett, a massage therapist as she waited for the L at Bedford Ave. in the heart of Williamsburg.

The L has been unofficially dubbed the "hipster express" for the route it runs between increasingly trendy Williamsburg and Manhattan's ever-trendy East Village.

But some residents predict the 74-seat water taxis - which offer hot chocolate, cookies and outdoor seating - will be decidedly less hip.

"This will be more like a luxury express," said financial-analyst-turned-jewelry-designer Olia Toporovsky, 26, adding that she might take the ferry on special occasions.

"I would always prefer going over water in a boat than underground like a rat," she said. "Plus the L train can be such a pain because it doesn't run a lot of times."

The ferry is poised to tap into the city's sweeping Williamsburg/Greenpoint development plan, which is expected to create 8,250 more units of housing in those neighborhoods.

New York Water Taxi President Tom Fox says that, pending city approval, the Williamsburg stop should be up and running by the spring.

For now, the boat is only used to ferry in prospective buyers to the pricey Schaeffer Landing building.

The Red Hook-based company currently shuttles 3,000 riders each day to 15 stops citywide. One-way fares range from $4 to $6.

"We see this as a way to connect Williamsburg to the rest of the city," Fox said of the proposed new service.

"To the extent that they want to be connected."

[BrandonUptown]

4 to 6 dollars isnt bad, Id rather take the water cab othe rthan the subway, but it may be slow ? :?

[krulltime]

May 01, 2005

NY Water Taxi to Staten Island


Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island signed a deal with New York Water Taxi, which will begin offering roundtrip service on June 12.

New York Water Taxi will initially provide one roundtrip on Sundays, leaving from and returning to Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport.


COPYRIGHT 2005 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC.

[Edward]

New York Water Taxi (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm) boat with the view of downtown Manhattan. May 2005.

http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi_manhattan.jpg (http://www.wirednewyork.com/waterfront/ferries/water_taxi.htm)

[NewYorkYankee]

Greeaaattt Pic!

[Edward]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
BY WARREN WOODBERRY JR., DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, July 27th, 2005

You'd love to get to the beach, but you can't find the time to trek all the way out to Long Island, the Rockaways or even Orchard Beach or Coney Island. Why not try Long Island City?
It's not well known, but more than 400 tons of pristine sand, a bar that serves tropical drinks and volleyball are all just a short ferry ride across the East River from Manhattan at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. The beach, which opened last Friday, is free to the public.

"We work so much that we can't even get to Coney Island," said Mara Evans, 29, who visited the beach opening day with her boyfriend, Jonas Elrod, 33. "We came out to spend some time together on the waterfront."

Situated at the foot of Borden Ave. next to the Hunters Point ferry dock, the beach offers panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, and provides such amenities as picnic tables, beach umbrellas and a snack shop - Harry's at Water Taxi Beach.

For their part, beachgoers are free to bring their own beach chairs, towels, blankets and sunscreen.

"Beer's a dollar, that's great," said Evans who rode four minutes by ferry from the 33rd St. pier.

New York Water Taxi President Tom Fox said he thought having a beach next to the ferry dock might lure more riders to the ferry service. New York Water Taxi has a temporary use lease with the Port Authority for the one-third acre lot on which the beach sits.

"We wanted to see if we could make the weekend work in Queens because we really don't get a lot of weekend traffic in Queens," said Fox, former president of the Hudson River Park Conservancy. "We figured since there is no action, we can create the action."

Water Taxi Beach will be open Fridays from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to midnight, through Labor Day.

Later this summer, possible added attractions - live bands and/or theater performances - may play at the wharf, where the temperature is usually 10 degrees cooler.

"This is part of a trend for reclaiming the waterfront for recreational space," said visitor Zak Van Buren, 27, of Red Hook. "This is just another easy way to get down to the waterfront and to enjoy the water."

Ferries from midtown Manhattan to Hunters Point run every 40 minutes, with the fare $4 each way. A two-day pass for $20 gets riders a free treat at Harry's when they arrive at the beach each day.

Parking is available, and the beach is accessible by bus, Long Island Rail Road and the Long Island Expressway.

For information, visit www.watertaxibeach.com. Ferry ride tickets may be purchased on-line at www.nywatertaxi.com.

[Edward]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/nyregion/thecity/31beac.html?
July 31, 2005

On the Beach, Courtesy of New Jersey
By JEFF VANDAM

As the 4 p.m. sun ducked behind an accommodating cloud last weekend, two shirtless men of considerable girth discovered they were neighbors. Sipping frothy beverages with their feet tucked into the sand, the neighbors, from Woodside, Queens, reflected on their good fortune.

They had discovered a beach on the East River.

"Ain't like taking the 53 bus to Rockaway," said the older of the two men, a deeply tanned fellow with white-gray hair fashioned into a buzz cut. "You can get here from Grand Central in one stop."

The beach the men were enjoying is composed of 400 tons of sand trucked in from New Jersey. Placed on a wharf in Long Island City, it is operated by New York Water Taxi and sits on land two steps north of the company's dock off Second Street at Borden Avenue. The Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop on the No. 7 line is four blocks away. The beach offers beer, cocktails, grilled food, low-key music and a commanding view of Midtown.

In operation only on weekends, Water Taxi Beach opened two weeks ago, to much news media fanfare, but with the television cameras gone, the new beach has settled into its natural rhythms. Visitors lie in the sun, sip $1 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and wolf down hot dogs and burgers prepared by Harry Hawk, the man behind Schnack restaurant on Union Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

"This is the kind of stuff that brings people to the waterfront," said Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi and founder of the Neighborhood Open Space Coalition. "And once they're on the waterfront, they get invested and it becomes their waterfront." Many of the beach patrons are Water Taxi customers, but the beach is free and open to the public.

Apart from food and drink, Water Taxi Beach has few amenities, though patrons don't seem to mind. They lounge at picnic tables or on towels and blankets, and children run about with the beach's sand shovels and buckets. In the late afternoon, a volleyball net is flung up, and Bob Marley and the Police blare from speakers wedged into the sand.

There is no swimming, because a fence blocks beachgoers from the water's edge. But all parties agree that bathing in the East River is probably not the best idea. "You'd have to be a very strong swimmer," Mr. Hawk said. The swimless beach can get hot, but there is a river breeze, and Mr. Fox said there were plans to obtain a misting machine.

Lee-Ann Hanham and Brian Fabella, an engaged couple from Queens who were sipping beers at a picnic table last weekend, like the place so much that they may have their wedding pictures taken there. "You walk through the gate, you see sand," Ms. Hanham said, "and you're like, 'Whoa!' "

[Edward]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Ferry service to Manhattan
to resume
BY WARREN WOODBERRY JR.
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, April 26th, 2006

It costs even more one-way than a gallon of gas, but some well-heeled, hurried Queens-to-Manhattan commuters may consider it: a ferry ride between Hunters Point and midtown.

On Monday, New York Water Taxi will resume its East River crossings at Hunters Point, with one-way rides for $5.50 between Hunters Point and Pier 11, and one-way trips between Hunters Point and the 34th St. pier for $4.50.

Passengers aboard New York Water Taxi's unique yellow catamarans with black and white checks won't have to worry about gas prices or traffic jams as they skim across the East River. Service will run between 6:35 a.m. and 9:05 a.m., and between 4:46 p.m. and 7:35 p.m.

Water Taxi officials predict that initially more than 200 passengers will use the ferry daily, and they expect the numbers to rise when Water Taxi Beach opens at the Hunters Point stop on May 26.

Last year, Water Taxi Beach was a popular destination point for commuters after work, a place where they could get a drink or play volleyball on pristine beach sand.

Ferry service has been credited for helping to reduce traffic congestion in places such as the 59th St. Bridge, while doing its part to help New Yorkers cut emissions.

"Restoring and expanding the East River service gives me great hope that New York Water Taxi can develop a system that meets the needs of all the redeveloping neighborhoods along the East River," said Water Taxi President Tom Fox.

Parking is available at the Hunters Point ferry terminal. The daily rate for ferry customers is $4, and the monthly rate is $60.

Commuters who buy a monthly parking pass will receive a discount on their monthly ferry commuter pass.

[Edward]

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/420061p-354663c.html
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
This sand is your sand
By WARREN WOODBERRY JR.
Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006

Commuters this Memorial Day weekend can start ending their hectic workdays by hitting the beach in Long Island City.

Dubbed "Best Place to Pretend You're in Miami" by New York magazine, Water Taxi Beach offers a free spot in the sand, a view of the Manhattan skyline and live music and entertainment.

There's also wireless Internet access and a tropical-drink bar. But forget the bathing suits; swimming is not allowed.

Located at the New York Water Taxi Hunter's Point Ferry stop, the 20,000-square-foot beach oasis is just a four-minute ferry ride from the E. 34th St. pier in midtown Manhattan.

"We're happy to be back on the Long Island City waterfront," said Tom Fox, New York Water Taxi president.

When the free beach opens Saturday, it will also offer a volleyball court, picnic tables, monthly sandcastle-building contests for kids and food and drinks.

Teaming with the Port Authority, the ferry operator last summer debuted its urban getaway, offering $1 beers.

This year at the wharf there will be a 60-by-40-foot tent for shade that can accommodate up to 300 people for theater and arts events and parties. Already, the tent has been reserved for two weddings.

"Adding the tent will allow us to host more arts and cultural events, and it provides shade and shelter for beachgoers," said Fox, former president of the Hudson River Park Conservancy.

Harry's Sunset Tropical Drink Bar will feature fresh squeezed juices and tropical drinks and beach foods. Visitors may bring beach chairs, towels and blankets. Dogs, swimming and coolers will not be allowed.

Water Taxi Beach is accessible by ferry with one-way fares at $5. If you're driving, there's parking adjacent to the beach. It will be open through Columbus Day, Oct. 9. For more information, visit watertaxibeach.com.

[ablarc]

swimming is not allowed.
Water dangerous?

Germs, pollution, chemicals?

Or is it currents and riptides?

[antinimby]

I choose D) all of the above.

[Edward]

WATER TAXI SERVICE IN WILLIAMSBURG BEGINS

MONDAY, JULY 17th


July 14 – Red Hook based New York Water Taxi (NYWT) will begin operating water taxi service at Schaefer Landing in Williamsburg (South Tenth Street) on Monday July 17th. The stop will be added to the company’s existing East River commuter route between Long Island City’s Hunter’s Point (home of Water Taxi Beach) and Manhattan’s East 34th Street and Pier 11. In addition, weekend service will connect Williamsburg to other waterfront neighborhoods including DUMBO, Red Hook, Greenwich Village and Chelsea

Commuter service will bring Williamsburg resident to Wall Street’s Pier 11 and East 34th Street in midtown and operate from 6:23am – 9:23am and 4:25pm – 7:49pm each business day that the NYSE is open. Commuter fares are as follows:

One-way ticket: $5.50
10-trip Pack: $49.50
Monthly Pass: $195.00 (unlimited trips)

To inaugurate the new service New York Water Taxi will allow commuters to ride for free during the last two weeks of July if they purchase a monthly pass for August. Monthly passes can be purchased at www.nywatertaxi.com (http://www.nywatertaxi.com/) or by calling 212-742-1969 beginning Thursday July 13th.

Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi stated “We look forward to providing residents of the rapidly developing Williamsburg waterfront community with convenient and reliable waterborne transportation service.”

Williamsburg residents will also enjoy convenient weekend service to Hunters Point and all other stops along the Company’s weekend hop-on / hop off route including East 34th Street,, South Street Seaport, Fulton Ferry Landing and Red Hook Brooklyn, Battery Park, World Financial Center, Christopher Street, West 23rd Street and West 44th Streets in Manhattan. The one-way fare is $10, and a two day hop-on / hop-off pass with unlimited use is $25.

Quickly becoming common sight in the Harbor, New York Water Taxi’s unique yellow catamarans sport black and white checks, are handicapped-accessible, offer comfortable climate-controlled interiors with upholstered seating and a small caf�/bar. The smaller Water Taxi’s s can travel at up to 28 mph and accommodate between 74 and 149 passengers on two decks. Operating commuter, tour and educational cruises New York Water Taxi carried 850,000 passengers in 2005.

[pianoman11686]

Williamsburg's Water Taxi Signals New Era

BY LEON NEYFAKH - Special to the Sun

July 18, 2006

http://www.nysun.com/article/36184

Williamsburg's tenure as "the new East Village" may have ended yesterday morning when the new ferry port at Schaefer Landing sent its first bright yellow Water Taxi on its way to Wall Street.

Not so long ago, Williamsburg was considered a hip new frontier for Brooklyn's artists, writers, and musicians.The arrival of the Water Taxi — with its grandmotherly onboard offerings of cookies and hot chocolate — suggests that the wealthy financiers, consultants, and entrepreneurs who have recently made their nests along the waterfront are there to stay.

"It seems fitting for that strange little corner of Williamsburg," the author of "The Hipster Handbook" and the culturally inclined "FreeWilliamsburg" Web log, Robert Lanham, said. "There's a cigar bar over there. It seems fitting that they have their own little elite taxi shuttle in the city."

Strange though the Water Taxi may be, Mr. Lanham said he is happy to see Williamsburg changing.

Naturally, the suited newcomers whose morning commutes to the financial district from the Schaefer Landing condominiums will now take only eight minutes are happy as well. Until yesterday, the famously overcrowded L train at Bedford Avenue provided the only public transportation route into the city from Williamsburg. Now, commuters will be able to catch hourly Water Taxis for $5 on weekday mornings between 6:23 a.m. and 9:23 a.m., and again between 4:35 p.m. and 7:49 p.m. On weekends, the ferry will run hourly between 11:08 a.m. and 6:36 p.m.

"It's going to provide a quick transportation into Manhattan, and it'll therefore make the area more desirable," said Helene Luchnick, the executive vice president at Prudential Douglas Elliman who proudly claims to have kicked off Williamsburg's development boom four and a half years ago. "In the two towers at Schaefer Landing, the monitor in the elevator will show the taxi schedule."

Ms. Luchnick said she sees Williamsburg heading in the same direction as Dumbo and Soho, both neighborhoods which started seedy, turned artsy, and developed eventually into prime real estate for wealthy professionals. "There are still artsy types living in Williamsburg, but they're not the ones buying into the new condominiums," Ms. Luchnick said. "Every site up through Greenpoint has been sold for towers."

Travis Noyes, New York Water Taxi's Vice President for Sales and Marketing, was reluctant to make a judgment about what the new ferry station meant for the neighborhood's demographic. The boats go to Wall Street, he said, because "that's where the docks are."

© 2006 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC.

[ablarc]

^ Idyllic lifestyle.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Water Taxi To Offer Service To Governors Island From Brooklyn

May 30, 2007

Starting Saturday, New York Water Taxi will run boats on the weekends from Red Hook and the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn to Governors Island.

New York Water Taxi will offer one free ride on Saturday at 10 a.m. from Red Hook.

Right now, you can only get to the island by taking a free ferry from the Battery terminal in Lower Manhattan.

There's no word yet on how much the new trip will cost, but Water Taxi currently charges $5 for a normal one-way trip.

Copyright © 2007 NY1 News
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=70212 (http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=70212)

[brianac]

Urbanite (http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/)

A commute that got cheaper

http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/watertax1.jpg
New York Water Taxi cruises past downtown. Photo from reneerwest (http://www.flickr.com/photos/64822977@N00/2233473073/) on Flickr.

Here’s a commute that defies the law of ever-increasing fares:

The New York Water Taxi (http://www.nywatertaxi.com/)announced it is lowering its prices. Trips on the ferry lines into lower Manhattan from Yonkers and Haverstraw will go from $12 to $10 and $15 to $12, respectively, starting May 1.

Savings are greater the more trips you buy. The struggling ferry line hopes cheaper seats will increase ridership, which along the line is at 2,200 people a month — low considering each trip could ferry 149 passengers.

The service is able to keep operating costs down through public funding and grants, including one from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.

-- Garett Sloane

Copyright 2008 AM New York.

[infoshare]

This looks (http://www.nywatertaxi.com/tours/waterfalls/) like fun. Another great posting (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=225018&postcount=39) by one of my favorite WiredNY members :D
Thanks Brian

[The Benniest]

Maybe its just me, but I'm having a hard time understanding the "Weekend: Hop on Hop off" schedule.

http://www.nywatertaxi.com/schedule-popup/?tab=weekend

Let's say I wanted to go from East Midtown (E 34th St.) and wanted to get off down by Battery Park. What would I have to do?

Thanks,
Ben

[infoshare]

Let's say I wanted to go from East Midtown (E 34th St.) and wanted to get off down by Battery Park. What would I have to do?

Thanks,
Ben

Hop off, then when you return: hop on. :confused:

Boats pick up at each stop on a regular schedule. Your day pass allows you unlimited travel - hop on and off as much as you like. This - I think (http://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/NewYorkNY/activity/NewYorkWaterTaxi1.cfm) - service is a similar to how the big apple tour busses operate: you can get on/off at any location and at any time of day.

[brianac]

Thanks info, nice to be appreciated.

[lofter1]

That 2-Day pass at $25 / person for hop-on / hop-off (http://www.nywatertaxi.com/hop/)on weekends is a good deal if you want to see a lot of sights.

[infoshare]

.......... is a good deal if you want to see a lot of sights.

My guess is that there will soon be another stop added to that ferry route. Recently I spotted a new dock (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=161839&postcount=9) on the piers in Manhattanville, looks similar to some of the other water taxi docks, perhaps there will be yet another 'site to see' on the tour.

[brianac]

New York Water Taxi leaving Fulton Ferry Landing and heading south.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z245/brianaclift/New%20York%20June%202007/js1024_Pictures_from_small_card_-80.jpg

[lofter1]

That warehouse in the background ^ was demo'ed this week :D

It sat on the site of the new Brooklyn Bridge Park (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4027).

Full coverage HERE (http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=225062&postcount=328)

[brianac]

Posting

The Ferry: Past, Present and Future

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/05/25/realestate/post_span_ready.jpg Josh Haner/The New York Times
Northside Piers opens soon; it may offer ferry access.

By C. J. HUGHES (http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=C. J. HUGHES&fdq=19960101&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=C. J. HUGHES&inline=nyt-per)
Published: May 25, 2008

BRIDGES spelled the end of New York’s ferries a century ago; when you could zip over the Queensboro by trolley or car, why bother with poky boats?

Since then, the ferry has been the object of an on-again off-again romance. It gained in popularity in the late 1980s, with the redevelopment of the Hudson River waterfront in New Jersey (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newjersey/?inline=nyt-geo) — which, as beat-up former industrial land, was ill served by traditional transportation.

A ferry, which could pull up close to the rows of condominiums there, seemed to many developers and planners a better way to commute.
But the ferry declined in favor again when the passage of time revealed that not enough people rode ferries to offset the high cost of running them. New York Waterway, with many New Jersey routes, nearly declared bankruptcy in 2004 before selling half its fleet.

These days, ferries have regained a certain luster. Many city officials, residents and developers believe ferry service can finally succeed — in part because this month the city offered its first subsidy ever, $1.1 million, to a ferry operator, New York Water Taxi. On May 12, it began a route from Breezy Point, Queens (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newyorkcity/queens/?inline=nyt-geo), to the Wall Street area.

Ferries would be especially exciting for developers putting up condominiums along the East River. A half dozen buildings are either in the works or recently completed, on land that can be a long walk from the nearest subway.

But even with city aid, builders may have to kick in a portion themselves.
For example, BFC Partners, the lead developer of Schaefer Landing, a condo-and-rental complex at 440 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newyorkcity/brooklyn/?inline=nyt-geo), estimates that it had invested $750,000 over the last four years to help to get Water Taxi ferry service up and running there.

Donald Capoccia, a managing principal, says the complex’s homeowner association also pays $100,000 a year to underwrite service to Schaefer, which has 210 condos and 140 rentals, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms. The condos, priced from $300,000 to $1.95 million, sold out seven months ago.

“Residents know ferries are critical to the value of their real estate, even if they don’t use them,” Mr. Capoccia said.

Michael Lappin, the chief executive of CPC Resources, which is redeveloping the former Domino Sugar plant on the water in Brooklyn, is prepared to ask buyers to chip in for a lower price, which on Water Taxi boats averages $5.50 for a 10-minute one-way trip.

Promising 2,200 units, condo or rental, the 11.5-acre mixed-use project awaits approvals before its groundbreaking in the summer of 2009. But the developer is already exploiting the ferries’ marketing potential: in a rendering on the project’s Web site, thenewdomino.com (http://thenewdomino.com/), one appears docked nearby. “People want to get to their work and entertainment in a reasonable way,” Mr. Lappin said.

Subsidies may not even be necessary if enough passengers pay in the first place, says David Von Spreckelsen, a senior vice president at Toll Brothers, which is building the Northside Piers complex in Williamsburg.

This week, residents will move in to the site’s first completed condo tower, which has 180 units in 29 stories. Units range from 450-square-foot studios to 2,100-square-foot three-bedrooms and are priced from $350,000 to $1.6 million. (Mr. Von Spreckelsen says 70 percent have sold since Northside Piers’ sales office opened in January 2007.)

Ferries are expected at the pier that is planned next door, at the Edge, a development still under construction. Together, the two developments’ residents should provide “enough of a critical mass of people to sustain ridership.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/realestate/25post.html?ref=commercial

Copyright 2008 (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) The New York Times Company (http://www.nytco.com/)