Haverstraw/Ossining Ferry is SAFE from Chopping Block

I’m posting just to inform everyone that the existing New York Waterway ferry, with service from Haverstraw to the Ossining Metro-North train station is SAFE from budget cuts. Unfortunately, the recent NY Water Taxi ferry pilot program, with service from Haverstraw to Yonkers and Lower Manhattan will be no more. With the ailing economy, Albany and the federal government has decided to suspend the service from Haverstraw and retain the service running from Yonkers. Most politicians, however, have stated that they hope and envision the reintroduction of the Manhattan-direct ferry service once the economy rebounds. Read more about the suspended NY Water Taxi service here: http://villageofhaverstraw.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/water-taxi-to-suspend-service-from-haverstraw/

Water Taxi to Suspend Service from Haverstraw

I have sad news to report. Amid the depressed regional and national economy, another bright spot in Haverstraw is no more. The New York Water Taxi service, that ferries commuters between Haverstraw, Yonkers, and Lower Manhattan, is facing the budgetary chopping block. Unless the State Legislature can find funds to support the ferry’s dwindling on-board revenues (the bad economy is sucking jobs out of Manhattan), the ferry will be terminated on May 1, 2009. Rockland County has worked very diligently to supply Rockland commuters with a “one-seat” ride to Manhattan via ferry. The County is choosing their words carefully when they say the service will be “suspended,” hinting that they may reinstate the services when the economy rebounds. This suspension does not affect the wildly successful New York Waterway ferry services that operates from Haverstraw to Ossining. Unfortunately, by the time the economy does rebound, we will be facing $5.00 gasoline once again, and this time, we’ll be LESS prepared. Thank you New York State!

Main Street Ferry Terminal Designs Take Form

McLaren Engineering Group of West Nyack has been working diligently on the design of the Ferry Terminal, retail spaces, and parking garage that is to be situated at the foot of Main Street in the Village. The massive project will allow for the New York Waterway Ferry and New York Water Taxi service to move from the current ferry landing to the foot of Main Street and at Emeline Park for broader access by Village and regional residents. The project is viewed as a long-awaited catalyst to return the Village downtown to its former splendor. Many residents and commuters are excited for the new ferry facility and pier. Officials believe that project will be operational within the next three years. Here are notable renderings from the project:

Waterfront Plan Haverstraw

The Foot of Main Street

www.mgmclaren.com

Calendar Note: Hudson Ferry-Go-Round 9/14/08

Keep in mind that the 2008 Annual Hudson Ferry-Go-Round and Haverstraw International Street Fair are set to commence on Sunday, September 14th. Ferries run all day from 11AM to 6PM between Peekskill, Haverstraw, Ossining, and Sleepy Hollow. All-day ferry passes are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and FREE for kids aged 17 and under. The Haverstraw International Street Fair includes hundreds of local and regional vendors lining Main Street, Broadway, and the New York Waterway and NY Water Taxi ferry landing. Local stores will be open all day and will most likely host special events and hold limited sales. The street fair and ferry-go-round has been growing larger every year, with more than 15,000 patrons visiting last year. Events at other ferry landings include: “Ossining Treasures: an Arts Festival,” “A Taste of Peekskill,” the Sleep Hollow Street Fair. The public can board the ferries at designated ferry docks on a first-come, first-serve basis every 40 to 60 minutes. For more information, please visit:www.eventsonhudson.org

Lower Fares for Water Taxi Start May 1!

The New York Water Taxi is lowering its fares from Haverstraw and Yonkers to Lower Manhattan! At a time when other modes of commute are getting costlier due to higher gas prices, tolls, and train fares, the ferry route is getting cheaper. The Water Taxi is lowering its fares ahead of the summer season, in hopes of increasing ridership on the ferry. The new fare from Haverstraw to Lower Manhattan are $12.00 one-way, down from $15.00. The new fare from Yonkers to Lower Manhattan is $10.00 one-way, down from $12.00. Rides between Yonkers and Haverstraw will now be $5.00. Visit the New York Water Taxi website for more information: http://www.nywatertaxi.com/commuters/hudsonriver/

New York Waterway Ferry Service to Ossining Breaks All Records

Since 2001, the New York Waterway ferry service to Ossining from Haverstraw has been ushering commuters to and from the MetroNorth Railroad Hudson Line that provides service to Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan. At the time of its inception, the ferry was only expected to carry up to 200 passengers a day to and from Ossining. Today, to much excitement, the ferry service provides over 250 daily rides and is expected to continue to grow by nearly 5% or more each year in the future. Planners and politicians cite rising gas prices, roadway toll increase, and increasing congestion on area highways as reasons for the high ridership and even higher ridership projections for the ferry. The MTA and NY Waterway hope to expand the service in the near future to include more off-peak service, which includes midday and late-night rides. Haverstraw residents are excited for the service expansions as they will be able to use the ferry for more than just commuting, like nights out on the town and excursions in the city. The ferry service has also received heavy funding from the federal government to build and operate out of a new ferry pier and terminal at the foot of Main Street in Emeline Park in the Village of Haverstraw.

Chair Factory Eminent Domain Will Likely Move Forward

The Supreme Court Appellate Division in White Plains has ruled to deny the owners of the Empire State Chair Factory site the ability to resist eminent domain proceedings by the Village of Haverstraw. The site is included in the Village urban renewal district and is the third phase of waterfront development. The Village will condemn the property and then hand it over for development by Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC). The legal proceedings have put the project on hold for almost four years; the ferries (NY Water Taxi and NY Waterway) are to be moved to the end of Main Street to a new pier and phased construction of structured parking and retail can then continue at the site. The current site owners have said that they plan to refine their appeal; they will not give up their fight. It seems, though, that their fight is hopeless and they are only delaying much-needed development on the waterfront.

Water Taxi Sets Sail!

The New York Water Taxi set sail from the Haverstraw Ferry Landing for the first time this morning. The ferry departed from Haverstraw at 6:15AM, made one stop in Yonkers, and continued on to the World Financial Center and then Pier 11 on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Visit the New York Water Taxi website for more information here.

Congestion Pricing Moves Forward

Despite opposition from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the State of New York has granted the Bloomberg Administration in New York City permission to create a congestion task force, who will study options to fight traffic congestion in Manhattan. One of these options is congestion pricing, with which the City will charge drivers up to $8.00 per day upon entering Manhattan below 86th Street between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm (drivers can subtract the cost of bridge and tunnel tolls from the $8.00 charge). The conditions of the State Legislature and the Federal Transit Administration (who recently committed over $350 Million to the NYC traffic plan) are as follows:

Water Taxi Adds Haverstraw Ferry Page to Web

New York Water Taxi, the company that is offering the new Haverstraw to Lower Manhattan Ferry Service, which is to begin on September 4, 2007 (the day after Labor Day), has added a dedicated web page for the Haverstraw Route. Visit the site here for more information. New York Water Taxi

Water Taxi Service to Lower Manhattan Delayed

The new Water Taxi Ferry Service from Haverstraw to Lower Manhattan has been delayed from the August 1, 2007 start date until September 4, 2007. The Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef has stated that a federal funding cut of $280,000.00 was to blame for the delayed start of the new ferry service. Commuters that have been excited to start riding the new ferry service will have to wait one more excruciatingly long month.

A Setback for Haverstraw from the State Level

The State Assembly, led by Democrat Sheldon Silver, and the State Senate, led by Joseph Bruno has failed to vote on and adopt a congestion pricing plan proposed by the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg. The plan would have charged commuters entering Manhattan below 86th Street and off the West Side Highway and FDR Drive, up to $8.00 minus any bridge or tunnel tolls spent before entering Manhattan. Because of the political stalemate, New York City and the MTA has lost over $500 million in federal aid to combat traffic and poor air quality. Revenues raised from the congestion pricing plan would have been reinvested back into the MTA for capital improvements and additions to service through subway, regional rail, bus, and ferry. Haverstraw would have greatly benefited from Mr. Bloomberg’s plan, because any walking village near a region transit hub would suddenly become even more valuable, as home buyers and commuters would be even more attracted to mass transit options. The New York State Government has truly failed Haverstraw and the rest of New York’s citizens. Our air quality and quality of life will continue to deteriorate until New York is no longer a desirable place to live. . .

Ferry Landing Readies Itself for Water Taxi

Workers are, at this time, preparing the Haverstraw Ferry Landing for New York Water Taxi service, which is expected to begin in August. Construction crews have closed the northern side of the ferry parking lot, while they drive pilings in the water and add docks and ramps. The New York Water Taxi slip will be located on the northern side of the Ferry Landing and just south of the Haverstraw Elks Club. The New York Waterway ferry slip will remain where it is. Docks for recreational boating are also being installed in the water gap south of the Elks Club. Work on a new ferry pier at the base of Main Street in the Village of Haverstraw is expected to begin in Spring 2008. The two ferry operations will move to main street, once work there is completed; this may happen as early as Fall 2008.

NY Water Taxi Launches Yonkers Commute Page

New York Water Taxi recently launched a page on its website dedicated to the new ferry route from Yonkers Pier, which will likely be expanded to the Haverstraw Ferry Landing sometime in August or sooner, depending on operation dynamics. The ferry from Yonkers is scheduled to launch on the morning of May 1, 2007. The trip will cost commuters $12.00 one-way, $110 for a block of 10 tickets, and $440 for a block of 40 tickets. From Yonkers, the trip is expected to take about 40 minutes to the World Financial Center Pier and about 55 minutes to Pier 11 at the base of Wall Street (the trip will take longer from Haverstraw, by about another 15-20 minutes). The ferry schedule is posted on the NY Water Taxi website, here. Please, visit the homepage at www.HaverstrawLife.com for more updated information about this ferry service.

Ferry on Ice: Why It’s a Problem!

The New York Waterway Ferry has been suspended until further notice for the second time this winter season. Heavy ice on the Hudson River near Ossining has prompted ferry officials to, once again, shut the service down until the ice clears. The reason for ferry disruption is that ice chunks get drawn into the ferry’s cooling system, which is fed by river water, and then clogs the intake. The ferry’s engine cannot cool itself and the ferry’s operation must cease. The picture, above-left, shows a man standing in the middle of the Hudson River, near Newburgh during the 1800s. Back then, it was common for the river to freeze solid all the way across and as far south as New York Harbour. Those brave enough would venture out onto the ice, sometimes aided by ice skates. My great-grandfather once said that he and his friends would take bed sheets and hold them up to the wind; they would glide at a relatively fast speed on their ice skates, sometimes miles down the Hudson. Many scientists believe that Global Climate Change has ended these deep freezes. The ferry disruption will likely last until Thursday or Friday. Until then, NY Waterway is providing bus service to the Tarrytown train station, where Metro North can take commuters to Grand Central. Don’t worry! It’s supposed to get warmer by Friday; the ice should be gone by then! For more information, visit the NY Waterway website: NYWATERWAY.COM