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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For many, a direct connection from Staten Island to Brooklyn that bypasses having to cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge via car or bus would be a great option for traveling between the two boroughs.
According to some transit activists, one way of achieving this dream would require a minimal investment on the part of New York City, with no additional infrastructure needed. However, despite what proponents see as the relative ease of adding this new link, it’s still an uphill battle for the people trying to make this connection a reality. Or, as Tamer Mahmoud, transportation chair of the New Brighton Civic Committee, puts it: “Why do we have to fight so hard for something that makes so much sense?” Mahmoud and Tyler Taba, director of resilience for the Waterfront Alliance, are part of a growing grassroots coalition of people and organizations trying to get a direct fast ferry connection between Staten Island and Brooklyn .
An NYC Ferry boat is docked in St. George after dropping off passengers. Saturday November 16, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Mike Matteo) Mike Matteo Mahmoud and Taba said that adding a line on the NYC Ferry system — between the already established stops in St.
George and Bay Ridge — would only need the commitment of a few boats from the fast ferry fleet and the crews to run them. “We think it’s simple, because the infrastructure is there. We already have the St.
George landing. Brooklyn has three landings — Atlantic Avenue, South Brooklyn Army Terminal and the Bay Ridge landing — so we’re not talking infrastructure costs there,” Mahmoud explained. Taba added: “We see this one as the easiest and quickest solutions this city could pursue to grow service.
” Staten Island’s other ferry The borough’s lone fast ferry route only travels up the west side of Manhattan, with stops at Battery Park City and West 39th Street. It’s also the only route in the NYC Ferry system completely isolated from the East River, where the lion’s share of stops and routes operate. To access the rest of the fast ferry system from the St.
George route, a Staten Island commuter currently needs to walk almost a mile and a half from Battery Park City to the Pier 11/Wall Street dock. Signage for the St. George NYC Ferry route as seen in this file photo from 2021.
(Staten Island Advance/Erik Bascome) With a direct option, Taba, Mahmoud and other supporters of the Bay Ridge-Staten Island line , said the two boroughs, both of which have growing cultural and economic ties , can be better connected. This direct line to South Brooklyn would create a stronger link between the two boroughs and also connect Staten Island to more distant destinations like Long Island City and Rockaway “The most important thing of all is connectivity to the rest of the city and the rest of the fast ferry system,” Mahmoud said. “With this connection, it’ll shorten the commute time and allow Staten Island to get where they want to go.
” Local support Local support for this ferry expansion was almost immediate after the St. George route was established in August 2021. Justin Wood, a resident of St.
George , organized a petition for a “simple, low-cost extension” of the fast ferry system. After that, a growing coalition of community members, civic groups and non-profit organizations — the St. George and New Brighton civic associations, Transportation Alternatives, among others — came together to help this grassroots movement flex its muscles.
The ferry supporters have also gotten an array of local elected officials in their corner, including Borough President Vito Fossella , Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore), Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore/Battery Park) and State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), among others. The Manhattan skyline is seen as a NYC Ferry on the St.
George route departs Battery Park City. Saturday November 16, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Mike Matteo) Mike Matteo The expansion even had the support of then-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who, in January 2020, told the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com that it would be a “missed connection” if the city did not look for additional ways to connect the boroughs, with a fast ferry route likely being the quickest way to do so.
In his present capacity as mayor, hizzoner could direct the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the agency that oversees the NYC Ferry program, to make the expansion a priority. Previously, the EDC had told the Advance/SILive.com that it isn’t looking to expand and would focus on improving current service and making the system more financially sustainable.
Despite this past support and the current backing of local officials on both sides of the Verrazzano , the supporters of this ferry connection said they are frustrated by the lack of progress. Mahmoud emphasized that while he appreciates Adams recognizing Staten Island as a transportation desert, he wants the mayor to follow his words with action. “We just want Mayor Adams to stay true to his words and really push this through.
As borough president, he was working with [former Borough President] Jimmy Oddo, trying to make this happen,” Mahmoud said. “Let’s make this happen. It’s common sense.
You just add two or three boats and we’re up and running.” The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the fast ferry. Looking ahead Even while they focus on holding the mayor to past promises, both Taba and Mahmoud have their sights set on future changes they’d like to see for the fast ferry system.
Taba said he hopes that the Staten Island-Brooklyn route could inspire the addition of common-sense connections elsewhere, like a City Island stop along NYC Ferry’s Soundview route. He even floated the idea of a ferry connection to LaGuardia Airport, which could be easier to implement because of the lessons learned while working on the St. George-Bay Ridge line.
Two passengers on board the St. George NYC Ferry route watch another fast ferry pass by. Saturday November 16, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Mike Matteo) Mike Matteo “Should this one happen, I think it’s a model to scale out the ferry service,” Taba said.
“Have local support for the fast ferry, build up that support and use it to push the city, push the EDC, push the agencies to really make it happen.” Mahmoud said he has his sights set closer to home. He said he wants to see quality-of-life changes in St.
George, including a canopy to cover the extended gangplank that leads from the ticket machine to the stop itself. He said he would also like to see a bigger ferry landing in the future, especially if ridership on the fast ferry increases following the expansion into Bay Ridge. While Mahmoud said he thinks other parts of Staten Island could benefit from fast ferry stops, he understands it all starts with this first expansion.
“Maybe this could be the inspiration for a route to the South Shore, to Midland Beach or Tottenville. But [St. George] is the start because, as we keep reiterating, the infrastructure already exists,” Mahmoud stressed.
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