City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) is one of three representatives in Queens asking the city to consider expanding ferry service to two locations in the northeast part of the borough.
Vallone wrote a joint letter with his Council colleagues Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) and Peter Koo (D-Flushing) addressed to Hannah Henn, director of ferry service for the city, asking the city Economic Development Corp. to conduct a pilot program that would test out the long-term viability of offering permanent ferry service from Manhattan to Citi Field in Flushing and to Fort Totten in Bayside.
The letter cites a variety of factors the Council members say support the idea of instituting a new route from Manhattan to both locations.
“We believe a combination of factors will lead to an overwhelming success of the proposed sites: the demand from local communities, economic viability, lack of transportation alternatives provided to northeast Queens and the availability of existing docks at the proposed sites,” the letter said.
The letter, officially sent from Vallone’s office, refers to a 2013 Citywide Ferry Study completed by the EDC, which mentioned Citi Field as a potential stop along a ferry route because of its vicinity to Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the World’s Fair Marina.
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The letter also states that ferry service to Citi Field and Fort Totten would help alleviate some of the overcrowding on the No. 7 train, the only line to run from Manhattan to the northeastern part of the borough.
28 comments:
These ferries are nothing but major money losers. Do these dumb politicians honestly think people will use them? The Rockaway ferry runs everyday at only 34% capacity. Do the math! Plus, during the winter , that north shore bay freezes over. Then what?
Car ferries to Westchester from Queens would be great. Our waterways surrounding NYC are so underutilized.
Seattle has tons of ferries and they're great. You drive on - get a cup of coffee, enjoy some scenery, and drive off 30 - 40 minutes later - depending on where you're going.
How would that help alleviate the seven train? If we are agreeing that this ferry is only going to go to Willets point Then people are still going to have to take the train still into the city. The only time it will be useful Is during baseball season for people who come from bayside/bay terrace to the mets game. Other than that, I don't see it relieving any overcrowding on the seven train.
Why isn't Paul Vallone fighting to get improvements to the express buses in the area. The ridership on the express buses is very strong and the MTA already agrees that there needs to be improvements to service on the QM2 and 2A routes in Bayside near Fort Totten. Not only that, but the city, not the state subsidizes the QM2 and 2A routes as per the Queens Surface takeover agreement.
This is the most logical way to get real improvements for the neighborhood. Unless Vallone and his stooges are writing this letter for a show and are doing this for the sake of press coverage.
Vallone supported overdevelopment (took plenty of campaign contributions from the developers) and now "il duomo" suddenly realizes that it puts a strain on the already inadequate transportation system.
He's definitely the dumbest of the Vallone brothers.
WTF does Vallone really care. The both of us live a stone's throw from the Broadway LIRR station.
Yeah...yech...we're neighbors.
Let the rest of them pack in like sardines with half of China riding the #7.
Whoever said that 7 was a lucky number.
Keep on building in Bayside. Let those over privileged louts get a good taste of Flushing and the full smell of it on a hot August day.
LOL!
Vallone should have the middle of his bald head tattooed with a vertical butt crack so that people will recognize him for the asshole that he really is.
Let those rich goombahs that live in Malba, etc. use their yachts for traveling to Manhattan.
Do you think that the owner of Verdi's takes the subway?
Hey, Don Ciccio Vallone...do you take the #7?
C'mon, stop yanking our chains!
These ferries are nothing but major money losers.
YES!
Do these dumb politicians honestly think people will use them?
NO!
The purpose is not to transport people, whose needs of late are only benefited when someone in office is benefited, who in turn, benefits a developer.
This is another marketing gimmick to fill apartments. Ferry landings have been set up at elite communities since there were ferry boats.
The only question, is can you, dear reader, figure out a better place to put your hard earned taxes.
Paulie is borrowing from the same playbook as Lil Pete.
Car ferries to Westchester from Queens would be great.
-Sure, as long as you are willing to pay the full cost for the service - and not have taxpayers subsidize you.
Our waterways surrounding NYC are so underutilized.
-Quick question: there were once 100s of ferries. What happened to them?
Fort Totten? So far it's underutilized and has zero parking lots thanks to invisible work feverishly being done on the street/bay level parking lot. All I see is more and more overdevelopment and less and less improvements in public accommodations such as transportation and local roads. Vallone must be joking.
Aren't there any more pressing matters to NE Queens than the need for a ferry?
Honestly in my entire life I don't think I've ever heard a single person say we need a ferry.
Honestly in my entire life I don't think I've ever heard a single person say we need a ferry.
Let's get basic: I have NEVER heard someone say term limits should be overturned, we need another million people in NYC, or that New Yorkers were so stupid we need to be led around like pets by someone who lives in Virginia.
Let the rest of them pack in like sardines with half of China riding the #7.
I had to go to a meeting in Manhattan on Thursday, and let me tell you, when I was coming home after 6pm both Penn Station and the Great Neck line train were packed like sardines - and it wasn't just because people were going to the Mets game. Penn Station was wall-to-wall people, and my train had people standing everywhere, the entire length of each car - the conductor even waited while people ran desperately down the platform looking for room to get in. I'd be interested to see stats on whether ridership on the LIRR is up, and by how much. So it's not just the #7 train that's packed.
'Let's get basic: I have NEVER heard someone say term limits should be overturned, we need another million people in NYC, or that New Yorkers were so stupid we need to be led around like pets by someone who lives in Virginia.'
With term limits the legislature loses power to those behind the scene. Term limits should be overturned. Not for one election so some billionaire can be mayor for another four years, but permanently.
Those million people are coming whether you like it or not. Use zoning to push them into transit rich neighborhoods so they don't have to drive and it won't be so hard to absorb.
With Diesel over $4 a gal they would need to charge $20 a person @ 70% capacity or go broke in no time.
Q: How are riders to commute to Fort Tottan or Flushing Marina?
The roads and parkways are cluster f_cks and not worth it ! During Rush hour it takes 45 minutes to get from Northern Blvd to The Throggs neck bridge. Forget the Van Wick or Grand Central
Not sure if more recent numbers have been published but LIRR saw a 3% increase on the Port Washington branch in 2013, 2% overall.
At some mythical date in the future when ESA opens crowding won't be helped as much as people might expect if they don't get all the other little projects to support it done, like expanding yards at the eastern terminals, and for every branch except Port Washington put in the third mainline track, among others. I think on the Port Washington branch specifically they want to redo a bridge by Great Neck to store another train to start mid line there, and extend the storage tracks into the LIRR owned parking lot at Port Washington to store another train there. Both projects are being opposed by many locals, (as well as most other similar projects in LIRR territory)
The ferries sank (like the one you can see from the Whitestone Bridge, still sticking up out of the water 75+ years later), and their docks were destroyed, never to be rebuilt. In the Hurricane of 1938.Then we got bridges,lots of cars and buses, and who needed ferries?
Vallone is a human walking asshole. He had no clue what to do. He's never been involved in community, only whatever he could hang on daddies cost tails. He did shit in cb1, always the developers, if he showed up. He missed more meetings than he attended. And when he moved to bayside he formed his own club do he could be prez. He's a brainless sellout.
"redo a bridge by Great Neck" LOL never happen. It be WW-III regarding the Great Neck Plaze/Middle neck road bridge or anyplace near it. Forget the ROW behind Shadow lane (million dollar+ old homes) or school. Those tracks (including a layup track) are as close as they could be to the property fences. It would have to involve eminent domain. That would be funny to see the MTA "try it" --all the Jewish doctors and lawyers live in that cluster. East of Great Neck including the long viaduct (made 1887) over the bay is only one track (Manhasset & Plandome) --again same deal only richer and crazier NIMBYs who hate city people and ANY kind changes --Never gonna happen. the Port Washington (cow bay line) line was originally to bring milk & dairy to the city (it was all Borden's cow pastures and chickens) then 1939 worlds fair. See "Cow Bay"-"East Egg" The old Borden warehouse is still intact next to the Manhasset train station its now used for limos and automotive services.
Not middle neck road, colonial road, to extend the pocket track by shadow lane to fit in a second train set.
http://web.mta.info/lirr/News/ColonialRoad/ProjectOverview.htm
With term limits the legislature loses power to those behind the scene. Term limits should be overturned. Not for one election so some billionaire can be mayor for another four years, but permanently.
NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE US TERM LIMITED. POLS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PART TIME TEMP POSITIONS, NOT LIFE TIME FEASTING ON PUBLIC GRAFT.
Those million people are coming whether you like it or not. Use zoning to push them into transit rich neighborhoods so they don't have to drive and it won't be so hard to absorb.
THE MILLION IS COMPRISED OF ILLEGALS (THAT CAN BE CONTAINED AS THEY WERE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST) AND ECONOMIC REFUGEES FROM THE DECAY OF THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND. THEY ARE HERE BECAUSE THE RICH HAVE A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE ECONOMY THAT IS KILLING THE MIDDLE CLASS.
Vallone is a human walking asshole. He had no clue what to do. He's never been involved in community, only whatever he could hang on daddies cost tails. He did shit in cb1, always the developers, if he showed up. He missed more meetings than he attended. And when he moved to bayside he formed his own club do he could be prez. He's a brainless sellout.
You sound upset.
What a stupid idea. Let's leave this area residential. Look at the mess in downtown Flushing. Stupid northeast Queens. So much potential here and no righteous leaders. Vallone is non existent on important issues.
It's all about the subsidies. The operator won't care if it makes money or not.
It's just another way to take the taxpayers money. BTW I take the LIRR from Auburndale to Great Neck and back each day (reverse commuting.) I have been doing this for over eight years. Eight years ago the train was mostly empty with businessmen reading the Times. Now it is full of domestics, screaming babies, Haitian and Jamaican health care workers who are very loud and mid-westerners who have no clue that is rude to be yelling into your cell phone on a train. Part of the problem is that the NICE buses are over-packed and the fare from Flushing to Great Neck is only $2.75 more than the bus.
We need Wall Street ferries AND express buses
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