A Seastreak ferry ran aground in Jamaica Bay this afternoon, forcing the fire department to remove all 29 passengers, none of whom were injured, according to an FDNY spokesman and news reports.
The ferry was not part of the regular Rockaways service, but was a private ride organized by a local ferry advocate to explore ways of expanding service, possibly to JFK Airport.
The ferry ride included, among others, representatives from the offices of Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder and Queens borough president Melinda Katz.
"There was no big thump," said Goldfeder, who wasn't on the boat, but spoke to people who were. He said passengers didn't even realize they were stuck until they tried moving.
Goldfeder said the incident shouldn't be used to paint ferry service as unreliable or prone to delays.
5 comments:
"local ferry advocate"
wonder what connections he has ?
as they say, follow the money.
It's all about the subsidies.
how does a professional boat driver miss a shoal?It's symbolic that the boat driven by someone with no sense of direction had the likes of our directionless boro president on board.
I hope those elected hacks and immoral developers see this as an omen against gentrification,but they won't.their blinders are fixed on tight and the mission to turn rockaway into some bullshit resort will continue.
Dunno much about transport (and people will point at MetroNorth as a counter-example), but it seems to me ferries are much more prone to problems than rail due to the variable conditions on the water. One example is how the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry has to suspend service for a couple of weeks a year due to ice in the Hudson.
I was taking the ferry from Rockaway to Manhattan after the Hurricane. I got a seat, there's a bathroom and bar on board.
I did notice something amiss at the pier in Manhattan and wondered if any one had inspected it and/or if it was up to code. This was in the winter of 2013. The Ferry Terminal was hit very badly by the Hurricane and as far as I know, there have been no repairs to date.
Sure enough about a week later, that ferry accident at the pier on Wall and South Streets happened.
The trip from Rockaway to Wall Street is listed as 45 minutes in length. On more than one occasion, the Seastreak Ferry got to Manhattan in 25 minutes.
They speed the ferry because there is no NYPD Harbor Patrol until the Verrazano Bridge.
I felt it was dangerous and became alarmed. No more ferry for me.
This news story is a reason to keep off the ferry forever even if the cost remains subsidized.
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