Sunset-Ridge Waterfront Alliance

[Source: Brooklyn Resident Mary Ann Lento, 1/23/08]

I protest the suspension of ferry service between Brooklyn Army Terminal and Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan.

Together we are a powerful constituent base, a powerful tax base and a loyal downtown workforce.

The riders of the Brooklyn Army Terminal Ferry are reaching out to our elected officials to help us in our crusade to save the ferry service to Lower Manhattan.

For the hundreds of Brooklyn and Queens Residents who take the ferry, we implore you to take up the cause of this important service impacts our ability to live, work and pay taxes in New York City.

[Source: Times Ledger]

Although politicians may not always be able to walk on water, two city councilmen are trying to increase funding so you can commute on it.

Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside) and Councilman David Yassky (D-Brooklyn) called on the city to increase funding for and awareness of the New York City Water Taxi service that runs between Manhattan and Brooklyn and Queens at a news conference Saturday in Williamsburg.

[…]

The Sunset Ridge Waterfront Alliance, a Brooklyn-based advocate group, praised Gioia and Yassky for taking the initiative. The group said government subsidies would not only lower the $5 one-way fare for the water taxis, it would save the city millions in eased congestion.

“The taxis are greener for the city, because they get people off the roads and on the water. This initiative has bipartisan support,” said Heather McGown, the founder of the alliance.

East River Service will Shut Down for Winter Without Intervention

In a blow for Brooklyn and Queens waterfront residents, New York Water Taxi’s East River service will be suspended for the winter months due to insufficient revenue. Councilmembers David Yassky (D-Brooklyn) and Eric Gioia (D-Queens) are calling for the city to step in to provide ferry service as an alternate to other mass transit.

The SRWA Ferry Initiative is dedicated to bringing ferry service back to the 69th St. Pier in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, as a viable and feasible transportation alternative.  The history of ferry service to this borough dates back to the late 1800’s.  Please see the link below for more:
The History of Ferry Service in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
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*** FERRY SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO SUNSET PARK! ***

Current Ferry Service in Sunset Park, Brooklyn:
There is currently weekday ferry service from Breezy Point to Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, to Pier 11 (Wall Street) in Manhattan. This service is funded by the first subsidy for passenger ferry service in Manhattan as of May, 2008. 
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[Letter to DOT Congestion Mitigation Committee]

Dear Commission Members:

I was honored to speak at the Hunter College hearings on Congestion Pricing on October, 25th, 2007. I realize that you are meeting tomorrow to discuss your summary of comments from the public. I have attached two items for your review; my letter to Mayor Bloomberg on Oct. 1, 2007 that was mailed with a petition of 1,400 signatures in support of ferry service, and a ferry initiative outline from my non-profit Sunset-Ridge Waterfront Alliance.

[Source: The Brooklyn Paper]

The prospects for a ferry from the 69th Street pier to the Financial District are in a holding pattern, but it was full-speed-ahead on Tuesday as proponents of the service invited passengers on board for a successful dry-run.

Organized by local activists Heather McCown, Adam Wasserman, and Peter Killen, the 20-minute ride from Bay Ridge to Lower Manhattan went off without a hitch.

[Source: The Brooklyn Paper]

One resident’s against-the-tide crusade to return ferry service to the 69th Street pier may finally be hitting smoother waters.

On Oct. 1, transportation activist Heather McCown sent Mayor Bloomberg a 1,400-signature petition that demanded a ferry from the 69th Street pier to Lower Manhattan — and last Wednesday, the mayor’s office responded with a message of its own: Give us eight weeks.

The Department of Transportation told McCown that a final decision would be made “by the end of December, 2007.”