Ny Waterway News

City-run ferry operations have been relaunched from Jersey City’s southernmost coast in an effort to close transit gaps and create more affordable and efficient transportation options for low- and middle-income residents outside of the downtown area. Ferry service from and to the Port Liberte terminal shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop's administration recently acquired the ferry terminal to take an active role in subsidizing ferry rates for residents traveling to and from New York City.

New York Waterway on Monday christened its new vessel Arthur E. Imperatore, named in honor of the company's late founder. The vessel will provide scenic tours of New York Harbor in addition to commuter transportation.Built locally by Yank Marine in Tuckahoe, N.J., the Arthur E. Imperatore is a brand new, low-emission 2,000-horsepower, Tier 3 compliant ferry designed to carry 600 passengers. The vessel has a service speed of 21 knots. One of the largest and most modern commuter ferries in the New Jersey-New York Harbor…

NY Waterway has been selected to provide ferry services five days a week on Jersey City’s southernmost coast in Greenville, N.J.Mayor Steven M. Fulop, Councilwoman Denise Ridley and the Department of Infrastructure announced a resolution awarding the contract for services out of the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal, which the City of Jersey City recently acquired.Additionally, utilizing $4 million in State grant funding, ferry fares to and from the Port Liberte terminal will be discounted…

A new passenger vessel entered service for operator NY Waterway, serving as both a commuter ferry and for scenic tours of the harbor with Big City Tourism.Built locally by New Jersey-based Yank Marine in Tuckahoe, N.J., the 599-passenger Franklin Delano Roosevelt was christened Thursday during a ceremony at Pier 79 in Midtown Manhattan.The FDR is powered by low-emission 2,000-horsepower twin EPA Tier 3 compliant engines and has a service speed of 21 knots. The FDR is 109 feet long and 32 feet wide and draws just six feet of water depth.The new vessel has already seen a lot of action.

With travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 levels, and transit systems benefiting from a return to work, passenger vessels have seen renewed activity. In its year-end review, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that they have experienced very…

NY Waterway announced plans to repower four more of its older ferries, transitioning from traditionally diesel driven units to hybrid technology before eventually operating on pure electric.The private company, which runs ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley, was awarded $7.298 million in grant funding for the project through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant program with the support of NJ TRANSIT.Each ferry upgrade consists of removing all main engines and generators…

The majority of NY Waterway ferries taken out of service for safety violations last month have returned to regular operations, the U.S. Coast Guard said.On November 24, the Coast Guard revealed that Sector New York marine inspectors determined that 23 of NY Waterway's 32 ferries had damage or discrepancies significant enough to warrant a suspension of service. Findings included inoperable fixed fire extinguishing systems and bilge alarms; expired lifesaving equipment; and structural damage affecting watertight integrity.As of December 12…

Arthur E. Imperatore, Founder and President of New York Waterways; Captain Donald Marcus, International President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots; and Christopher Wiernicki, Chairman, President and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping, were recipients of the maritime industry's most prestigious Admiral of the Ocean Sea awards presented at the 47th annual United Seamen's Service gala industry dinner and dance October 28, 2016. The event was held at the at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City. Recognition was also given to American seafarers for specific acts of bravery and heroism while at sea. (See separate news release).

The United Seamen's Service (USS) 2016 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) will be presented to Arthur E. Imperatore, Founder and President of New York Waterways; Donald Marcus, President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots; and Christopher Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of American Bureau of Shipping. The maritime industry's most prestigious awards will be presented at the 47th annual gala industry dinner and dance at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City, on October 28, 2016. Recognition will also be given to American seafarers for specific acts of bravery and heroism while at sea. General Kenneth Wykle…

On June 2-3, 2016,  the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference will be held in downtown Manhattan. Throughout the world, the quickening pace of technological advances is impacting all sectors of the maritime business; ferries are no exception. The conference, now in its second year, will feature practical and affordable technologies already deployed in passenger transportation, or soon to be. Topics to be discussed will include Vessel Design; Landings – with a focus on their resiliency and Maritime Weather – with fresh information on timely fine scale marine weather detection. Information management and Communication applications will be center stage.

New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie, State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone, NY Waterway President & Founder Arthur E. Imperatore and Yank Marine President & Founder John C. Yank Jr. of Tuckahoe today announced an $11 million contract to build two state-of-the-art ferries, the first NY Waterway ferries built in the Garden State since the Weehawken-based ferry service started service December 3, 1986. The new catamaran ferries, financed by NY Waterway…

The 8 million annual passengers that travel the New York Harbor on NY Waterway ferries now do so more safely with a system that includes hundreds of Interlogix IP and analog cameras, transmitting from moving ferries to a land-based security command center via a fast-roaming wireless mesh network based on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) by Fluidmesh Networks. NY Waterway is the nation’s largest privately owned commuter ferry company, transporting 30,000 riders a day between 22 landings and terminals along a 100-mile corridor in the Hudson and East rivers and upper New York Harbor.

“Securitay, Securitay — Molinari departing Whitehall bound for St. George.” Twenty-four hours a day, in NY/NJ harbor the VHF bridge-to-bridge Channel 13 crackles a non-stop symphony of thousands of “security calls.” It is a veritable orchestration by captains of the Staten Island Ferry, dozens of water taxis crossing the North River or streaking up Buttermilk channel, tug boats and barges, container ships coming ʻround Bergen Point, sea-going palaces leaving three cruise ship terminals as well as dozens of passenger vessels, motor and sail, jostling for camera angles at the Statue of Liberty.

NY Waterway has completed installation of a $1 million global positioning system (GPS), allowing the company to track instantly and continuously the location and speed of all ferries and buses, President Arthur E. Imperatore, Jr., announced today. “This global positioning system has profound implications for the mass transit industry. It allows NY Waterway to further improve customer service, better coordinating the arrival of ferries and buses, and to better control ferry operations and reduce wake impacts so we can continue to be a good neighbor on the water,” Imperatore said. On the ferry side, the GPS allows NY Waterway to keep ferries out of wake sensitive areas. Pilots and the command center have computer generated maps showing these areas and the location of all ferries.

Gloria Bennis, wife of the late Coast Guard Admiral Richard E. Bennis, USCG Captain Craig Bone and NY Waterway President Arthur E. Imperatore, Jr., christen The Admiral Richard E. Bennis, NY Waterway’s newest high-speed ferry, tomorrow at the Coast Guard Building next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. After the traditional champagne christening, Mrs. Bennis will take the helm of the new ferry for a 10-minute cruise past the Statue of Liberty, returning to the American Park Restaurant for a short speaking program and lunch. Admiral Bennis, the former Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York/New Jersey, directed the largest waterborne evacuation in history on September 11, 2001. The ferry also pays tribute to all the men and women of the Coast Guard.

Effective Monday, November 24, NY Waterway launches improved high-speed commuter service between the Hoboken Rail/Ferry Terminal and Pier 11 at Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. New low-emission, low-wake, handicapped accessible ferries traveling at 35 mph, will travel between Hoboken and Pier 11 every eight minutes during morning and evening rush hour, making the trip in just 10 minutes – cutting the commuting time in half. This is especially important for New Jersey commuters who work on the east side of Lower Manhattan and must make train and bus connections in Hoboken. Effective Monday, December 1, NY Waterway also introduces high-speed ferry service between Jersey City’s Harborside and Newport developments and Pier 11 at Wall Street. Ferries depart every 20 minutes in rush hour.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of a fire aboard a New York City commuter ferry was the operator's inadequate inspection and maintenance of the vessel's electrical system. Contributing to the extent of the damage were the absence of fixed fire detection and suppression systems and the crew's lack of knowledge of proper marine firefighting techniques. The fire occurred on the evening of November 17, 2000, as the commuter ferry Port Imperial Manhattan, with three crewmembers and eight passengers aboard, was en route from Manhattan to Weehawken, NJ. Beginning in the engine room, the fire soon burned out of control, causing the vessel to lose power and forcing passengers and crew to abandon the interior spaces.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of a fire aboard a New York City commuter ferry was the operator’s inadequate inspection and maintenance of the vessel’s electrical system. Contributing to the extent of the damage were the absence of fixed fire detection and suppression systems and the crew’s lack of knowledge of proper marine firefighting techniques. The fire occurred on the evening of November 17, 2000, as the commuter ferry Port Imperial Manhattan, with three crewmembers and eight passengers aboard, was en route from Manhattan to Weehawken, NJ. Beginning in the engine room, the fire soon burned out of control, causing the vessel to lose power and forcing passengers and crew to abandon the interior spaces.

Allen Marine, Sitka, Alaska, is set to build a 78 ft. (23.7 m) aluminum catamaran ordered by Allen Marine Tours. Equipped with four Lugger diesel propulsion engines, each coupled to a Hamilton waterjet, the low wake vessel will be capable of speeds of more than 30 knots. The vessel, which will be used within Alaska's tourism industry will be the 11th 78 ft. (23.7 m) catamaran built for the company by Allen Marine. Allen is also constructing a fourth 78 ft. (23.7 m) catamaran for an East Coast company. Built to the custom specifications of ferry operator N.Y. Waterway, the first three boats were delivered this past February.

In a unique double christening ceremony, Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria and Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham smashed their champagne bottles at the same time on the newest NY Waterway ferries, The Bayonne and The Jersey City. The ferries are 149-passenger, 79-foot, bow-loading catamarans, one of 19 ferries custom-built by Allen Marine, Inc., of Sitka, Alaska, for NY Waterway. The Bayonne and The Jersey City have low-wake hulls and electronic ignition diesel engines, the cleanest-burning marine diesels presently available and meeting all existing emissions standards. “Two great leaders of two outstanding New Jersey cities, Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria and Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham…

The passenger vessel industry continues to be mired in a construction malaise with high-speed passenger only ferries and more conventional passenger auto ferries the only bright spot. The epicenter of the passenger vessel ferry business is the New York City metro area where dozens of new ferries have been added to replace the PATH and other subway lines destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Suddenly "the way to work" for thousands of commuters was severed. Recent deliveries into the area include five 79-foot catamarans for NY Waterway. They are single deck, 149-foot passenger only ferries. The company also has purchased two 340-passsenger fast ferries from NY Fast Ferry. The ramp up in New York City ferry services has not been without difficulties, however.

The U.S. Coast Guard and New York Police escorted a NY Waterway ferry to safety in Manhattan after it left the Belford terminal in Middletown and began to take on water during a storm. The U.S. Coast Guard's New York Station received reports that the ferry, named the Peter Weiss, was taking on water over its side near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at 7:56 a.m. After the ferry left Belford, winds became stronger, and were steady at 34 knots, with gusts of 50 or more knots at times. The waves in the New York Harbor were between two and four feet. The 149 passengers were ordered to put on life jackets as a safety precaution. The Coast Guard and police met the boat near the bridge, and escorted it to Pier 11, arriving at 8:42 a.m. No injuries were reported. (Source: Asbury Park Press)

If you want to call yourself a taxi in New York, you've got things to live up to. Take tradition. A New York taxi always beat everybody to the punch. It was the first away when the light changed, weaving through otherwise orderly rows of cars and trucks, just in time to beat the next light. The ride not only was fast, it looked fast. The driver, all the while, dispensed worldly wisdom on any theme, and if you asked, could name the best oyster bar in the entire city. He spoke New Yorkese - an "R," (if pronounced at all) could be a "W" or a "V" - but it was English. Etched in his mind was the map of the five boroughs, and all their one-way streets. He was friendly, considerate, and caring - waited until you were indoors when he dropped you off, before cruising away for the next fare.