There were so many City Council members attending the oversigyt hearing on Mayor de Blasio's Citywide Gerry Service 9CFS) on September 21 that they could not all fit behind the dais,

 It was a joint hearing of the Council’s Committees on Transportation, Waterfronts, and Economic Development, and the Council members, while enthusiastic about the service, had plenty of questions for New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) executive vice president Seth Myers and his team.

Described as “a banner project” for the EDC, the CFS plan adds five new ferry routes to the city’s waterways, in addition to the existing East River Ferry service. The Astoria, South Brooklyn, and Rockaway routes will begin operation in 2017, and the Soundview and Lower East Side routes in 2018. The EDC is considering proposals to operate the entire system, and is already cutting steel to build landings, 10 of which will be new and six of which will be renovated. The fare is expected to be $2.75 per trip, but there will be no free transfer to other modes of public transit. Mr. Myers confirmed that the subsidy per ferry trip, averaged across all ferry routes, will be more than a local bus ($2.20/trip) but less than the Long Island Rail Road ($7.85/trip). The subsidy for express buses is around $14/trip.

Council member Daniel Garodnick (Brooklyn) was unwilling to accept the EDC’s statement that the Manhattan Transit Authority (MTA) had recommended not integrating ferry rides into the Metrocard system. The MTA is planning to replace the Metrocard in the coming years with a new method of payment. But, “we may be waiting a decade,” said Council member Garodnick. “We want to integrate ferry service into citywide transit, so why not just put a Metrocard reader onto barges and landings?”

 Mr. Myers promised to revisit the issue with the MTA.

 The EDC looked at 60 locations to determine new ferry routes and landings, analyzing distance and travel time, connecting public transit, population density, and navigability, among other factors. That said, Council members Donovan Richards (Rockaways, Queens), Deborah Rose (north shore, Staten Island), James Vacca (Bronx) and Paul Vallone (northeast Queens) all called for more ferry service to their districts.

 “I’m taking it personally that the Bronx only got one site. This is totally unacceptable,” said Council member Vacca, suggesting that Ferry Point, Throgs Neck, and City Island are all viable landing options in the Bronx in addition to Soundview, the single stop selected in that borough. “The borough that has the greatest transportation needs and we get one ferry stop. I want this plan reassessed and my community reconsidered. It’s just inequitable.”

 Council member Paul Vallone tried another tack. “Have I got a site for you: Citi Field Marina [also known as World’s Fair Marina]. It would have immediate accessibility and viability. It could be quickly added with little expense,” he said, describing Flushing Bay to the EDC team.
Mr. Myers politely rebuffed all calls for more ferry stops around the city, saying the EDC would evaluate service in 2018 after all five planned routes were operational, and would determine the next set of ferry stops then.

 At the hearing, Waterfront Alliance president and CEO Roland Lewis and chief operating officer Douglas Adams urged policymakers to “identify and implement a dedicated, sustainable source of operating funding, such as value capture or congestion charge revenue, in order to preserve CFS benefits beyond the five-year pilot window.” The Alliance is also calling for a robust public engagement process, the creation of ferry riders committees, and consultation with other harbor users, both recreational and commercial. Read Mr. Lewis’s full testimony.

 The EDC is producing an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the project’s potential to affect the environment. The public may submit comments through October 8, 2015.

 At the close of the hearing, Council member Rose asked Mr. Lewis if he had heard any negative feedback about the Citywide Ferry Service.

 “Only from people whose neighborhoods were not selected in the initial network,” he replied with a smile.