MESS TRANSIT!
City temporarily suspends Greenpoint
ferry due to new pier owner
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
Ferry service has returned
to Greenpoint on Oct. 19 after
a 36-hour hiatus that began
when the jetty’s new private
owner restricted access to the
boats, according to offi cials.
“Unfortunately access
has been restricted by the
new owner of the pier. We are
working diligently to resolve
the issue,” said a rep for the
ferry service in an Oct. 18
tweet signed off with the letter
“M.”
Offi cials with the maritime
transit system posted an
alert online that service to the
north Brooklyn stop at India
and West streets will be suspended
until further notice.
“Due to temporary restrictions
to the Greenpoint pier,
ferry service to and from the
Greenpoint landing will be
suspended until further notice.
We will post updates on
www.ferry.nyc and the NYC
Ferry app when service will
resume. We apologize for any
inconvenience,” the post read.
AVOID THE LINES VOTE EARLY
COURIER L 10 IFE, OCT. 23-29, 2020
But when some unsuspecting
straphangers arrived at
the ferry stop for their waterborne
commute that Monday
morning, they were left
stranded at the shore as a
ferry passed them by without
docking. A boat worker
then shouted about the closure
from aboard the vessel,
according to a video captured
by local Councilman Steve
Levin’s staffer and 2021 candidate
for his seat, Elizabeth
Adams.
“Greenpoint @NYCferry
stop out of commission ‘indefinitely’
because the developer
sold the property. This
isn’t how public transit functions,”
Adams wrote in the
Oct. 19 tweet. “And here’s how
commuters are being notifi ed
this morning: from a boat operater
sic calling out to people
as the ferry goes by. Seriously
@NYCEDC?”
Construction and development
multinational Lendlease
bought the waterfront
lot at the pier at 18 India St. for
$110.8 million in cash on Oct.
7, with plans to build a mixed
use apartment building with
800 rental units, according to
property records and a report
by The Real Deal.
While service was shut off,
the EDC had deployed shuttle
buses bringing riders to the
next ferry stop in Queens, according
to an agency rep.
By the afternoon, when
service had returned, several
locals had slammed both the
EDC and Lendlease for the the
snafu, including one Council
candidate who suggested the
city should take control of the
pier.
The NYC Ferry was skipping the Greenpoint stop last weekend.
Photo by Todd Maisel
“The city should take control
of pier to ensure this public
transit is reliable,” wrote
Lincoln Restler. “Lendleas
Group has a lot of explaining
to do. We will no longer let developers
disrespect our community.
Greenpoint won’t forget
this.”
An executive for Lendlease
responded Oct. 20 confi rming
they’d resolved the issue with
Hornblower and apologized
for the service interruption.
“After working collectively
to resolve the issues at
hand, Hornblower and Lendlease
have resumed regular
NYC Ferry services to and
from Greenpoint,” said the
company’s executive general
manager for New York development,
Melissa Burch, in a
statement.
VOTE SAFE NYC
OCTOBER 24, 2020 THROUGH NOV 1, 2020
Go to findmypollsite.vote.nyc to find your
assigned early voting site and hours
Board of Elections
City of New York
10/24
10AM-4PM
10/25
10AM-4PM
10/26
7AM-3PM
10/27
12PM-8PM
10/28
12PM-8PM
10/29
10AM-6PM
10/30
7AM-3PM
10/31
10AM-4PM
11/1
10AM-4PM
11/3
6AM-9PM
ELECTION
DAY
/www.ferry.nyc
/www.ferry.nyc