BTR01212022 - Page 12

opinion-editorial BY LARRY PENNER Add “New NYC Ferry landing in Throggs Neck hailed as ‘game changer’ for commuters” for Throggs Neck and other nearby Bronx residents to the roster of the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) private ferry operator program. Thousands of pre COVID-19 riders on a daily basis utilize ferries sponsored by the EDC private ferry program. The program connects various waterfront neighborhoods including Soundview in the Bronx; Astoria, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island and Rockaways in Queens; East 79th Street, East 34th Street, Pier 11 Wall Street and Governors Island in Manhattan; and also Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Army Terminal and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. The program also connects St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island to Pier 79 West 39th Street in Midtown Manhattan, with an intermediate stop in Battery Park City adjacent to the World Trade Center. Later this year, additional service will begin from Coney Island and Staten Island South Shore. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant recipients such as DOT can choose to spend whatever they receive under their share of Fiscal Year 2022, Section 5307 — Urbanized Area Formula Grants — or Section 5337 — State of Good Repair Grants — for ferry projects. They can also apply for the FTA’s annual national discretionary Passenger Ferry Grants program. The Federal Highway Administration has funding under several programs including Congestion Mitigation Air Quality, Surface Transportation Block Grant program and others which can be fl exed or transferred to FTA and also fi nance capital ferry projects. NYC can also apply for capital grants from the state DOT to assist in funding; Albany also provides state Transportation Operating Assistance. Ridership on any transit service generates yearly federal transportation capital assistance via the annual FTA Section 15 annual reporting process. Numerous past private ferry operators FOUNDED IN 1981 BY: Michael Benedetto and John Collazzi PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER CEO AND CO-PUBLISHER BRONX TIMES PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF REPORTER REPORTER DIGITAL EDITOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES PRODUCTION Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua Schneps Laura Guerriero Christian Falcone Jason Cohen Robbie Sequeira Aliya Schneider Leonard Vigliotti, Donna Marzi Mauro DeLuca SCHNEPS MEDIA • 38-15 Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY 11361 PH: 718-224-5863 BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 12 JAN. 21-27, 2022 BTR The new dock in Throggs Neck extends the NYC Ferry Soundview route, which stops on the Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Midtown and the Financial District. Photo | Andrew Dapolite have come and gone. They could not fi - nancially survive without government subsidy. MTA bus, subway and commuter rail along with the NYC DOToperated Staten Island Ferry are subsidized by a combination of city, state and federal assistance for both capital and operating costs. All new ferry services require similar subsidies to survive. New ferry services can be implemented more quickly than construction of new subway, commuter rail or highways. These can take years or even decades until completion of environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements and construction before reaching benefi cial use. Completing all of the above, along with fi nding funding for ferry boats, docks and parking with costs in the millions is easier than fi nding the billions of dollars for construction of new or extended subway, commuter rail or highways. Utilization of ferry boats equipped with fuel effi cient engines can make a positive contribution to air quality. Farebox recovery rates vary based upon the trip, route and time of day. Any rush hour local or express bus, light rail, subway, ferry, commuter rail trip carries more riders than midday, evening, overnight or weekends. Rush hour trips tend to have a better farebox recovery rate and require less subsidy. There is always a fi xed cost per hour for any mode of transportation to includes equipment (bus, subway car, train or ferry purchase), straight line depreciation of equipment over time and mileage as well as driver, engineer or ferry boat captain’s salary, conductors, ticket takers, deck hands, fuel or power and maintenance of equipment. NYC Mayor Eric Adams needs to convince the MTA Board to support the EDC private ferry program fare structure of $2.75 per ride to also include cross honoring a free transfer to a bus or subway using the old MTA Metro or new One New York (OMNY) fare card. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the fresh air and breeze that only waterborne transportation can provide. Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer, who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Offi ce. Display Advertising Rates & Deadlines: A copy of The Bronx Times Reporter Advertising Rates is available on request. Display deadline is the Friday prior to publication. Camera ready copy deadline is the Monday preceding publication. Classified Deadlines: To place a Classified Ad call (718) 260-2555 or email classified@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 3 p.m. Tuesday prior to publication. Legal Notice Deadlines: For Legal Advertising call (718) 260-3977 or email dwilson@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 12 p.m. Monday prior to publication. Letters To The Editor: Readers are encouraged to send us their viewpoints. Name and address must be included, but will be withheld upon request. Letters should be as brief as possible, not exceeding 200 words. News Items: Readers are welcome to suggest news items of interest. Call the Editorial Department at (718) 260-4597 or e-mail to bronx times@schnepsmedia.com. Around Town: Announcements of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc. will gladly be published. All announcements must be mailed to the Bronx Times Reporter 3604 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465, before the Friday preceding publication. No phone calls please. Community Calendar: Civic organizations, churches, synagogues and special interest groups can have their special event dates announced free of charge. Mail should be addressed to Community Calendar and received no later than the Friday preceding publication. Subscription Rates: Yearly subscriptions are $26.00; 2 years for $40.00, within Bronx county. Out of county subscriptions are $50.00 per year. Change Of Address: Any problems or inquiries regarding a present subscription must be accompanied by the mailing label from your newspaper showing complete name, address and subscription number (top left corner). Copyright © 2022 by Bronx CNG LLC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by an information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publisher. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of Bronx Times Reporter, Inc. is strictly prohibited. Subscribing Community Groups • Throggs Neck Home Owners Association • Pelham Bay Taxpayers Community Association • Allerton International Merchants Association • Ferry Point Civic Association • Ferry Point Community Advocates • Chippewa Democratic Club • Throggs Neck Merchants Association • Bronx Chamber of Commerce • Korony American Legion Post 253 • Locust Point Civic Association • Spencer Estate Civic Association • Country Club Civic Association • Waterbury/LaSalle Community Association • Samuel Young American Legion Post 620 • Westchester Square/Zerega Improvement Organization • Morris Park Community Association • Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance • Chester Civic Improvement Association • Liberty Democratic Association A DIVISION OF �� Welcome Throggs Neck Ferry link link link link link link