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Council asks DOT and EDC about ferry‑terminal feasibility; EDC says optimization plan will precede expansion study
Summary
Intro 1104 would direct DOT to study the feasibility of additional ferry terminals; DOT told the committee that EDC — which oversees NYC Ferry operators — should lead such studies and EDC said it will complete an NYC Ferry optimization plan this fall before pivoting to expansion analysis.
Chair Silvina Brooks Powers presented Intro 1104, a bill that would require the Department of Transportation to study and report on the feasibility of siting additional ferry terminals in New York City.
DOT told the committee it operates and maintains the Staten Island Ferry but does not oversee NYC Ferry operations; the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) oversees private ferry operators and leads expansion efforts. “As we do not oversee or operate the NYC Ferry contract, we believe that EDC should be the lead on any such study with DOT providing any needed help or expertise,” DOT testimony said.
Franny Civettano, senior vice president for NYC Ferry at the EDC, told members the authority launched an NYC Ferry optimization plan that summer to make existing service more efficient, has been gathering feedback, and expects that work to wrap up in the fall. EDC said it will use the optimization study’s findings to inform future decisions about expansion and siting of new terminals.
Council members asked EDC to prioritize expansion options that would serve transit‑desert communities and said Rockaway and other areas should be considered. EDC said it will review optimization results and then consider expansion priorities.
DOT, EDC, and Small Business Services were named in the bill’s language; at the hearing EDC and DOT agreed that any feasibility study should reflect how expansion work is currently being done and that the ferry team at EDC is best positioned to lead such analysis.
Ending — Next steps: EDC expects to complete the NYC Ferry optimization plan later this year and said it will present options for future expansion after concluding the optimization process. No committee vote or binding directive occurred during the hearing.
