Newburgh-Beacon Ferry

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The West New York, here docked at Newburgh.

The current Newburgh-Beacon Ferry carries passengers across the Hudson River between the two New York cities during rush hour, primarily transporting commuters from the west side of the river to the train station on the east side where they can catch Metro North Hudson Line service to Grand Central Terminal and other points in New York City. NY Waterway operates the ferry under contract from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Service began in 2005 after the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge had, 42 years earlier, rendered over two centuries of ferry service obsolete.

The Beacon terminal is at a dock immediately adjacent to the station; the Newburgh terminal is at the south end of Front Street. The fare is $1 per person (the same as the auto toll currently charged for crossing the bridge); the trip across the river takes approximately 10 minutes.

1 History
2 The future
3 The boat
4 Fares and schedule
5 Notes
6 Further reading
7 External links

[edit] History

The commuter ferry is not a new idea but rather the revival of an important piece of regional history.

[edit] Before the bridge

Ferry service between the future locations of both cities had existed in some form at least since 1743. By the early 20th century the fleet had grown to three 160-foot (49 m)coal fired ferries, the Orange, Dutchess and Beacon, capable of carrying 30 vehicles each^[1]. It linked the two segments of NY 52, the major east-west artery at that point.

Increasing traffic on 52 by midcentury, however, coupled with the building of the New York State Thruway in the Hudson corridor, was straining the ferry beyond its breaking point. The state's Department of Public Works began planning for a bridge, but it was not a serious possibility until federal money became available through the construction of Interstate 84.

[edit] The bridge and the end of an era

The ferries were seen as past their day, due to their mounting financial and operational problems, even before the bridge construction, the last Hudson crossing to be built on the river's estuarine section below Albany, was completed and opened to traffic on November 2, 1963. By that time the New York State Bridge Authority had already had to take them over. The very next day, 220 years of ferry service passed into the region's rich history when the Orange and Dutchess saluted each other midriver on their 5 p.m. runs^[2].

The Dutchess and Beacon, both in very decrepit condition, were sold as scrap. The Orange, in slightly better shape, was purchased and refurbished by Myles Rosenthal with the intent of turning it into a floating restaurant. It also was to carry visitors from Manhattan to the 1964 New York World's Fair. After only a few charter trips the boat fell victim to vandals which led to it joining its sister vessels in oblivion later that year^[2].

In the next decade, when the new bridge quickly became stretched to capacity, no one suggested bringing the ferry back. Instead it was widened and a second span built.

The end of ferry service dealt the death blow to Newburgh's once-vibrant waterfront, and in the early 1970s urban renewal led to much the land being cleared in preparation for grand schemes which were never built.

[edit] Revival

Increasing regional growth in the 1990s led to frequent traffic jams on the bridge and swamped parking lots at the train station. Interest grew in reviving ferry service, especially after MTA's successful 2000 restoration of the Ossining-Haverstraw Ferry across a similarly wide portion of the river further south. However, plans never quite seemed to materialize despite considerable appropriations of money, and in the interim commuters had to be content with a shuttle bus across the bridge from the park and ride lot on NY 17K near its connection to the New York State Thruway. Meanwhile, MTA began for the first time to require parking permits at Beacon, and the waiting list swelled to at least 600 more than capacity, even after the lots were enlarged in the early 2000s^[3].

Eventually, it was able, with the help of the region's congressional delegation, to secure a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Transit Authority to close the gap between fares and costs, along with other subsidies. Governor George Pataki announced on October 7, 2005, that ferry service would resume in 10 days^[3]. To encourage use of the new ferry, no fares were charged for the remainder of that month^[4].

[edit] The future

For now the ferry is just another intermodal option for commuters, but local officials, particularly in Newburgh, see much potential for their cities in the long term. To Beacon the rebirth of the ferry primarily serves to reduce pressure on a crowded parking lot, freeing up more spaces for residents and making the city a more attractive place for commuters to live, but Newburgh has grander designs tied into the redevelopment of its waterfront.

When service began, some riders expressed their hopes that service would eventually extend into weekends, allowing them to use it for trips to entertainment in the city^[4]. Newburgh officials hope, however, that dining options on their waterfront will help make it as much of a destination for ferry riders as an originating point. A possible scenario has visitors from the city taking in Dia:Beacon in the afternoon, then taking the ferry to Newburgh for dinner then back to Beacon for the train trip home. Ultimately it could stimulate growing local arts communities on both sides of the river^[5]

[edit] The boat

MTA moved the West New York, a boat which had been used to evacuate Lower Manhattan after the September 11, 2001 attacks, to Newburgh Bay to inaugurate its new service.^[6] It carries 149 passengers^[3].

Ferry approaching Beacon terminal in winter.

One major problem MTA and NY Waterway had to overcome in planning was the ice floes that can sometimes clog the shallows near the riverbanks, particularly on the Newburgh side, in cold weather. This situation is not encountered by its ferries downriver as the salinity of the river below the Hudson Highlands is high enough to prevent ice from forming in all but the coldest temperatures. However, while Newburgh Bay is below the river's salt front, ice from the freshwater sections often accumulates in it.

The West New York was ultimately fitted with a strengthened hull and a closed cooling system to protect it.^[6]. The winter following the ferry's reintroduction was rather mild and the first ice-free winter on the Hudson in a long time, as was the first half of the following winter. On February 6, 2007, however, a cold snap had left enough ice at each bank that the MTA decided to do as it had done with the downriver ferry the day before and suspend service until conditions improved, renting buses to take commuters across the bridge in the meantime.^[7] Service was finally restored at the end of the month when a warming trend melted enough ice.

[edit] Fares and schedule

A one-way ferry trip currently costs $1 per person. It can be paid at either terminal. The MTA, as is its practice, not only sells train tickets at the ferry terminals but encourages riders to buy them there. For regular riders, a UniTicket package combining train and ferry fare for a month is available for $321. UniTicket purchasers are also covered by MTA's Guaranteed Ride Home program, whereby if the ferry is unable to operate they will be able to get a taxi to take them home or to their cars.

Currently, on weekdays, there are six ferries in the morning and eight in the afternoon^[4].