You're Invited To Roosevelt Island Ferry Service Community Presentation By NYC Economic Development Corp Wednesday November 4 - Roosevelt Island Ferry Service Coming In 2017, Cornell Tech To Provide $500 Thousand Ferry Operating Subsidies Annually For 5 Years

Image From NYC EDC

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC) will be conducting a Citywide Ferry Service outreach presentation to the Roosevelt Island community Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 PM in the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street).

The NYC EDC Roosevelt Island ferry presentation is jointly sponsored by Community Board 8's (CB 8) Roosevelt Island Committee and the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA). (The presentation was originally scheduled for last month but was postponed due to an illness on the presentation team). Following the NYC EDC Ferry Presentation, RIRA will hold it's November Common Council meeting.

Come learn about plans for the Roosevelt Island, Astoria, LIC, 34th Street and Wall Street Ferry route,

Image From Jeanmarie Evelly

location for Roosevelt Island dock

Roosevelt Island Oil Dock Potential Location For New Ferry Dock

and ask your ferry questions to the NYC EDC representatives.

More information on Roosevelt Island ferry service at previous post and the NYC EDC.

Roosevelt Island Ferry service was discussed during the October 26 Roosevelt Island Cornell Construction & Community Task Force meeting. CB8 member Larry Parnes told the Task Force about the November 4 NYC EDC Roosevelt Island ferry meeting and



Cornell Tech's Jane Swanson reminded the Task Force that Cornell has agreed to contribute $500 Thousand annually for 5 years to Roosevelt Island Ferry service operations in addition to the NYC ferry subsidies.(The video also includes brief discussion of Roosevelt Island pedestrian access to Queensboro Bridge Cornell Tech feasibility study)

Here's a very informative discussion of NYC Ferry Service held during May 2015 Waterfront Alliance



conference.

Roosevelt Island Residents Encouraged To Attend The Waterfront Alliance October 28 Meeting Of Community Ferry Service Advocates

The Waterfront Alliance is hosting an October 28 meeting of NYC community based Ferry Advocates to lay the groundwork for setting up riders committees once Citywide Ferry Service begins in 2017.

Image From The Waterfront Alliance

Roosevelt Island residents interested in Ferry Service are encourage to attend the Waterfront Alliance NYC Ferry Advocates meeting.

Image From NYC EDC

As previously reported:

.... Roosevelt Island will be part of a new NYC East River Ferry route starting in spring/summer 2017 that will include Astoria, Long Island City North, Roosevelt Island, East 34th Street and Pier 11 / Wall Street....
 

Image From Jeanmarie Evelly

The Roosevelt Island Ferry Dock is expected to be located at the Oil Dock beneath the Queensboro Bridge on Queens side of East River.

Roosevelt Island Oil Dock Potential Location For New Ferry Dock

The NYC Economic Development Corp will give a presentation specifically on Roosevelt Island Ferry service during the November 4 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA). The public is invited to attend the meeting.

Roosevelt Island Ferry service was discussed during last evening's Roosevelt Island Cornell Construction & Community Task Force meeting.



Cornell Tech's Jane Swanson reminded the Task Force that Cornell has agreed to contribute $500 Thousand annually for 5 years to Roosevelt Island Ferry service operations in addition to the NYC ferry subsidies.

The Waterfront Alliance:

... works to protect, transform, and revitalize our harbor and waterfront.

The Waterfront Alliance began as a project of The Municipal Art Society of New York. It became an independent organization in 2007 when a group of leading activists, businesses, foundations, and civic organizations came together with the goal of making the New York and New Jersey harbor a shared, resilient, and accessible resource for all.

Since then, the Waterfront Alliance has grown into a coalition of more than 800 organizations working together to bring about real change to our region’s waterways and 700 miles of shoreline.

and:

... We are at the forefront of building consensus and influencing waterfront policy and planning through providing public testimony and producing white papers. Our programs include serving as an early advocate for five-borough ferry service, building neighborhood docks for educational and recreational use, and helping communities create better waterfront design using our Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines....

More on The Waterfront Alliance.



 and NYC Ferry Service plans



discussed during May 2015 Waterfront Alliance 2015 Conference.

MWA City Of Water Day Tomorrow July 20 At Governors Island - Enjoy And Learn About NYC Waterfront, You'll Have A Great Time

Image From City Of Water Day You Tube Video

This is a really fun event and I highly recommend going.

Image From MWA

According to the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA):

A FREE day of entertainment, education & adventure celebrating the potential of our waterfront!

On Saturday, July 20th thousands from throughout the metropolitan region will make their way to the waterfront for the 6th annual City of Water Day Festival, presented by Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. A FREE day of entertainment, education, and adventure celebrating the world-class potential of our waterfront, the City of Water Day Festival is held each year on Governors Island and in Liberty State Park, NJ. Festival highlights include: FREE narrated boat tours; FREE ferry transit between Governors Island and Liberty State Park; kayaking, paddle-boarding, fishing, and sailing opportunities at Liberty State Park, NJ; the Waterfront Activity Fair and Symposium; special children’s activities like fishing, races, sing-a-longs, and arts and crafts; live music, delicious food, and more! Please visit www.cityofwaterday.org for all of the exciting details.

MWA President Roland Lewis adds:

City of Water Day is bigger and better than ever this year. Check out some of what is going on:

Cardboard kayak race

Free boat tours - reserve your tickets today

On-water kayaking demos

Stand-up paddle boarding by REI at Liberty State Park

Ecology, water, and environmental projects for kids

Live oysters in an estuarium tank

Kids' experiments with solar panels and mini-solar race cars

Disney's TRYathlon - a one-of-a-kind TRYathlon that tests their skills, fosters teamwork, and allows them to discover new ways to challenge themselves.

Play games in the Brooklyn Nets' Experience, an interactive mobile unit

Improv workshops for kids

Learn how to pitch a tent and use a spotting scope at Liberty State Park

Exhibits and games in Sims Municipal Recycling's Recyclarium

Outrigger canoe training for novice paddlers at Governors Island

At Governors Island and at Liberty State Park you will find award-winning food and hundreds of Alliance Partners showing off their important work at the Waterfront Activity Fair.

Need more convincing? Watch the City of Water Day video!

City of Water Day 2013 - Join the Fun!

Unglue yourself from the air conditioner, come down to your shore, your amazing waterfront and have some fun at City of Water Day.

We look forward to seeing YOU on July 20th in New Jersey at Liberty State Park, at Governors Island and at 25 other locations throughout the harbor

Despite the heat, you will have a great time although it might make you sad that Roosevelt Island does not take greater advantage of our own East River waterfront.

Perhaps 2013 City Of Water Day be a call to action for the Roosevelt Island waterfront!!!

Here's directions to Governors Island and ferry schedule.

Come With Me On A NYC Waterfront Cruise Of The Hudson and East River, Fantastic Views On A Beautiful Sunny Day - Temporary Ferry Service May Be Coming To FDR Park

I attended the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's Leadership For Our City Of Water Conference today. The Conference took place on the Hornblower Infinity yacht as it cruised the Hudson and East River past the World Trade Center, Statue Of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Come along with me for a brief view of today's NYC waterfront cruise.



Click on the full screen and the view is simply stunning.

A NYC Economic Development Corp (EDC) representative told me that East River Ferry service is still being studied for Roosevelt Island, is likely to happen but not this year. Could be in 2 years. A Coast Guard representative told me that the Coast Guard has expressed no objection to a ferry dock located on the East River West Channel (Manhattan Side) which some have said was the case.

Will have more on the conference including information on long awaited ferry service to Roosevelt Island soon.

During March 12 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Real Estate Advisory Committee meeting (audio web cast of meeting is here), representatives of the FDR Four Freedoms Park asked for permission to install a temporary ferry dock and ferry service for this summer on the East Channel next to the Strecker Lab in Southpoint Park. The FDR Park would pay for the dock. The RIOC Directors expressed approval for the proposal and gave the FDR Park permission to try and obtain any necessary approvals for this temporary dock and ferry service.

As I noted near the end of the discussion, RIOC's Ferry Consultant Ocean and Coastal Consultants had previously concluded that a ferry dock near the FDR Park was the worst possible location for Roosevelt Island residents. The RIOC Directors chose not to address that question during the discussion.

Here's the discussion.



The proposed temporary FDR Park Ferry service is not part of the NYC East River service for Roosevelt Island discussed by EDC officials.

2010 New York/New Jersey Waterfront Conference Presented By The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Tuesday November 30 & Searching For Noel The Fisherman With WNYC's Radio Rookies

Image of 2010 MWA Waterfront Conference Flyer

The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) is a great organization that works to make the New York City waterfront a better place. According to the MWA:

The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance works to transform the New York and New Jersey Harbor and Waterways to make them cleaner and more accessible, a vibrant place to play, learn and work with great parks, great jobs and great transportation for all.

The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance envisions a New York and New Jersey harbor and waterways alive with commerce and recreation; where sailboats, kayaks and pleasure craft share the waterways with commuter ferries, barges and container ships; where beautiful, cared-for parks are connected by affordable waterborne transit; where there are dozens of exciting waterfront destinations that reflect the vitality and diversity of the great metropolis that surrounds it; a waterfront that is no longer walled off by highways and rails, or by private luxury residences; a waterfront that is a shared precious resource and is accessible to all. MWA is a leadership organization that will make this vision real for our region.

The MWA will be holding it's 2010 Waterfront Conference on Tuesday November 30. If you are interested in learning what the future of New York's waterfront, including the Roosevelt Island waterfront, will be like and how you can help improve it, this conference is the place to be. From the MWA:

The Future Waterfront &
Funding for the NY-NJ Harbor

The 2010 MWA Waterfront Conference is the region’s preeminent gathering of waterfront advocates, businesses, and government leaders to exchange ideas and best practices, and to plan for a greater waterfront in the NY-NJ metropolitan area.

The next 10 years will bring stunning changes to the New York City and Northern New Jersey Waterfront. Never before have so many opportunities and challenges converged. 2010 will bring New York City’s first Comprehensive Waterfront Plan in a generation. Will this plan be adequate? How will we implement it? A world-class waterfront is an expensive but worth-while investment. How can we secure the necessary capital dollars to build it and maintain it? How can New York and New Jersey get its share of funding for the restoration and improvement of our neglected estuary?

These questions and more will be answered at the 2010 Waterfront Conference. It will galvanize support, build energy and excitement, and continue the momentum needed to create a world-class waterfront and harbor for New York and New Jersey.

The conference program is here and an excerpt from MWA's excellent documentary City Of Water is below.

"City of Water" trailer from MAS on Vimeo.

Also, the WNYC Radio Rookies have a Roosevelt Island waterfront story to tell as they search for the purportedly famous Noel the Roosevelt Island Fisherman. Watch their video to see if they find him.

You Tube Video of Noel Who?

Solar Powered Hybrid Ferry Technology May Be Coming To New York City Waterfront Starting With Roosevelt Island - Vision 2020 Waterfront Planning Meeting October 12

Image Of Hong Kong Solar Hybrid Ferry From Itech Diary

 I have reported before about how Roosevelt Island is at the forefront of experimenting with new technology for improving urban living:

Roosevelt Island receives much grief from many of our fellow New York City residents for being strange, insular, creepy, spooky, stuck in the past etc - and some of that is true. But there is another side to Roosevelt Island which is at the forefront of urban planning and the use of new and exciting technology for the betterment of those who live, work and visit here....

Here's another exciting example.  Last Tuesday, I assisted Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Director Jonathan Kalkin in organizing a meeting to discuss how to bring Solar Powered Hybrid Ferries to the New York City Waterfront including Roosevelt Island. Mr. Kalkin provides the details.

On Tuesday at the Interferry Conference in Brooklyn New York, I had the great honor of introducing Solar Hybrid Ferries to Roosevelt Island and New York City. Present for the meeting was representation from the EPA, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office, Borough President Scott Stringer's office, Assembly member Micah Kellner, City Council member Jessica Lappin, Tom Fox Of NY Water Taxi and members of the Durst Organization, and RIOC President and VP Leslie Torres and Fernando Martinez. Dr. Robert Dane, CEO of Solar Sailor gave a presentation of his patented Solar Sail technology that could be added to present ferries or put into new ones.

I was invited to the Department of Energy to an EPA conference about a month ago to discuss some of the Green Initiatives on Roosevelt Island. During my discussions there with a number of DOE, NYSERDA, and EPA representatives, I asked if there was ferry funding at the DOE or anywhere else. They said I could get funding for a green ferry, but even they said they weren't aware of any in the United States.

I did some research and contacted Dr. Dane of Solar Sailor of Australia. His ferry technology is used in Australia, and now Shanghai and Hong Kong. A Hybrid Solar Ferry resolves most of the ferry issues that plague New York City. First and foremost, most ferry systems are simply not profitable for the operator. Fuel costs are very high and therefore the price per ride has to be as well. If the price per ride is too high it is not competitive with other forms of transportation, even if its more convenient. Even with a high price ticket without a subsidy most ferries can't work.

Almost all forms of public transportation are subsidized. However ferries are not and it has been difficult to find a ferry that is profitable without a large subsidy. Also there is always a concern of the ferries keeping their engines idle in docks and adding pollution to the water and air around it. A Hybrid/Solar ferry runs up to 8 knots with zero emissions and can travel with hundreds of passengers. Like a Toyota Prius it can run faster if needed on diesel, but the overall fuel savings is 30, 40 and sometimes 50 percent. If the ferry goes on short distances like across our East River, it can run on zero fuel and when sitting in the dock will have zero emissions. Also it is very quiet.

After researching a number of green projects the main barrier is always the upfront capital cost. The operating cost once built is much cheaper, but it takes time to get the return on investment. That is why I contacted the EPA who have funding to pay for this. NYSERDA also has a program for development projects.

We are looking at a number or options for docks. Currently there is a dock near the Roosevelt Island Tram that would be a great addition to our transportation options and critical for island emergencies. I thought it would be a good idea to get everyone together to discuss this initiative and we had a great meeting thanks to the help of our great representatives and RIOC team. We set up a working group to research the project and to develop a proposal for the EPA and NYSERDA this year. It is really great to see Roosevelt Island not only lead the city, but now the USA in green projects.

Here's more on Solar Powered Hybrid Ferries being used in Hong Kong Harbor

You Tube Video of Solar Power Hybrid Ferry

and an experimental hybrid solar ferry for St. Lucia in the Caribbean

For more on plans regarding the New York City Waterfront, here's a message from the Department of City Planning:

Help Plan the City’s Waterfront

The Department of City Planning is continuing its extensive public engagement process to develop Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan with a public meeting on Tuesday, October 12th, 2010. Vision 2020 will establish the city’s long range vision for a 21st Century waterfront, identifying opportunities for improvement and the strategies needed to realize this new vision. The meeting will present Vision 2020’s goals and draft recommendations and provide an opportunity for public comment. We urge you to be part of the process by reading the draft recommendations online at nyc.gov/waterfront, where you can also submit comments online, and attending the October 12th meeting:

Tuesday, October 12th, 6 p.m.

Rosenthal Pavilion, NYU Kimmel Center for University Life

60 Washington Square South, 10th Floor, New York, NY

NYC's Draft Waterfront Plan has this to say about Roosevelt Island (Page 18):

• Support continued evaluation of effectiveness of tidal energy and strengths of river currents
• Provide in-water recreation access, such as a boat launch
• Support an improved Southpoint Park with a waterfront esplanade

Vision 2020 Waterfront Meeting Still Asks The Question Why Can't Roosevelt Island Residents Access The East River?

NYC Vision 2020 Waterfront Image From NYC Dept Of City Planning

Blogger Frogma attended last week's Vision 2020 New York City Waterfront planning session and provides a summary as to what went on. As to Roosevelt Island Frogma reports:

... People on Roosevelt Island, in particular, would like water access; they'd always been told that the currents around there are too dangerous for small boats, and it's true that they are swift around there, but they've had people who know the water look at the situation & find ways it could be done, and they'd like to see that happen. Rob actually asked in his 3 minutes if the phrase "dangerous currents" could please be dropped in future discussions - we do have powerful currents, but with a little knowledge, they aren't dangerous & in fact allow for some fantastic current-assisted trips (my longest day paddle ever, for example, was about 50 miles - try that without a flood & an ebb helping you out!)....

The NYC Department of Planning will have a copy of the presentation made at the meeting available on their web site soon and advise:

The first citywide public meeting to kick off the outreach process was held on April 8th. A copy of that presentation and a summary of the comments received will be posted to this website shortly. Thanks to all who attended the kick-off meeting.

We will be announcing the next set of public workshops soon! Stay tuned!

Here's more on the question Why Can't Roosevelt Islanders Get In The Water (including wonderful Great Big Sea video with the Chieftains) and the potential for a kayak launch from Roosevelt Island.

Reminds me of this 2007 post on the lack of Roosevelt Island waterfront access.

I have often passed Roosevelt Island on a Ferry Boat but never a sail boat. The video above illustrates what a great experience it must be. As a waterfront community it is a shame that Roosevelt Island does not take more advantage of being surrounded by the East River. For example, it would be great for a boat house and kayak launch to be established on Roosevelt island as it has been right across the river in Queens at the Long Island City Community Boat House. and at East River Crew on East 96th Street. Several years ago I inquired of RIOC about the possibility of a Kayak launch here and was told that the currents were much too strong to safely permit. But others with practical experience of such matters advised that with proper guidance a kayak launch could readily be created on Roosevelt Island.

Same old, Same old.

NYC Vision 2020 Waterfront Planning Meeting Thursday April 8 - Help Plan The The Future Waterfront & Make Roosevelt Island's Voice Heard

Image of NYC Waterfront From Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance

As we are all aware, Roosevelt Island is located between Manhattan and Queens, surrounded by water, in the East River. If you are interested in learning about and helping to plan the future of New York City's waterfront, including Roosevelt Island, this message from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is for you.

Help Plan the City’s Waterfront

The Department of City Planning is currently preparing Vision 2020: The NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, and we want your help. This plan will establish the city’s long range vision for a 21st Century waterfront, identifying opportunities for improvement and the strategies needed to realize this new vision. Visit our website, www.nyc.gov/waterfront, for plan updates, workshop announcements and to share your ideas and comments with us.

A kick-off citywide public meeting to discuss the process and solicit feedback will be held on:

APRIL 8, 2010
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
MURRY BERGTRAUM HIGH SCHOOL
411 PEARL STREET
LOWER MANHATTAN

Here's an excerpt from MWA's excellent City of Water Documentary

"City of Water" trailer from MAS on Vimeo.

It's important that Roosevelt Island residents participate in this process and get involved because so often waterfront advocates and decision makers are unaware of our issues so they do not get addressed.