Glen Cove Ferry a Good Idea?

I’m very happy to live in Glen Cove. It is one of only two cities that are in Long Island. We have three local beaches, about a dozen parks and even our own municipal golf course. I feel very privileged to live in this area despite the hour plus commute to Manhattan.

I agree that commuting to Manhattan is a drag. It’s a big chunk of time that I would rather be somewhere other than sitting on a bus or in a train. Glen Cove is lucky that we have three LIRR train stations in our jurisdiction. Plus, we are not charged for the privilege of parking at any of our stations. That may be because many of our residents drive down to Mineola or Port Washington in order to take express trains.

Recently, an express bus line began operating in Glen Cove, providing transportation between Glen Cove, Manhasset and Manhattan (Downtown and Midtown). Long Island Transit (http://www.longislandtransitny.com/) provides reliable commuter service at a price much less than the MTA. In addition the busses also include free WiFi service on board. This is a really great service at a great price.

Recently, Glen Cove Mayor, Ralph Suozzi broke ground on a Ferry Terminal (Glen Cove Ferry Project). This has been an ongoing dream of administrations since the last ferry service shut down in 2001. The reason for the shutdown was lack of passengers. The reason for the lack of passengers was that the ferry was priced higher than the railroad, limited schedule and only one location to disembark in Manhattan. Meaning it was not convenient at all.

Now the vision of a new ferry that will revitalize downtown is once again being built. Only, in my opinion this project is doomed to the same fate as the last ferry project. I don’t believe that there are enough commuters that want to pay extra for a boat ride into Manhattan on a limited schedule. Even if they manage to add a few cruises to the Connecticut Casinos (or maybe soon, Montauk Casinos?) there is not enough need. But, I do believe there is a way to make the ferry successful to the point that it would revitalize the Glen Cove Waterfront.

What is my idea? Instead of a commuter ferry to Manhattan as the base for this venture, why not make a vehicular ferry to Connecticut? Look at what the ferry service has done to Port Jefferson. My wife and I occasionally travel to New England and gladly pay the fare to skip all the traffic and congestion driving through Queens, the Bronx and Westchester. Plus, it’s a nice break in the road trip. If we had the option to do that from our hometown, we would jump on it.

I would be willing to bet that the ferry would also entice a large number of people making the trek to New England from Queens, Nassau all the way to Western Suffolk, wne the drive to Port Jeff begins to be closer. In think this would drive tourist traffic through Glen Cove. It would bring people waiting for the ferry grabbing something to eat, maybe even doing some shopping on their way up to New England and even on their way back. A service like this might even be able to help subsidize a Manhattan commuter ferry and be able to keep the fares competitive with the RailRoad and Bus.

Well, that’s my idea. What do you think? Let me know with your comments!

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