FYI, it is this dock (NYT image directly above) which should be upgraded to handle ferry traffic from Roosevelt Island as it has the size and proximity to the central subway / tram transportation hub that exists for the island.
Showing posts with label Dock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dock. Show all posts
Monday, April 20, 2009
360 Degree View from Southtown Dock
The below image is by Orangeadnan from Flickr. To see the full size 360 image video, shot from Roosevelt Island, the below image is based on link HERE. By the way I love how in the image it almost has a sun dial feel to it where you see Adnan's images appear like hands on a clock.
FYI, it is this dock (NYT image directly above) which should be upgraded to handle ferry traffic from Roosevelt Island as it has the size and proximity to the central subway / tram transportation hub that exists for the island.
FYI, it is this dock (NYT image directly above) which should be upgraded to handle ferry traffic from Roosevelt Island as it has the size and proximity to the central subway / tram transportation hub that exists for the island.
Monday, May 5, 2008
City News Conference Regarding Expanded Ferry Service Addresses Roosevelt Island Dock Construction
Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn announced today the start of Rockaway ferry service on May 12, restored service to Williamsburg and expanded east river routes. City and Council-funded programs to be joined with federal funding and allocations from Congress-members Nadler and Maloney.
According to the official news release the second phase of the plan will include the construction of a new dock on Roosevelt Island. Once again Congresswoman Maloney has shown her committment to bringing ferry service to Roosevelt Island.
It is expected this dock will be replace the dock currently sitting just South of the Octagon complex and across from the Dayspring Church on the Western side of the island facing Manhattan. The news release states that the ferry service route that will stop at this dock will be a private operator and apparently not the City-subsidized routes starting on May 12th. No dates were stated in the news release regarding construction start dates on Roosevelt Island.
So Roosevelt Island is one step closer to having access to the water. The questions still open are (1) how many stops per day (presumably during the morning and evening rush hours will the private operator make on the island (2) at what cost to the commuters and (3) how many residents will use (a) the service overall and (b) whether the location of the dock at North end of the island will influence their decision?
According to the official news release the second phase of the plan will include the construction of a new dock on Roosevelt Island. Once again Congresswoman Maloney has shown her committment to bringing ferry service to Roosevelt Island.
It is expected this dock will be replace the dock currently sitting just South of the Octagon complex and across from the Dayspring Church on the Western side of the island facing Manhattan. The news release states that the ferry service route that will stop at this dock will be a private operator and apparently not the City-subsidized routes starting on May 12th. No dates were stated in the news release regarding construction start dates on Roosevelt Island.
So Roosevelt Island is one step closer to having access to the water. The questions still open are (1) how many stops per day (presumably during the morning and evening rush hours will the private operator make on the island (2) at what cost to the commuters and (3) how many residents will use (a) the service overall and (b) whether the location of the dock at North end of the island will influence their decision?
Update: 4:20 pm
According to an anonymous (uncomfirmed) comment left here and on the Roosevelt Islander, Mayor Bloomberg announced at the news conference that ferry service to / from Roosevelt Island would commence in 2010.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Will NY Water Taxi’s Dropping of it’s East River Route Cancel the New Octagon Dock?
As reported today by the Roosevelt Islander (via Curbed and others) and the New York Times, the struggling New York Water Taxi company is cancelling its service on the East River route for the next four Winter months. What impact that has on the construction / refurbishment to the Octagon dock is unclear. But it can’t be a good thing if Octagon LP was expecting to receive year round service from NY Water Taxi and was going to be footing the bill for the construction. At least the Octagon residents did not lease their units with the promise of such a dock and the ferry service.
Update 5:00 pm
According to e-mails received this afternoon from Bruce Becker of Octagon LP the plan is to provide year round ferry service from the dock once constructed with the initial stop being 34th Street. Mr. Becker acknowledged that “long term feasibility of water taxi service is dependent on a larger network of routes so any reduction of service elsewhere is not helpful”.
Mr. Becker also informed me that a meeting was held today with representatives from both Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s office and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, which were “encouraging” in that the EDC is “studying how they can [aid] our efforts”.
According to Mr. Brice Peyre, of the Congresswoman’s New York City office, the staff member who attended the meeting had already left for the long holiday weekend so he could not add any comments regarding the aforementioned meeting.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Should Roosevelt Island Have Two Docks?
As reported last week the Army Corps of Engineers has given its approval to plans to build / reconstruct / strengthen a dock to be located up by the Octagon to water taxi traffic. My question is whether two such docks should be operationally available. Yes, I know the first is not even operational but still I want to pose the question for the below reasons.
The first is not so much for daily commuting needs but to have in case of an emergency where a backup egress point would be necessary if the Tram, subway and Roosevelt Island Bridge were all out of service. The likelihood of this trifecta is quite small, although it has happened, but if for some reason the only way off the Island was via the water it would be helpful if more than one location was available for boats to dock.
The second reason involves the planned Tramway rehab and the need for additional transportation resources to cover the added commuter congestion on the subway. If the planned Octagon dock is successful as a commuting point we may actually see commuters traveling North in the morning to get of the Island. If there was a second dock perhaps the water taxi could make two stops with the second one closer to Southtown and the existing transportation hub.
Could the existing pier be modified so that a water taxi could dock there? Was that pier ever used as a true dock? It does not appear to jut far enough out into the channel but the size of the pier would lend itself to passengers boarding and de-boarding with ease.
The concept or a desire for ferry access or a water taxi is not new by any means and the December 1980 New York Times article provided below show that such service was discussed at a level above mere water cooler conversation after a Tram line had fallen causing the Tram to be off line at that time. With the pending Tram rehabilitation scheduled for 2008 or 2009 the issue again bears thought. Granted in 1980 there was no subway service on the Island and I believe the Upside Down Building and its stairway to the 59th Street Bridge might have been gone as well.
Perhaps the Octagon pier (if completed) will pick up the slack from the Tram but with only two stops planned in Manhattan and the only pick up point being up at the Octagon it is still questionable how many residents will take the water taxi as opposed to crowding onto the F Train.
Updated: 10:11 pm
As noted in the comments the “Subway Pier” has been used as a temporary dock for police boats depending on the need. The below photo, courtesy of the Roosevelt Islander, shows once such instance when the police were investigating a floating body that was nearby the Island. See the Roosevelt Islander’s post linked Here for that story.
The first is not so much for daily commuting needs but to have in case of an emergency where a backup egress point would be necessary if the Tram, subway and Roosevelt Island Bridge were all out of service. The likelihood of this trifecta is quite small, although it has happened, but if for some reason the only way off the Island was via the water it would be helpful if more than one location was available for boats to dock.
The second reason involves the planned Tramway rehab and the need for additional transportation resources to cover the added commuter congestion on the subway. If the planned Octagon dock is successful as a commuting point we may actually see commuters traveling North in the morning to get of the Island. If there was a second dock perhaps the water taxi could make two stops with the second one closer to Southtown and the existing transportation hub.
Could the existing pier be modified so that a water taxi could dock there? Was that pier ever used as a true dock? It does not appear to jut far enough out into the channel but the size of the pier would lend itself to passengers boarding and de-boarding with ease.
The concept or a desire for ferry access or a water taxi is not new by any means and the December 1980 New York Times article provided below show that such service was discussed at a level above mere water cooler conversation after a Tram line had fallen causing the Tram to be off line at that time. With the pending Tram rehabilitation scheduled for 2008 or 2009 the issue again bears thought. Granted in 1980 there was no subway service on the Island and I believe the Upside Down Building and its stairway to the 59th Street Bridge might have been gone as well.
Perhaps the Octagon pier (if completed) will pick up the slack from the Tram but with only two stops planned in Manhattan and the only pick up point being up at the Octagon it is still questionable how many residents will take the water taxi as opposed to crowding onto the F Train.
Updated: 10:11 pm
As noted in the comments the “Subway Pier” has been used as a temporary dock for police boats depending on the need. The below photo, courtesy of the Roosevelt Islander, shows once such instance when the police were investigating a floating body that was nearby the Island. See the Roosevelt Islander’s post linked Here for that story.
Friday, December 14, 2007
New Water Taxi Dock - Comments from Bruce Becker & Steve Shane
The following are e-mails I received today upon specific requests for comments to both RIOC President Steve Shane and Bruce Becker of Becker and Becker and Octagon LP.
From: "Stephen Shane"
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:30:42
"RIOC Is delighted that another mode of transportation will be available for Roosevelt Island and will do whatever it can to promote its successful implementation.
The design for the dock facility has not been reviewed by RIOC but we will require obtaining the neccessary permits, licenses and approvals from the various City, State and Federal authorities having jurisdiction.
We have only had a support role so far. We approved the concept and urged the City Office of Emergency Management to get behind the application, which it did. We encouraged Congresswoman Maloney*s support."
- - - -
From: "Bruce Becker"
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:27:21
To:
Subject: RE: Octagon Dock Approval
"Hello Eric,
Yes, we are very pleased to be near the end of an exhaustive permitting process. The Army Corp permit was the last in a series of permits which were difficult to obtain, including a tidal wetlands permit from the DEC, a Coastal Zone consistency determination from the New York State Department of State, as well as a permit from New York City department of small business. This has been more than a two and a half year process including about six months spent designing dock improvements. Representative Maloney was very helpful in moving this process forward. We still have to work out funding agreements with the NYCEDC to utilize Federal funds which were secured for the purpose of making dock improvements by Representative Maloney, and arrange for required operating support for the water taxi operations.
We've been in discussions with New York Water Taxi for the last three years about bringing service to Roosevelt Island and adding our stop to planned routes up the East River. When service is established we expect to have service running to 34th Street and Wall Street. Eventually we hope there are many more options.
-Bruce "
From: "Stephen Shane" Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:30:42
"RIOC Is delighted that another mode of transportation will be available for Roosevelt Island and will do whatever it can to promote its successful implementation.
The design for the dock facility has not been reviewed by RIOC but we will require obtaining the neccessary permits, licenses and approvals from the various City, State and Federal authorities having jurisdiction.
We have only had a support role so far. We approved the concept and urged the City Office of Emergency Management to get behind the application, which it did. We encouraged Congresswoman Maloney*s support."
From: "Bruce Becker" Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:27:21
To:
Subject: RE: Octagon Dock Approval
"Hello Eric,
Yes, we are very pleased to be near the end of an exhaustive permitting process. The Army Corp permit was the last in a series of permits which were difficult to obtain, including a tidal wetlands permit from the DEC, a Coastal Zone consistency determination from the New York State Department of State, as well as a permit from New York City department of small business. This has been more than a two and a half year process including about six months spent designing dock improvements. Representative Maloney was very helpful in moving this process forward. We still have to work out funding agreements with the NYCEDC to utilize Federal funds which were secured for the purpose of making dock improvements by Representative Maloney, and arrange for required operating support for the water taxi operations.
We've been in discussions with New York Water Taxi for the last three years about bringing service to Roosevelt Island and adding our stop to planned routes up the East River. When service is established we expect to have service running to 34th Street and Wall Street. Eventually we hope there are many more options.
-Bruce "
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