David Yassky

 

 

By ANNMARIE FERTOLI Published: July 10, 2008

 

New York Water Taxi began service from Brooklyn’s newly-opened Schaefer Landing dock on Monday, forging a new connection between its Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan stops.

Council members Eric Gioia and David Yassky, who rode the ferry from Schaefer Landing to the Hunters Point stop in Long Island City on Monday morning, urged support for the ferry service.

 Service along New York Water Taxi’s East River line was suspended this past winter. At the time, the company said rising fuel costs and fewer riders contributed to its decision to suspend service.
   

Gioia and Yassky noted that without the proper funding, service may be halted once again in the fall. Both urged the city to fast-track plans to provide reliable ferry service.
   

“The waterfront in New York City is in the midst of a revitalization,” Gioia said, adding that stable transportation infrastructure helps to build surrounding areas. Both council members noted the speed and convenience of commuting by water.
   

Yassky noted that a trip from Brooklyn to Manhattan via water taxi took just four minutes. A trip from Schaefer Landing to Hunters Point takes just over 10 minutes. “I think this is the future of transportation in New York City,” Gioia added.
   

New York Water Taxi, a privately-owned company, offers three major routes to commuters, including a Hudson River line, an East River line and a Rockaway line. In addition to stops at Hunters Point in Queens and Schaefer Landing and Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn, the expanded East River line also includes two stops in Manhattan, at East 35th Street and at Pier 11.
   

For more information, visit www.nywater taxi.com.