Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder delivered petitions signed by more than 3,000 residents urging Mayor Bloomberg to keep the Rockaway ferry running permanently. Photo Courtesy of Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder
Gathering on the steps of City Hall last Friday, Rockaway and South Queens residents sent an SOS to Mayor Bloomberg and urged him not to cut off the ferry service they said is vital to a peninsula with little transportation infrastructure.
The city began providing the ferry service for the residents after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the A train, but, with the subway back in order, Mayor Bloomberg said he expects to keep the ferry service, for which residents pay $2 per trip, until no later than Labor Day.
“It is unfortunate that it took a natural disaster to finally receive the transportation service that we need and removing it now would be a disastrous blow to our recovery,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway), who delivered more than 3,000 petition signatures asking for permanent ferry service to Bloomberg last Friday. “I strongly urge [the mayor] to listen to the voices of our families and continue the ferry service to give our community a fighting chance to put our lives back together.”
Goldfeder stressed that residents in Rockaway and South Queens have long suffered with time-consuming commutes into Manhattan – and while the ferry may not be perfect, the legislator said it certainly helps.
“Over 3,000 families have sent a clear message to Mayor Bloomberg that they want the ferry service to continue indefinitely,” Goldfeder said. “The Rockaway ferry is not only a smart and efficient means of travel, it will continue to provide much needed transportation options and assistance to help our communities recover after Sandy.”
The ferry is located at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and stops at Pier 11 and East 34th Street in Manhattan.
By Anna Gustafson
