STATEN ISLAND FERRY New York City DOT 1 Bay Street Staten Island, NY 10301 (718) 876-5255 Web Site: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dot/home.html

State Legislative Districts: Senate: 23-25 Assembly: 59-62

Base Fare: Free for walk on passengers

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) operates the Staten Island Ferry that runs service 24 hours a day 7 days a week between Manhattan and Staten Island. The budget of the Staten Island Ferry is on a City Fiscal Year (CFY) which runs from July 1 to June 30. Effective July 4, 1997 the fare was eliminated for walk on passengers. This had the net effect of making the ferry service free for all people making a crossing without a vehicle. The fare revenues shown are for those people who make the crossing with but from a small base. Employment increased by their vehicle, commercial advertisements and 24%. Unemployment in Richmond county was only concessions. 4.2%, below the 5.2% city average.

The Staten Island Ferry, which carries 65,000 daily From 1990 to 2000, ridership dropped 15.5%, from passengers, is the largest ferry system in the world (by 22.9 million, to 18.5 million. Part of this period number of daily passengers on a single route). It parallels an economic recession. Throughout this connects 15 bus routes, and the Staten Island Railway, period, many riders chose to use the improving in Staten Island, with Manhattan and its vast array of express bus services, which afforded one seat rides public transit at South Ferry. Its vessels, which sail from close to home to their destinations in every fifteen minutes in peak periods, carry up to 6000 Manhattan, rather than the three seat ride involving riders (Kennedy class boats). the Ferry. From 1996 to 1998, ferry ridership

Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry Revenue Passengers Revenue Vehicle Miles 21 250

20 225

19 200

18 175 Millions 17 Thousands 150

16 125

15 100 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Year Year

rebounded, as the fare was eliminated and MetroCard The 1990's was a period of strong growth for Staten offered one-fare travel to virtually any point in the Island. Population grew by 17%, the largest of any boro, city. Ridership again began to fall beginning in 1998,

III-37 Staten Island Ferry Ferry Boat 2000 Characteristics Revenue Passengers 18,039,511 Number of Vehicles 7 Number of Employees 0 Revenue Vehicle Miles 172,474 Revenue Vehicle Hours 16,584 Total Operating Revenue 2,466,958 Total Operating Expense 45,269,818 Operating Expense /Rev. Vehicle Mile 262.47 Operating Expense / Rev. Vehicle Hour 2,729.73 Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Mile 104.59 Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Hour 1,087.77 Total Operating Revenue / Op. Expense 0.05 Operating Expense / Revenue Passenger 2.51 Total Op. Revenue / Revenue Passenger 0.14 Ridership and Miles reported for City Fiscal Year as new luxury express buses were introduced, and NYCDOT 1990 2000 % express bus fares were reduced to $3.00. Staten Island Staten Island Change Ferry Service Ferry showed a drop in ridership 5.06% between CFY Area 99/00 (CFY 00) and CFY 00/01 (CFY01). Staten Island 378,977 443,728 17.09% Population Other causes of ridership decline include increased employment opportunities on the island, and increased New York City 7,322,564 8,008,278 9.36% reverse commute to New Jersey. Population Pop. Over 65 953,317 937,857 -1.62% During the decade, service levels were very stable. (NYC) Despite modest declines in ridership, the number of Pop. Under 19 1,888,075 2,153,450 14.06% passengers riding these large capacity vessels continues (NYC) to warrant the service levels of up to four vessels per hour. Employment 71,452 88,243 23.50% Manhattan 2,342,695 2,382,166 1.68% Ferry operating costs increased 4.78% between in CFY Employment 00, somewhat less than the average 5-year annualized Staten Island 21,895,913 18,501,051 -15.50% rate of 7.32%. The biggest reasons for this climb are an Ferry escalated cost of fringe benefits, increase in Ridership expenditures in other salary and wages, and fuel Cost. Rev. Miles 162,748 164,385 1.01% Other Salaries and Wages increased by 26.45%, other Staten Island materials and supplies increased by 10.17% and finally, Ferry miscellaneous expenses increased by 18.84% The large increase in Other Salaries And Wages represented a Ridership and Miles reported for Calendar Year Union agreement which required retroactive back pay by the city. Fringe benefits increase tied to the union agreement as well. in CY01. Charter/Contract revenue increased by 33.36% due to the growth in the business of renting Cost increases, coupled with a slight decrease in vessel out the Ferry Boats for commercial use such as movie miles caused the cost per mile ratio to increase 5.23% production. This caused operating revenues to in CFY 01, a rate comparable to the five year decrease 5.96 % in CFY 01. annualized increase of 5.33% annualized The Increase in operating expenses and decrease in Passenger Revenue, from car/truck use of the ferry, operating revenues reduced the cover ratio by 10.21 dropped 2.4% and non-user revenue dropped by 10.45% % in CFY01, to 5.45%. This is apparently low value,

III-38 must be considered in relation to a policy decision to integrate fare in the Staten Island area with the MetroCard system.

The City is about to embark on a huge investment program in the Staten Island Ferry infrastructure, comprised of $120 million (total) for three new ferries to replace the Kennedy Class vessels, $185 million for a new Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry Manhattan, and $85 for a rehabilitation of the St George Terminal in Staten Island.

III-39 FINANCIAL INFORMATION - STATEN ISLAND FERRY

Sources of Total System 2000 Operating Funds Summary of Total System 2000 Operating Expenses

Fares $1,048,643 Salaries $30,299,719 Local $26,648,858 Fringe $7,877,927 State $16,154,000 Insurance $0 Federal $0 Fuel $3,187,705 Other $1,418,315 Other $3,904,467 Total $45,269,816 Total $45,269,818

Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry Operating Revenues & Subsidies Operating Expenses

Other (3.13%) Federal (0.00%) Fares (2.32%) Other (8.62%) Fuel (7.04%) Insurance (0.00%)

State (35.68%) Fringe (17.40%)

Local (58.87%) Salaries (66.93%)

Financial Trend Analysis over the past five years: Fleet Characteristics over the past five years:

Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry Operating Revenue and Subsidy Total, Peak and Accessible Vehicles 50 10 9 40 8 30 7 6 20 5 Millions 4 10 3 2 0 1 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 0 Year Total Fleet Peak Fleet Accessible

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE TOTAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Staten Island Ferry - Operations and Performance Statistics

Staten Isl Ferry 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 % Change Annualized Operations Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual 99 to 00 % Change

Rev. Passengers 16,855,723 19,263,674 19,851,000 19,000,298 18,039,511 -5.06% 1.71% Rev. Veh. Miles 160,026 158,873 171,309 173,212 172,474 -0.43% 1.89%

Op. Cost $34,122,643 $36,873,625 $39,302,167 $43,204,392 $45,269,818 4.78% 7.32% Op. Rev. $6,620,300 $2,380,278 $2,471,543 $2,623,434 $2,466,958 -5.96% -21.87%

Rev. Pass/Rev. Mile 105.33 121.25 115.88 109.69 104.59 -4.65% -0.18% Op. Cost/Rev. Mile $213.23 $232.09 $229.42 $249.43 $262.47 5.23% 5.33% Op. Rev./Op. Cost 19.40% 6.46% 6.29% 6.07% 5.45% -10.25% -27.20%

National CPI 156.90 160.50 163.00 166.60 172.20 3.36% 2.35% NYSMA CPI 166.90 170.80 173.60 177.00 182.50 3.11% 2.26%

Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry Rev. Passenger per Rev. Vehicle Mile Operating Cost per Rev. Vehicle Mile Operating Revenue to Operating Cost 150.0 $300.00 0.90 125.0 $275.00 0.75 100.0 $250.00 0.60 75.0 $225.00 0.45 50.0 $200.00 0.30 25.0 $175.00 0.15 0.0 $150.00 0.00 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Year Year Year

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