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 which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week between Manhattan and Staten Island. Effective July 4, 1997 the fare was eliminated for walk on passengers.

Carrying 65,000 daily passengers, the Staten Island Ferry has the largest ridership of any single route ferry system in the world. The ferry connects 15 bus routes and the Staten Island Railway in Staten Island with Manhattan and its vast network of public transit at South Ferry. Its of several subway lines. This extra service ran from vessels sail every fifteen minutes in peak periods. Its 6AM-10AM and from 3PM to 8PM and at its peak it Barbieri and Kennedy Class vessels carry up to 6,000 carried 3,000 daily commuters per day. Even after and 4,000 respectively. restoration of N & R subway lines, ridership has remained at about 1,500-1,600 daily commuters. The The City fiscal year from July 1, 2001 till June 30, 2002 Brooklyn ferry service was turned over to New York was a very difficult year for the Staten Island Ferry. In Waterway on June 24, 2002, to operate with more the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist appropriately sized smaller vessels. attacks the Ferry shut down regular service for one week. In addition, the ferry ran extra boats in order to help Despite September 11 attacks and slowing economy, transport emergency and medical personnel and Staten Island Ferry ridership actually grew by 3.3 equipment on a 24 hour basis. percent. These results in part reflect the significant restrictions imposed on the motorists entering On September 17 the city commenced a new free ferry Manhattan in the aftermath of the attacks. These service from Pier 4 Brooklyn Army Terminal with two restrictions included the banning of Single Occupant shuttle bus routes in Brooklyn to cope with the shutdown Vehicles (SOVs) on all three Brooklyn-Manhattan

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 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year Year

III-33 Staten Island Ferry Ferry Boat 2001 Characteristics Revenue Passengers 18,635,852 concessions and vehicle revenues. After September 11 Number of Vehicles 7 all vehicles on the ferry as well as ferry charters or Number of Employees 536 contracts for revenue were prohibited. Commercial Revenue Vehicle Miles 171,465 advertisements and concessions revenue were Revenue Vehicle Hours 16,487 substantially reduced (23.6 percent) because of Total Operating Revenue 1,345,002 construction on both terminals. This caused operating Total Operating Expense 49,595,770 revenues to decrease 45.5 percent in CFY 01. Operating Expense /Rev. Vehicle Mile 289.25 Operating Expense / Rev. Vehicle Hour 3,008.17 The increase in operating expenses and dramatic Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Mile 108.69 decrease in operating revenues reduced the cover ratio Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Hour 1,130.34 from 5.5 percent in CFY 00 to 2.7 percent in CFY 01.. Total Operating Revenue / Op. Expense 0.03 Operating Expense / Revenue Passenger 2.66 The City also, began a substantial investment program Total Op. Revenue / Revenue Passenger 0.07 in the Staten Island Ferry infrastructure, comprised of $120 million (total) for three new ferries to replace the bridges and the Brooklyn Battery tunnel during rush Kennedy Class vessels, $185 million for a new hours. Additional riders from the new Brooklyn ferry Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry Manhattan, and were also a factor in the ridership increase. $106 for a rehabilitation of the St George Terminal in Staten Island. The estimated completion of Whitehall In the five year period beginning in 1997, ridership was Terminal construction is June 2004, followed by St. nearly flat (down 0.8 percent). Ferry ridership initially George terminal July 2004. Delivery of the three new rose from 1997 to 1998, with the fare elimination and ferry vessels are anticipated in August 2003, MetroCard one-fare policy. However ridership again December 2003 and April 2004. began to fall beginning in 1999, as express bus service enhancements were introduced and the express bus fares were reduced to $3.00. Throughout this period, many riders chose to use the improving express bus services, which afforded one seat rides from close to home to their destinations in Manhattan, rather than the three seat ride involving the Ferry.

Service levels were stable and despite a minor decline in ridership for the last 5 years, the number of passengers riding these large capacity vessels continues to warrant the service levels of up to four vessels per hour.

Ferry operating costs increased 9.6percent in CFY 01, at a higher rate than the 5-year annualized increase of 7.7 percent. Direct costs associated with Post-September 11 recovery and the operation of the Brooklyn ferry drove this accelerated increase. Direct operators salary and wages increased by 9.6 percent, and vehicle maintenance salary and wages raise by 14.6 percent. The City anticipates reimbursement from FEMA for direct costs associated with the September 11 recovery.

Cost increases, coupled with a slight decrease in vessel miles caused the cost per mile ratio to increase 10.2 percent in CFY 01, at a double rate of the five year annualized increase of 5.7 percent.

As noted earlier, the passenger fare on the Staten Island Ferry, is free. However, revenues are generated by

III-34 FINANCIAL INFORMATION - STATEN ISLAND FERRY

Sources of Total System 2001 Operating Funds Summary of Total System 2001 Operating Expenses

Fares $260,877 Salaries $34,056,136 Local $32,096,768 Fringe $9,705,999 State $16,154,000 Insurance $0 Federal $0 Fuel $2,175,265 Other $1,084,125 Other $3,658,370 Total $49,595,770 Total $49,595,770

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

Other (2.19%) Other (7.38%) Federal (0.00%) Fares (0.53%) Fuel (4.39%) Insurance (0.00%)

State (32.57%) Fringe (19.57%)

Local (64.72%) Salaries (68.67%)

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 60 10 50 9 8 40 7 30 6 5 Millions 20 4 3 10 2 0 1 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 0 Year Total Fleet Peak Fleet Accessible

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE TOTAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Staten Island Ferry - Operations and Performance Statistics

Staten Isl Ferry 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 % Change Annualized Operations 00 to 01 % Change

Rev. Passengers 19,263,674 19,851,000 19,000,298 18,039,511 18,635,852 3.31% -0.82% Rev. Veh. Miles 158,873 171,309 173,212 172,474 171,465 -0.59% 1.93%

Op. Cost $36,873,625 $39,302,167 $43,204,392 $45,269,818 $49,595,770 9.56% 7.69% Op. Rev. $2,380,278 $2,471,543 $2,623,434 $2,466,958 $1,345,002 -45.48% -13.30%

Rev. Pass/Rev. Mile 121.25 115.88 109.69 104.59 108.69 3.91% -2.70% Op. Cost/Rev. Mile $232.09 $229.42 $249.43 $262.47 $289.25 10.20% 5.66% Op. Rev./Op. Cost 6.46% 6.29% 6.07% 5.45% 2.71% -50.23% -19.49%

National CPI 160.50 163.00 166.60 172.20 177.10 2.85% 2.49% NYSMA CPI 170.80 173.60 177.00 182.50 187.10 2.52% 2.30%

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 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year Year Year

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