Sen. Daniel Squadron Calls For Year-Round Pier 6 Ferry Service

By on January 10, 2013 7:39 pm in Brooklyn Heights

Sen. Daniel Squadron established a petition on Wednesday, January 8, calling for the East River Ferry service to stop at Pier 6 at the foot of Atlantic Avenue year round. This follows an official request from the New York City Economic Development Corp. that seeks proposals from ferry operators when the current contract expires in June 2014.

Squadron implores in a letter to the corporation: “Although not included in the RFP’s requirements for ‘core service,’ we wish to highlight the incredible demand for year-round service to and from the Atlantic Avenue/Pier 6 landing at the southern end of Brooklyn Bridge Park. This expanded service would serve residents, local businesses and our city alike.”

The letter is also signed by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, BK Borough Prez Marty Markowitz, State Assembly Member Joan Millman and Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin.

The petition—which Brooklyn Heights residents are encouraged to sign—mandates: “We, the undersigned, urge NYCEDC to encourage respondents to the RFP for an East River Ferry operator to include year-round service to and from Atlantic Avenue/Pier 6 in their proposals and only award a contract to an operator that includes this service.”

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  • Newshound

    Yeah because Brooklyn Heights dosen’t have enough subway service. Gimme a break.

  • susie

    Daniel .. again more self seeking publicity.. while he runs for higher office. he promised no housing in the park then served as the mayors lap dog on the issue.. Ambition … Ambition..Not Honesty

  • booboobear

    Publicity seeker.. You are untrustworthy

  • km

    Well, I think it’s a good idea. I’d use it from Pier 6, but rarely do from Pier 1 because it’s so much farther for me.

  • Quinn Raymond

    I think it’s a good idea.

    That part of the neighborhood is actually a significant distance from mass transit. The residents of 1 Brooklyn Bridge have on-site parking and are thus highly incentivized to drive. If people around there could take a ferry we could reduce traffic, noise, and pollution in the rest of our area.

    It makes sense. Seems like some people are hostile to the idea simply because they have an axe to grind with Squadron.

    Try and look past your own narrow agenda to the good of the entire community.

  • 5thfloorwalkuper

    Seems to me that it would also be useful for Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens/ Red Hook residents who wouldn’t have to go all the way to Borough Hall to get to Manhattan. The 61 bus stops nearby.

  • Wiley E.

    If you haven’t tried the ferry service, please do. It is great. It helps reduce the burden of the subways and buses, and it is very fast for crossing the river compared to other forms of transit in the area. It is a wonderful mode of transportation for ‘park’ visitors.

    This could be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Hopefully many people will sign the petition, and the service will start.

    PS. Give Squadron a break. When the City ‘bought the park’ from the State, Bloomberg got the BBP rule-changing ability to hand-pick enough City appointed BBP Board Members to numerically approve condo construction over his objection. The development fix was the reason why the City took over the site from the State. Blame the State EDC and Bloomberg for the condo issues.

  • Reggie

    Yes, Squadron is a terrible person with another terrible idea, the terribleness of which the Borough President and Councilman Steven Levin are willing to ignore cause, uhm, cause Squadron … something.

    At a packed meeting on Wednesday, Community Board 2 voted unanimously to endorse the idea. They are all clueless and terrible too. What is the world coming too? Terrible, terrible….

  • Quinn Raymond

    “susie” and “booboobear” must have gone to the same school– they use very similar punctuation.

    I wonder if they share an IP address too?

  • Gerry

    The Ferry will never replace a subway or a bus it will have a few regulars and a few tourists will take it to BBP the few tourists who care to see BBP most could care less about that destination.

    Few residents of One BBP plan to give up their cars take a look at the parking garage full of high end luxury automobiles with out of state plates.

    These cars are often used to shuttle a spouse or family member up to the subway at Boro Hall.

    Squadron is not a bad guy but going nowhere fast in politics like Assemblyman Nick Perry Squadron is trying to please ALL of his constituents and that is impossible need to pick and choose battles.

  • Liz

    I live in the Columbia Street Waterfront District and I’m a 15-minute walk from the closest subway, but 5 minutes from Pier 6. This would be perfect for me- by far the fastest way to get to Manhattan. I use the ferry from Pier 1 sometimes, but if they stopped at Pier 6 I’d buy an unlimited card for sure.