Community
leaders and elected officials are pushing for NYC Ferry service to come to City
Island.
John
Doyle, a board member of City Island Rising, says the group has collected
nearly 1,000 signatures toward the cause. He says the average commute for City
Island residents to the Manhattan is about an hour and a half.
“If we
would bring a ferry here, we would cut that time more than half,” he told News
12.
Doyle
believes ferry service would also reduce traffic and congestion on the
city’s streets.
Councilwoman
Marjorie Velázquez, who serves several waterfront communities, says she’s
onboard with the plan.
But
some who live on City Island aren't sure that if you build it, they will come.
Critics say a new dock would be needed at Fordham Street.
Doyle
says a ferry landing at Orchard Beach could be another option for those
concerned about parking.
News
12 reached out to the city's Economic Development Corporation which oversees
the ferry. It says it has no current plans to expand service
to City Island but is committed to delivering the best possible
service to New Yorkers and continuing to work with all communities to do
that.