STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island Ferry will operate with limited or no service during the Tuesday morning commute, the city Department of Transportation announced late Monday night.
Hourly trips will begin at midnight — with departures on the hour out of St. George Terminal and on the half-hour out of Whitehall Terminal — and continue until further notice, the agency wrote on Twitter.
Typically, the Staten Island Ferry would provide service every 15 or 20 minutes during rush hour, meaning the hourly schedule will likely lead to crowding on the boats and longer commutes for residents during peak travel times.
The NYC Ferry will offer additional service between its St. George landing and Wall Street/Pier 11 in Manhattan beginning at 5:30 a.m., officials said.
The service reductions are the latest in a long string of canceled trips amid an ongoing contract dispute between the city and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), the union that represents the captains, assistant captains, mates, chief engineers and marine engineers on the Staten Island Ferry.
The dispute has left crew members without wage increase since 2010.
“A significant number of crew members scheduled to operate Staten Island Ferry vessels have once again called out sick, inconveniencing tens of thousands of daily riders,” the DOT wrote in a statement.
“With a national marine worker shortage and as a result of this action, ferry service is experiencing significant disruptions, the statement continued. “We are doing whatever it takes to provide continuous ferry service and ensure New Yorkers can travel between Staten Island and Manhattan at no cost.”
“We encourage everyone to avoid non-essential travel on the ferry and use alternate modes of transportation where possible,” the DOT said.
Union officials have said the city has been aware of staffing shortages for years without properly addressing the issue.
“The entire City of New York, including the Mayor and…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply