Benedetto, Gjonaj pushed mayor’s Throggs Neck ferry plan
From page 1 to renovate the park’s massive
“This is a game-changer
for our corner of the city,” said
Gjonaj.
Assemblyman Benedetto
said that he has been working
on getting a ferry stop in
the park for the past decade,
and spoke with de Blasio to
discuss this need prior to the
mayor’s January 10 State of
the City Address.
“I’ve always felt a ferry
landing at Ferry Point Park
made sense” said Benedetto.
“I’m glad New York City chose
this location - a location readily
accessible from several
major highways with tremendous
parking options.”
Benedetto also was elated
to learn that the city plans
In 2018, Councilman Mark Gjonaj and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto held a press conference to call on the
city to expand ferry service to Ferry Point Park. After calls from Gjonaj and others, Mayor de Blasio announced
recently that a new stop would be added at the park during a new upcoming phase of ferry expansion.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Gjonaj’s offi ce
A view of the new planned ferry routes with the 2020-21 expansion, including
a new stop at Throggs Neck/Ferry Point Park.
Photo courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Offi ce
Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz: 19 transit priorities for 2019
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR ANUARY 18-24, 2019 61
From page 1
parking lot to service the
ferry users, as well.
Currently, the parking lot
is one huge pot-hole that is
frequently unusable due to
ponding after rainstorms. It
remains empty during most
weekdays, said Dotti Poggi,
Friends of Ferry Point Park
leader.
The assemblyman said he
believes that the opening of
a ferry landing at the park
could spur economic development
in the park.
He expressed interest in
seeing improvements such
as waterfront cafes or restaurants
added to the park to
compliment the existing fi rstclass
public golf course.
“We should not neglect
Ferry Point Park, it is a wonderful
untapped resource,”
said Benedetto. “It could present
us with opportunities that
would benefi t the borough
both economically and culturally.”
Poggi said that the ferry
stop would be easily accessible
via existing bus routes that already
stop near the park and
link it to potential commuters
from other communities including
Co-op City.
Poggi added that she hoped
that the investment in the
ferry slip would spur further
investment in the park itself.
Matt Cruz, Community
Board 10 district manager,
thanked the mayor and the
NYC Economic Development
Corporation for supporting
the community’s efforts to
bring a ferry to the park.
“This is a extremely positive
development,” said Cruz.
“We have some of the longest
commutes to Manhattan and
some of the highest amounts
of car ownership.”
Even more parking spaces
for ferry patrons may be
available now that the toll plazas
adjacent to Ferry Point
Park have been removed. The
board has already requested
the resurfacing of the existing
parking lot, said Cruz.
For planning purposes, the
project presents a myriad of
possibilities, including an opportunity
to create a walkway
along the Ferry Point Park
waterfront between Schurz
Avenue and the ferry launch,
said Cruz.
This would allow residents
of Throggs Neck to walk to the
new ferry, he said.
East Bronx activist John
Doyle, who has been calling
on the city to expand ferry
service, said that if the Ferry
Point Park stop proves successful,
it could lead to other
stops in the area, perhaps at
Orchard Beach.
“It is just a tremendous opportunity,”
said Benedetto of
the ferry.
Assemblyman Dinowitz joins Senator Chuck Schumer and other offi cals rallying for the Tibetts Brook Greenway.
Schneps Community News Group/ Alex Mitchell
second free MetroCard transfer
to address transit deserts,
new commuting patterns.
Other goals he noted are:
improving multi-modal transit
accommodations, such as
the addition of bicycle parking
at MetroNorth and subway
stations with a particular
focus on terminal subway
stations such as Van Cortlandt
Park 242nd Street for
#1 IRT, Wakefi eld 241st Street
for the #2 IRT and Nereid
Avenue for the #5 IRT and
Metro-North stations such
as Riverdale Spuyten Duyvil
Wakefi eld and Woodlawn; reimplementing
express subway
service along the #1 IRT
to reduce commute times into
Manhattan.
Also included was increasing
the frequency of local
Metro-North service along
the Hudson and Harlem lines
throughout the day and night;
working towards west side
access for the Metro-North
Hudson Line to Penn Station;
implementing a half-price
MetroCard for veterans; a
study of where bus lanes can
be installed to improve service
throughout northwest
Bronx; signifi cantly increase
the number of bus shelters
also throughout northwest
Bronx; increase parking at
Metro-North Railroad stations,
where feasible; completing
an engineering study
for Hudson River Greenway;
and expanding bike share
programs into northwest
Bronx.
Only two weeks into the
new year it’s already apparent
that 20 is the new 19. The
assemblyman’s 20th priority:
obtaining the vacant Putnam
Right of Way from railroad
giant CSX to convert into a
green space along I-87.
“We’re still fi ghting for
that one,” Dinowitz said.