New York Water Taxi

Last updated

New York Water Taxi
NYWT logo.svg
Water Taxi.JPG
New York Water Taxi in motion
Locale New York City
Waterway East River, Hudson River, Upper New York Bay
Transit type Water taxi
OwnerCircleline 42
Began operationSeptember 25, 2002 [1]
No. of vessels10
Daily ridershipApproximately 1,370
Website nywatertaxi.com

New York Water Taxi (NYWT) is a water taxi service based in New York City. It offers sightseeing, charter, and commuter services mainly to points along the East River and Hudson River. It is one of several private operators of ferries, sightseeing boats, and water taxis in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is estimated that 100,000 people ride New York ferries every day. [2]

Contents

NYWT was originally an affiliate company of The Durst Organization Inc., a partnership venture between Douglas Durst and Tom Fox. NYWT has been in existence since September 2002, [3] beginning with a fleet of six yellow vessels with black and white checks. Today, the fleet consists of 10 vessels. [4]

In January 2017, New York Cruise Lines purchased New York Water Taxi. [5]

History

New York Water Taxi began operation in September 2002. It started with a fleet of six yellow vessels with black and white checks. The company was born out of a vision of reclaiming New York Harbor for transportation and recreation. [6]

In addition to providing ferry service, the company also operated three temporary urban beaches in New York City. The original Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City operated from 2005 to 2010, and was designed to attract visitors to the East River waterfront and make weekend ferries serving the new residential high-rises near the Hunters Point ferry landing financially viable. [7] [8] The company also operated similar beaches on Governors Island and at the South Street Seaport, both of which opened in 2009. [9] [10]

Vessels

The Ed Rogowsky on the East River near Brooklyn Heights NY Water Taxi East River.jpg
The Ed Rogowsky on the East River near Brooklyn Heights
The Gene Flatow on the East River approaching the Brooklyn Bridge New York Water Taxi, Brooklyn Bridge.jpg
The Gene Flatow on the East River approaching the Brooklyn Bridge

New York Water Taxi operates a fleet of 10 vessels of two classes. The 67.1-foot (20.5 m)Ed Rogowsky, Gene Flatow, Marian S Heiskell , Sam Holmes, and Seymour B. Durst vessels were designed by Incat Crowther of Sydney, Australia and built from 2005 to 2008 by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, and are capable of carrying up to 149 passengers at a speed of 28 knots. The 53.3-foot (16.2 m)Curt Berger, John Keith, Michael Mann, Mickey Murphy, and Schuyler Meyer Jr. were designed by Nigel Gee of Southampton, England and were built from 2002 to 2003 by Robert E. Derecktor Connecticut Shipyards, LLC, and are capable of carrying up to 74 passengers at 24 knots. [11]

Services

The New York Water Taxi can be chartered for trips around New York City and New Jersey. [12] In addition, the company operates an employee shuttle for NYU Langone Health that runs between the East 34th Street Ferry Landing and the Brooklyn Army Terminal, providing a connection between NYU Langone's academic medical center in Manhattan and NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn. [13] [14] New York Water Taxi also operated a shuttle service from Pier 11/Wall Street to the IKEA superstore and Fairway Market, both located in Red Hook, Brooklyn; this service, branded as the "Ikea Express Shuttle", is now operated on weekends only by NY Waterway. Another service, the Statue by Night cruise, travels along the East River and around New York Harbor. Seasonal cruises include Fall Foliage, Audubon Winter and Summer EcoCruises, and New Year's Eve Family Cruises.

The New York Water Taxi also sells a day pass that travels around Lower Manhattan and Dumbo, which includes admission to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in the United States Virgin Islands</span>

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is the only place under United States jurisdiction where the rule of the road is to drive on the left. However, virtually all passenger vehicles are left hand drive due to imports of U.S. vehicles.

A ferry is a boat that carries passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water taxi or water bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Hook, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Red Hook is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City, United States, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. It is located on a peninsula projecting into the Upper New York Bay and is bounded by the Gowanus Expressway and the Carroll Gardens neighborhood on the northeast, Gowanus Canal on the east, and the Upper New York Bay on the west and south. A prosperous shipping and port area in the early 20th century, the area declined in the latter part of the century. Today it is home to the Red Hook Houses, the largest housing project in Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water taxi</span> Public or private transportation vessel

A water taxi or a water bus is a boat used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar manner to a taxi. A boat service shuttling between two points would normally be described as a ferry rather than a water bus or taxi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises</span> American sightseeing and entertainment company

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises is a boat-based sightseeing and entertainment company in Manhattan, New York. Its principal business is operating guided tours of New York City from its base at Pier 83 in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NY Waterway</span> Ferry company

NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley. The company utilizes public-private partnership with agencies such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Transit, New York City Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide service and maintain docking facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water Taxi Beach</span> Urban beach in Queens, New York (2005–2010)

Water Taxi Beach was an artificial temporary beach operated from 2005 to 2010 on a wharf on the East River in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. It was operated by the New York Water Taxi Company and was open to the public for free during the summer months. The beach was also rented for private parties. In concept, Water Taxi Beach was similar to Paris Beach in Paris, France. The beach was operated by Harry Hawk and Tony Rosciglione and partners who ran the beach owned by NY Water Taxi, now Harbor Experience Companies. It was part of a public-private partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of New York and New Jersey</span> Port in New York and New Jersey, United States

The Port of New York and New Jersey is the port district of the New York-Newark metropolitan area, encompassing the region within approximately a 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casco Bay Lines</span> Publicly run transportation company in Maine, US

Casco Bay Lines is a publicly run transportation company that services the residents of the islands of Casco Bay, Maine. The seven islands are Peaks Island, Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, Diamond Cove, Long Island, Chebeague Island and Cliff Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King County Water Taxi</span> Passenger ferry service in King County, Washington

The King County Water Taxi is a passenger-only fast ferry service operated by the King County Metro Transit Department, Marine Division. It operates two routes between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle or Vashon Island.

<i>Sabino</i> (steamer)

Sabino is a small wooden, coal-fired steamboat built in 1908 and located at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two surviving members of the American mosquito fleet, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992. It is America's oldest regularly operating coal-powered steamboat.

American Princess Cruises, based in Neponsit, Queens, United States under the TWFM Ferry Service, Inc., offers ferry, sightseeing, and yacht charter excursions in Long Island, New Jersey, and New York City. It is one of several private ferry operators in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Circle Line Downtown is a sightseeing harbor cruise company that operates out of the South Street Seaport Pavilion Pier at the Financial District in Manhattan under Harbor Experience Companies.

Hornblower Cruises is a San Francisco–based charter yacht, dining cruise and ferry service company. In 2021, the company rebranded most of its services as City Cruises or City Experiences. In 2024, the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East 34th Street Ferry Landing</span> Ferry terminal in Manhattan, New York

The East 34th Street Ferry Landing provides slips to ferries and excursion boats in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located on the East River in New York City east of the FDR Drive just north of East 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The facility, owned by the city, received Federal Highway Administration funding for improvements for docking facilities and upgrading the adjacent East River Greenway in 2008. A new terminal was built and completed in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pier 11/Wall Street</span> Ferry and excursion boat stop in Lower Manhattan

Pier 11/Wall Street is a pier providing slips to ferries and excursion boats on the East River in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located east of South Street and FDR Drive just south of Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The ferry terminal has five landings, each with two berths, and is used by four privately owned companies.

MV <i>Melissa Ann</i> Passenger-only ferry

The Melissa Ann is a 77-foot (23 m), 172 passenger passenger-only ferry owned by Four Seasons Marine and operated by Kitsap Transit as part of the Kitsap Fast Ferries fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYC Ferry</span> Ferry system in New York City

NYC Ferry is a public network of ferry routes in New York City operated by Hornblower Cruises. As of August 2023, there are six routes, as well as one seasonal route, connecting 25 ferry piers across all five boroughs. NYC Ferry has the largest passenger fleet in the United States with a total of 38 vessels, providing between 20 and 90 minute service on each of the routes, depending on the season.

<i>Isaac Webb</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Isaac Webb was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1860 by Webb & Bell for the New York and Sandy Hook pilots. She received a reward by the Board of Pilot Commissioners of New York for saving three sailors from the wreck of the bark Sarah, that was caught up in a hurricane. The Webb was shipwrecked in a dense fog at Quonochontaug Beach, Long Island in 1879. She was replaced by pilot boat Columbia.

References

  1. "New York City Water Taxi Company Takes Off". Associated Press. October 21, 2002. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  2. Kaminer, Ariel (June 5, 2010). "What New York Needs: More Water Taxis". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  3. Sutherland, Don (March 8, 2005). "NY's New 'Taxi Driver'". Marine Link. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  4. "New York Water Taxi – Marine Transportation | Private Charters". New York Water Taxi. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  5. "Circle Line owner hops on New York Water Taxi". Marine Log. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  6. "The History of New York Water Taxi". New York Water Taxi. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  7. Johnston, Garth (April 5, 2011). "Water Taxi Beach LIC Is Dead, Water Taxi Beach Seaport Is German (And No Longer A Beach)". Gothamist. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  8. Potkewitz, Hilary (September 17, 2007). "Tiny beach proves a surprising hit". Crain's New York Business. ProQuest   219135398.
  9. Shapiro, Julie (April 5, 2011). "Upscale Beer Garden Will Replace Seaport's Water Taxi Beach". DNAinfo. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  10. "Water Taxi Beach Governors Island Will Hit The Harbor This Summer". The Trust for Governors Island. February 25, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  11. "Our Boats". New York Water Taxi. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  12. Hassard, Atlan (December 28, 2023). "How to navigate the ferry systems in New York City". Spectrum News NY1. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  13. Weiss, Lois (April 23, 2018). "NYU Langone hospital's dramatic revamp is nearly done". New York Post. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  14. Blenkey, Nick (November 3, 2022). "New York Cruise Lines plans to operate first zero-emissions electric ferry in NYC". Marine Log. Retrieved July 12, 2024.