| High Tide 5:02am | Low Tide 11:25am | High Tide 5:37pm | Low Tide 11:58pm* |
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WATERFRONT CONFERENCE
Floating Follow-Up
May 16, 11am-5pm
Picking up where the
2010 Conference left off...
Join the MWA and hundreds of colleagues as we continue our Harbor dialogue on Entertainment Cruises' Spirit of New Jersey.
Read more below.
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NY-NJ HARBOR COALITION
CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR
MWA has joined with the National Parks Conservation Association to build and manage a bi-state coalition of NPOs--the Harbor Coalition--in a coordinated, sustained, and effective advocacy campaign for the NY/NJ Harbor and its waterfront. The Campaign Director will create a movement, campaign, and constituency that will influence elected officials and other decision makers to work for and pass legislation to bring in federal funds for the restoration and revitalization of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. For more info, contact mwaadmin@gmail.com. INTERNSHIPS AND PART-TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE In the areas of culinary, marine, hospitality, service, sales and marketing at Spirit Cruises. Visit www.SpiritCruises.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
For City of Water Day 2011. Click here for more information. ORIGINAL VIDEO Environmental Countdown (ECountdown) is trying to increase exposure for grassroots environmental organizations. Original video content promoting efforts by such organizations may be sent to ECountdown for possible posting at AOL/Huffington Post Green. ECountdown may be able to assist with the video production process and with equipment. Contact John Valenti, ECountdown executive producer at jdvalentigrtc@aol.com
BOAT FOR SALE
Caledonia Yawl for sale. 19'6" open surf boat, Iain Oughtred design. $11,500.Full details at caledoniayawlforsale.com |
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 Events on the Waterfront
Click on the links for details about these events. A calendar of events
may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar
| April 29 - May 1
Celebration: Liberty Landing Marina Day
12p, Liberty Landing Marina, Liberty State Park
April 30
Clean-Up: Breezy Point Salt Marsh Restoration
10a, 195th Street and the Marsh Side of the Bay, Breezy Point, Queens
Walking Tour: Celebrate Earth Day
11a, Socrates Sculptural Park, Queens, East River
Festival: Go Green Greenpoint!
12p, McCarren Park, Brooklyn
Celebration: Earth Day, Rockaway
12p, Beach Boardwalk at Beach 59th Street, Rockaway
Volunteer: Harlem River Community Rowing Dock Repair
1:30p, check web site for location
May 2
Presentation: The Bridges of Queens
7p, Quinn Building, 35-20 Broadway, Long Island City
May 3
Seminar: Evolutionary Change to PCBs in Atlantic Tomcod for the Hudson River
10:30a, Hudson River Foundation, 17 Battery Place
May 4
Conference: Parks Advocacy Day
10a, NYU Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South Presentation: Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge6:30p, Visitor Center at Newtown Creek, 329 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn
May 5Gala: Gowanus Gala 6:30p, The Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn May 7Laser Regatta: Sebago Sailing9a, Sebago Canoe Club, Brooklyn May 10 |
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MWA Blue Bulletin Board |
MWA WATERFRONT CONFERENCE MATERIALS AVAILABLEInterested in seeing presentations from MWA's 2010 Waterfront Conference last November? Click here to see videos and minutes from each conference session MWA ADDRESS
241 Water Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10038. MWA EMAIL ADDRESSESOur waterwire.net addresses are no longer in service. All MWA emails end in waterfrontalliance.org.
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CONTENTS: April 28, 2011 | Groups Protest Suggested JFK Airport Expansion Into Jamaica Bay
What else to do? RPA report discusses options
Long Island City's Water Taxi Beach Closes
Hunters Point South construction spreads
You're Invited to the MWA's Floating Follow-Up
Continuing the conversation begun at last year's Waterfront Conference
Three Vessels are Coming to Pier 25
Tug Pegasus, steamship Lilac and tall ship Clipper City
Hidden Harbor Tours Begin May 10
Visit the working waterfront
The One, the Only, Amazing Bronx River Flotilla
Act fast and you might get one of the last canoe seats!
The Summer Begins to Take Shape
SAVE THE DATE: 4th Annual City of Water Day Festival is July 16, 2011
Meet Some MWA Partners!
Newslinks
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| REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION REPORT INCLUDES SUGGESTIONS TO EXPAND JFK AIRPORT INTO JAMAICA BAY | | Environmental Groups Protest
Noting the crucial link between air travel and economic prosperity, the Regional Plan Association issued a report earlier this year that described the three main airports of the region (Newark, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy) as being uncomfortably close to capacity. Titled "Upgrading to World Class: The Future of the New York Region's Airports," the 160-page report puts forth reams of data as it offers ideas for expansion at each of the three hubs.
"The intention of the report was to outline the problem and lay ou the options," said RPA's Neysa Pranger. "These things take a long time to resolve and we have to start talking about it now. It's not an easy discussion to have because there are impacts."
The report concludes that physical expansion at LaGuardia is not likely, but that Newark could squeeze in another runway. Expansion at JFK is another matter. Of the four options proposed, three involve "reclamation" of parts of Jamaica Bay -- as many as 400 acres in one scenario. The RPA report refers to the area of the Bay that borders runway 13R/31L, as a "dead zone." Environmental groups from the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers to the Fisherman's Conservation Association beg to differ.
A JFK Airport tower rises over Jamaica Bay. The top map, showing possible new runway extensions into Jamaica Bay, is from the RPA report.
If part of Jamaica Bay is filled in, Ecowatchers warns, tidal flow critical to the bay's health will be impeded, the volume of de-icing and other poisonous fluids flowing into the Bay will be increased, algae blooms will increase, fish populations will decrease and birds and other wildlife will be negatively impacted. See the Ecowatchers' powerpoint presentation refuting the RPA proposal here.
The RPA report acknowledges that expansion into Jamaica Bay would be difficult to authorize because the area is federally protected, part of the National Park Service's Gateway National Recreational Area. In fact, federal legislation that governs Gateway specifically prohibits expansion of JFK's runways into the Bay. Changing the law would require an act of Congress. Visit the Cornell University Law School web site for sections of U.S. Code pertaining to Jamaica Bay; scroll down to part (e): "The authority of the Secretary of Transportation to maintain and operate existing airway facilities and to install necessary new facilities within the recreation area shall be exercised in accordance with plans which are mutually acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Transportation and which are consistent with both the purpose of this subchapter and the purpose of existing statutes dealing with the establishment, maintenance, and operation of airway facilities: Provided, That nothing in this section shall authorize the expansion of airport runways into Jamaica Bay or air facilities at Floyd Bennett Field."
On March 17, a consortium of 21 environmental and civic organizations sent a letter opposing airport expansion into Jamaica Bay to Chris Ward, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which funded the RPA report. "Such an expansion would irreversibly harm what is not simply New York City's ecological crown jewel but a wetlands and estuarine area of national importance," the letter states. Ecowatchers also sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar alerting him to the expansion proposal. Last summer, Secretary Salazar called Jamaica Bay "one of the great urban parks" at a Harbor Summit hosted by the National Park Service and the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy and participated in a conversation with local government and civic leaders about how to advance the area's restoration efforts. (back to top) |
| LONG ISLAND CITY'S WATER TAXI BEACH CLOSES | |  EDC Plans New LIC Beach
Six years ago, the first Water Taxi Beach (WTB) opened in Long Island City (photos at right) on the East River near the mouth of Newtown Creek. Boosting the local economy and offering a welcome alternative to the Queens social scene, WTB offered plenty of sand, simple beach fare and good music. It spawned two more WTBs, one at South Street Seaport and the other on Governors Island.
 Sadly, the original Water Taxi Beach has been forced to close. The NYC Economic Development Corp. needs to build combined stormwater sewer outfalls for the
new Hunters Point South development -- right under the beach.
While describing the EDC as a "very supportive landlord," WTB president Tom Fox reported to his urban beach fans that the agency rejected a proposal to relocate the beach to a vacant lot farther away from construction. An EDC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
An online petition to relocate the beach had close to 1,000 signatures by April 27. "Please don't take this place away; we go and relax and enjoy great food, great music and great friends," said Walter. "It is the only regular place where me and my 5-year-old can go enjoy and dance to house music together," wrote Sandra. "Being from Dominican Republic and moving here with no friends was incredibly difficult. A coworker introduced me to WTB; that was the best day of my life," wrote Carla.
The megaproject, beginning to rumble across the Long Island City waterfront and known as Hunters Point South, does have a beach in its design, as seen below in a rendering from Thomas Balsey Associates via the EDC.
"It appears that we had a good idea," Mr. Fox said. "We hope to have an opportunity to return to a beach in Long Island City once waterfront construction is complete."
 That may be many years from now. The first phase of Hunters Point South -- which includes two high-rise buildings stocked with 75% affordable housing units, new retail space, five acres of waterfront parkland, a new school and parking -- will be completed in 2014. This video, created by the EDC to explain the project, is a bit dated, but still has good information. If you would like up-to-date information about Hunters Point South, email hpscommunity@verizon.net. (back to top) |
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| MAY 16: DON'T MISS MWA'S WATERFRONT CONFERENCE FLOATING FOLLOW-UP | | Discuss Waterfront Issues with National and Local Leaders Aboard the Spirit of New Jersey
2011 holds great promise for the New York-New Jersey Harbor and waterfront, and the newly updated New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan provides a framework for progress.
Join MWA on May 16, 2011, 11am to 5pm, for the on-water follow-up to MWA's 2010 Waterfront Conference. Aboard Entertainment Cruises' Spirit of New Jersey national and local leaders will discuss the most important waterfront issues that will lead to the implementation of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan and other regional initiatives. Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is the keynote speaker, with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Congressman Paul Tonko, and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney making remarks. Below are other speakers, participants and panelists.
Your $50 ticket includes buffet lunch, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Click here to register.
Session I: 12:45pm to 2:15pm
Panel 1: Regional Ferry Service How will we move toward a regional water transit authority? Confirmed Moderator: Pierre Vilain, HDR Confirmed Panelists: Ian Austin, URS Corporation, San Francisco; John Sindzinski, San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority; Madelyn Wils, NYC Economic Development Corporation; Janet Cox, Port Authority of NY & NJ; William Wheeler, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Genevieve Clifton, New Jersey Dept. of Transportation Panel 2: Waterfront and Harbor Governance We are creating a 21st century waterfront -- now is the time to begin development of new waterfront governance mechanisms Invited Moderator: Bob Yaro, Regional Plan Association Confirmed Panelists: Ann Beier, Director, the Office of Healthy Working Rivers, City of Portland; Will Travis, Bay Conservation & Development Commission; Marshall Foster, City Planning Director, Seattle Department of Planning and Development Panel Respondents: Robert Steel, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (invited); Chris Ward, Executive Director, NY/NJ Port Authority
Session II: 2:30pm to 4pm
Panel 3: A Great Water-the New York - New Jersey Harbor Estuary Launch and introduction of the NY-NJ Harbor Coalition Confirmed Moderator: Laura Hansen, J.M. Kaplan Fund Confirmed Panelists: Chad Lord, NPCA; Elizabeth Ruebman, NY/NJ Baykeeper; Greg Remaud, NY/NJ Baykeeper; Marc Matsil, Trust for Public Land; Rob Pirani, Regional Plan Association; Jim Tripp, Environmental Defense Fund Panel 4: Regional Sediment Management and Dredged Materials Management Kick-starting the Regional Sediment Management Plan and solving the looming dredge crisis Confirmed Moderator: John Tavolaro, United States Army Corps of Engineers Invited Panelists: Scott Douglas, New Jersey Department of Transportation; Andrew Genn, NYC Economic Development Corporation; Jennifer Samson, Clean Ocean Action ________________
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance thanks its sponsors:
Con Edison, Entertainment Cruises/Spirit Cruises, HDR, NY Waterway, The Port Authority of NY/NJ, and McLaren Engineering Group. (back to top) |
HISTORIC BOATS FIND A HOME AT PIER 25
| | Pegasus, Lilac and Clipper City to Dock Off Tribeca
 There aren't many places at the edge of New York City hospitable to an old boat. That's why the dock space at the newly opened 985-foot long Pier 25, set aside for vessels that enhance understanding of the City's nautical history, was so enthusiastically welcomed by the maritime community.
Earlier this month, the Hudson River Park Trust -- the city/state agency charged with designing, building and operating the five mile waterfront park on the Hudson River that extends as far north as 59th Street -- announced that the 1907 Tug Pegasus, the 1933 steamship Lilac and the 1984 tall ship Clipper City, a historic replica, had been selected to be the first vessels to dock at the pier.
"The first two vessels will come in May," Noreen Doyle, acting executive director of the Trust, told WaterWire. She declined to specify which two. "There's infrastructure work that all three still need to do, such as gangway modifications. They all will meet the pier in different ways."
Each vessel will offer public programming, an HRPT requirement. The boats may stay a maximum of five years, at which point the process of selecting new tenants begins again.
The two-masted Clipper City (top two photos), which can comfortably sail 150 people, is patterned after a schooner built just before the Civil War to haul lumber. She's been docked at Pier 17 for the past few years.
 Originally commissioned by the Coast Guard, Lilac (at left at Pier 40, in a photo by Kilgub/Flickr) was a lighthouse tender in the 1930s. "She is the last unaltered steam-propelled and steam-hoisting lighthouse tender designed to work on the open sea and connecting bays and sounds," wrote maritime historian Norman Brouwer on the Lilac web site. "She is also the last such vessel to survive that was operated by the United States Lighthouse Service, the civilian manned agency responsible for maintaining aids to navigation from 1910 to 1939, when this work was taken over by the United States Coast Guard." The volunteers and members of the Lilac board vow to return her to working steam propulsion, no matter how long that might take.
"Tug Pegasus began life as one of a series of four sister tugs designed to serve waterside refineries and terminals of Standard Oil, docking ships, moving lighter barges of petroleum products, and serving as auxiliary fireboats when needed," wrote the inimitable Mr. Brouwer on the Pegasus web site. After putting in decades of work in the Esso Maritime Division and then more years with McAllister Towing, she was acquired by Hepburn Marine in 1987. Ten years later, she was retired and the preservation project began. (back to top) |
GET CLOSE TO A GANTRY CRANE, A GRAVING DOCK, A CONTAINER SHIP & MORE
| |  See the Region's Working Waterfront with a Hidden Harbor Tour
Since 2003, the Working Harbor Committee has offered boat tours that take passengers to the region's industrial shorelines, unfamiliar to most people. The tours are narrated by people who know the harbor intimately -- tugboat captains, maritime historians and other experts. This year, three different tours are being offered, to Newark Bay, Brooklyn and the North River (aka Hudson River). The tours will take place twice monthly starting May 10, aboard the Zephyr, an excursion vessel that departs from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport.
Photo by Joe Callo Tour 1 Newark Bay and the Kill Van Kull
6:15pm on May 10, June 14, July 12 and August 9; 6pm on September 13 This tour will travel south along the Brooklyn waterfront and then head west toward Staten Island, where it will pass through the Kill Van Kull, the narrow and extremely busy waterway that separates Staten Island from Bayonne, NJ. As the boat makes its way toward Newark Bay, passengers will see several tugboat yards; Caddell Dry Dock, the oldest and largest ship repair facility in New York; and the petroleum tank farms that stretch along the Bayonne shore. The boat will pass beneath the Bayonne Bridge and head toward the Newark and Elizabeth container ports where passengers will be able to watch -- and take photographs of -- container ships being unloaded by towering gantry cranes. On the return, passengers will see and learn about the Bayonne's Global and Military Ocean Terminals, the 9/11 Teardrop Memorial and Robbin's Reef Lighthouse, before a brief stop in front of the Statue of Liberty.
Tour 2 Brooklyn: the Birthplace of Intermodal Shipping and Plans for the Future
6:15pm on May 24 and July 26; 6pm on September 27
Brooklyn was once New York City's maritime heart, with a shoreline crowded with shipbuilding operations, repair facilities and docks where longshoremen unloaded cargo and intermodal shipping was born. Today Brooklyn's waterfront offers a mix of industrial, residential, recreational, and, yes, maritime, uses. This tour will highlight all of them, beginning with a visit to the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, where some of America's most famous naval ships were built. It is now home to the NYC Fire Department's Marine Division, three graving docks, a ship repair facility and many other businesses. Zephyr will then travel south along the Brooklyn shoreline, passing the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Red Hook Container Terminal, Atlantic Basin and Erie Basin, home of Hughes Brothers barges and Reinauer tugs, and Bush Terminal, a once and (possibly) future intermodal shipping hub. As always, the tour will end with a brief stop in front of the Statue of Liberty.
Tour 3 The Changing Waterfront of the North River: Passenger ships to kayaks
6:15pm on June 28 and August 23
North River is the traditional name of the lower Hudson River, and it is a term still used by mariners to describe the stretch of river that runs between Manhattan and New Jersey. (The name dates back to early Dutch settlements where the Hudson was the North River, and the Delaware, the South River.) Until the 1950s, the North River piers in Manhattan and New Jersey were abuzz with cargo ship activity. Container ships put an end to that. Narrators will describe the history and changes to this waterfront as Zephyr travels north along the Manhattan side, passing the Battery, Castle Clinton and Hudson River Park, with its public piers, historic ships, the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum and the Passenger Ship Terminal. Crossing over to New Jersey, the cruise will continue past Hoboken (where "On the Waterfront" was filmed) then on to Jersey City and Bayonne, where the Global and Military Ocean Terminals are home to cruise ships, car carriers and container ships. Before heading back, passengers will see and learn about the 9/11 Teardrop Memorial, and Robbin's Reef Lighthouse, and have a chance to see the Statue of Liberty.
Tickets are $29 for adults, $22 for seniors and WHC members, and $15 for children. Click here to make reservations. (back to top) |
ANNUAL RUNNING OF THE BRONX RIVER FLOTILLA
| |  Celebrate the Revitalization of the Bronx River
Quick: if you click through to the Bronx River Alliance right now, you might get one of the last seats in the Amazing Bronx River Flotilla on Saturday, May 7.
But don't despair if registration is full for this annual event that launches the paddling season. It's great fun for spectators, and concludes with a picnic to which all are invited.
The flotilla of canoes and kayaks begins at 9am at Shoelace Park (219th Street). The picnic takes place from noon to 4pm at Concrete Plant Park. Funds raised by registration fees help pay for the work of the Alliance's Conservation Crew. (back to top) |
BE PART OF MWA'S POPULAR SUMMERTIME EVENTS CALENDAR
| | Colorful, Glossy, Perfect for the Fridge; Make Sure YOUR Event is Listed!
It's time to think about sending your summer event listings to MWA. Our semi-annual printed newsletter, due out in early June, will feature a four-color calendar of waterfront and on-water events taking place around the City in June, July and August. Deadline for sending listings is April 30. Click here to send event information. Thanks, and see you this summer on the water! (back to top) |
| SAVE THE DATE: CITY OF WATER DAY IS ON JULY 16 THIS YEAR! | | Play, Learn and Help Revitalize the Waterfront at this Free Event
 City of Water Day is a free day of entertainment, education and adventure produced by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance that  celebrates the potential of our waterfront. Hundreds of organizations participate, offering free boat rides, fishing, games, films, performances, readings, crafts and much more -- and thousands of people join in. On July 16, 2011, make your way to Governors Island and Liberty State Park for the 4th Annual City of Water Day Festival.
To find out more about City of Water Day, click here. Volunteer opportunities are available, especially for City of Water Day in Liberty State Park (New Jersey), when volunteers will be needed before, during and after the event. For all opportunities and to sign up, click here. (back to top) |
| MWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT |
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Expanding every week, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is more than a coalition; it's a force. We are ferry captains, shipping executives, park directors, scientists, sailors, paddlers, swimmers, teachers, urban planners, architects and more. Together, we advocate for the best possible waterfront in the best possible city, a waterfront that is clean and accessible to all, with a robust maritime workforce and efficient, affordable waterborne transportation. Join us! Contact Louis Kleinman at lkleinman@waterfrontalliance.org. MWA extends a hearty welcome to these new partners:
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Barge Park Pals/ Newtown Creek Monitoring Project bargeparkpals@msn.com
Mission: to help maintain and improve Newtown Barge Playground & Greenpoint Playground ( a.k.a. Barge Park ) and the surrounding waterfront community environment for the health and well being of community children and their families. Our primary focus has been to create an enlarged Bark Park with waterfront access and a parkhouse, while keeping an eye on the surrounding environmental issues and their impact on the park and park user.
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New Jersey Historical Society http://www.visithistoricalelizabethnj.org
The Historical Society of Elizabeth seeks to preserve and research Elizabeth, New Jersey's rich history. We document the people, places and events that shape our past, exploring the social, political and economic life of Elizabeth through the 20th century and beyond.
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Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc. http://www.ocean-coastal.com
One team, one creative vision: exceeding expectations, making the success of your project the foundation of our company!
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The Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc. (IRUM) http://www.irum.org
IRUM was formed to study and promote the enhanced livability and increased economic competitiveness of New York City and other dense urban areas through a program of innovative transport reforms. IRUM's goals are articulated in its Livable City Transport Plan, which contains 15 interrelated near-term strategies for improving public transport, reducing car use and enhancing the walking environment in New York City. This plan has been updated periodically, and underlies the many formal statements made by IRUM at public meetings about transportation plans and projects. (back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS |
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New York Bay Cleanup Focuses on Hindu Ritual ItemsVoice of America, April 28, 2011 A Stronger and Clearer Clean Water ActThe New York Times, April 28, 2011 South Street Seaport Museum Ships are Falling ApartCBS radio, April 25, 2011 USACE to Complete Dredging on Newark Bay in 2012Dredging Today, April 12, 2011 Take My Alewife, PleaseThe New York Times, April 12, 2011 (back to top)
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