| High Tide 2:22am | Low Tide 8:23am | High Tide 2:22pm | Low Tide 9:49pm* |
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BREAKING NEWS Capture the King! Join Kate Boicourt of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program in photographing the "King Tide" -- an unusually high tide -- next week. The King Tide Campaign is being conducted across the country to raise awareness about sea level rise. While not caused by climate change, the King Tide can give an idea of what average tide levels might look like in 20 years. To contribute photographs to the campaign, choose a location here Plan to take the King Tide photos on either October 26 or 27. Ideally, you'll want to take photographs of a normal tide this week for comparison. Send the photos to Kate at
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Classified Advertising |
F R E E
Wanted: a Regatta Director to organize and supervise regattas at New York Rowing's Overpeck Lake site located in northern New Jersey. Responsibilities will include organizing volunteer and paid regatta workers, working with vendors and sponsors, organizing transportation, applying for and obtaining event permits, and working with city, county and state officials. Salary and bonus based upon experience and results. References and a car are a must. Please email rebecca@nyrowing.org
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WaterWire welcomes water-related classified ads. If you would like to place a free classified ad in WaterWire, email
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 Events on the Waterfront
Click on the links for more
information about these events.
A detailed calendar of events
may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar
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October 25 Workshop: Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway
7:30p, Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th Street
October 27
Lecture: Winterizing Your Boat
6p, North River Sail & Power Squadron, Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club, 283 Lexington Ave.
October 28
Statue of Liberty Celebration and Flotilla
10:45a, Flotilla begins on the Hudson River
October 28-29
Conference: Urban Waterfronts, 30 Years and Counting
8:45a, New York Marriott Downtown, 85 West Street
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| CONTENTS: October 21, 2011 | New York City Launches PORTNYC
First facility to use the new brand and logo: South Brooklyn Marine Terminal
Urban Waterfronts 2011: 30 Years and Counting
There's still time to register for what promises to be a terrific conference
The Unexpected Success of the East River Ferry Service
Observers note that success is tied to the public subsidy
Participate in the Brooklyn Greenway Workshops
Help plan the final route
Miss the MWA Parade of Boats? Here's Another Chance to See a Flotilla
Big parade planned for the Statue of Liberty's 125th anniversary
Meet Some MWA Partners!
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| NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. LAUNCHES PORTNYC | | Branding Strategy Unites All Port Facilities
The farflung port and transportation facilities of New York City -- from the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center on the Bronx waterfront to the New York Container Terminal on the Staten Island shore -- are now known as PORTNYC.
Gathering all the port facilities of the five boroughs (see the EDC map below) -- marine cargo terminals, rail facilities, cruise terminals, ferry landings and heliports -- under one umbrella helps portray the port as a connected whole, explains Dan Zarrilli, senior vice president of asset management at the NYC Economic Development Corp., which created the new moniker and logo.
"PORTNYC is a signal that the EDC and the City are thinking of these facilities as a single unit," he says. "This is consistent with the goal of WAVES [the City's Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy] and how we want to interact with the working waterfront."
 The introduction of the PORTNYC branding strategy is deliberately timed in advance of the reactivation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal early next year. The terminal will specialize in municipal recycling and automobile imports/exports. The EDC is dredging the berths, improving the terminal facilities and extending rail infrastructure to connect the terminal to the national rail network. Watch the EDC's three-minute video about the rail extension project here.
While important specifically to the marketing efforts of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), the new PORTNYC brand will be employed as the City goes after general port business. "We're starting to work on the marketing plan," Mr. Zarrilli says. "We're actively advertising for cruise lines."
Mr. Zarrilli's EDC colleague Andrew Genn points out that the PORTNYC logo is already featured on the marketing efforts of the Axis Group, one of the two tenants at the SBMT. "The subculture of automobile logistics is very competitive. They're branding the SBMT as America's Automotive Gateway," Mr. Genn says. "You do this marketing and outreach and you get a buzz going."
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URBAN WATERFRONTS 2011: 30 YEARS AND COUNTING
| | National Conference Settles in New York City This Year
Join waterfront planners and designers from around the world at the Urban Waterfronts 2011 conference, this year in New York City, October 27-29. The conference is sponsored by the Waterfront Center.  Based in Washington, DC, the Waterfront Center is a nonprofit organization that helps communities to make the wisest long-term choices for the redevelopment of waterfront resources for maximum public benefit. This is the Center's 29th conference, and sessions will be held at the New York Marriott Downtown at 85 West Street. To register for the Urban Waterfronts Conference, click here. |
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OFFICIALS CHEERED BY THE SUCCESS OF EAST RIVER FERRY SERVICE
| | Only Perceived Shortcoming is the Limited Run of the Subsidy
 Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Steele said he had good news for the audience at MWA's Heroes of the Harbor Gala on October 11. "The first four months of the East River Ferry Service have been a tremendous success!" he declared. "There have been 350,000 trips on the ferry since June. Weekday ridership is double what we expected!"
Filling in Mr. Steele's numbers: 350,000 riders in four months almost triples what was projected. Weekday ridership averages 2,862, compared to the prediction of 1,488. And on weekends, 4,500 people on average ride the East River Ferry, six times more than the City expected.
Billybey Ferry Company, the operator, worked hard for these numbers. With the support of the City and its marketing arm, NYC & Co., ferry staff publicized the new service at community events, street fairs and in building lobbies throughout the summer. The initial period of free service garnered attention, too.
"Ferry service on this scale and with this level of support from the city has never been attempted before on the East River," said Paul Goodman, CEO of Billybey Ferry Company, an associate company of NY Waterway. Click on the map at right to get to the interactive version. "New landings at North Williamsburg and Greenpoint have provided those vibrant communities with access to the service and are a source of a large percentage of our riders. Interest is those communities, and in Dumbo and Long Island City as well, have led both out-of-town tourists and New Yorkers alike to explore these neighborhoods by boat." "But without question," he told WaterWire, "the most significant difference is that the City's subsidy has enabled us to offer a fare structure that is widely accessible and a frequency of service that customers find convenient and reliable." With service scheduled to be reduced for the season on November 1, Mr. Goodman is concerned about turning away customers and has even suggested operating more boats to meet the demand. But the NYC Economic Development Corporation, with which Billybey has a three-year contract, reportedly does not want to increase the $3.1 million annual subsidy.
"The East River ferry service has quickly proved to be an important new addition to our transportation network, but the limited run of its subsidy is cause for concern" said Roland Lewis, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. "Every form of mass transit in our city relies on an operating subsidy and ferries are no exception. Ferries are a modest investment -- no tracks to repair or roads to resurface. Without a doubt, water transit is a bargain, and a boon to our congested roads and rails. But to succeed, ferries need long-term, predictable, public investment."
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THIRD ROUND OF BROOKLYN GREENWAY PLANNING ON FINAL ROUTE
| | Public Input is Encouraged at Workshops
The Brooklyn Greenway is a partially completed pedestrian and bicycle path along Brooklyn's Harbor and East River waterfronts. When completed by the NYC Dept. of Transportation, it will stretch from Sunset Park to Greenpoint, running 14 miles along the shoreline, linking parks, neighborhoods and open spaces.
 Today, four miles of the Greenway are open. Explore the plan with an interactive map here.
The idea of a waterfront greenway in Brooklyn was initiated by community members, who formed the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative in 1998. The NYC Department of Transportation became involved a decade later and agreed to coordinate the master plan, obtain federal funding for the project, sponsor ongoing community planning workshops and actually build the Greenway.
Two more workshops on the final route are scheduled in the next several weeks (two have already taken place earlier this month). Information is below:
- Greenpoint/Williamsburg (CB1)
Oct. 25, 2011, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn
- Downtown Brooklyn (CB1)
Nov. 2, 2011, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
If you'd like to attend a workshop, please rsvp to brooklynwaterfrontgreenway@dot.nyc.gov .
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OCTOBER IS BOAT PARADE MONTH! WATCH FOR STATUE OF LIBERTY FLOTILLA ON OCT. 28
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|  MWA's Parade of Boats on
Oct. 11 a Stirring Sight
Shortly after 6pm on October 11, bicyclists near Chelsea Piers began to slow, stop and then pull off to the side, riveted by the sight of dozens of boats sailing by. Pedestrians hurried across West Street and onto the lawn of Hudson River Park, readying their cameras, eager to see the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's celebrated Parade of Boats.
Part of the MWA's Heroes of the Harbor Gala, the Parade was extended northward this year so that the public could enjoy the spectacle. Photo above of the FDNY's Fireboat Three-Forty-Three by Mitch Waxman.
Flotilla fanatics will have another opportunity to indulge on October 28, when vessels from far and wide gather on the Hudson River off Pier 40 (Houston Street) and parade south for the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's dedication. The parade will begin at 10:45am, and around noon, upon the completion of a ceremony on Liberty Island, all vessels will sound their horns in unison.
At the original dedication in 1886 of Lady Liberty, which was a gift to this country from the people of Franc, a flotilla of vessels was led by the U.S. Tennessee. President Grover Cleveland was on hand at the dedication, and later to see the fireworks and New York City's first ticker-tape parade.
To participate on next week's flotilla, contact Darren Boch of the National Park Service by October 21. Let him know your type of vessel and your organization, and he'll send you line of march instructions.
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| 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. Meet some Partners of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance:
- Rahway River Association www.rahwayriver.org
The purpose of the Rahway River Association is to protect and restore the Rahway River and its ecosystem - Randall's Island Sports Foundation http://randallsisland.org
The Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISF) was founded in 1992 to act as stewards of Randall's Island Park, in public-private partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The Foundation, in conjunction with City leadership and the local community, works to realize the Island's unique potential by developing sports and recreational facilities, restoring its vast natural environment, reclaiming and maintaining parkland, and sponsoring free programs for the children of New York City. - Raritan Riverkeeper www.waterkeeper.org
Raritan Riverkeeper's mission is to protect, preserve and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Raritan River, its tributaries and watershed. - Red Hook Boaters www.redhookboaters.org
The Red Hook Boaters is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that runs free kayaking and beach clean-up programs at Louis J. Valentino Park in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. (back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS |
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Clean sweep: Hundreds turn out to spruce up Jamaica BayCourier Life, October 19, 2011 Environmental Protection Agency Previews Gowanus Cleanup PlanThe L Magazine, Oct. 19, 2011 "Day In The Life Of The Hudson River" Brings Students Outside For Scientific ExplorationNY1, October 18, 2011 Feds hope to bridge the gap: DOT & Amtrak meeting could solve impasse over Bronx Greenway planNew York Daily News, Oct. 17, 2011 Kill van Kull Dredging Project to Bring Great BenefitsDredging Today, October 16, 2011 Chris Ward: Redo Redhook to Save Governors IslandThe New York Observer, Oct. 13, 2011 In Case You Didn't Notice: Sewage Odors Are Drawing Fewer ComplaintsThe New York Times, October 13, 2011 Newtown Creek cleanup could take 18 to 22 years, but will be 'dramatically cleaner that it is now'New York Daily News, Oct. 12, 2011
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