| Low Tide 3:10am | High Tide 8:56am | Low Tide 3:03pm | High Tide 9:16pm* |
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TAKE ACTION
| Is there a plan in public review that you should know about? Important meetings you might want to attend? TAKE ACTION HERE!
SUPPORT the Harbor Act
Sign a petition that urges Congressional representatives to support the New York-New Jersey Harbor Restoration and Reinvestment Act.
URGE your State Senator
to pass the Sewage Pollution
Right-to-Know Act. Read more here.
JOIN the South Street Seaport Museum
The reenergized museum needs the support of every one of us in the maritime community. Click here and look for the membership box on the left.
The NYC Dept. of City Planning is proposing revisions to the Waterfront Revitalization Plan, which affects the long-term strategies of Vision 2020. Give your input on WRP changes by June 4, 2012. Click here for details.
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Thank you to the
Sponsors of the 2012 Waterfront Conference!
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PREMIER SPONSOR
Harbor Coalition
CONFERENCE PARTNERS
Seastreak - Providing daily year-round ferry services from Atlantic Highlands and Conners Highlands, NJ, to Pier 11 Wall Street, East 35th Street, and shuttle service to the World Financial Center
Sims Metal Management Municipal Recycling - A cornerstone of New York City's recycling system, processing and marketing the more than 200,000 tons of plastic, glass and metal each year
National Grid - International electricity and gas company
NYC Economic Development Corp.
NYCEDC's PortNYC supports developing the City's passenger and freight transportation terminals to sustain the region's economic growth. PortNYC facilities include marine cargo terminals, rail facilities, cruise terminals, ferry landings, and heliports within the five boroughs of the City of New York.
Global Container Terminals, Inc. Operator of New York Container Terminal on Staten Island, New York; Global Terminal & Container Services in Bayonne, New Jersey; and TSI Terminal Systems Inc. in Vancouver and Delta, British Columbia
CRUISE SPONSORS
Entertainment Cruises - Dining and sightseeing cruise experiences in New York Harbor
Hornblower Cruises & Events and Statue Cruises - Hornblower New York specializes in New York cruises. Its subsidiary Statue Cruises provides transportation to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS
Water Policy Institute
Con Edison
NY Waterway
East River Ferry Service
Halcrow
Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc.
New York Water Taxi
Consulate General of the Netherlands
Arup
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For a map of vessels navigating the NY/NJ waterways at this moment, check marinetraffic.com.
Tide times above are for the waters off City Island on June 1, 2012. For your waterfront's daily tides,
go to saltwatertides.com.
For information about environmental conditions (currents, water temperature, salinity, wave height, etc.) of the New York Harbor area, check the Urban Ocean Observatory at Stevens Institute's Center for Maritime Systems
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Events on the Waterfront
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For events June 2-10,
see feature story at right.
June 12
Castles and Oysters: Governors Island Alliance Gala
6pm, Governors Island
June 16
Aquathlon and Swim8am, start at Randall's Island
Go FishCatch-and-release fishing, art projects, music. Free. 10am-2pm, Wagner Park, Battery Park City
Clearwater Festival
Annual festival of music, crafts, working riverfront and environmental education. Also June 19. Croton-on-Hudson
June 17
Seining
11am, Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach, Bronx
Clean and Green
11am. Clean and plant along the Gowanus Canal. Also July 28, August 19
Seaweeds, Seashells and More
Hike the seashore and look for marine life. 9am-11am. Fort Tilden
Lighthouse Guided Boat Tour
10am-1pm, leave from The Battery, Slip 6. Also Aug. 5
June 19
Featuring the Kill Van Kull, Bayonne Bridge and the giant container ports of Newark Bay. Also July 24 and August 21. 6:15pm
June 20
Be a citizen scientist; contribute to a national database. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. 9:30am-11am
Meet at Guardian Park for a stroll along Sandy Hook. 7pm
June 23
28.5-mile swim around Manhattan. Start and finish at South Cove, Battery Park City. 10:20am start
Guided hike. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. 11am-2pm
Annual extravaganza. 2pm, Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk Hundreds of international paddlers gather for this annual outrigger competition Jeff Newell's New-Trad Quartet performs at the Waterfront Museum aboard the Lehigh Valley Barge No.79. Red Hook, Brooklyn. 2pm
From Perth Amboy to Wards Point and Arthur Kill. 10am
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classified advertising
| Have a boat to sell?
A maritime job opening to post? Place your free water-related classified ad in WaterWire. Contact
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WW follow-up
| | Corrections, clarifications, updates and letters to the editor
To the editor,
I am writing in response to your April 20th article "Elite Sport of Crew is Offered to Inwood Teens." The article was full of inaccuracies regarding New York Rowing and its programming while manager of the Peter J. Sharp Boathouse. New York Rowing offered many neighborhood and city wide children the opportunity to participate in the sport of rowing. New York Rowing never kept a "low profile" either in Inwood or on the Harlem River sponsoring numerous learn to row clinics, erg classes and swimming classes for neighborhood kids, the surrounding schools and NYC parks recreation centers. Even a cursory review of New York Rowing's website, regional regatta entries over the past eight years, your own articles or other media reports on our programming or the nature of the recent litigation between New York Rowing and the owners of the boathouse would have helped avoid writing such a one-sided, slanted, unfair and intentionally harmful article. For the past eight years New York Rowing ran the indisputably largest, most successful and only fully integrated youth rowing program in the city and will do so again in the very near future. MWA should try carefully checking its sources and facts for your own benefit and your readers.
Vince Paparo
Chairman
New York Rowing
Editor's note: WaterWire is well aware of New York Rowing's programs, and wishes the organization all the best as it seeks to expand its recreational rowing opportunities in New York City and elsewhere. We look forward to helping to publicize NYR's programs, as WaterWire has done in the past.
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Join Our List
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| CONTENTS: June 1, 2012 | Wrap-Up of MWA's 2012 Waterfront Conference
See anybody you know in these photos?
More water events than ever are scheduled this summer, most of them free
New East River Ferries Have More Than Twice the Capacity
Still only $4 one way
The new park and public space plan is set into motion
Important Sewage Pollution Legislation is in the State Senate
Time to contact your senator
Meet Some MWA Partners!
Newslinks
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2012 WATERFRONT CONFERENCE IN PICTURES
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|  Hundreds of Advocates Gather Eco-tourism in Jamaica Bay? It's not such a far-fetched idea, according to the crowd at MWA's 2012 Waterfront Conference. That and other provocative ideas were discussed by more than 600 political, business and civic leaders at the May 18 and 19 event. Above, Paul Goodman, CEO of BillyBey Ferry, with Capt. Jim DeSimone, Deputy Commissioner & COO, NYCDOT Staten Island Ferry, after the morning plenary.  At the Waterfront Project Workshop, sponsored by the Harbor Coalition, nearly 200 people convened by Congressional district and poured over maps provided by the Regional Plan Association. At left, focusing on water quality issues, Rep. Rangel's constituents marked combined sewer outlet locations. Below, Rep. Serrano's constituents looked at opportunities to connect parks to the water and to greenways.  With Congressional staffers from 14 NY and NJ districts participating, more than 130 projects were identified at the Waterfront Project Workshop.  For many, the conference offered great networking and socializing opportunities. At left, Paul Mankiewicz, executive director of the Gaia Institute, with Franco Montalto, conference panelist and president of eDesign Dynamics. 
At right, Kent Barwick, MWA Trustee and former Municipal Art Society president, with Linda Cox, executive director of the Bronx River Alliance. 
At the end of a long, productive day, conference-goers were rewarded with a sensational cruise on the triple-decker Hornblower Hybrid. At right, Ron Javer from McLaren Engineering Group with Kara Gilmour, from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. One more half day of waterfront work awaited conference-goers, and on Saturday morning, about 100 people arrived at Pier 66 Maritime for panel discussions al fresco. 
Photos by Paul Margolis, Kevin McGrath and Alison Simko. |
LET THE SUMMER AQUA SEASON BEGIN!
| | Under the Brooklyn Bridge; along the Hudson, Harlem, Bronx and East Rivers; at Orchard Beach, the Rockaway Beaches and Jamaica Bay; Waterfront Programs Beckon
Thanks to better waterfront access all around the region, continuously improving water quality, and creative programmers, there's more than ever to do at, on and in the waters of New York and New Jersey. Here's just a sample of what the first two weeks of June holds -- and this is only the beginning of a summer packed with great waterfront programs, many of them absolutely free. Take a look, download the MWA's refrigerator-worthy Summer Aqua Calendar here, and keep on checking MWA'S Calendar of Events here.
June 2Bronx River Festival - Canoe trips, bicycling, music. 12pm-4pm. Bronx Blvd @ Burke Ave. bronxriver.org June 3Hudson River Park Wild - Guided nature tour along Hudson River Park esplanade. Sundays at 9am. hudsonriverpark.orgFamily Seining - Beczak Environmental Education Center. Yonkers. www.beczak.org June 5Brooklyn Hidden Harbor Tour - Explore Brooklyn's working waterfront. 6:15pm, Pier 16. workingharbor.com June 10 Freshwater Fishing - Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island. 11am. Also June 16 at Kissena Park, Queens. nycgovparks.org |
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WEEKEND CAPACITY DOUBLED FOR EAST RIVER FERRIES
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| Brooklyn Bridge Park Gets a New Ferry Landing
"Opening up our waterways to transportation is making our City greater and greener," Mayor Bloomberg said at a news conference on May 25. "Since its launch, this pilot program on the East River has proven to be incredibly popular - so popular, it turns out, that we're going to need bigger boats. The larger vessels and other improvements will make sure more New Yorkers and tourists can get wherever they want to go."
The Mayor and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that vessels accommodating 399 passengers (compared to last year's boats that held 149) will operate on weekends this summer. In addition, a new landing has opened at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park to accommodate the larger vessels.
On weekdays, the East River Ferry Service operates from 6:45am to 8:45pm, with three boats running every 20 minutes during the morning and evening rush, and two boats running every half hour during off-peak hours. On Saturdays and Sundays, the larger vessels will operate every 45 minutes between 9:35am and 9:30pm. The service costs $4 for a one-way ticket, $12 for an unlimited all-day pass, and $140 for an unlimited monthly pass.
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GOVERNORS ISLAND LOWERS THE GANGPLANK
| | Mayor Breaks Ground on Park and Reopens Castle Williams
Visitors to Governors Island can now climb to viewing platforms at the top of the newly reopened Castle Williams.
Built to protect New York City from the British in the War of 1812 and now operated by the National Park Service as part of the Governors Island National Monument, the fort has been closed for rehabilitation over the last three years. At the opening ceremony on May 24, Congressman Jerry Nadler received special kudos from Maria Burks, Commissioner of the National Parks of New York Harbor, for securing essential federal funding for the fort's renovation.
Along with the reopening of Castle Williams, Mayor Bloomberg announced the beginning of construction to expand the island's park and public space. The work is part of a two-year project to create the six-acre Liggett Terrace plaza, the ten-acre Hammock Grove with 2,000 new trees, and the 14-acre Play Lawn that includes two ball fields. In addition, work includes a new gateway at Soissons Landing (where the ferry from Lower Manhattan docks), stabilization of historic buildings in Nolan Park and Colonels Row, potable water via a new pipe from Brooklyn, seawall replacement, and modernization of docks and piers. Click here to see the entire plan for the new park.
The island will be open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays through late September. Ferries are free.
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IMPORTANT SEWAGE POLLUTION LEGISLATION IS IN THE STATE SENATE
| | Contact Your State Senator About the Sewage Right-to-Know Act
As citizen scientists work on ways to notify the public when sewage is discharged into NYC waterways (see the Don't Flush Me story in the March 9 WaterWire and the Testing the Waters story in the May 14 WaterWire), legislation that would require sewage facilities across the state to notify the public immediately in the event of sewage discharges is currently in the NY State Senate.
The bill, which passed the State Assembly in April, would require all sewage treatment facilities to report details of any discharge, including date, time, location and volume, expected duration and a description of the actions taken to contain the discharge. Facilities would have to notify the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), municipal health departments and the media.
The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), Riverkeeper and Citizens Campaign for the Environment are lobbying elected officials in Albany to pass the bill, which you can read here. To read more about the issue on the NYLCV blog, click here.
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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:
- Oak Cliff Sailing www.oakcliffsailing.org
A civilian maritime academy funded by public support, generous patrons. - Oasis NYC www.oasisnyc.net
The Open Accessible Space Information System (OASIS) website provides the richest source of community maps for New York City -- free and all in one place. - Ocean and Coastal Consultants www.ocean-coastal.com
Maritime design, planning and engineering. - Offshore Sailing School www.offshore-sailing.com
Perfecting the art of sailing instruction since 1964. (back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS |
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Shippers beware: unions at US east coast ports prepare for strike action"...It has been 35 years since there was last significant unrest on the US east coast - shippers, forwarders and carriers need to start drawing up alternative plans should, as appears increasingly likely, industrial action return."The Loadstar, June 1, 2012 Free Kayaking on the Hudson River"As the weather turns warmer, city dwellers inevitably seek out the water, and many now happily get their fix without leaving town..."The New York Times, May 31, 2012 TALKING POINT: With rising sea levels, housing on piers is reckless"...Our waterfront parkland is threatened by flooding, but its financial burden would be dwarfed compared to residential development on river piers..."The Villager, May 31, 2012 Can fungi clean up a Superfund site? They're giving it a try"The Panama Canal was more than 2,000 miles away, but very much on the minds of the officials who stood next to a hulking machine on Staten Island on Wednesday to announce a project that involves building a water tunnel to Brooklyn and dredging New York Harbor to make room for deeper cargo ships..."msnbc.com, May 29, 2012 Teens float idea for massive Newtown Creek parkland"Newtown Creek would go from Superfund to super fun if a group of high schoolers have their way...."The Brooklyn Papers, May 25, 2012 Rockaway boardwalk repair work underway"With the start of beach season just two weeks away, workers are busy repairing storm-ravaged sections of the boardwalk in Rockaway..."NY Daily News, May 14, 2012 Global Marine Terminal hopes to reap benefits of wider Panama"Although the widening of the Panama Canal threatens to hurt some shippers in the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Global Marine Terminal is expanding in anticipation of it..."The Star-Ledger, May 11, 2012
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