Driving Mr. Hoffnung

BY N. Clark Judd

Back in November when Ari Hoffnung first began his push to bring ferry service to Riverdale, he found a powerful ally in City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Just a week after news of Mr. Hoffnung's plan spread, Ms. Quinn issued a statement of support. "Riverdale is ripe for a high-speed ferry," she said.

So when the speaker publicly announced her own intentions to launch a five-borough ferry system during her Feb. 12 State of the City address, Mr. Hoffnung was naturally enthused, even though her hypothetical Bronx stop was Hunts Point. Riverdale was not mentioned during her address.

"I am in touch with members of her staff to make sure that Riverdale is incorporated into this plan," said Mr. Hoffnung, founder of the Riverdale Ferry Coalition.

As part of the coalition's proposal, Riverdale would become a stop on the New York Water Taxi's Hudson River line. Right now, water taxis pick up commuters in Haverstraw, N.Y. and in Yonkers, and shuttle them to lower Manhattan.

He has suggested building a dock at the Riverdale Metro-North train station - at the end of West 254th Street - or at the tip of Spuyten Duyvil.

Mr. Hoffnung has said the biggest draw of a ferry is the commute time. On average, a trip from Yonkers to lower Manhattan on the ferry takes between 35 and 47 minutes.

But over the months, as the idea of a ferry sinks in, a few have been finding holes in Mr. Hoffnung's plan.

One of his chief critics is Community Board 8 Chairman Tony Cassino - who, like Mr. Hoffnung, has been batting his proverbial eyelashes at the council seat Oliver Koppell will vacate at the end of 2009.

As with other critics, Mr. Cassino observes that the Harlem River at Spuyten Duyvil is notoriously choppy and unpredictable. The Hudson isn't much better.

Mr. Cassino adds that a pier along either river would require massive investment in road and parking improvements, not to mention the cost of the pier itself.

Others say the New York Water Taxi reportedly lost money last year after it failed to attract a large number of commuters in Rockland and Westchester counties.

"I do think that at the end of the day the city should have an extensive ferry system," said Mr. Cassino. However, he added, "As I look into it more, I've been more skeptical of if we could sustain one in our neighborhood."

This is part of the February 21, 2008 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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