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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLong Island Sound Ferry StudyRegion 10 Office: New York State Office Building Veterans Highway, Hauppauge, New York 11787 NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION William C. Hennessy, Commisslone~ March 10, 1981 Honorable William Ro Pell Supervisor Town of Southold Town Hall, Main Road Southold, New York 11971 Dear Mr. Pell: I would like to thank you for your assistance and that of Mr. Doug Clark, Custodian, of your staff, at our Public Hearing on the Long Island Sound Ferry Study held in the Southold Town Hall on March 9, 1981. Mr. Clark is to be commended on hfs knowledge and cooperation regarding lighting and the public address system operation which was appreciated by our personnel in setting up and conducting this meeting. Thank you again for your interest in our transportation program and for the use of your facilities. Very tr.u~ yours, A. H. EMERY Regional Di rector Adg. D,~,~ File STATE OF NEW YORK (~~~ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ~ WILLIAM C. HENNESSY, Comrnissioner ~ i~ ~ OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS ~. i~ 220 Washington Ave. State Campus, Albany, N.Y. 12232 I~ ~ Phone (518) 457-6400-1-2 ~.~ Jonn· K. Brya.= Jr. - Public Halations Officer ~ Ccntact: Jack De~_'ne FOR RELEASE P~ V~DNESDAY FEBRU~_RY 15, 1981 #gl-18 LI FERRY STUDY SU~[~].~ ISSUED; FORU~£ SCHEDULED The New York State Department of Transportation today announced availability cf a staff report, "Lor~ Island Sound Ferry Service Improvement Study -- Summary of Findings," and invited public comment in writing or at one of two public fo~ms scheduled by the study's Policy Advisory Committee. The first forum will be held Thursday, February 26, in Hauppau~e, L.t., a~ the Suffolk County Executive Legislative Building north of Vetera~.s Memorial Hig~:.?ay and the second will be held Monday, March 2, in New Haven, Connecticut, in the Southern New Engla-ud Telephone Company auditorium at ~00 C~orge Street, north of Route 34 Oak Street Corme~.~or. Each session will. begin promptly at 7:~0 p.m. with a brief presentation of study findings to date, and a discussion by Policy Advisory Committee members of their conclusions thu~ far. Questions a~d public statements will then be solicited. The study staff's summary report now available confirms public ccnsensus that improved ferry service is both desirable ahd feasible. It identifies potential economic benefits, and outlines operating and capital costs and revenue potential. The study examined types of vessels suitable for cross-Sound service and devel- oped patronage and revenue estimates for various levels of service e~.d fares, for six new routes as well. as two existing routes. Capital costs for boats, terminals and access roads were projected, along with operating costs for te~u!nals and vessels. Possible sources of ftmds for improvements have been outlined. Basically, the report finds that the two existing ferry routes offer the best potential for improviz~g service in the short run. Several new routes could be considered over the lone term, their feasibility depending on prospective ccsts, revenues, environmental impacts and availability of funds. Six to eight modern boats operating at each of two existing or new locations wo~d increase patronage about seven-fold. Among the economic benefits perceived, beyond the construction stimulus, are new sales and business opportunities that could provide 2,500 additional jcbs c~ Long Island ~ud 1,~tO0 jobs in Connecticut and increases in total personal inccn:e amounting to $150 million on Long Island and ~60 million in Corm. ecticut. additional ~lO million in New York State income and sales taxes could be generated by 1990. S A'TE Of NE'¢ WtLLIAM C. HENNESSY, COMNIISSlONEE DEPARTMENT O NSPORTATION PHONE 518 45~6400-r-z John K. Bryan - Public Relations Officer Contact: Jack ~evine news FOR RELEASE RECEIVED JUN 3 1980 i}g~ED!ATE THURSDAY, JUNE 19, ~ 80 -6 ~ 19S0 Town Clerk Southolcl INITIAL~ETING SET FOR LONG ISLAND FERP. Y STUDY The first meeting of the Policy Advisory Cormnittee for the Long Island Sound Ferry Service Improvement Study will be held Thursday (June 26) at 1:30 p.m. in New York City, State Transportation Commissioner William C. Hennessy said today. The session will be held in the conference room of the Tri-State Regional Planning Commission on the 82nd floor of C~e World Trade Center. Following introduction of committee members from both New York and Connecticut, the agenda includes a presentation of the objectives and context of the study, an explanation of the anticipated technical and procedural approach and a discussion of the role of the conmmittee in the study. The Committee members have been appointed by Con~ssioner Hennessy and Connecticut officials. The ferry study is an outgrowth of a Long Island Sound bridge feasibility study ordered by Governor Hugh L. Carey and completed last December. That study found that while a Long Island Sound bridge woo_ld provide significant economic benefits, its for the foreseeable future, no further effort be devoted to investigation of a cross- Sound bridge at any location but that attention be d~voted to the improvement of cross-Sound ferry services. Those recoEmendaticns were concurred in by Governors Carey of New York, Grasso of Connecticut and Garrahy of Rhode Islaud. The ferry study, w~ich will be completed by next spring, will consider financial, legal and operating aspects, among others, of improving ferry service between New York and Connecticut. Elements to be considered are vessel and terminal requirements, ferry access and traffic flow requirements, and service frequencies, with a goal of reliable, more frequent aud year-round service. Fare schedules, and the possibility of required public assistance and funding sources, also will be considered. The work of the Policy Advisory Committee will be complemented by a bi-state task force composed primarily' of senior officials of governmental agencies in the two states, including those with specialized knowledge sad responsibilities relating to ferry service. Supplemented hy a consultaut, the staff of the task force will perform the required detailed technical work which will be submitted to the Policy Advisory Committee for consideration. -more- -2- #80-62 Appointed to the Policy Ad~_sory Committee by Commmissioner Hennessy are the following: Robert L. Cox Vice President National Bank of North America 79 Thorens Avenue Garden City, NY Hon. Jane Devine Suffolk County Legislator 256 Main Street Huntington, NY James Du_ffy Local 138 Operating Engineers P.O. Box 206 Gazza Boulevard Farmingdale, NY Hon. Hannah Komanoff Supervisor, Nassau County Long Beach City Hall Cae Westchester Street Long Beach, NY William L. ~m_her Hall, Dicker, Lawler, Kent & Harley 600 Old Country Road Garden City, NY Francis J. Murphy 01d Main Road Mattituck, NY John J. O'Neill Senior Vice President Marine Midland Bar, k, N.A. 534 Broad Hollow Road Melville, NY JoP~ Reilly 104 Birch Drive Port Jefferson, NY Mrs. Lorna Salzman Friends of the Earth 72 Jane Street New York, NY Bernard C. S~ith 167 Main Street Northport, ~ Erwin Staller Staller Enterprises 1455 Veter~_s Memorial Highway Hauppauge, NY C. Evans Tilles 1 Huntington Quadrangle Huntington Station, NY Mrs. Jessie Tomtinson Wading River Civic Association Woodchuch Hollow Lane Wading River, NY Joseph L. Townsend Jr. Townsend Insurance Main Street Oreenport, NY The Tri-State Regional Planning Commission will be represented on the policy group by Frank T. Jotunson, Executive Director of t~he Commission. Connecticut officis~s have appointed the following members: -more- -3- #80-62 John Carson Department of Economic Development 210 Washington Street Hartford, CT 06115 ~l~rs. Jeanette Clark 124 Washington Street South Nor. raid% CT 06854 Edward A. Connell 235 Cold Spring Road Stamford, CT 06905 Hon. ~guet Escalers Selectmau's Office Town Hall 54 East Main Street P.O. Box 174 Clinton, CT 06413 Edward Gudelski 22 Nash Street New Haven, CT 06511 Charles N. Hammarlund Jr. Foot of the Lake North Guilford, CT 0643? William W. Hatfield 100 Edgemont Road Devon, CT 06604 ~. Ruth Hoffmao. Oreenmanville Avenue Mystic, CT 06355 Hon. Raymond Jackson, M~yor City of New Longon Municipal Building Captain's Walk New London, CT 06320 Hon. Robert A. Johnson, D~yor City of West Haven City Hall 355 N~in Street West Haven, CT 06516 Hon. Job~ M~ndanici, D~yor City of Bridgeport City Hall 45 Lyon Terrace Bridgeport, CT 06604 Edwin van Selden Office of the Mayor 195 Church Street New Haven, CT 06510 John Wrabte 77 Orchard Hill Drive Fairfield, CT 06430 John P. Wronowski Cross-Sound Ferry Service Box 73 New London, CT 06320 NOTE TO EDITORS: News n~dia representatives will be welcome to attend the meeting. RECEIVED jUi 1 'i951 1220 Washington Avenue, State Ca~r~/~, ~l~n~01~0-York 12232 To Persons Interested in the Long Island Sound Ferry Service Improvement Study: William C. Hennessy, Commi=ioner I am pleased to send you herewith a copy of the report Executive Summary and Recommendations, Long Island Sound Ferry Service Imorovement Study. In Part I of the report you will find Commissioner Powers' and my recom~ mendations to Governors Carey and O'Neill while Part I1 contains a s'~m~ary of the conclusions and a description of the study process. I hope the information contained in the report is of value to you. If you should desire additional copies, they may be obtained by calling (518) 457-1965 or addressing a request to: Planning Division, New York State Department of Transportation, State Office Campus, Albany,~N-Y 12232. Sincerely, Commissioner Enclosure -- Authorize creation of a L.I. Sound Ferry Service Commission. -- Authorize the State Department of Transportation to coordinate efforts for ferry service improvements. The~Governor's propoSals are based on a DOT ferry service improvement report. The report indicates that principal improvement costs can be financed by user revenues. The report is the result of a year-long study by the transportation departments of New York and Connecticut and a bi-state Policy Advisory Committee. The report is an outgrowth of a bridge feasibility study ordered by the Governor and completed in late 1979. That study found that the high cost of a bridge connection between the two states made financing impossible. The new report recommends staged access and terminal improve- ments and the purchase of new vessels for the two existing terminals (Port Jefferson - Bridgeport and Orient Point - New London). It also calls for the evaluation of a potential third major year-round service between Shoreham and New Haven. Governor Carey said "The report's conclusions argue persuasively for improved and expanded cross-Sound ferry services, and for private sector Capabilities to maintain a dominant role in such services." "The proposals are practical in concept and magnitude and repre- sent the only viable alternative to improved accessibility across Long Island Sound for commercial and private travelers alike," the Governor said. " - more -