PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Fred Rodriguez, Maritime Historian, on NYC Ferry System History and Expansion
2:27:21
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122 sec
Fred Rodriguez, a maritime historian and former Staten Island ferry veteran, provides historical context for NYC's ferry system and advocates for its expansion. He emphasizes the city's rich ferry-building heritage and the potential for revitalizing and expanding ferry services across the five boroughs and beyond.
- Highlights Staten Island's historical role in ferry construction, producing 86% of ferries in the tri-state area in 1885
- Suggests reviving old ferry routes, such as the Staten Island to Brooklyn line, and expanding to new destinations including New Jersey and potentially Connecticut
- Shares a personal anecdote about introducing the "Thank you for riding the Staten Island ferry" announcement in 1989
Fred Rodriguez
2:27:21
My name is Fred Rodriguez.
2:27:22
I'm a maritime historian, proud US merchant Mariner for 31 years and a veteran of the Staten Island ferry for eight and a half years.
2:27:34
How a city was built on the ferry system.
2:27:40
In 18 85, Staten Island was building 86% of all the fairies in the tri state area.
2:27:53
Today, there are only two lines who remain from that.
2:28:00
Staten Island ferry, and the governor's Island ferry.
2:28:06
So we need more ferries to run people around the 5 boroughs, around to Jersey, all over.
2:28:15
We can even try for a run up to Connecticut.
2:28:19
We were built by the ferry system, and it would be nice to see NYC ferry run revitalized a run from Staten Island to Brooklyn, where they had 6 diesel electric car vehicles that were operating for many, many years until we built a bridge.
2:28:47
From Brooklyn to Staten Island.
2:28:50
The following year, those 6 ferries went out of business.
2:28:55
1 2 of them continued with the governor's Island ferry.
2:29:00
1 operated and one was for spare parts.
2:29:03
Thank you for riding the Staten Island ferry.
2:29:08
I say that because in the fall of 89 while I was employed down there, I brought that statement down there.
2:29:18
And he made the law.
2:29:22
Thank you.
