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By Will Bredderman
Brooklyn Daily
More than 120 people rode the ferry from the Brooklyn Army Terminal into Manhattan on Aug. 5, the first day of a four-week pilot program — but authorities would not say whether that number is high enough to keep the boat afloat past Labor Day.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city’s semi-private liaison to the business community, arranged to have the Seastreak Rockaway-to-Manhattan ferry service stop at the 58th Street slip to help stranded R Train riders reach the Financial District.
The R — Bay Ridge’s lone link to the other boroughs — stopped running between Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan on Aug. 2 so the Metropolitan Transit Authority can repair damage from Hurricane Sandy.
The Development Corporation said it would decide after Labor Day whether Brooklynites used the East River route enough to justify continuing it — but agency has refused to specify the threshold necessary for keeping the service running.
“We’ll be looking at ridership. We’ll be looking at ridership. We’ll be looking at ridership,” a spokesman for the agency repeated over and over, like a malfunctioning computer program when asked exactly how many people would need to take the ferry in order to keep it alive.
The spokesman did, however, say that the number of people who rode on the first day was encouraging.
“It’s a good number, we’re happy with that number,” the spokesman said.
Those waiting on the pier Monday morning said they were upbeat about the boat.
“It’s a nice alternative, and Bay Ridge only has the one train, and people will be bound up without it,” said Karen Tenczynski, who walked to the Sunset Park waterfront from her home at 70th Street and Colonial Road.
Even those accustomed to transferring to another train instead of riding the R all the way into the city said they thought the ferry was the best way to go.
“Hopefully it works out, and hopefully it’ll be here a while,” said Ridgite Tom McCarthy, who usually switches to the 3 train at Atlantic Avenue to reach his Wall Street office.
McCarthy was one of the few ferry riders who drove to the dock — and availed himself of the hundreds of free parking spaces on the pier.
Others said they turned out purely because of curiosity.
“I happened to be in Brooklyn, and I just thought I’d ride it and see what it was like,” said Staten Islander Jerry Longo.
Only about a dozen people boarded at the first launch, at 6:20 am, and only a few more got on when the boat returned at 7:10 am. But nearly 40 people rode the 8:20 and 8:50 am ships. The number dropped to a little shy of 20 on the last of the morning trips, at 10:05 am.
Ferries previously took commuters from the Brooklyn Army Terminal to Lower Manhattan following 9-11 and during the 2005 transit workers’ strike, but the city discontinued the service because of low ridership. Ferry fare is $2 a passenger, but a source told this paper the actual cost of the trip is closer to $20 a head.
Reach reporter Will Bredderman at wbredderman@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4507. Follow him at twitter.com/WillBredderman.