Dear Mayor Cunningham:
Recently, I spoke before the City Council about my experience on the day the World Trade Center was attacked. As you know, I work as a Catholic school teacher in Manhattan. Some of students saw the attack from the window.
The attack caused my school to have limited phone service, no Internet service, I had no radio, and the TV is equipped to play only video. I had to figure out how to return to New Jersey. I realized that the tunnels and PATH trains would not operate.
I met other New Jersey commuters who told me that the only way to New Jersey was the ferry located on 39th and 12th.
When I arrived at the harbor, I saw tens of thousands of individuals waiting patiently in line. I immediately thought of my conversation that I had just last June with the County Executive when Sam Pesin invited me to Liberty Island.
I told the County Executive that Jersey City’s abatements have hurt the county in its ability to provide adequate services. I specifically mentioned that the county needs to provide fireboats since the waterfront is being developed. This service was unnecessary in the past when the waterfront laid undeveloped. I also mentioned that I would like to see adequate harbor services throughout Hudson County.
I didn’t realize how important our harbors are until I waited five hours in line on September 11, 2001. The only harbor that was open during this tragedy for the public was the connection between 39th and 12th and Weehawken. The ferry service at Jersey City and Hoboken was closed off. Later Hoboken was open to the public.
New York City has eight million residents, when you include commuters then the population swells to 12 million.
In order to have more ferry services, more harbors must be built. Jersey City, Hudson County, the State of New Jersey, as well as the Port Authority must address this issue.
Yvonne Balcer