Dear Editor:
NY Waterway was forced to raise some of its fares effective September 1, 2003 to meet rising costs, such as for fuel and insurance, which have doubled in the two years since our last fare increase. We also use fare receipts to invest in continuing improvements to our service, with the purchase of new ferries and buses and new terminal facilities. NY Waterway is a family-owned business, and like any family, we must pay our bills on time. The only source of money to pay those bills is customer fares. We must have the revenue to continue providing safe, convenient, environmentally-friendly service.
Unlike publicly-subsidized mass transit systems, we cannot turn to the taxpayers for help if our fare revenues come up short. Claims that NY Waterway received huge amounts of federal subsidies simply are not true. Elected officials in New Jersey and New York called on NY Waterway to provide additional ferry service after September 11, to replace the PATH service which has been lost. To do this, NY Waterway chartered additional boats, hired more crews, purchased more fuel and provided more insurance. We pay these bills promptly and then wait months for reimbursement from the government. That federal money goes to the owners of the boats we charter, the crews, the fuel suppliers, etc., with a small management fee for NY Waterway. This arrangement ends with the restoration of PATH service next month.
NY Waterway will continue its 17-year tradition as a private provider of mass-transit, providing our commuters with the highest quality service and relying on those commuters for their support. If we charge too much, we lose customers. It is the private market at its most effective. There is no need – and no legal basis – for government to get involved in a private mass transit alternative that works well for thousands.
Arthur E. Imperatore, Jr.
President, NY Waterway