Newburgh-Beacon Ferry
Encyclopedia
The Newburgh-Beacon Ferry is a ferry service crossing the Hudson River
that connects Newburgh
with Beacon
New York
.
It carries passengers between the two cities during rush hour
, primarily transporting commuters from the west side of the river at Newburgh to the commuter train station
on the east side at Beacon where they can catch Metro North
Hudson Line
service to Grand Central Terminal
and other points in New York City
.
NY Waterway
operates the ferry under contract from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
, along with the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry downstream. Service began on October 17, 2005 after the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
had, 42 years earlier, rendered over two centuries of ferry service obsolete.
The Beacon terminal is at a dock immediately adjacent to the station; the Newburgh terminal is at the south end of Front Street. The fare is $1 per person (the same as the auto toll currently charged for crossing the bridge); the trip across the river takes approximately 10 minutes.
, the major east-west artery at that point.
Increasing traffic on 52 by midcentury, however, coupled with the building of the New York State Thruway
in the Hudson corridor, was straining the ferry beyond its breaking point. The state's Department of Public Works began planning for a bridge, but it was not a serious possibility until federal money became available through the construction of Interstate 84
.
section below Albany, was completed and opened to traffic on November 2, 1963. By that time the New York State Bridge Authority
had already had to take them over. The very next day, 220 years of ferry service passed into the region's rich history when the Orange and Dutchess saluted each other midriver on their 5 p.m. runs.
The Dutchess and Beacon, both in very decrepit condition, were sold as scrap. The Orange, in slightly better shape, was purchased and refurbished by Myles Rosenthal with the intent of turning it into a floating restaurant
. It also was to carry visitors from Manhattan
to the 1964 New York World's Fair
. After only a few charter trips the boat fell victim to vandals which led to it joining its sister vessels in oblivion later that year.
In the next decade, when the new bridge quickly became stretched to capacity, no one suggested bringing the ferry back. Instead the bridge was widened and a second span built.
The end of ferry service dealt the death blow to Newburgh's once-vibrant waterfront
, and in the early 1970s urban renewal
led to much of the land being cleared in preparation for new construction projects that never came to fruition.
across the bridge from the park and ride
lot on NY 17K
near its connection to the New York State Thruway
. Meanwhile, MTA began for the first time to require parking permits at Beacon, and the waiting list swelled to at least 600 more than capacity, even after the lots were enlarged in the early 2000s.
Eventually, it was able, with the help of the region's congressional delegation, to secure a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration
to close the gap between fares and costs, along with other subsidies. Governor George Pataki
announced on October 7, 2005, that ferry service would resume in 10 days. To encourage use of the new ferry, no fares were charged for the remainder of that month.
option for commuters, but local officials, particularly in Newburgh, see much potential for their cities in the long term. To Beacon the rebirth of the ferry primarily serves to reduce pressure on a crowded parking lot, freeing up more spaces for residents and making the city a more attractive place for commuters to live, but Newburgh has grander designs tied into the redevelopment of its waterfront.
When service began, some riders expressed their hopes that service would eventually extend into weekends, allowing them to use it for trips to entertainment in the city. Newburgh officials hope, however, that dining options on their waterfront will help make it as much of a destination for ferry riders as an originating point. A possible scenario has visitors from the city taking in Dia:Beacon
in the afternoon, then taking the ferry to Newburgh for dinner then back to Beacon for the train trip home. Ultimately it could stimulate growing local arts communities on both sides of the river
after the September 11, 2001 attacks
, to Newburgh Bay
to inaugurate its new service. It carries 149 passengers.
One major problem MTA and NY Waterway had to overcome in planning was the ice floes that can sometimes clog the shallows near the riverbanks, particularly on the Newburgh side, in cold weather. This situation is not encountered by its ferries downriver as the salinity
of the river below the Hudson Highlands
is high enough to prevent ice from forming in all but the coldest temperatures. However, while Newburgh Bay is below the river's salt front, ice from the freshwater sections often accumulates in it.
The West New York was ultimately fitted with a strengthened hull
and a closed cooling system
to protect it.. The vessel was also repainted with the "FerryRailLink" logo. The winter following the ferry's reintroduction was rather mild and the first ice-free winter on the Hudson in a long time, as was the first half of the following winter. On February 6, 2007, however, a cold snap
had left enough ice at each bank that the MTA decided to do as it had done with the downriver ferry the day before and suspend service until conditions improved, renting buses to take commuters across the bridge in the meantime. Service was finally restored at the end of the month when a warming trend melted enough ice.
to take them home or to their cars.
Currently, on weekdays, there are six ferries in the morning and eight in the afternoon.
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
that connects Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
with Beacon
Beacon, New York
Beacon is a city located in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The 2010 census placed the city total population at 15,541. Beacon is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
It carries passengers between the two cities during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
, primarily transporting commuters from the west side of the river at Newburgh to the commuter train station
Beacon (Metro-North station)
Beacon is a Metro-North Railroad station that serves the residents of Beacon, New York, via the Hudson Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour during off peak hours, and about every 15–25 minutes during rush hour...
on the east side at Beacon where they can catch Metro North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...
service to Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
and other points in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
NY Waterway
NY Waterway
NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley...
operates the ferry under contract from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
, along with the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry downstream. Service began on October 17, 2005 after the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
The Newburgh–Beacon Bridge, is a cantilever toll bridge that spans the Hudson River in New York State carrying NY 52 and Interstate 84 between Newburgh and Beacon...
had, 42 years earlier, rendered over two centuries of ferry service obsolete.
The Beacon terminal is at a dock immediately adjacent to the station; the Newburgh terminal is at the south end of Front Street. The fare is $1 per person (the same as the auto toll currently charged for crossing the bridge); the trip across the river takes approximately 10 minutes.
History
The commuter ferry is not a new idea but rather the revival of an important piece of regional history.Before the bridge
Ferry service between the future locations of both cities had existed in some form at least since 1743. By the early 20th century the fleet had grown to three 160-foot (49 m) coal-fired ferries, the Orange, Dutchess and Beacon, capable of carrying 30 vehicles each. It linked the two segments of NY 52New York State Route 52
New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
, the major east-west artery at that point.
Increasing traffic on 52 by midcentury, however, coupled with the building of the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
in the Hudson corridor, was straining the ferry beyond its breaking point. The state's Department of Public Works began planning for a bridge, but it was not a serious possibility until federal money became available through the construction of Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in New York
Interstate 84 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the Eastern United States. In New York, I-84 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
.
The bridge and the end of an era
The ferries were seen as past their day, due to their mounting financial and operational problems, even before the bridge construction, the last Hudson crossing to be built on the river's estuarineEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
section below Albany, was completed and opened to traffic on November 2, 1963. By that time the New York State Bridge Authority
New York State Bridge Authority
The New York State Bridge Authority is a public benefit corporation in New York State, United States. The NYSBA was born out of the necessity for a bridge over the Hudson River to link the city of Hudson and the village of Catskill.-History:...
had already had to take them over. The very next day, 220 years of ferry service passed into the region's rich history when the Orange and Dutchess saluted each other midriver on their 5 p.m. runs.
The Dutchess and Beacon, both in very decrepit condition, were sold as scrap. The Orange, in slightly better shape, was purchased and refurbished by Myles Rosenthal with the intent of turning it into a floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
. It also was to carry visitors from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to the 1964 New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
. After only a few charter trips the boat fell victim to vandals which led to it joining its sister vessels in oblivion later that year.
In the next decade, when the new bridge quickly became stretched to capacity, no one suggested bringing the ferry back. Instead the bridge was widened and a second span built.
The end of ferry service dealt the death blow to Newburgh's once-vibrant waterfront
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
, and in the early 1970s urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
led to much of the land being cleared in preparation for new construction projects that never came to fruition.
Revival
Increasing regional growth in the 1990s led to frequent traffic jams on the bridge and swamped parking lots at the train station. Interest grew in reviving ferry service, especially after MTA's successful 2000 restoration of the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry across a similarly wide portion of the river further south. However, plans never quite seemed to materialize despite considerable appropriations of money, and in the interim commuters had to be content with a shuttle busPublic transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
across the bridge from the park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
lot on NY 17K
New York State Route 17K
New York State Route 17K is an east–west state highway located within Orange County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with County Route 76 east of Bloomingburg to a junction with U.S. Route 9W midway across the city of Newburgh...
near its connection to the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
. Meanwhile, MTA began for the first time to require parking permits at Beacon, and the waiting list swelled to at least 600 more than capacity, even after the lots were enlarged in the early 2000s.
Eventually, it was able, with the help of the region's congressional delegation, to secure a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
to close the gap between fares and costs, along with other subsidies. Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
announced on October 7, 2005, that ferry service would resume in 10 days. To encourage use of the new ferry, no fares were charged for the remainder of that month.
The future
For now the ferry is just another intermodalIntermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
option for commuters, but local officials, particularly in Newburgh, see much potential for their cities in the long term. To Beacon the rebirth of the ferry primarily serves to reduce pressure on a crowded parking lot, freeing up more spaces for residents and making the city a more attractive place for commuters to live, but Newburgh has grander designs tied into the redevelopment of its waterfront.
When service began, some riders expressed their hopes that service would eventually extend into weekends, allowing them to use it for trips to entertainment in the city. Newburgh officials hope, however, that dining options on their waterfront will help make it as much of a destination for ferry riders as an originating point. A possible scenario has visitors from the city taking in Dia:Beacon
Dia:Beacon
Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries is the museum for the Dia Art Foundation's collection of art from the 1960s to the present. The museum, which opened in 2003, is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, New York. Dia:Beacon occupies a former Nabisco box-printing facility that was renovated...
in the afternoon, then taking the ferry to Newburgh for dinner then back to Beacon for the train trip home. Ultimately it could stimulate growing local arts communities on both sides of the river
The boat
MTA moved the West New York, a boat which had been used to evacuate Lower ManhattanLower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, to Newburgh Bay
Newburgh Bay
Newburgh Bay is in the Hudson River approximately 60 miles north of New York City, just upriver from the Hudson Highlands. It takes its name from Newburgh, for many years the major port on this section of the river....
to inaugurate its new service. It carries 149 passengers.
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
of the river below the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
is high enough to prevent ice from forming in all but the coldest temperatures. However, while Newburgh Bay is below the river's salt front, ice from the freshwater sections often accumulates in it.
The West New York was ultimately fitted with a strengthened hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
and a closed cooling system
Engine cooling
Internal combustion engine cooling refers to the cooling of an internal combustion engine, typically using either air or a liquid.- Overview :...
to protect it.. The vessel was also repainted with the "FerryRailLink" logo. The winter following the ferry's reintroduction was rather mild and the first ice-free winter on the Hudson in a long time, as was the first half of the following winter. On February 6, 2007, however, a cold snap
Cold wave
A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and...
had left enough ice at each bank that the MTA decided to do as it had done with the downriver ferry the day before and suspend service until conditions improved, renting buses to take commuters across the bridge in the meantime. Service was finally restored at the end of the month when a warming trend melted enough ice.
Fares and schedule
A one-way ferry trip currently costs $1 per person. It can be paid at Newburgh and during the AM Rush only at Beacon or on board. The MTA, as is its practice, not only sells train tickets at the ferry terminals but encourages riders to buy them there. For regular riders, a UniTicket package combining train and ferry fare for a month is available for $321. UniTicket purchasers are also covered by MTA's Guaranteed Ride Home program, whereby if the ferry is unable to operate they will be able to get a taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
to take them home or to their cars.
Currently, on weekdays, there are six ferries in the morning and eight in the afternoon.
Further reading
- Newburgh-Beacon ferry service begins, in the Poughkeepsie JournalPoughkeepsie JournalThe Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York owned by the Gannett Company, who bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 , the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the third-oldest in the nation...
.