Staten Islands Front Door:

ADDRESSING QUALITY OF LIFE CONCERNS ON

THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY SYSTEM

AUGUST 2016

Task Force Overview

The Staten Island Ferry Quality of Life Task Force was created in February of 2016 as a
partnership between the Young Democrats of Richmond County and Community Board 1 of
Staten Island. Kick-started by aggressive Jcket vendors in the park, the Task Force quickly
realized the wide breadth of quality of life issues plaguing Whitehall and the St. George
terminals. With the expansive North Shore redevelopment already underway, the issues
delineated within this report will only be exacerbated with increased tourism. The Task Force
rst met with stakeholders in both lower ManhaTan and the North Shore of Staten Island to
develop key areas of interest and develop methodologies for exploring soluJons to each,
followed by numerous walkthroughs of terminals and boats. In addiJon to addressing aggressive
Jcket vendors, the task force expanded the scope of analysis to review other quality of life
concerns, such as:

1) Terminal AccommodaJons
2) TransportaJon
3) Enforcement

The following ndings and recommendaJons have been mailed to all elected representaJves on
Staten Island and various city agencies who service the ferry terminals, boats and surrounding
areas. We hope and we look forward to working towards a safer and more accommodaJng
commute.

Task Force RepresentaOon

Co-Chairs

Nicholas ZvegintzovCommunity Board 1 (TransportaJon CommiTee)
Dominick R. DeRubbioYoung Democrats of Richmond County (President)

Members

Jenny FischmanOce of New York City Public Advocate LeJcia James
Brandon PaFersonOce of New York State Senator Diane Savino
Patrick LewisOce of New York State Assemblyman MaThew Titone
Michael OBrienOBrien Law Firm, PLLC
John Michael EadiciccoYoung Democrats of Richmond County
KC HankinsYoung Democrats of Richmond County
Rose UscianowskiTransportaJon AlternaJves
Kamillah M. HanksHistoric Tappen Park Community Partnership
Ron RizzoM

A special thank you to Borough President James Oddo, Nicholas Siclari, Community Health AcJon
of Staten Island and the New York Public Library for supporJng this Task Force.

Table Overview

The following pages illuminate the breadth of issues and aected areas the Task
Force has idenJed, as well as recommendaJons to responsible agencies on how
best to solve the issue at hand. The recommendaJons are just that, and the Task
Force looks forward to working with the responsible agencies on implemenJng
these or beTer changes. The informaJon is presented in table format, with rows
for idenJed issues, and columns for:

IdenJed Issue
RecommendaJon
Responsible Agencies
Aected Area

Short-codes will be used for locaJons; the St. George Terminal is (SG), Whitehall
Terminal is (WH); and the Staten Island Ferry Boats themselves are (FB), though
we did not specify individual boats. Issues idenJed on boats and terminals are
labeled as (All). Figures (pictures) can be found towards the end of this report.

Task Force Findings

Accommoda'ons

Issue

RecommendaOon
Agencies
Construct an informaJon booth in/or outside of
Lack of tourist informaJon
the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. Also consider
and signage within the
DOT, NYC &
visitor pamphlets for the boats highlighJng
Co
terminals and on the ferry
Staten Island aTracJons. InformaJon should be
boats.
provided in mulJple languages. See Figure 5.
The frequency of bathroom cleanings should
increase, DOT should add beTer lighJng, and add
Bathrooms unsanitary and
doors to stalls. DOT should also increase the DOT/NYPD
unsightly.
frequency of inspecJons to idenJfy vagrants and
illegal acJviJes.
AddiJonal bathrooms will be DOT should uJlize both bathrooms in the Saint
needed within the terminals George terminal and consider the construcJon of
DOT
once new venues open on
addiJonal downstairs bathrooms in the
Staten Island.
Whitehall terminal. See Figure 4.
Lack of seaJng/countersPeople sit on the oor of the
terminals and place drinks Create more seaJng or more places for people to
DOT
rest with drinks and food.
and items on the window sills.
Seats are ohen occupied by
vagrants.

Area
All

FB

SG, WH

SG, WH

Task Force Findings

Accommoda'ons

Issue

RecommendaOon
Agencies
Area
Sta needs crowd control training, beTer
coordinaJon between sta, and customer
service training. Training should touch on how to
beTer handle passengers when closing the
Ferry Sta Customer Service.
DOT, Allied Barton WH/SG
terminal doors for deparJng boats. Task Force
members have observed verbal confrontaJons
between riders and DOT/Security sta.
Improve Wi-Fi Service.

Improve Wi-Fi service on ferry boats. DOT should

also consider increasing the bandwidth as
passenger levels increase.

DOT

All

Trash Removal.

More frequent trash removal and also consider

adding recycling bins on the boats and in the
terminals.

DOT

All

Few outlets to charge phones.

Add more outlets or USB terminals to boats and

terminals.

DOT

All

Add countdown clock or doors open/doors

Passengers unaware if waiJng
closed sign outside of waiJng room in SG and at
room doors are closed or open.
the boTom of the stairs at WH. See Figure 7.

DOT

All

Task Force Findings

Enforcement

Issue

RecommendaOon

Agencies

Area

Increased amounts of homeless

individuals in terminals and areas Coordinate with key third-party stakeholders to NYC Council, Dept.
beTer address the needs of the homeless
of Homeless
surrounding both terminals
Peter Minuit Plaza, St. George populaJon; nearby centers are over-capacity or Services, NYPD, SG, WH
taxi and bus ramps, and the SI reported as unaccommodaJng and the spillover Project Hospitality,
to public places is apparent.
Parks
Yankee stadium entrance in Saint
George.
Peter Minuit Plaza ConguraJonPeter Minuit Plaza has become an
NYPD and Homeless Services should create an
unwelcoming, unacceptable
acJon plan to address the homeless/mentally
space. The grounds are liTered
disturbed populaJon. Parks should look at
with debris and a large amount of
redesigning and/or cleaning the park on a more
homeless and/or mentally
frequent basis. See Figure 6.
disturbed individuals occupy the
space, specically the benches.

NYPD, Homeless
Services, Parks

WH

Task Force Findings

Enforcement

Issue

RecommendaOon

Agencies

Area

DOT, NYC Council,

NYPD

All

Ticket vendors conJnue to solicit tourists in

Peter Minuit Plaza despite the NYPD presence
and new legislaJon. Parks Enforcement Police
and NYPD should strictly enforce the ban on
solicitaJon in the park. The city should also
foster a beTer relaJonship with Jcket
Parks, NYPD, City
companies. AddiJonally, the city should prepare
Council
for Jcket vendors in Saint George once the
wheel opens. Local Law 80 of 2016, which took
eect on August 1st 2016 will give more power
to authoriJes as all Jcket vendors now require a
license from the Department of Consumer
Aairs. See Figure 9.

WH

Rules and regulaJons of the Ferry Pass legislaJon, if needed, to bring the DOT's
system do not hold the force of rules up to par with the MTA's, and give them
law and agrant disregard to
the force of law. In the interim and beyond,
audible audio rules, among
increased enforcement of the rules would be
others, is commonplace.
ideal. See Figure 1.

Ticket Vendors.

Task Force Findings

Transporta'on

Issue

RecommendaOon
Agencies
Enforce the rules and regulaJons of use of city
Misuse of city-issued parking issued parking placards in the St. George, where NYPD, Oending
placards.
agencies, DOT
parking is even scarcer, due to development of
the area.
The DOT should establish a current count of
passengers (tourists) and a count as the outlets,
Lack of passenger (tourist) data.
DOT
the wheel, and addiJonal developments come
online on Staten Island.
There is an inadequate amount of
Ensure the new ferries coming into service are
bike racks on the ferries and
designed to accommodate the growing cyclist
ridership is up in NYC. The
populaJon, and allow for more bike racks on
overcrowding of the bike racks is
DOT
exisJng boat racks. If bike rack usage increases,
apparent, with overow bikes
DOT should consider using a porJon of the
being stored on the ground both
unused car port for addiJonal bike racks.
outside and inside.
Bike racks in the terminals, for
bikes being leh in SI, are on the Change the locaJon of the bike racks to allow for
third oor of the terminal, but easier access to cyclists or open bike lane on bus
DOT
ramp.
the entering bike lanes lead to
the ground level.

Area
SG

All

FB

SG

Task Force Findings

Transporta'on

Issue

RecommendaOon

Agencies

Area

Pedestrian exits in the St. George

area are few and dangerous
there is a lack of crosswalks and
pedestrian signals at the entrance
to the bus and car ramps.

Add addiJonal crosswalks, and pedestrian

signals should be installed outside of the
terminal. See Figure 3.

DOT

SG

DOT

WH

Allow lower level boarding, especially during

peak hours. If this is not possible without
construcJon, allow for onboarding using the two
The boarding process, specic to
small staircases that lead to the lower level unJl
crowds, leaves much to be
construcJon is complete. AddiJonally, the city
desired. Large crowds funnel onto
should consider including Staten Island in the
the two boat ramps and create a
Citywide Ferry Service plan. The increase in
boTleneck.
passengers will need to be alleviated through
addiJonal boats or alternate docking locaJons.
See Figure 8.

Task Force Findings

Transporta'on

Issue

RecommendaOon

Agencies

Area

Lack of visitor signage and ADA Provide addiJonal signage for tourists and make
compliant signage for passengers.
signage ADA compliant.

DOT, NYC & Co

All

Cyclist and special needs

passenger boarding area is dark, Redesign and create an "indoor" area to block
the elements. See Figure 2.
cold, and unt compared to
indoor waiJng room.

DOT

SG, WH

Whitehall Terminal lacks Metro

Card machines, which make
Add at least one Metro Card machine to the
Metro Card purchases dicult,
Terminal; possible locaJon next to the ATMs on
especially with the extensive
lower level.
construcJon happening at the
South Ferry staJon.

DOT, MTA

WH

Figures

Figure 2-Cyclist Wai'ng Area-Saint George

Figure 1-Rules of Conduct

Figures

Figure 4-Secondary Restroom-St. George

Figure 3-Pedestrian Walkway-St. George

Figure 5-Entering Terminal from Boat-St. George

Figures

Figure 6-Peter Minuit Plaza Garbage Can

Figure 7-Poten'al Countdown Clock Loca'on

Figures

Figure 8-Pedestrian boOleneck at WH Terminal

Figure 9-1 Train Entrance at WH Terminal