This is a copy of the email that I just sent to Helen Ho, Director of the Queens Community Affairs Unit, re-inviting her as well as NYCEDC President, Kyle Kimball, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, and NYC Public Advocate, Letitia James to take a ride with us on the Rockaway/Brooklyn Army Terminal Ferry so that they can see first-hand how high our ridership numbers are and experience the ferry ride itself. To: Ms. Helen Ho Director of Queens Community Affairs Unit NYC Office of the Mayor Dear Ms. Ho: We are writing this letter on behalf of the Rockaway and Brooklyn communities who use the Rockaway/Brooklyn Army Terminal Ferry to travel to and from Manhattan during the week. Since you were not feeling well at the time that we sent the last invitation and you were unable to attend, we are sending you another invitation to ride with us on the Rockaway/Brooklyn Army Terminal Ferry, leaving Pier 11/Wall Street in Manhattan at 5:35 p.m., to Brooklyn and Rockaway, and returning to Pier 11/Wall Street at 7:45 p.m. We would like you to accept our invitation at your convenience. Please give us a date and time that works best for you. By riding with us on the ferry, you will have the opportunity to view first-hand the large ridership numbers that utilize this ferry service. Since the fate of this ferry seems to be based on ridership numbers, it would seem logical for you to take the time to ride the ferry in order to witness the importance of this ferry and the number of people that use this means of transportation to Manhattan. The ferry has been with us for close to two years and has become a routine way of life for many. As people in the Rockaways still try to crawl out of the destructive path that Sandy left behind, the ferry continues to serve as a major lifeline on many levels. From a practical point of view, the ferry is the fastest and easiest way to travel from our isolated waterfront community to and from Manhattan. Traveling by ferry does not require climbing many flights of stairs or standing on freezing/scalding subway/elevated platforms waiting for trains that are usually delayed or are often not direct connections to our corner of the city. Traveling by ferry also eliminates the frustration of getting caught in traffic jams or of mechanical failure of cars or buses. There is also a zero per cent crime rate on the ferry, unlike other means of public transportation. The ferry has become the best thing to happen to the Rockaways since Hurricane Sandy. The pleasurable ride is relaxing and stress-free, and people can easily forget their worries, stresses, and losses (from Sandy) during the couple of hours that it takes to ride to and from Manhattan. The ferry symbolizes hope and change for the better. To lose the ferry now would be a tremendous set-back for the morale of our community that has lost so much from the hurricane. The loss of the ferry would have a similar effect on Brooklyn riders. Having a permanent ferry would also promote tourism in the Rockaways, bring potential customers to our beaches, shops and restaurants, and encourage families to move here and/or open businesses in our local neighborhoods. The Rockaways are also becoming a newly discovered center for the arts. Think of how many people leaving from Manhattan and Brooklyn could travel to our community in the best ride possible. The ferry could certainly play an important role in helping to bring more prosperity to the Rockaways, which took a major beating from Hurricane Sandy. In turn, more people from the Rockaways as well as Brooklyn, would be more motivated to travel into Manhattan by ferry to frequent the shops, restaurants, famous sights, museums, galleries, theaters, and all that Manhattan has to offer. Additionally, if ferry service could include weekends and be extended to and from JFK, the ferries would be packed, and the subsidy cost per passenger would come tumbling down. We hope that you will take these points in consideration and kindly accept our invitation to ride on the ferry with us. We look forward to meeting you in person. At this point, I would like to inform you that Linda Ruscillo, who sent the initial invitation with her husband, Danny, is recovering from open-heart surgery. Therefore, I am taking the Ruscillos place in sending the second invitation to you. Please send your responses to my email address: Sincerely, Laura Deckelman Rockaway United to Save Our Ferry Danny Ruscillo Co-Chair Transportation Committee Paul Deckelman Rockaway United to Save Our Ferry Linda Ruscillo Rockaway United to Save Our Ferry Phillip McManus President - Queens Public Transit Committee
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 18:38:12 +0000