Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry

Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry
Admiral Richard E. Bennis, Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry
Route
Crosses	Hudson River
Locale	Haverstraw Bay
Route	FerryRaillink
Carries	Passengers
Quays	Haverstraw and Ossining, New York, United States
Service
Operator	NY Waterway
Authority	Metro-North Railroad, New York State Department of Transportation, and Transport of Rockland
Ferry(s)	Admiral Richard E. Bennis
Type	Catamaran
Length	Approximately 5.3 miles (8.5 km)
Travel time	15 minutes
Headway	30 minutes
Frequency	29/day
Daily ridership	550
Yearly ridership	Approximately 143,000
History
Opened	September 5, 2000
Connections at Ossining
	Metro-North Railroad: Hudson Line
	Bee-Line Bus System: 13, 13B, 19

The Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry is a passenger ferry which connects Haverstraw, New York with Ossining, New York over the Haverstraw Bay and Hudson River. The ferry operates during rush hours, primarily transporting commuters from the west side of the river to the Ossining Metro-North Railroad station on the east side, where they can transfer to Metro-North Railroad trains headed to Grand Central Terminal in New York City, or Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie, via its Hudson Line. Connections are also available at Ossining to the Bee-Line Bus System's 13, 13B, and 19 routes. The Ossining terminal is at a pier adjacent to the west side of the station, and the Haverstraw terminal is at a pier on the eastern end of Dr. Girling Drive.

The Weehawken, New Jersey-based NY Waterway ferry company has been operating the ferry under contract from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (along with the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry upstream) since its incarnation on September 5, 2000.^[1]

The fare is $3.50 per person ($1.75 for seniors and children 6 to 11 years old) and can either be paid on board, at Haverstraw, or, during the morning rush hours only, at Ossining. The trip across the river takes approximately 15 minutes. The ferry operates at 20% of its full capacity on each trip, with 550 passengers per day as of 2009^[update].^[2][3]

The ferry currently uses a 78.5-foot (23.9 m) high speed catamaran built by Allen Marine Inc. capable of carrying up to 149 passengers. The Admiral Richard E. Bennis (maiden voyage on October 29, 2003), is named after the late Coast Guard captain who directed the waterborne evacuation of Manhattan after the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[4] NY Waterway vessels Bayonne, Congressman Robert A. Roe, Jersey City, and Governor Thomas H. Kean (which are all similar to the Admiral Richard E. Bennis) also operate the ferry on occasions when the Admiral Richard E. Bennis is not available for use. On January 15, 2009, the Admiral Richard E. Bennis was among the many ships that helped evacuate stranded passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River between New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan. Due to ice conditions on Haverstraw Bay, which prompted NY Waterway to suspend service on the ferry that day, it was one of the vessels readily available for use at NY Waterway's main storage facility near the incident in Weehawken.

View a film of the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry crossing the Hudson River here.

References

1. ^ Donohue, Pete; August 30, 2000; ROCKLAND-OSSINING FERRY PLAN, Daily News; retrieved August 20, 2008.
2. ^ Ossining Public Transit; March 1, 2007; Ossining Public Transit planning, Village of Ossining; retrieved August 20, 2008
3. ^ Haverstraw Ferry Letter - New York State; May 1, 2009; [1], Village of Haverstraw; retrieved October 26, 2011
4. ^ Seafarers International Union; December 2003; NY Waterway Christens New Ferry, Seafarers International Union; retrieved July 21, 2008

External links

• Metro-North Railroad – Haverstraw-Ossining ferry
• NY Waterway – Haverstraw-Ossining route
• NY Waterway – Haverstraw
• Metro-North Railroad – Ossining
• NY Waterway – Ossining