A groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 17 for the future Bayonne–New York passenger ferry terminal at the former Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, N.J.
The event was hosted by the City of Bayonne, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and ferry operator New York Waterway at the southern side of the former Military Ocean Terminal, about one mile east of central Bayonne.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said the ceremony marked “a great day for Bayonne” and predicted the new ferry service would be part of “a shinier future” for the community. He said Mayor Jimmy Davis wanted a locally owned terminal to provide “real transportation to New York and back,” and added that the ferry “will transform this region and Bayonne.”
New York Waterway President and CEO Armand Pohan said, “We are excited to be partnering with the City of Bayonne to bring safe, reliable, and convenient ferry service to commuters and families of this great city.” He continued, “Bayonne is growing in impressive ways. Adding ferry service will not only provide a better quality of life for those who live here now, it will be a great incentive for anyone thinking about making Bayonne their home. We look forward to serving the Bayonne community for many years to come.”
The location will provide commuters with a faster route between New Jersey and Manhattan, City officials said.
Mayor Davis said ferry service would “change the economic future of Bayonne” and thanked New York Waterway for its partnership. He predicted that “ridership will explode.” Davis said the city worked “side by side” with the Port Authority and thanked O’Toole, adding that working with the Port Authority was “always about the people of Bayonne.”
Following the speeches, officials from the city, the Port Authority, and New York Waterway participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking along the southern shore of the site.
To accommodate the ferry terminal, the City of Bayonne is acquiring 2.3 acres of land from the Port Authority for $4.4 million. Of that total, 1.6 acres will be used for the ferry terminal and a parking facility, while 0.7 acres will be used to expand the local waterfront walkway. Lincoln Equities, a neighboring private property owner, is donating an additional acre of land for the project.
