Commuter ferry operator New York Waterway scored a coup against rival SeaStreak, when it won a new contract with Monmouth County to again operate its ferries from the county terminal at Belford, N.J. – four years after SeaStreak had ousted NY Waterway.
“We had two proposals where the Evaluation Committee…determined that the NY Waterway proposal would better serve our residents and commuters with more rides available at a lower cost,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone after the decision Aug. 10.
“While SeaStreak is disappointed with the outcome of the county’s solicitation, the company respects the county’s decision and appreciates the positive working relationship it has enjoyed with Monmouth County and its staff over the past several years,” SeaStreak officials said in a statement after the decision was announced.
The Monmouth County decision restores New York Waterway to the base it began to serve two decades ago.
“We fully understand the vital nature of the ferry service and the convenient link it provides for commuters and other residents traveling between Monmouth County and Manhattan,” said Pohan. With the company’s return, “you can expect affordable fares, increased frequency and new weekend service as part of our return to the Belford operation,” he said.
Located on the Raritan Bay shore at the southern reaches of the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary, the Belford terminal is terminus for one of the longest ferry routes in the region. It’s a lucrative connection between the Manhattan financial district and prosperous gold-coast communities on the Jersey Shore, offering a faster commute than the region’s tortuous rail and bus routes.
New York Waterway made major newbuild vessel investments to service the route, with the 350-passenger aluminum catamarans Molly Pitcher and Betsy Ross delivered by Yank Marine, Tuckahoe, N.J., in 2015-2016. They were followed by the 599-passenger Franklin D. Roosevelt from Yank in 2020 – even as New York Waterway was recovering from its setbacks of sharp passenger declines during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The ferry operators joined battle in 2022 when SeaStreak won over the Monmouth County terminal contract, held by New York Waterway for 20 years previous. The companies’ political struggle stepped up into the New Jersey state courts, with appeals and finally dismissal of a lawsuit New Jersey Waterway had brought against the county and SeaStreak.
Now with the new lease in place, New York Waterway resumes its operations there Sept. 8 and will provide weekday morning and evening ferry service between Belford and Downtown Manhattan (Pier 11 Wall Street and Brookfield Place) with further direct or free connecting service to Midtown Manhattan (West 39th Street), Paulus Hook in Jersey City and all other New York Waterway terminals.
Passengers will pay adult one-way fares ($23) and several available discounted multi-trip fares (7-day, monthly, 10-trip and 40-trip).
