SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, ISRAEL ANNOUNCE $2.4 MILLION FOR BAY SHORE FERRY IMPROVEMENTS
Funding Will Enable Town of Islip to Improve Critical Infrastructure and Bulkhead Renovation at Maple Avenue Dock and Ferry Terminal in Bay Shore
Schumer, Gillibrand, Israel: Grant Will Encourage Expanded Use of Ferries and Revitalize Towns Waterfront
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Representative Steve Israel today announced $2,440,000 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements to the Maple Avenue Dock in Bay Shore in the Town of Islip as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Ferry Boat Discretionary Program. With the funding, the Town of Islip will improve the dock by replacing the existing timber bulkhead with new steel sheeting and timber piles. The new steel sheeting will be anchored with 1.5 inch galvanized tie rods. This project will also allow for the restoration of more than 100 parking spaces on the west side of the dock by filling sink holes and removing the current parking prohibitions that are a result of the deteriorated bulkhead.
"Investment in transportation infrastructure creates jobs, promotes economic development, and supports commerce by moving people efficiently from point A to point B," said Schumer. "This funding will help renovate and revitalize the Bay Shore Dock for over a million ferry passengers who travel every year to and from the jewel that is Fire Island. It's smart investments like this that will make our local economy flourish."
"The Bay Shore Maple Avenue Ferry serves as an important tourism destination for millions of people who travel to and from Fire Island every year," said Senator Gillibrand. "This funding will provide critical upgrades to the Town of Islip's aging infrastructure and will go a long way towards improving the overall waterfront."
"Our ferries are essential to small businesses on both sides of the bay. Fire Island tourism is a critical part of our local economy, and new federal funding will bring much needed safety and parking improvements to our ferry terminals," said Rep. Israel.
The Bay Shore Maple Avenue Dock is located in the Town of Islip, in Suffolk County, and is approximately fifty miles east of Manhattan. The Town includes communities on the Long Island mainland and across the bay on the barrier beaches of Fire Island. The dock serves as the primary hub for passengers and freight as well as for mail and trash removal for Fire Island communities. With more than one million passengers and 5,000 tons of freight use, Schumer and Gillibrand said that this restoration project would go a long way towards making this dock be as effective as it can be.
