SCHUMER LAUNCHES MAJOR PUSH TO NAME NEW SI FERRY BOAT AFTER PROMINENT STATEN ISLAND ICON, FORMER BOROUGH PRESIDENT JAMES MOLINARO; SENATOR SECURED MILLIONS IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TWO NEW VESSELS & IS URGING NYCDOT TO NAME A NEW FERRY IN HONOR OF THIS STATEN ISLAND WARRIOR
Current Staten Island Ferry Fleet is Named After Prominent Figures Like John F. Kennedy & Senator John Marchi; NYCDOT Makes Final Decision on the Names of the New SI Vessels
Schumer Pushes NYCDOT to Name New SI Ferry After James Molinaro for His Dedication & Commitment to Staten Islanders; Senator Says Former BP Molinaro is a Terrific Leader & Should Be Honored for His Work on Staten Island, Particularly In the Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy,
After Senator’s Push, Schumer Secured Millions in Funding For Two New SI Ferry Boats from FTA’s Hurricane Sandy Resilience Program; Two Modern Boats Will Soon Replace Outdated Vessels & Schumer is Now Urging NYCDOT to Name One of the New Ferries After James Molinaro
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) to name one of the new Staten Island ferry vessels after a prominent Staten Island icon, former Borough President James Molinaro. Schumer said that former Borough President Molinaro should be honored for his exceptional leadership in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and for his hard work and commitment to Staten Islanders. Schumer explained that, after his push, NYC was awarded $191,550,000 in federal funding for two new storm resilient ferry boats on Staten Island, Staten Island Ferry Facilities’ Flood-proofing Resilience Upgrade and Ferry Landings Resilience Upgrades at strategic locations city-wide. NYCDOT makes the final decision on the names of each vessel. Schumer said that among the new fleet, NYCDOT should name a ferry in James Molinaro’s honor.
“Staten Island has had few warriors like James Molinaro, and that’s why I am launching a major push to have one of the new ferries named in his honor,” said Senator Schumer. “The new ferries will be more resilient than ever, which fittingly represents Jimmy’s resiliency as a leader in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. From fighting for vets to fighting to improve transportation; from reimagining, revitalizing and attracting huge investment in Staten Island’s North Shore to volunteering and donating to numerous health institutions on Staten Island, James Molinaro embodies the meaning of what a Borough President should be. The current Staten Island fleet is named for prominent figures both on Staten Island and across the country, and when the next ferry fleet comes sailing in, NYCDOT should make sure it includes a ‘James P. Molinaro’ ship.”
The Staten Island Ferry provides 22 million people a year (70,000 passengers a day, not including weekend days) with ferry service between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transportation between Staten Island and Manhattan. NYC DOT operates and maintains the nine-vessel fleet as well as the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, and the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. Recently Mayor de Blasio and DOT committed to half hour ferry service, running an additional 12 trips started May 1st.
The Staten Island Ferry fleet is currently made up of nine vessels. The “Spirit of America” was named to honor the spirit and unity of America after the 9/11 attacks. The remaining eight vessels are named after prominent figures including: Senator John J. Marchi, Guy V. Molinari, Samuel I. Newhouse, Andrew J. Barberi, John F. Kennedy, John Nobel, Alice Austen and Michael Cosgrove.
Earlier this year, Schumer secured federal funding to construct two new 4,500 passenger vessels for the Staten Island ferry system. The modern ferries will offer critical protection and replace two vessels that have reached their useful life. The new boats will have 4 modern cycloidal drives each, along with side doors, which will allow them to operate in more extreme weather conditions and dock at other terminals around the city in case of emergency. NYCDOT has already funded the design of the new ferry fleet and now, this funding will help NYC DOT move forward with construction.
Schumer today urged NYCDOT to name a new vessel after former Borough President James Molinaro. James Molinaro was Staten Island Borough President from 2001 to 2013. Prior, Molinaro served as Deputy Borough President from 1999 to 2001. Schumer said that Molinaro embodies the meaning of what a good Borough President should be. Schumer went on to say that, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Molinaro’s call for more recovery efforts on Staten Island was the noise heard across the City and across the country. Because of his efforts, trucks of supplies and volunteers began rolling across the Staten Island bridges. Molinaro worked closely with Schumer to secure federal funds for Staten Island beaches and helped make sure FEMA’s top officials toured Staten Island’s hard-hit hospitals. In addition to his efforts after Sandy, Molinaro also fought for veterans and fought to improve transportation. In addition, Schumer explained that Molinaro is a good family man and has a good heart; he has volunteered his time to important efforts and has donated money to health institutions like the Heart Institute of Staten Island and St. Elizabeth Ann’s Health and Rehab Center. Molinaro also sat on the board of RUMC. Overall, Schumer said that a ferry should be named in Molinaro’s honor because of his advocacy, leadership and commitment to Staten Islanders for decades.
###
