SIU-contracted NY Waterway is in the midst of a busy and productive stretch.
The company unveiled the first of six planned retrofitted ferries on July 26, with the reintroduction of the M/V Hoboken. The vessel, which is crewed by SIU members, is now powered by two brand new engines, which use 25% less fuel and cut emissions by 80%.
“Every ferry takes dozens – sometimes hundreds – of cars off the region’s roadways. They’re already a clean and sustainable way to commute, and now they’ll be even greener. It’s our mission to be a good steward of the harbor, and we’re so thrilled to see the Hoboken reenter service with cleaner engines, room for more passengers and lower fuel use on every trip,” said Armand Pohan, president, CEO and chairman of NY Waterway. “We are so grateful to our partners at NJ Transit, the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) as well as Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) for this program.”
The old engines, four 600-horsepower EPA Tier 1 engines, have been replaced by two 900-horsepower EPT Tier 3 engines. This has also allowed for an increase in passenger capacity, from 149 to 247.
The upgrades were made possible by a $12 million federal grant, along with the assistance of state-owned NJ Transit. The expected delivery date of the sixth retrofitted ferry will be in 2023. In addition to the retrofitted ferries, NY Waterway has taken delivery of two new 500-passenger boats, the Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Arthur E. Imperatore – the latter of which is named after the late founder of the company. Those vessels are likely to be placed into service in the fall, according to NY Waterway.
Imperatore, a visionary entrepreneur who helped create the modern commuter ferry system, died in November 2020 at age 95. He founded NY Waterway in 1986 in Weehawken, New Jersey, and built it into a mass transit system which has transported approximately 300 million people. Additionally, and as previously reported, Seafarers aboard NY Waterway vessels on July 12 rescued nine individuals whose boat capsized in the Hudson River.
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