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Coast Guard Takes Over Half Of NY Waterway Ferries Out Of Service After Discovering 'Safety Discrepancies'
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 25, 2019
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New York Waterway / Facebook
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 25, 2019
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New York Waterway ferries are running on a modified schedule between New Jersey and Manhattan after U.S. Coast Guard inspections forced the commuter ferry to take some boats out of service.
"New York marine inspectors determined the 23 ferries had damage or discrepancies significant enough to warrant suspension of service," the Coast Guard said in a statement issued on Sunday. "So far, two of those vessels have been reinspected and returned to normal operations."
The problems were part of a trend spotted during the Coast Guard's annual inspections, but the Coast Guard would not specifically say why the ferries were taken out of service.
New York Waterway operates 32 ferries. By Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard noted that eight vessels had been approved to return to service. The company offered these details about its Monday service:
Monday morning commuters were frustrated by the delays and what they said was poor communication about the changes.
And there are delays:
"The safety of the public is our top priority, and we expect our ferry operators to uphold the highest standards," said Capt. Jason Tama, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, in a statement. "We know many people rely on these ferries for daily commutes, and as these discrepancies are rectified, we will work with New York Waterway to return these ferries to operations as quickly as possible."
New York Waterway is hoping things get back to normal for the evening commute
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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