$650K grant for construction of ferry terminal

BAYONNE – A proposed passenger ferry terminal in Bayonne took another step forward today when Mayor James Davis and U.S. Representative Albio Sires announced Bayonne as the recipient of a $650,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant to help with the construction of a terminal on the former Military Ocean Terminal Base (MOTBY).
The award comes after the city agreed in March to lease a piece of land from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for $2 million over 10 years. The site of the potential ferry would be about a half mile east of the 34th Street Light Rail station on the southern shore of the base.
In April, the Bayonne City Council issued a request for proposals for a ferry operator. NY Waterways, the only private ferry operator in Hudson County, is the most likely company to respond.
The grant comes from the USDOT Passenger Ferry Grant program (49 U.S.C. 5307(h)), which, according to the USDOT website, “provides competitive funding for projects that support passenger ferry systems in urbanized areas. These funds constitute a core investment in the enhancement and revitalization of public ferry systems in the nation’s urbanized areas.”
Mayor James Davis said in a press release, “Commuter ferry service is a game changer for Bayonne and this federal grant is another step forward for our city toward a brighter future with millions in new tax revenue and an opportunity for our community to thrive.”