Coast Guard Orders 23 NY Waterway Ferries Out Of Service

HOBOKEN, NJ — NY Waterway service hit a speed bump on Monday after the U.S. Coast Guard ordered 23 of the company’s ferries out of service due to alleged safety discrepancies.

A spokesperson for NY Waterway told Patch that eight of the boats were put back into service by Sunday afternoon. The company started the work week with 15 vessels still out of service.

“We’re waiting for the Coast Guard to begin re-inspecting more of the boats,” Pat Smith of NY Waterway said Monday. “Depending on how they do today, we’re hoping to see five of six boats back in service in time for rush hour, in which time we should be back to normal.”

“If not, we’ll definitely be back to normal by [Tuesday],” Smith added.

Smith said NY Waterway apologized to its customers, most of whom “felt no impact” or saw 10-minute delays.

A Coast Guard spokesperson told News 12 New Jersey that last week’s inspections came after regular annual inspections found issues with fire safety and emergency systems.

NY Waterway advised customers about temporary travel changes on Monday, saying that it would be running modified service for some routes due to the Coast Guard inspections (see list here).

Officials with the City of Hoboken issued a travel advisory on Sunday, warning that there may be delays on Monday for riders taking ferries out of the Mile Square City.

“As you know, when one part of our morning commute has issues, it ripples through to others so whether you are taking the ferry or driving or taking the bus or the PATH,” Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher stated Sunday. “Expect for some agita during tomorrow's rush hour and plan accordingly.”

“And don't forget to dress a little warmer in case you are standing outside longer - the temperatures for the morning's commute are around 40 degrees,” Fisher added.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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