MIDDLETOWN, NJ — In breaking news, Monmouth County announced Thursday evening it will terminate NY Waterway's contract to run the Belford ferry service out of Middletown if service does not improve in the next 30 days.
Monmouth County gave NY Waterway a deadline: They have until Nov. 30 to "demonstrate substantial and sustained improvements," said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone.
"If NY Waterway fails to meet all contractual obligations, we will move forward with terminating the contract," he warned.
NY Waterway has not publicly commented on this latest update. But Monmouth County officials said NY Waterway agreed to the 30-day improvement plan after an emergency meeting was held Wednesday between the county and ferry provider.
Arnone called for the meeting after he was presented with this petition from riders, asking Monmouth County to give the Belford ferry contact back to NY Waterway's rival, SeaStreak.
Nearly 500 people signed the petition, said Middletown resident Janine Materna-Schulman, who launched it.
She and her husband commute on the Belford ferry daily and they, and many others, say they've been documenting how service has taken a nose-dive since NY Waterway took the service back over last month. (SeaStreak ran the Belford ferries for the past two years, and NY Waterway sued to get the contract back.)
What's gone wrong? First, there are not as many ferries leaving Manhattan in the evenings. When SeaStreak ran it, they offered more evening trips back to Monmouth County. After Wednesday's emergency meeting with the county, NY Waterway said it will be adding a 6:15 p.m. departure from Pier 79, available Monday through Friday.
Also, NY Waterway ferries leave too late in the mornings, resulting in many commuters being late to work. Starting Monday, November 2, the 6:30 a.m. morning departure from Belford Terminal will start leaving earlier, at 6:20 a.m., with arrivals at Pier 11 at 7 a.m. and arrival at Paulus Hook at 7:15 a.m.
Additionally, a 5:15 a.m. departure will be available Monday through Thursday.
These are all changes that came out of Wednesday's meeting with the county.
"During our discussion, NY Waterway indicated that some of the issues with timeliness were being caused by delays being encountered en route to and at the New York piers," said Arnone. "We worked with them to identify meaningful ways to improve on-time performance while also addressing ferry riders' concerns about the availability of both morning and evening service on Mondays."
NY Waterway boats are crowded and uncomfortable, say riders, reporting that all the seats are usually filled and they have to stand for the nearly hour-long boat ride across Raritan Bay, or sometimes squeezed into sitting on steps and in walkways. Also, NY Waterway boats seem older, more rickety and less stable and sturdy compared to Seastreak's rides, which were much more comfortable, say commuters.
"The boats are very rough. It vibrates a lot. I actually have to carry a little towel with me to sit on because the seats are so hard and my lower back kills me," one rider told Eyewitness News.
When SeaStreak ran the Belford service, it was more expensive, but the boat ride was far more comfortable, even plush at times, say commuters. Seastreak has more comfortable seats, and free WiFi.
Things reached a breaking point, literally, on Oct. 6, a Tuesday morning: A NY Waterway ferry that left Belford in the 6 a.m. hour hit some pilings as it pulled out of the dock, shattering more than 10 windows on the boat and even sending glass flying down onto stunned passengers. The captain and crew were never given an alcohol test after the mishap, and passengers said they were even more stunned when the ferry did not return to the dock so the captain could assess damage.
Instead, it steamed out of the harbor and raced across the bay to Manhattan. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently investigating the crash.
"We met with NY Waterway officials to outline the county's concerns and expectations regarding persistent departure delays and safety issues," said Arnone. "We have been assured by NY Waterway that all of the concerns will be addressed in a consistent manner moving forward. While we are hopeful that NY Waterway will fulfill its contractual obligations, we will continue to hold them accountable. We have agreed to give NY Waterway 30 days, beginning November 1, to demonstrate substantial and sustained improvements."
NY Waterway Responds To Complaints About Its Belford Service (Oct. 8)
NY Waterway Ferry Hit Dock As It Departed Belford (Oct. 6)
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