NY Waterway Files Appeal To Keep Running Belford Ferry Service

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — NY Waterway is not backing down in what has become quite a heated fight over who gets to provide New York City ferry service from Belford.

Last week, Monmouth County Superior Court judge David Bauman issued a verdict, saying the Monmouth County Commissioners were correct in giving the Belford ferry service contract to Seastreak.

However, just this Thursday, NY Waterway filed an appeal of Judge Bauman's decision.

"We have filed our appeal," said a spokesman for NY Waterway Thursday afternoon. "Ultimately, we know we can offer Belford riders the most frequent service and the lowest ticket prices."

The average one-way Seastreak ticket is $6 more expensive than what NY Waterway charges, and NY Waterway would also run more frequent departures out of Belford.

The back story:

Ever since the Belford ferry terminal first opened in 1999, NY Waterway has run the service there.

But their 20-year contract expired this year. NY Waterway had to re-apply before Monmouth County to keep the lucrative contract, and they did. So did their arch-rival Seastreak, which runs the ferries out of Atlantic Highlands/Highlands.

In July, the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners voted to give the contract to Seastreak. They said they did that because NY Waterway's proposal did not include a "Consent of Surety," which is proof they have a bank bond to continue the service if they ran into financial trouble.

At the time, NY Waterway told the Asbury Park Press they were "stunned" by county's decision.

In their application, NY Waterway provided a letter that showed they have bank credit to run the service — but they confirmed they did not actually present the precise "Consent of Surety" the county asked for.

NY Waterway also argues they clearly have the financial resources to run the service, as they've been successfully running the Belford ferries for years. NY Waterway also recently invested in much bigger, stronger boats to handle the sometimes-rough waters of Raritan Bay and Lower New York Harbor.

The head of the Monmouth County Commissioners seems very intent to follow through with the board's unanimous vote to award the contract to Seastreak.

“The twenty-year contract between the county and NY Waterway expired at the end of October 2022," said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone on Thursday. "The county went through a formal procurement process earlier in the year to secure a qualified vendor to provide ferry services, and subsequently awarded the contract to Seastreak. The fares and routes are still being negotiated between the parties and have not been finalized yet. The county will continue to work with NY Waterway and Seastreak to ensure a smooth transition for customers.”

The county's decision is what prompted NY Waterway to sue Monmouth County, and last week Judge Bauman sided with Monmouth County.

The case will likely now head to the state appeals court.

Prior: Battle Over Belford Ferry Service: Seastreak Set To Take Over Jan. 1 (Oct. 17)