(And) Whatever It Costs, That’s What We’re Going To Have To Pay

The costs of operating the Staten Island Ferry have doubled since 2002 and the newspapers do the math:

The cost of the “free” Staten Island ferry has doubled in the past five years to a projected $83.8 million this year, a budget watchdog reported yesterday.

Every time a ferry leaves the gangplank, it costs the city $2,515 per one-way trip.

By comparison, the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO) said the ferry service cost $40.2 million to operate in 2002.

The IBO blamed much of the higher costs on improvements and changes made after the 9/11 terror attacks and the ferry crash on Oct. 15, 2003, that killed 11 passengers.

Mayor Bloomberg cited some of the same cost factors as the IBO in defending the ferry service — which dropped its 50-cent fare in 1997.

“Whatever it costs, that’s what we’re going to have to pay,” he commented yesterday. “There’s nothing free that we have.”

You might wonder whether The Staten Island Advance covers it any differently:

The report estimates it currently costs the city about $3.75 per passenger for a ride across the harbor. But city Department of Transportation officials say Staten Islanders will continue to get the free ride they’ve enjoyed since the 50-cent fare was axed in 1997.

“If you’re going to provide more service in this day and age, it costs more money,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chalked up the rising costs as necessary expenditures.

“We’ll continue to make sure that the Staten Island Ferry provides good service,” Bloomberg said. “And whatever it costs, that’s what we’re going to have to pay.”