But Then Who Would Ever Go To Staten Island?

It’s hard to fathom why a Councilmember representing Staten Island would be trying to make it more difficult to get to Saten Island, but thankfully apparently nothing will come of the proposal to start charging tourists to ride the Staten Island Ferry:

One of New York’s few free rides could be sunk by the city government’s desire for new revenue.

City Council member James Oddo wants to start charging tourists who take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry.

“It’s a way of taking the burden off New Yorkers,” said Mr. Oddo, a Republican who represents Staten Island, said. “How much do tourists pay for the Circle Line?”

At Mr. Oddo’s urging, the city’s Independent Budget Office recently released a report called the “Estimate of Revenues and Costs of Staten Island Ferry ‘Tourist’ Fares.”

The report examined fares at $1, $2, $3 and $4, while taking into consideration the extra costs that the program would incur, such as adding ticket vending machines and gates. The report also assumed that annual ridership would decline as fares rose.

About 57,000 riders take the Staten Island Ferry each week. Of those, about 41,000 are Staten Island residents.

According to the report, fare revenues would exceed costs and create a surplus at every dollar increment above $1. At $2, the city would profit about $4 million a year; at $3 about $7 million a year; and at $4 about $10 million a year.

. . .

The Staten Island Ferry became one of the few commuter ferries in the country to offer unlimited free rides in 1997 when a 50 cent fare was tossed to the wayside by Mayor Giuliani in what was seen as a reward by the Republican mayor to one of the only reliably Republican parts of New York City. Presently, the estimated annual budget of the New York City Department of Transportation for the ferry is about $80 million.

Previously: But Then Who Would Ride The Ferry?