Public Policy Objectives and Urban Transit: Case of Passenger Ferries in the New York City Region

Transit is closely associated with public-sector involvement, including capital costs and significant subsidies of operating costs. The rationale for this involvement is justified on several grounds, including the presence of economies of scale in provision of transit service and the presence of external benefits associated with transit. In a recent study Parry and Small demonstrated that these two effects provide justification for existing subsidy levels for transit service in several cities. In the world of public transit, passenger ferry service in the New York City region is unusual: with the exception of the subsidized and publicly run Staten Island Ferry, the regional ferry system is run primarily with operating costs covered by farebox revenues. Can the arguments for public subsidies for transit extend to this system of private passenger ferries? Would economies of scale and external benefits justify an expanded and subsidized ferry system in the New York City region? These issues are explored by defining the public interest in the context of the system, discussing whether this public interest would justify a structural change in the way passenger ferries are funded in the region, and providing a timely case study, the East River Ferry service started in June 2011. This subsidized service, a ridership success, has capitalized on growing densities along the East River between Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, New York.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/2274-20
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Public+Policy+Objectives+and+Urban+Transit%3a+Case+of+Passenger+Ferries+in+the+New+York+City+Region&author=P.+Vilain&author=J.+Cox&author=V.+Mantero&publication_year=2012
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309223171
• Authors:
  • Vilain, Pierre B
  • Cox, Janet
  • Mantero, Vicente
• Publication Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 184–191
• Monograph Title: Transit 2012, Volume 1, Including 2012 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lecture
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2274
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Ferry service; Financing; Government funding; Operating subsidies; Public policy
• Geographic Terms: East River (New York); New York (New York)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Marine Transportation; Policy; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration; I70: Traffic and Transport;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01363049
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309223171
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-4197
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 21 2012 10:06AM