Rhinecliff ferry service moves closer to reality

FROM THE MID-HUDSON NEWS SERVICE:

KINGSTON – The Kingston Common Council approved two measures that could get a Kingston-Rhinebeck ferry up and running.  The council, Tuesday night, approved a ferry service feasibility study and an inter-municipal agreement with Rhinebeck

The feasibility study will assess the plausibility of bringing large scale ferry service to several locations along the Hudson River. Council President James Noble said the study will take a broad look at the possibility of implementing full-scale ferry service to locations all along the Hudson River such as Kingston, Rhinecliff, Hudson, and many other areas.

He said that the study will address everything from potential ridership to issues with docking at each location.

The study, according to Noble, could possibly cost as much as a few hundred thousand dollars but large scale ferry service would definitely be good for tourism because “it would get people here” to enjoy what the waterfront has to offer.

“Tourism brings sales tax and sales tax helps the city, bottom line. So anything we can do to foster that we’ve in favor of it.”

The idea of doing a ferry feasibility study was proposed most recently in November 2009 and, as a result of the common council’s decision Tuesday evening, the city will now begin the process of engaging in the necessary research.

The other measure passed by the  Common Council gives the go-ahead for an inter-municipal cooperation agreement between the city and the Town of Rhinebeck to install and utilize a docking area on the Rhinebeck side of the Hudson River so that ferry service can be extended to communities in that region.

According Noble, Rhinebeck will be providing the funds and materials while the City of Kingston will provide the manpower to seasonally install a docking area on the opposite side of the river to generate local commuter and tourism traffic.

“Trying to alleviate traffic but at the same time if you don’t have a vehicle to be able to get back and forth and get to the city.”

Noble said commuters will have the ability to park in the Rondout area and take the ferry to the Rhinecliff Ferry Station where access to trains servicing New York City is readily available.

Noble added that the future ferry service to Rhinebeck will be seasonal and will consist of passenger boats that Kingston already has in place.