NY Waterway ferry vows to fight after Monmouth boots it from Belford in favor of Seastreak

MIDDLETOWN - On the verge of losing a route that it served for 20 years, NY Waterway officials said Thursday they plan to fight the decision by Monmouth County to award a contract to provide ferry service between Belford and New York to its competitor, Seastreak.

Armand Pohan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of NY Waterway, said his company offered to provide more frequent service and cheaper tickets than Seastreak. But the bid was dismissed on what he said was a technicality.

"We're stunned, and so are the riders we've served these past 20 years," Pohan said in a statement. "Our bid … was thrown out based on a technicality in which the county didn't follow its own rules. That's a bad deal for riders in Monmouth County, and we intend to fight it."

Monmouth County commissioners voted last week to give the contract to Seastreak, another ferry service that operates routes among Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Manhattan.

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The decision comes as Monmouth County commuters have returned to their commutes in Manhattan after the pandemic forced many of them to work from home for two years.

Jason Bossick took NY Waterway Thursday to his job as an electrician in New York, hoping to avoid the traffic heading to the Shore ahead of July Fourth weekend.

He said the prospect of Seastreak taking over the route this fall, bringing with it a higher ticket price, would make him think twice.

NY Waterway "is a lot more affordable," Bossick, 40, of Keansburg, said. "It's all about price."

NY Waterway and Seastreak long have co-existed.

NY Waterway operated from the Belford section of Middletown with stops at Pier 11/Wall Street, Battery Park City; Paulus Hook in Jersey City; and Midtown Manhattan/West 39^th Street — and offering free transfers to other routes. Seastreak operated from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands with stops at Pier 11/Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan/East 35th Street.

With the NY Waterway contract ending, Monmouth County commissioners solicited bids to operate from the Belford Terminal for two years with the option of two single-year renewals.

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NY Waterway proposed 16 daily trips during weekdays — seven in the morning and nine in the evening — with a ticket price of $21.50 each way. Seastreak proposed 11 daily trips during weekdays — five in the morning and six in the evening — with a ticket price of $28 one way.

Monmouth County officials, however, said NY Waterway's proposal was noncompliant because it didn't submit a Consent of Surety, acknowledgement that the company had a bond to ensure the service would continue in case it ran into trouble.

NY Waterway officials protested, saying it had a letter of credit from a bank instead of a bond that would prove its financial stability.

It wasn't enough to sway the commissioners, who awarded the contract to Seastreak. The operator will pay the county $2.10 per trip.

Seastreak noted passengers also can buy a 40-ticket book for $695, which amounts to $17 a trip.

The company is expected to begin operating the route in October with three boats that it says can carry about 100 more passengers than NY Waterway's fleet and shave about 10 minutes off the commute.

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In a note to customers, Seastreak President James A. Baker said the ferry will connected Belford, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands to Manhattan. And customers could take Seastreak not only to Midtown on the east side, but also Midtown on the west side.

The switch in ferry services would end an era.

When Monmouth County opened the $10 million Belford Ferry Terminal in 2002 across the creek from the Belford Seafood Cooperative, NY Waterway was the only bidder in a move that critics said was proof there wasn't enough demand for the service.

The operator was shuttling 2,300 passengers a day before the pandemic. And traffic has begun to recover, NY Waterway officials said; the ferry had about 1,000 riders a day in May.

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Pohan said the county's decision ultimately removes a competitor and will saddle residents with higher prices.

"The existence of the two of us keeps us honest with each other," Pohan told commissioners at the June 21 meeting. "If there's no competition, your residents, your commuters are going to suffer."

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.