Results tagged “statenislandferry”

George Adde, 66, claims he sustained a herniated disk in his lower back when other passengers fell on him during the 2003 Staten Island ferry crash, which killed 11 people and injured many others. Taxpayers have spent $66.9 million settling 161 of the 171 cases filed in the aftermath of the accident, including a $6.5 million payout to a man who lost part of his right leg. Adde was probably counting on a million or two to help him cope with his back pain, but there was just one teensy problem with his lawsuit.

The Department of Transportation has agreed to relegate space on the middle deck of the Staten Island Ferry to become a designated "Quiet Zone." The SI Advance says that the area will be a place where passengers can seek solace to "avoid loud cell phone conversations, general chatter and ferryboat preachers who seek a captive audience." For now the Quiet Zones will be voluntary and self-policed, but City Councilman Ken Mitchell is drafting legislation for the DOT and NYPD to be able to enforce the new rules as well. Mitchell and State Senator Diane Savino pushed for the areas, similar to ones employed on Amtrak trains, because Staten Islanders face the longest average commute in the nation. After a survey went out to Ferry riders asking about their commutes, Savino says, "Everyone of them said that they wanted some place to go on the boat where they could go and just contemplate their life." The signs will be posted on the Bridge Deck of the three newest Molinari-class ferryboats; Savoy says she is brainstorming how to make the plan work for older ferry models as well.

A firefighter is in critical condition after a violent altercation erupted inside the Whitehall Terminal on his way to Staten Island early Monday morning. Matthew Dugan, 34, who is assigned to Ladder 15 near the South Street Seaport, had to undergo emergency surgery to relieve swelling on the brain caused by the fight, which started around 1:30 a.m. as he entered the terminal with his girlfriend after drinking at a lower Manhattan bar. Witnesses tell police the fight started when three people laughed at Dugan's girlfriend after she tripped. One bystander tells the Post, "When they laughed, he told them to grow up. They said, ‘Shut the f—k up before we beat you up.’" The situation quickly escalated, and the assailants, described only as two men and one woman, began hitting him in the head and punching him in the face. Dugan, who was off-duty, didn't lose consciousness, but was bleeding heavily from his face and mouth when the ambulance arrived. One of his fellow firefighters tells the Daily News, "We're hoping he's going to be okay." And investigators are reviewing surveillance video showing suspects running from the terminal after the brawl.

Rep. Michael McMahon and Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking that cars be allowed back onto the Staten Island Ferry. Car service was suspended at 9/11, but now, McMahon writes, "The residents of Staten Island endure one of the most arduous and costly commutes in the country; all options which could ease that burden without compromising our safety should be made available... Opening the ferry to car transportation would give Staten Island commuters more choices, ultimately save many commuters time, and would cut down on all the unnecessary vehicle emissions resulting from the need to drive through Brooklyn to get to Manhattan." One ferry rider concurred and told NY1, "I think I would feel safe, and I think as a Staten Islander, we don't have much access, or anything, you have to take bridges and pay huge tolls." However, there are some detractors: Transportation Alternatives' Wiley Norvell said to the Post, "The logistical and expense burdens of moving cars on the Staten Island Ferry is totally out of proportion to the benefits of using the ferry for cars."

Officials say that the Staten Island Ferry that crashed into a dock at the St. George Terminal last night lost power when it was entering its slip. The Staten Island Advance reports, "Ferry Chief James DeSimone said the propulsion system failed as the ferry docked, and compared it to a car suddenly losing its brakes. He said the unidentified captain 'took the appropriate action' and that all crew members were given mandatory drug and alcohol tests."

According to the wires, at 7:13pm, a Staten Island ferry experienced a "hard docking" with "several injuries" at the St. George Terminal in Staten Island. No one was seen in the water, and the ferry regained power and was able to pull in to the berth. The Fire Department is calling all hands, and 750 people are being evacuated from the ferry. More details as we get them. Update 7:43pm: there are reports of 10 "yellow tag" (intermediate level) injuries. Lots of helicopters out over the bay. Update 9:25 p.m.: Fifteen people suffered minor injuries, according to the Staten Island Advance, which also reports, "Witnesses reported that the Marchi, which left Whitehall at 6:45 p.m., came in fast after the power cut out. There was an announcement from the pilothouse to 'hang on,' followed by more urgent announcements, and riders scrambled to the rear of the boat." The John Marchi ferryboat and Slip 5 both suffered damage.

A paralyzed man who broke his neck in that 2003 Staten Island Ferry accident wants his lawyer to have a bigger share of his $18.3 million settlement. That's right: He wants to give his lawyer more money. James McMillan, who did not, apparently, suffer head trauma during the accident, appeared in court again yesterday to ask a magistrate to reverse another judge's ruling which reduced his lawyer's fee by almost $2.5 million. McMillan thinks his poor lawyer is entitled to a third of the money (which would be about $6.1 million), telling the Daily News, "I want him to have it. He worked for it. There's a hundred lawyers on TV saying, 'I'm the best,' but this man has walked with me through many things people wouldn't understand. He said, 'James I'm your lawyer' and I needed that comfort." It's unclear what kind of nefarious occult spell attorney Evan Torgan has cast over his client, but the judge who previously reduced his percentage was concerned that McMillan didn't understand the retainer he signed in his hospital bed just days after the crash.

Last September, friends of a 23-year-old woman became worried when she had been missing for several days. However, Hannah Upp, a teacher at the Thurgood Marshall Academy and Pace graduate student, was spotted at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue—she spoke to a fellow Pace student—raising questions about whether she wanted to be found. She was ultimately spotted in the water—and alive— off Staten Island two and a half weeks after she was last seen. Upp has said little since re-emerging—except to explain she suffered from "dissociative fugue" and thank her rescuers who rescued her... until now.

A cab driver going after four fare-beating young women was intercepted by a second group who beat him to ground until he was bleeding from the face by a group who thought that the ladies were being mugged. The driver had picked up the women at the club Bogart's on Park Avenue in Midtown and driven them down to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal around 3 a.m. When the women tried to make a run for it towards the ferry, the driver chased after them and grabbed at their purses when a second car pulled up and intervened. The driver was beaten so bad that he had to be taken to Bellevue Hospital. Police gave the group of women summonses when they came off the ferry in Staten Island. The attackers, who fled the scene, have not been found.

Next time someone calls you cheap for taking a date out on the free ride provided by the Staten Island Ferry, you have them know that that ride actually costs almost six dollars...in taxpayer money. The Mayor's Management Report says that with rising costs in fuel throughout last year, the price of each ride went up almost 25% to $5.69 with the total annual tab costing the city $112 million. The Independent Budget Office has been suggesting for years that reinstating a fare to the ferry (which stopped charging 50¢ a ride in 1997) could bring in $4.3 million to a city budget that's ailing. This year's report pointed out that allowing Staten Islanders to continue to ride free and just making tourists pay for one of the best views of the city would net $3.4 million alone. Yet today's NY Post says that "there's little sentiment to reinstate any charge."

Thank goodness for the eagle eyes of Staten Island Ferry captain Christopher Covella. His and his crew's actions led to the rescue of 23-year-old Hannah Upp, a public school teacher missing since August 29.

The police arrested five Brooklyn teenagers for, per the Staten Island Advance, "allegedly attacking another teenager then trying to escape on a ferryboat." One of the teens, all 16 years old, supposedly punched someone a block away from the St. George Ferry Terminal and then fled, with four friends, on the Guy V. Molinari ferryboat. The victim pointed out the attacker and cops had to follow the group onto the ferry, eventually taking them into custody on at the Whitehall terminal. The Advance's earlier story reported, "Police called for reinforcements because they did not have enough handcuffs."

Yesterday, the city settled a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a man killed during the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash. The city is giving $8.7 million to John Healy's widow Kathy and their four children.

With over 19 million passengers a year and demand still rising, the Staten Island Ferry seems to be at a critical point. The Staten Island Advance outlines the issues--there's repeated requests to increase nighttime service (it only runs hourly), plus the DOT may look at larger ferries, to deal with capacity. Also, there's talk of adding a new route on the South Shore (currently, commutes from there take over 90 minutes); State Senator Andrew Lanza said, "The South Shore is probably the most underserved and cut off from mass transit in all of New York City. We pay taxes like everyone else, and we deserve to get our fair share of options."

Nearly five years after the Staten Island Ferry crash, victims are still fighting with the city over settlements. And in one case, the city claims James McMillan Jr., a 44-year-old who was paralyzed, will die in 16 years, not 30 years, so the settlement should only cover 16 years. He is under 24-hour-care and his lawyer said he'll live a long life with proper care, "The city paralyzed him, and now they're saying that he is going to die young because of the damage they caused. They're turning a personal-injury case into a wrongful-death case." A juries were recently selected for McMillan's case as well as the case of a crash victim who died.

An appellate court ruled the City of New York cannot limit its liability in the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash that left 11 dead and injured over a hundred others. This ruling upholds last year's decision from a U.S District Judge; the city could appeal with the Supreme Court, but the Staten Island Advance says "that option doesn't seem likely."

Seems as though the Staten Island Ferry riders have had enough of the preachers that give unsolicited sermons during their daily commutes. Today one of them stood up to a preacher, and garnered much applause for the act.

The new fish tanks at the Staten Island Ferry terminal have already prompted two complaints. But not the kind you think: The Staten Island Advance reports "two ferry riders expressed their annoyance that they missed their ride because they were too busy admiring the fish and didn't hear the announcements the boat was boarding."

A reported fish fatality in the Staten Island Ferry's newly installed $750,000 fish tanks has spurred a lively discussion about what could be happening to the scaly creatures on SILive's forums. One poster wrote the fish death (perhaps the second) was "possibly a princess parrot fish...By 7:30AM it hadn't become a meal yet, but some of his buddies were starting to show some [interest]."

Almost five years after the horrifying incident where the Staten Island Ferry crashed into wooden pilings at a pier, the city will pay $6.5 million to a man who lost part of his right leg. Shriram Agni was on the front of the boat when the ferry crashed, and his right leg was "sandwiched between collapsing seats."

A trio of helpful hustlers have hit the streets of New York and are pulling scams on city residents. All in the name of education! Hidden cameras catch their tricks and viewers of their show, The Real Hustle, can learn how to avoid and prevent the sketchy situations.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a train derailment at 86th St. and 20th Ave. in Brooklyn, an overturned crane at 100th St. and Rockaway Beach Blvd. in Queens, and an amputation on Hylan Blvd. on Staten Island.
• A guy who jumps off buildings for fun says that security guards caused him "severe emotional distress" when they prevented him from leaping off the Empire State Building, so he's suing the ESB's owners for $30 million.
• When an unknown food critic stupidly leaves notes at a restaurant, a gossip column is sure to notice it, except for the fact that the notes might be from the food critic of the same newspaper.

The MTA has been making an effort to warn commuters to watch their step going up and down the subway stairs, but it’s not just because they care so much about your safety – it’s because they can be held liable for your nasty falls. A former doorman has been awarded $7.67 million in damages resulting from a spill he took on the stairs of a Bronx subway station back in 1998. In this case the cause of the tumble wasn’t haste but rather a nice slimy pile of pigeon droppings.

A report released by the Center for Immigration Studies shows that foreign born immigrants living in New York are socioeconomically closer to the average citizen than elsewhere in the country. The study says that New York immigrants are more likely to be in the country legally, have health insurance and tend to be better educated. The New York Times reports that the states with the widest income gaps between immigrants and citizens are California, Texas,...

A group of influential paisans from Staten Island, drunk on the idea of starting the first vineyard in contemporary New York City, have been on a wine-tasting tour of Tuscany, researching vineyards to figure out the best way to bring their brain-child back to their home borough. Yes, you read that correctly – according to today’s Times, you’ll soon be able to step off the Staten Island Ferry and pick up a bottle of Fresh...

Citing the unsightly damage that pigeon poop does to the city, City Council Member Simcha Felder announced a bill proposal to fine people $1000 for feeding pigeons. Some of Felder's key remarks and findings: "Stop feeding pigeons!" "If people like pigeons... feed [them] in your house and let them crap all over the place in your living room." A pigeon creates about 25 pounds of poop annually. "[The pigeons] may go elsewhere. Let them...

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a missing patient at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, a car vs. overpass on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, and a truck explosion on 64th Rd. and 108th St. in Queens.
• A sharp-sighted deckhand on a Staten Island Ferry spotted a pistol sticking out of the pocket of a dim-witted passenger snoozing on a Sunday morning ferry. The passenger, who was arrested, had a long record of criminal weapons possessions.
• The wife of the slain orthodontist Daniel Malakov previously met with a political consultant to plan a custody protest with her daughter in front of the White House. She gave up her plan when advised that "nobody would care."
• Lindsay Lohan is reportedly looking to rejuvenate her image by appearing as the assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant on the television series "Ugly Betty."
• Strip-club Scores is sponsoring a food drive with collected food dedicated to City Harvest called "Cans for Cans." Club customers will gain free admission with a printed-out copy of the promotion from the business' web site and a donated can of food.
• A very interesting look at how pidgin Gaelic by Irish newcomers to NYC shaped modern American slang.
• Community Board 10 will be holding a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of 125th St. on November 14th.
• Bomb scare at Laguardia airport.

EXPLORE: Last call to visit the historic Governors Island this season! Free ferry rides depart hourly right next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Sitting 800 yards off the southern tip of Manhattan and about 400 from the Brooklyn waterfront, it isn't often you can get a view of the city and a house like that one to the right all from the same place.