CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN SLAMS MTA’S “RECKLESS ABANDONMENT” OF HUDSON VALLEY COMMUTERS, DEMANDS RESTORATION OF NEWBURGH-BEACON FERRY SERVICE
Congressman Pat Ryan Slams MTA’s “Reckless Abandonment” of Hudson Valley Commuters, Demands Restoration of Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Service
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to permanently discontinue the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry – which provides crucial cross-river access to Metro-North train lines – ripping the rug out from under Hudson Valley commuters and striking a blow to tourism and economic development across the region
Congressman Ryan is demanding that the MTA – which has systematically failed the Hudson Valley for decades – restore services immediately
Tonight, at 6pm, Ryan will join community members in Newburgh as the community rallies to save the service; impacted Hudson Valley residents will speak about concerns surrounding commuter accessibility, tourism, and economic development
NEWBURGH, NY – Today, after learning that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to permanently discontinue the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry, Congressman Pat Ryan is demanding better for Hudson Valley commuters. The Newburgh-Beacon Ferry provides a crucial cross-river connection for commuters seeking convenient access to Metro-North train lines, and helps to bolster tourism and economic development across the Hudson Valley. Tonight, at 6:00 pm at the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Dock, Congressman Ryan will join impacted Hudson Valley residents as they speak out to save this vital service. Community members are raising concerns about commuter accessibility, tourism, and economic development.
In a letter to MTA CEO Janno Leiber, Congressman Ryan highlighted the MTA’s concerning pattern of failing Hudson Valley residents, and demanded restoration of the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry service at once.
“The closure of the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry is yet another example of our Hudson Valley community paying into a NYC-centric system and getting almost nothing in return,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “The MTA should be adding more transit options and lowering costs, not taking away the limited options we do have. The MTA discontinuing this ferry service is a reckless abandonment of the people it’s supposed to serve, turning its back on our community while happily taking our tax dollars. Hudson Valley commuters deserve better than this betrayal of public trust and I’ll fight like hell to get this service restored.”
The Newburgh-Beacon Ferry provides a crucial cross-river connection for commuters seeking convenient, efficient, and reliable access to Metro-North trains. Discontinuing this ferry service permanently will be incredibly disruptive to commuters and cut off Hudson Valley residents from yet another public transportation mode, as well as harm regional tourism and economic development; further isolating Newburgh from tourists that travel north from the City and the capital that they bring to our region.
For decades, the MTA has systematically failed the Hudson Valley. In addition to the MTA’s uninformed Congestion Pricing plan that puts an undue burden on Hudson Valley taxpayers, there isn’t a single MTA station in Ulster County, there’s no one-seat service from Orange County to NYC, and limited service in Dutchess County. Congressman Ryan has consistently fought for adequate public transportation in the Hudson Valley and demanded better of the MTA.
The full text of Congressman Ryan’s letter to MTA CEO Janno Leiber is included below:
Dear Mr. Leiber,
I write to express my deep frustration over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) recent decision to permanently discontinue the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry. This ferry provides a crucial cross-river connection for commuters seeking convenient, efficient, and reliable access to Metro-North trains. Discontinuing this ferry service permanently will be incredibly disruptive to commuters, largely my constituents, and completely cut off Hudson Valley residents from an important public transportation mode. This move will also harm regional tourism and economic development - further isolating Newburgh from tourists that travel north from the City and the capital that they bring to our region.
Unfortunately, for my constituents, the underlying issue here feels very familiar. Just like MTA’s uninformed Congestion Pricing plan, MTA has found another way to fail Hudson Valley residents, turning its back on our community while taking our tax dollars. MTA should be expanding service in our community and correcting longstanding issues that plague our transit system to better serve our community and boost regional tourism. Instead, MTA has chosen to contract out service and abandon the people it is supposed to serve. This decision to discontinue the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry does nothing but prove the MTA’s gross misunderstanding of the basic purpose and function of public transit: to serve the public.
Additionally, I am angered, but not surprised, at MTA’s lack of any formal replacement service plan. MTA is pulling the rug out from entire Hudson Valley communities with little warning, no accountability, and no serious plans (or funding sources!) for service alternatives. This is reckless and a betrayal of public trust. It is MTA’s duty to provide safe, reliable, and efficient transit options for the region it serves, not to abandon entire communities when it is no longer convenient to provide them with basic services like ferry transport.
I strongly urge MTA to reverse course and move quickly to restore the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry service.
Sincerely,
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