Why a Riverdale ferry will never work

To the editor:

Re: "The pros and cons of a Riverdale ferry," editorial, Jan. 24.

As a maritime attorney; one who has boated on the Hudson River and other local waters for close to 70 years; as a 1948 "graduate" of the U.S. Power Squadron's boating course; and as a former referee and inspector for the American Power Boat Association, I oppose a proposed Riverdale/Manhattan ferry for the following reasons:

The average tide in the Hudson River in the Riverdale area is about six feet. The currents are very swift both on the incoming tide and the outgoing tide. vessels traveling up and down the river create tremendous wakes, so the waters are not only going north/south, but also east/west from the river to each shore and bouncing back again.

Any pier built must compensate for the various directions in which the water flows as well as the rise and fall of the tide. At Spuyten Duyvil, for example, where the Harlem River meets the Hudson River, the change in the currents causes the water to swirl, creating conditions even more dangerous than if the pier were located farther north on the Hudson. In addition, such a pier cannot interfere with the regular river traffic. Before a pier is built, there must be an environmental impact study. Piers are no longer built with wood pilings, but are generally constructed with a form of concrete pilings. This kind of construction is exceedingly expensive, difficult to build and time consuming.

All of the above must be taken into consideration since safety is a major concern for passengers embarking and disembarking vessels on the river. The movement of the vessel in water conditions as described above, along with weather and wind conditions, all create serious safety problems.

I have enumerated several reasons why I would oppose a Riverdale/Manhattan ferry and have not even addressed the land problems involved with providing parking for passengers' cars near a pier, how passengers traverse to and from the pier, and what the impact would be on local traffic in the area.

GERALD GOLDSMITH

This is part of the January 31, 2008 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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