News from the MWA

Something They All Can Agree On

By Carter Craft and Ethan Yankowitz
Edited by John Bollinger

At the the MWA¹s Waterfront conference held on May 15th, there was general agreement from political leaders that there is a crying need to greatly increase awareness of this unique resource.

In the keynote address, Governor James E. McGreevey of New Jersey outlined plans to ensure a healthy, prosperous future for the region. The Governor said that “to ensure the success of the Waterfront area, we must treat the region as one singular, interconnected network. Decisions should not be made without understanding the impact upon the entire region.”

McGreevey added, “To ensure the success of the Waterfront area, we must treat the region as one singular, interconnected network. Decisions should not be made without understanding the impact upon the entire region.”

At the Hero of the Harbor Awards ceremony that concluded the conference, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said “New York is a place where great things can be accomplished. One of the ways we plan to do that is by reclaiming our waterfront. And I truly view the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance as a kindred spirit in these efforts. In my State of the City address I expressed my strong commitment to bringing new life to the City’s 500 miles of shoreline and I’ve worked hard to follow through. Realizing ambitious waterfront projects like this requires cooperation between the city and groups like the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance ­ cooperation I know I can count on. It also depends on the hard work of people like your heroes of the harbor.”

The Mayor presented Hero of the Harbor Awards ­ a life preserver ­ to the maritime community of New York Harbor including Ferry captains and crews from NY Waterway, Liberty Landing Water Taxi, SeaStreakUSA, New York Fast Ferry, Fox Navigation, the NYCDOT, Staten Island Ferry and Brooklyn Ferry; Linda O’Leary of the American Waterways Operators who accepted an award on behalf of tugboat operators and crews; Andrew McGovern of the Sandy Hook Pilots on behalf of harbor pilots; the crew of the historic fireboat, the John J. Harvey, which though retired in 1996 was called back into service on September 11 received an award; Willie “the barber” Studioso, a 92-year old activist who founded the Friends of the India Street Pier in Greenpoint, Brooklyn; Ella Filippone, executive director of the Passaic River Coalition.
“Right now, there is more land at the water’s edge poised for redevelopment without any coherent plan or strategy than at any time. The scale of this opportunity is more than Urban Renewal and Robert Moses combined,” said Kent Barwick, Director of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. The conference brought together over 400 attendees from international shipping companies to ferry service operators to neighborhood kayak clubs.

The Waterfront Conference, addressed the immediate and future needs of the region’s waterfront ­ including water quality and environmental restoration, public access, water-based recreation, economic development, port opportunities and ferry transportation. To stress the regional aspect of the waterfront, the conference began at the Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, continued during a tour of the harbor by ferry and concluded at the World Financial Center in Lower-Manhattan.

“Realizing ambitious waterfront projects like this requires cooperation between the city and groups like the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance ­ cooperation I know I can count on. It also depends on the hard work of people like your heroes of the harbor,” said Mayor Bloomberg. For more info: carter@waterwire.net