Belford ferry opening moved to Dec. 2002
By ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — Just when critics thought a Belford ferry service would be riding a wake toward a somewhat timely opening, the need for bigger, faster boats has postponed startup to the winter of 2002.
It’s a project that critics have charged would never come to fruition and waste taxpayer millions in the mix.
For the past 10 years or so, the Belford ferry service has been coming to the banks of the Bayshore. Just a couple of months ago, ground was broken for its terminal building.
County officials said construction was coming along well. Despite that, critics say the ferry service start just keeps getting put off, because the boats to run it were never there and have to be built.
The terminal construction may be moving along, but whether or not the biggest and best boats will be ready to roll out to sea by the original slated opening date of the terminal "as early as on or about June 28, 2002" is no longer in the summer cards.
"The bottom line is that the three boats N.Y. Waterway said they had for this service never existed," said staunch ferry critic and Belford Citizens Association transportation consultant Robert Riker of Rumson.
"They tried to negotiate with owners of existing boats, but those efforts did not pan out. The fact is they’re going to have to have boats built for the Belford service. That just translates into more waiting time and expense," Riker contended.
To officially buy that time, the Monmouth County Freeholders have passed a resolution extending the opening date of the service from Sept. 8, 2002, to no later than Dec. 8, 2002.
The resolution, passed on July 11, coincides with the fact that the contracted service operator, N.Y. Waterway and the county, in the name of procuring the necessary faster, bigger boats for the best service needs time — time to strike an agreement with another carrier or have the boats built.
In a letter dated Aug. 20 to N.Y. Waterway Project Director Donald Liloia, Monmouth County Administrator Robert Collins wrote that the freeholders "agreed that it would be mutually beneficial to the county and N.Y. Waterway for you [N.Y. Waterway] to pursue an agreement with another carrier that would help consolidate operations and allow for faster and larger vessels.
"To accomplish this," the letter continues, "we have agreed that you would pursue the negotiations with the other entity. Since these negotiations will delay the ordering of new vessels by N.Y. Waterway, we have further mutually agreed that your negotiations would continue until Oct. 8, 2001 … The county will agree to extend the ‘not later than date’ to commence ferry service from Sept. 8, 2002 until Dec. 8, 2002 to allow sufficient time for the vessels to be received based on a 12 to 15 month construction schedule."
Though Riker sees the putting off of the service as a smokescreen for nonexisting boats and bogus negotiations, Collins’ letter of Aug. 20 to N.Y. Waterway assured the opposite, contending that "any plan changes in the project will require the concurrence of NJDOT [state Department of Transportation] and federal Department of Transportation. This is not expected to be difficult to obtain, since there is no change in the level of service or increased cost to the federal government."
The resolution cementing sanctioning of the delay confirms the notion that the delay is in the interest of the service, stating, "larger, faster boats would allow increased ridership and shorter travel times, both of which would be beneficial to the public."