First, we will start with the name of this great boat that you see riding back and forth on the water around NYC. The reason it is named the Staten Island Ferry is that it was primarily built and supplied for the use of Staten Island residents. The previous NY state governor and Richmond Turnpike Company Vice President, Daniel Tompkins aimed to support the development of Staten Islands various little villages, including Tomkinsville which was named after the man himself. To do this he secured the right of passage to operate a ferry from Staten Island across to Manhattan and back again, under the conditions of a municipal charter for the company.

It was the year of 1817 when the first of these ferries sprung into action. It was equipped with brand new motor technology and was the trademark color, bright municipal orange! The ferries have maintained their color over all these years and are today run by the City’s municipal Department of Transportation (DOT), who instilled the need for this color to continue.

The Staten Island Ferry originally ran every half an hour between two large terminals at St George in Staten Island and South Ferry in Manhattan. Back and forth repeatedly to allow for a constant flow of people to move between places enhancing their lives and enhancing local business awareness. The terminals are a place where people can still go and look around in awe, at the breath-taking historical image of the place, allowing them to sense the importance of pride and solidarity between the people of these cities.

Throughout its lengthy history, New Yorkers have always seen the Staten Island Ferry as a total bargain and one of the best ideas ever suggested. The cost never exceeded a quarter per trip and the fare sunk even lower, its lowest point being in 1997 when Mayor Rudy Guiliani eliminated the cost all together and allowed free of charge transportation, as a way of showing his gratitude to the people of Staten Island for providing votes for him which he needed to exceed his competitor, David Dinkins, in the electoral rematch of 1993. So, for the cost of zero dollars and zero cents, the people of the cities and the tourist could enjoy the transport and view for absolutely nothing, allowing them to fully appreciate the vibe and atmosphere of New York City.

From then until now, there hasn’t been a drastic change, and this has been an idea that has evolved with the generations, not requiring too much advancement in terms of improvement and technology. The original idea was a solid and useful one, as well as being attractive for tourists, so there has been no need to ‘fix something that isn’t broken’, but let’s take a little look at how the service operates today.