Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (February 2020)

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INTERVIEW

Pro? les in Training:

Staten Island Ferries

Credit: Greg Trauthwein

By Greg Trauthwein hen James C. DeSimone, Deputy Com- Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. The system operates eight missioner, Ferry Division, New York vessels on the route, from the largest, 5,300-passenger

City Department of Transportation, Barberi class vessels (two), down to the smaller 1,100-pas-

W signed on to run the Staten Island Ferries senger Austin class vessels (two), with a trio of 4,400-pas- in 2003, the organization was still in the aftermath of one senger Molinari class vessels; and the 3,000-passenger, of the most signi? cant accidents in its history: the ferry 1965-built Kennedy. There are also three 4,500-passenger

Andrew J. Barberi allision of October 2003, an accident Ollis class ferries currently under construction, with the which included a number of fatalities and serious injuries. ? rst scheduled to be delivered in Autumn 2020.

DeSimone, who had long-tenures in both the commercial Helping to ensure the vessels and terminals keep operat- and public end of the marine business, brought a unique ing 24/7/365 is a workforce of about 650, including 400 perspective to the organization. vessel personnel; 100 in maintenance covering all trades “For the city to go outside the system to hire (me) was with the balance in administration and terminal staff.

huge,” said DeSimone. “At the time, both the mayor and The Staten Island Ferry is run by the City of New York city council had a strong mandate to improve ferry opera- for one pragmatic reason: to transport Staten Islanders to tions, and to make changes in the wake of this accident.” and from Manhattan. “In the private sector, businesses ex- ist for one purpose: to make a pro? t … and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said DeSimone. “Government exists to

By the Numbers

The Staten Island Ferry is an iconic part of New York provide services.”

City’s history and future, carrying more than 25.2 million

A Time for Change passengers per year on a 5-mile, 25-minute trip, for free, courtesy of about 40,404 trips made annually between The October 15, 2003 incident provided a wake-up

Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan to the St. George call for the historic ferry service, and DeSimone and his

February 2020 38 MN