New Staten Island Ferryboats Still Plauged By Glitches
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Despite tens of millions of dollars, the 3 new Molinari-class Staten Island Ferries are still plagued with potentially dangerous mechanical problems.
The new boats were constructed with redundant systems in case of failure. The July 2009 accident involving the John J. Marchi was caused by a complete failure of all redundant parts, which was described as a “car losing its brakes.” The resulting crash into the dock sent 15 people to the hospital. For years, the Staten Island Ferry had its share of crashes due to part failure. Some boats seemed to more prone to failure and commonly involved a specific part. Despite the warnings, the DOT was lax in repairs and in overall ferry operations that was until the 2003 crash of the ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi (pdf), which killed 11 and injured hundreds of other passengers.
In response, the DOT restructured ferry operations (pdf) and made crews more visible to passengers and also revamped announcements warning passengers that they are about to dock. I’m afraid to say that the change was not brought out by the deaths of 11 people but by the lawsuits that were filed by the families of the deceased. It was the threat of financial harm that prompted the changes. What will it take now to make sure that the new Molinari-class boats don’t fall victim to a tragic accident? 15 people have already been sent to the hospital – what will it take to give Staten Island commuters the safety and security that they deserve?
