New York City's Department of Transportation selected Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle to design a new class of boats for the Staten Island ferry.
The department is expected to apply for the grant from the Federal Transit Administration's Hurricane Sandy resilience program to help pay for the ferries, which will cost an estimated $309 million to build.
The five-mile, 25-minute ferry runs between Whitehall Street, at the lower tip of Manhattan, to the St. George neighborhood in Staten Island. Views of Manhattan make the ride popular with tourists.
"Given their extensive and proven ferry boat design experience, we are looking forward to working with the Elliott Bay Design Group on this project," said James DeSimone, deputy commissioner for the city DOT and chief operating officer of the ferry.
The project scope consists of a complete design package, including contract drawings, specifications and other documents for vessels to replace the existing Andrew J. Barberi and John F. Kennedy class ferries. Also included are modifications to the existing Guy V. Molinari class ferries to retrofit a new propulsion system, something city officials say is necessary to establish consistency between the new and remaining ferries.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has urged the federal government to provide $267 million to the city DOT for passenger ferries and upgrades to terminals. According to Schumer, damage from Sandy has necessitated a more modern and resilient infrastructure.
