The city of Glen Cove is in the process of planning to secure funding for a ferry terminal for the Glen Cove Creek. Interested citizens can look at the web site www.glencoveferry.org to see the proposal. In the ferry document it states that service on the Oyster Bay branch of the LIRR "might be discontinued." This statement is false. The LIRR has confirmed that the LIRR has no intention of discontinuing this service. Yes, the Glen Cove ferry failed once because it was too expensive for the average rider, will it fail again? In addition to the funds being asked for by the city there is also a request for $18 million for roads to the ferry (NYSMTC-New York State Metropolitian Transportation Council).

I would like to know exactly where the City of Glen Cove will get the money to pay for the ferry and the connecting roads to the ferry. To date, $1 million has been "earmarked" (set aside) in a bill presently before the US Congress. That leaves the remaining millions unaccounted for. According to Cara Longworth, Glen Cove CDA/IDA, the funding will be a "20 percent local match." This 20 percent local match means 20 percent of my taxes and 80 percent of my taxes; how much will this increase my burden? The ferry terminal documents show the estimated budget for the building to be $16 million dollars.

Here are several questions that the City needs to answer publicly:

Regardless of where the money comes from, it will come from my tax money. I would like to know why we need to spend $34 million dollars of our tax money on a ferry terminal building and its associated roads when most people from Glen Cove drive to work in Nassau County.

What will happen to the ferry building if no operator signs on to run a ferry?

If someone signs on to run the ferry service and later goes out of business like the previous ferry operator did, then what happens to our investment in the ferry building?

What will happen to the $18 million worth of roads to the ferry that my tax dollars built? Will these roads be "roads to nowhere" or is there some other hidden development purpose for them?

Who will pay to maintain the $16 million building if the ferry service fails again?

The ferry documents allude to a service to LaGuardia Airport and the 34th Street pier. Please describe how stops can be made at LaGuardia and 34th Street and still arrive at Wall Street in one hour? The trip will then be more like one hour and forty minutes. How will a one hour and forty minute trip for twice the railroad fare motivate commuters or drivers to use this service?

How can the proposed ferry be a reasonable airport transportation alternative if it only runs at rush hour and planes land and take off at all times of the day and night? Travelers to LaGuardia need access to the airports more than four times a day during rush hours.

By what percent will our city taxes go up in order to support this ferry building which might serve fewer than 3 percent of the taxpayers in Glen Cove?

The previously failed ferry charged people to park. Will this ferry also charge people to park, thus increasing the cost and availability of the ferry to more affluent riders?

How many round trips will the operator offer? Will the ferry operate at all after 7 p.m.?

Citizens, if you have doubts about this proposed ferry, please let the city government know your feelings. The public has the opportunity to have their public comments entered into the official record. The Urbitran representative at the ferry meeting stated that each and every question concerning the ferry would be answered in writing. If you have questions and or comments send them to the Mayor's office at city hall or to the Glen Cove CDA/IDA at city hall.

Maureen Tracy