Ferry service idled by pandemic would return between Greenport and Sag Harbor
The Peconic Jitney had trial runs in summer 2012 between the villages of Greenport and Sag Harbor, and officials have plans to resurrect it now that the COVID-19 pandemic has eased. Credit: Randee Daddona
An East End transportation company is proposing a seasonal ferry service linking Greenport and Sag Harbor villages, a move it hopes will offer an enjoyable summer outing while relieving traffic on the Twin Forks.
The service, which is called Peconic Jitney and is a subsidiary of the Calverton-based bus company Hampton Jitney, was rolled out as a pilot program in 2012. The company said it was a success but was unable to revive it due to a lack of boat availability and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Peconic Jitney general manager Jim Ryan.
The scheduled service would allow travelers to bypass a car ride between Greenport and Sag Harbor, which can take more than two hours in heavy East End summer traffic.
“Finding alternative modes of transportation at this point, is critical,” Ryan said. “The roads aren’t getting any wider. The parking lots aren’t getting any bigger. And there’s more people out here.”
PECONIC JITNEY TEST RUN
Ran for 83 days in 2012 and transported 18,590 passengers
An average of 19 passengers boarded each ferry
Passengers spent on average $50 in the visiting village
SOURCE: Peconic Jitney
The company has applied to Suffolk County for a five-year franchise license, which is required for ferry service in the county. Peconic Jitney will also have to establish landing agreements with both villages.
The plan is to start the service on June 17 and run it weekends only until July, according to Ryan. The ferry would run seven days per week in July and August before scaling back to weekends from September through Columbus Day weekend in early October.
The hope is to land near Greenport’s Mitchell Park and Sag Harbor’s Long Wharf, Ryan said.
Greenport Mayor George Hubbard said village officials are generally supportive of the proposal but would prefer to see the boat use a visitor’s dock near the Shelter Island North Ferry terminal. That, however, would require infrastructure upgrades, making a 2022 start date less likely, he said.
Hubbard noted that Mitchell Park Marina saw much less traffic 10 years ago and that it did not service many luxury yachts like it does nowadays, as the North Fork now attracts wealthier visitors and residents.
“We’re trying to keep the marina a quiet, peaceful place for the people that are renting [slips] from us, but still try to do the ferry because anybody that tries to drive from here to Sag Harbor … it’s difficult,” Hubbard said.
Sag Harbor Mayor Jim LaRocca said village officials were in favor of the ferry, although an agreement had not yet been finalized.
The proposed rates would be $37 round-trip for adults and $20 one-way; $27 round-trip for children and $15 one-way.
The price point would not make the service attractive for commuters and instead would likely be used by tourists and day-trippers, Ryan said. Those staying and living on the South Fork would find easy access to the North Fork’s wineries and farms, while those coming from Southold Town might want to visit the Hamptons’ ocean beaches, he said.
The boat will travel the 11-mile journey at 18 knots, making for a 45-minute cruise, Ryan said.
“Hopefully, this is something that will be embraced by the communities,” he said.
With Rachelle Blidner
Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.
