Testify to create a NYC Agency for Maritime

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NYC needs more #Piers4Boats

Some of the reasons to have this agency were covered in a 17 minute talk given by our Executive Director Carolina Salguero on 4/16/25. See the video. An updated version of the PowerPoint from that talk is here. If your group would like a talk about this, send us an email here.

DRAFT AS OF 4/21/25. MORE COMING SOON.

The problem

For now, see our webpage Advocacy for a description of what NYC is missing in terms of maritime and the dysfunction and impediments to maritime activity. We’ll soon summarize this here.

The fix is described on that webpage too - it’s putting maritime people in charge of planning, designing, and managing NYC’s maritime assets and ensuring that they influence waterfront design around the City. If that solution seems obvious to you, know that is not how NYC has been doing it for decades.

We’ve been told there are a few ways to get a new City Agency for maritime. Here are the two we have been assessing.

  1. Revise the City Charter.

  2. Do it via legislation (a bill in the City Council)

Relating to on #1 above, there are now two charter revision commissions, one created by the Mayor focused on housing and one by the City Council in response. In early March, we were encouraged to testify at the Coucil’s commission.

On 4/21/25, we were given an update via conference call by the Chelsea Kelley of the Council’s commission and were told that they were only looking at issues that needed a referendum; and since a new City agency did not need that and could be accomplished via legislation, we were directed to an existing bill proposed by Councilmember Kamillah Hanks who represents the north shore of Staten Island. Her bill Intro 1239-2025 was first proposed in 2022. It has been reintroduced in 2025. It proposes an “office of the waterfront,” something more advisory than an agency managing maritime assets that we recommend. We were told that the bill can be revised as it moves along the process. We will reach out to her office soon and update you here.

The solution - talking points for testimony or to bring you up to speed

NYC was founded here because of its maritime assets but has lost touch with how to use them.

Since the 1991 closure of the City department of Ports & Trade, there has been no one City agency planning, designing, and managing the City’s diverse maritime activity that includes cruise terminals, ferries, industry workboats of all types, boats in the tourism trade, historic/cultural vessels, and recreational boating.  With the City acquiring the Brooklyn Marine Terminal from the Port Authority, the City will own its first container terminal and needs an Agency dedicated to maritime to revitalize and grow that.

All maritime sectors in NYC have been trying to grow, but the City has let piers lie fallow and even fall into the sea for not understanding how to deploy them for maritime activity.  The redevelopment of the waterfront that surged in the early 2000s was driven by land-focused people, by the real estate industry, and favored housing developments fronted by waterfront parks and esplanades. Those had much less maritime activity that they could have and that many of called for. NYC is missing the boat and the all the transportation, economic, cultural, and recreational benefits of more fully using the waterways, the BLUEspace. NYC needs more #Piers4Boats.

We need an Agency for Maritime to:

  • Take charge of all aspects of management and development of maritime facilities currently in the Department of Small Business portfolio and assets controlled by NYCEDC, including the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and both cruise terminals (Manhattan and Brooklyn), and NYC Ferry.  

  • Expand transportation by water of people and freight, especially last mile freight, creating a marine highway.

  • Advise on waterfront resiliency plans since their design and construction uses marine construction trade skills.

  • Support offshore wind developments.

  • Reduce the red tape preventing maritime activity of all sectors.

  • Provide expertise to other City agencies with waterfront and maritime assets and to the new large waterfront parks governed by authorities (Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, etc) to enable them to grow their maritime functions. 

  • Work with NYS agencies to grow sustainable maritime activity and help NYS create its own maritime agency.

  • Work with maritime training academies and non-profits to grow a stronger marine career pipeline.

The Department should have an operations department staffed by professionals with expertise in maritime facility management, including waterside and landside systems.  Staff should have training/credentials related to waterborne transportation, through training at maritime academies, Coast Guard, US Navy or direct industry experience. 

Thanks for your consideration. If you have follow-up questions, I can be reached at ____________.

Sincerely…

If you have maritime experience as a professional mariner and/or recreational boater in NYC add that.

If you have personal experience with the boat-unfriendly conditions in NYC and/or more boat-friendly conditions elsewhere, add that.

Thank you!