Governors Island is hardly an island unto itself. Its relationship to the nearby attractions of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will strongly affect the Island's future. The current bidding competition for the Liberty Island Ferry Service contract is pivotal. For the past 18 years, Circle Line has held the exclusive contract to transport visitors from Battery Park to Liberty and Ellis Islands. The concession is one of the most lucrative National Park Service (NPS) agreements in the country - possibly the most - generating some $35 million in annual revenues from about 4 million riders.The prospect of a new contract has raised hopes that ferry service may soon be more frequent and, most important for Governors Island and its National Monument, that it may tie into or subsidize much-needed service to surrounding harbor attractions.
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA), the Governors Island Alliance, and others have pushed the Park Service to include provisions for possible service to the Island in the upcoming contract. MWA aims to develop an extensive network connecting various points in the city with parks and recreation sites in Jamaica Bay, Staten Island and New Jersey. It argues that such a network would expand tourism and recreational activity throughout the harbor, benefiting the economy and the quality of life in the city and the region at large.
Unfortunately the terms for bidding on the new contract only allow for, but do not require, ferry service to other NPS sites (such as Governors Island's historic forts). Despite a requirement that the winning bidder purchase Circle Line's boats for $18 million, the bid has attracted the interest of more than a dozen local and national ferry companies. The deadline to submit offers is April 27. For now, it remains unclear if the new Liberty Island Ferry Service contract will be a missed opportunity or if it will offer benefits to the harbor as a whole.