Taxi drivers who serve the passengers to and from the New York Waterways terminal on the West Side Highway at 39th Street may be surprised to learn that the company is owned by a private individual who got an inside track to use publicly owned land and government subsidies, yes sort of like food stamps for the well connected. The owner of New York Waterway, William Wachtel is not surprisingly a political player:
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The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center destroyed the PATH terminal located there, greatly reducing cross-Hudson River passenger capacity. The company was well-positioned to take advantage of government investment in ferry service, receiving subsidies and generous agreements to docking at public facilities.[12][13] NY Waterway service quickly expanded by adding new routes and increasing the frequency of crossings. It borrowed heavily to fund the acquisition of additional vessels. After PATH service was restored ridership significantly declined, the loss of passengers bringing the company, unable to reduce its fixed costs, to brink of bankruptcy. By December 2004, there was deep concern that there would be a total shutdown of ferry service, disrupting the commutes of 30,000 daily riders.[14] The Port Authority, as well as city and state agencies had already contracted the construction of new ferry terminals to be leased to private operators. The shutdown was averted when the new BillyBey Ferry Company LLC which had never before operated ferry services, founded by Manhattan lawyer William B. Wachtel, agreed to take over almost half of NY Waterway's equipment and routes. Other ferry and sightseeing boat operators were displeased that the Port Authority approved the transfer without a transparent bidding process.[15]
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Okay, this is kind of ordinary stuff, a well connected well to do New York City lawyer gets some goodies for consideration of his active support in campaigns. Nu?
Well, you're right, "What else is new?" It goes like this:
New York cabbies have notoriously few places where they can take a break to use a toilet, get a snack, even zone out for a few minutes. You can do that sort of thing at an airport, but William Wachtel doesn't want you to do that on the land he leases in a sweetheart deal with the government (known to school children as servants of "we the people.")
Well, Wqchtel, we have been defying your wishes and will continue to do so. Want to make something of it?
