New York Waterway christened a new ferry named after their founder, Arthur E. Imperatore, during a ceremony at their Weehawken facility this morning.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“It was Arthur Imperatore’s bold vision that resulted in the transformation of the Weehawken waterfront and revitalized ferry passage across the Hudson. It is only fitting that this great new ship should bear his name,” NY Waterway CEO Armand Pohan said in a statement.
The ceremony was attended by more than 100 guests, including NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland, Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33), who joined NY Waterway staff and members of the Imperatore family at Port Imperial.
Corbett delivered remarks, acknowledging the impact of Imperatore and NY Waterway’s contributions to transportation in and around the New Jersey-New York Harbor area.
Jacob Roth, a staffer for U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), also read a letter on his behalf.
Emma Thompson, Imperatore’s granddaughter, performed the traditional champagne bottle breaking for the ferry christening.
Built locally by New Jersey-based Yank Marine in Tuckahoe, the Arthur E. Imperatore ferry is a brand-new, low-emission 2,000-horsepower, Tier 3 compliant ferryboat designed to carry 600 passengers.
The ship has a service speed of 21 knots and the vessel is 109 feet long and 32 feet wide and draws just six feet of water depth, reducing the need for dredging near piers.
