March 09, 2005
Feds slam Staten Island Ferry policies in crash report
Seventeen months after a ferry slammed into a Staten Island dock and killed 11 people, federal investigators criticized the city for "inadequate training and the nearly nonexistent enforcement of basic safety rules," the New York Times reports.
The U.S. Coast Guard shared in the blame, faulted by the feds for not making sure the ferry operators were healthy. The ferry hit a dock full speed after the captain apparently passed out -- an "unexplained incapacitation" -- and no one relieved him. The day of the crash was indeed bizarre, as the pilot rushed home from the scene to attempt suicide.
Newsday notes that some changes have been made since the crash -- changed management and safety procedures, hired more employees -- but hasn't yet toughened medical standards for pilots, purchased electronic chart displays or automated alarms.
The Staten Island Ferry is the second-largest ferry system in the United States, with an annual ridership of 19 million. It's been running since 1905.
Earlier: $135 mln Staten Island Ferry terminal officially open
‘N Island Ferry’ terminal opens at Whitehall
Newest Staten Island Ferry to begin service today
March 9, 2005 08:27 AM in Transportology
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