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30-589: Bridgeport Harbor is a federal shipping port and a terminus of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company , one of the oldest ferry companies in the nation. It is due east of the smaller Black Rock Harbor which is also in the city of Bridgeport . A section of the harbor is planned to be reconstructed as a offshore wind port , serving the Vineyard Wind and Park City Wind projects. Bridgeport's Success Lake (Connecticut) and Stilman Pond both egress via

60-735: A cost of $ 15 million. She was built to the same specifications as the PT Barnum, with only minor mechanical and cosmetic differences between the two vessels. Like the PT Barnum, the Grand Republic is 300 feet long and 52 feet wide and has capacity for 120 automobiles. The MV Long Island , the newest member of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry's fleet, was built in 2024 by Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida, and entered service in Fall 2024. She

90-593: A new and larger terminal on Seaview Avenue at the former site of Turbana Corporation. The city approved the plan in April 2014, and the new terminal was slated to open in 2020, however due to delays owing to environmental and legal issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, construction on the new terminal has yet to commence as of 2023. In June 2016, the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry made significant changes to its ticketing system. Tickets were for many years purchased while on board

120-500: A new ferryboat for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry; a keel authentication ceremony was held for it on March 9, 2023. A name for the vessel has not been announced, but is speculated to be the "Long Island". The vessel is expected to be delivered in Fall 2024. The new ferry's design is based on that of the PT Barnum and Grand Republic. On July 26, 2024, the Park City collided with a construction barge after losing propulsion as she

150-505: Is 302 feet long and 52 feet wide and has capacity for 124 automobiles. Externally, she is identical to the P.T. Barnum and Grand Republic. Cross Sound Ferry Cross Sound Ferry is a passenger and road vehicle ferry service operating between New London, Connecticut and Orient, New York on Long Island . The service is privately owned and operated by Cross Sound Ferry Services , headquartered in New London and run by

180-489: Is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The first ferry service began in 1872 and proved popular. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company was subsequently founded in 1883 by several backers, including entrepreneur P.T. Barnum , and Port Jefferson seaman Charles E. Tooker. The ferry company originally operated steamship service, but the acquisition of the Martha's Vineyard in 1968 ended steamship service. Since then,

210-474: Is approximately one mile north of the Port Jefferson LIRR station . There are currently four vessels in service, each with capacity for 1000 passengers. Each vessel is configured similarly, with a dual-level car deck ranging in capacity from 95 to 124. Each vessel has a second deck above the car deck containing a small outdoor area, a large passenger cabin with restrooms, seating, and snack bar (branded

240-849: The Arena at Harbor Yard , the Ballpark at Harbor Yard , the Barnum Museum , the Metro-North station , the main GBTA Bus Station, the Klein Memorial Auditorium , and most of downtown . In 2004 a new car loading ramp was installed featuring AASHTO HS-20 truck capacity. The aforementioned proposed new terminal will be located at Barnum Landing on the opposite side of Bridgeport harbor in Bridgeport’s East End neighborhood off Seaview Avenue at

270-654: The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry is a privately-owned transportation company that operates a passenger and vehicle ferry service across the Long Island Sound , between the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut and the Long Island village of Port Jefferson, New York . Founded in 1883, it is one of the oldest continuously operating ferry companies in the United States . The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry operates between Port Jefferson, NY and Bridgeport, CT, and

300-519: The South Fork of Long Island. A local ordinance passed by the Town of East Hampton in 1997 prohibits vehicle ferry service within the Town's borders and places limits on the speeds of both passenger vessels and road vehicles. Cross Sound Ferry filed a lawsuit against the town in 2004 to overturn the ruling, which was eventually dismissed. Cross Sound Ferry operates year-round with up to 32 daily departures with

330-414: The "Steamboat Cafe") in the middle, and a bar serving alcoholic beverages (branded the "Steamboat Lounge") near the front. A third level contains more outdoor seating, as well as the bridge and helm. All three vessels have elevators from the car deck to the second and third levels, located near the back of each vessel. Each vessel is capable of traveling at speeds of 16 knots (18 mph). The MV Park City

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360-579: The 2012 renovation made the Park City ADA-compliant. The MV PT Barnum was built in 1999 by Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida , at a cost of $ 14 million. She is 300 feet (91 m) long and 52 feet (16 m) wide, has capacity for 120 automobiles, and is named after the ferry company's co-founder, Bridgeport circus impresario PT Barnum . The MV Grand Republic was built in 2003 by Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida, at

390-553: The District of Connecticut ruling that the Bridgeport Port Authority was unconstitutionally collecting taxes from the ferry company and passengers and using the tax money for purposes other than for the benefit of the ferry company and passengers. The port authority was ordered to pay the ferry company $ 1.1 million in damages. In 2013, the ferry company unveiled plans to move its Bridgeport dock across Bridgeport Harbor to

420-530: The New London terminal. The three companies, as well as the Thames Towboat Company, are owned by John P. Wronowski and son, Adam Wronowski. Cross Sound Ferry Services owns a fleet of seven traditional vehicle-passenger ferries , one high-speed passenger-only ferry, and two additional ferries cruises and charters. Vessels are retrofitted at Cross Sound's sister company, Thames Shipyard and Repair. Block Island Ferry Services has one vessel, serviced at

450-713: The Wronowski family, which also owns and operates the Block Island Express ferry service and the Thames Shipyard and Repair Company . Though there have been multiple proposals to bridge the Long Island Sound at various locations, none have ever come to fruition. Therefore, Long Island motorists located east of the Throgs Neck Bridge heading toward Connecticut must first drive west into Queens , cross one of

480-647: The Yellow Mill Channel and into the tidal marsh at the top of the harbor. The Pequonnock River empties into the inlet on its north end while the Tongue Point Light is at the western end of the mouth of the harbor. Originally used for shipbuilding, it now operates mainly as a shipping port. The harbor was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1964. Current plans to dredge it again have met with opposition from residents of New Haven due to plans to dump

510-489: The company has been referred to in signage and conversation as the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry, but the term Steamboat Company is still used legally. Since 1980, the President has been Brian McAllister who also owns one hundred percent of the company's shares. The McAllisters purchased the company in 1960 from Joseph Tooker, Charles Tooker's grandson. During the 1980s, the ferry company offered year-round service for

540-466: The current traffic." On November 19, 2002, semi-truck driver Michael Zuber was killed by drowning after his semi-truck rolled off the back deck of the Susan Anne while he was asleep behind the wheel after crew members neglected to place wheel chocks behind the back wheels of Zuber's semi-truck. No criminal charges were filed against Cross Sound Ferry or any of its employees, but Zuber's family later filed

570-494: The dredged material at Morris Cove . A 4000-ton dry dock was opened in 2010. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry is berthed in the harbor. The harbor is located at the end of 8 / 25 connector, where it merges into Interstate 95 , near the Bridgeport (Metro-North station) , a stop for Amtrak , Metro-North and Shoreline East trains. Bridgeport %26 Port Jefferson Ferry The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company , commonly referred to as

600-516: The first time in company's history. The entrances of the Grand Republic (not to be confused with the current Grand Republic, built in 2003) and the Park City into service in 1983 and 1986, respectively, were each met with skyrocketing ridership. In 1999, with the entrance of the PT Barnum into service, the ferry company began operating hourly, three-vessel service on weekends, holidays, and during

630-442: The former site of Turbana Corporation. The ferry company plans to operate either a shuttle or water taxi between the new terminal and downtown. The ferry is located at 102 West Broadway at the head of the harbor. A large gold leaf statue of an eagle was erected on the corner of East Broadway and NY 25A in 2002, replacing one of Thomas Jefferson. Located directly across from the dock, it is a monument for victims of 9/11 . The ferry

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660-409: The lone exception of no service on December 25, Christmas Day. The Block Island Express, a high-speed passenger ferry service, operates out of the same New London ferry terminal and services Block Island ( New Shoreham , Rhode Island ). The Thames Shipyard and Repair Company services both Cross Sound Ferry and Block Island Express vessels. All three organizations share the 2 Ferry Street office at

690-491: The process. In an attempt to verify this, the Town of Southold commissioned a corridor study in 2007. However, the results of the study found that "the section of [NY 25] in the vicinity of the Cross Sound Ferry currently operates with a Vehicle to Capacity (v/c) ratio of .18. This means that the roadway is currently running at 18% of its total capacity. This also means that the roadway can handle approximately five times

720-514: The same shipyard. Local officials on Long Island's North Fork have criticized Cross Sound Ferry for causing increased vehicle traffic on New York State Route 25 (NY 25), particularly following the addition of its Sea Jet service. The Orient terminal is located at the eastern terminus of NY 25, and all traffic must use NY 25 to get to and from the ferry terminal; travelers coming from points further west must travel through several towns, including Riverhead and Southold in

750-513: The service currently consists of three vessels (with a fourth vessel expected to enter service in late 2024) and two terminals. Each vessel contains a dual-level car deck with capacity ranging from 85 to 120, with capacity often selling out on summer weekends and holiday sailing periods. Onboard amenities include a bar (branded the Steamboat Lounge), food service, restrooms, and both indoor and outdoor seating. Travel time across Long Island Sound

780-581: The summer. The ferry company still operates only two vessels on off-season weekdays and during periods of vessel maintenance, with departures every 90 minutes. A new Grand Republic entered service in 2003, while the old one was sold to Cross Sound Ferry and renamed the Mary Ellen . On May 29, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a United States District Court for

810-758: The three city bridges to the Bronx , and then drive east to reach New England destinations. This circuitous route could, at the extreme, add as many as 200 miles (320 km) to a trip between Long Island and New London, points north, or points east. In addition to the saving in mileage, use of Cross Sound avoids heavy urban traffic in New York City and on Interstate 95 in Connecticut . The ferry serves over one million passengers annually, about half of whom live on Long Island. Cross Sound Ferry previously attempted to establish service between New London and East Hampton , on

840-566: The vessel (at a purser's booth) and turned in to a crew member before walking or driving off. However, in June 2016, the new ticket system was implemented, where tickets are purchased and turned in before boarding the vessel. Tickets are sold online, over the phone, and inside the terminals. The new tickets contain bar codes, which are scanned prior to boarding, and can also be displayed over a cell phone or mobile device. In January 2023, Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida, began cutting steel for

870-527: Was built in 1986 by Offshore Shipbuilding in Palatka, Florida at a cost of $ 5 million. She is 280 feet (85 m) long and 47 feet (14 m) wide with capacity for 95 automobiles. In 2010, the Park City was re-powered with Caterpillar 3516C engines certified to EPA Tier 2 emissions standards, and in 2012 she received a complete refurbishment of her main passenger cabin and a new elevator for handicapped passengers;

900-422: Was docking in Bridgeport. There were no injuries, but the ferry suffered significant damage and was out of service for two weeks while undergoing repairs. The distance between the two ports is approximately 18 miles (29 km). The average crossing is one hour and fifteen minutes in duration. The ferry is located at 330 Water Street on the western bank of Bridgeport Harbor . It is within walking distance of

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