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The Independent Budget Office has proposed replacing overnight Staten Island Ferry service with buses that would connect the Whitehall Street and St. George ferry terminals. It would save the city $4.3 million per year out of its $70 billion budget.

(Staten Island Advance photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Here we go again: The Staten Island Ferry figures prominently in the Independent Budget Office's 2013 list of ideas for the city to improve its finances. Usually, the IBO examines the idea of restoring a fare on the ferry, but this year, the budget wonks raise the idea of replacing overnight ferry service with buses.

The switch, from midnight-5 a.m. weekdays, and from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends, would save the city $4.3 million per year out of its $70 billion budget, the IBO states.

On the other hand, Staten Islanders might spend that much on aspirin to deal with the headaches it would cause.

"Sending late night commuters on a bus to battle the ever-present, decades-long Gowanus repairs borders on cruel and unusual punishment," said Allen P. Cappelli, a Livingston attorney and the borough's representative to the MTA board. Although the ferry is administered by the city Department of Transportation, Cappelli's advocacy extends beyond the MTA's reach. "This wrongheaded proposal is offered by people who fail to understand how transportation-starved Staten Islanders are."

Cappelli says late-night ferry service should instead be expanded -- and that the lack of it is a key reason why North Shore revitalization has lagged behind neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. If the city is looking for some additional funds, he suggests a smart-card system that would generate revenue from the out-of-town tourists who pack the ferry every day.

The Independent Budget Office issues a disclaimer with its report, stating that it is only raising possibilities for consideration, and not advocating. Nonetheless, every year the Staten Island Ferry finds its way into the report -- usually in the form of adding a fare, which would destroy the "one city, one fare" idea for Staten Islanders.

This year's suggestion would replace overnight ferry service with buses that would connect the Whitehall Street and St. George terminals. It's a trip that could take as little as 25 minutes in the absence of any traffic. But construction or another delay -- both commonplace on the Gowanus -- could easily double the length of the trip. Delays beyond 5-10 minutes are rare on the Staten Island Ferry, especially overnight.

The budget office notes that only 2-3 percent of weekday riders take the boat between midnight and 5 a.m., and that bus service would be much more efficient.

Some other possibilities raised in the IBO report:

Tolling the East River and Harlem River bridges could raise more than $1 billion.

Building a waste-to-energy plant --

Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages would raise $246 million.

IBO Director Ronnie Lowenstein said the report "can help policymakers and the public as they consider ways to meet the city's needs while maintaining budget balance."