Carteret Seeks Bids To Construct Ferry Terminal; Now Has 2 Ferry Boats

CARTERET, NJ — Carteret announced Aug. 13 it is now seeking construction bids to build a four-story ferry terminal on its Arthur Kill waterfront.

The ferry terminal will be located on a seven-acre site at the former DuPont property, next to Carteret's existing Waterfront Park.

Construction bids are due back by Sept. 30.

Mayor Dan Reiman said he hopes the terminal will be completed by October 2027, but if Carteret can secure a ferry provider, service may start running sooner than that, before the terminal is built.

In South Amboy, NY Waterway started running daily ferry service into Lower Manhattan in October 2023, and still does not have a terminal building. People buy tickets from a trailer. There are also no bathrooms; customers have to use a Porta-John.

“There will be two to three stops in Manhattan leaving about four times a day and arriving back to Carteret four times a day,” Reiman predicted. “Four times in the morning and four times in the evening. That’s the initial projection. We’ll increase that as ridership demands.”

Reiman plans for a jitney bus that will pick people up throughout Carteret and take them to the ferry, and even pick up riders at the Rahway and Woodbridge train stations. Carteret also plans to open a boardwalk to connect the terminal with the Port Reading border in Woodbridge.

Reiman said what he's envisioning for the 52,000 square-foot ferry terminal is a bar/lounge, restaurant, restrooms, ticketing area and grab ‘n’ go retail store on the first floor.

On the top floors, he imagines a restaurant and banquet hall, which will have panoramic views of Raritan Bay and the New York City skyline. Reiman also envisions a rooftop terrace, and even an outdoor stage for live music.

The second floor would be office space open to lease. Rooms at the ferry terminal could be rented for meetings and special events.

“Both the outdoor terrace and lower deck will have fabulous city views because they will be right on the water,” said Reiman.

For 15 years now, Carteret has been seeking to have daily ferry service to New York City.

So far, the town installed a bulkhead, dredged along the Arthur Kill so boats can dock, built a 700-space parking lot and secured two ferry boats. One, the Theodore Roosevelt, is docked at the Carteret town marina, and the other is currently under construction in New Orleans, said Reiman.

Carteret secured more than $90 million in federal and state grants to pay for the entire ferry project.

Carteret is investing heavily in its waterfront: In addition to building a ferry terminal, it also plans to build a walkway along Arthur Kill. It will be called Riverwalk, and will have a pavilion and should open soon, promised Reiman. Eventually, the plan is to have the Riverwalk connect with a rail trail that’s an abandoned Conrail line along Industrial Highway.

But that will come after the ferry terminal is constructed, said a Carteret town spokesman.

In the past five years, Carteret opened a 185-foot slip public marina and a public park with a fishing pier and mini golf course. In the future, Reiman said he would like a movie studio and hotel to open on the Carteret waterfront.