The end of 2009 brought the end of the commuter New York Water Taxi that ferried commuters down the Hudson from Yonkers City Pier to Manhattan, docking at the World Financial Center and Wall Street, and last summer, mid-town too.

Hailed as both a tourist draw and a comfortable and believe-it-or-not, “cozy” alternative to being stuck bumper-to-bumper on the Hutch, Sawmill, 95 or pavement or rail of choice, this little-known service had been hailed by commuters, one going so far to say, “It cradles you in the morning and comforts you in the evening.”

Wait just one marketing-minute. With the cost comparable ($10 more per 10-trip vs. MetroNorth), and the trip calm, pleasant and conversational – even for New Yorkers – then what’s up? What went wrong?

Simple. Nobody knew. And you can’t sell a good thing if no-one knows about it.

Operational since May 2007 with initially four morning runs from Yonkers to World Financial District, but this year down to two, the service averaged about 75 riders daily during the summer, and 90 in the fall.  In April 2008, the one-day fare was lowered to $10, and ridership increased 40 percent – that day. According to company spokesman, ridership peaked at 3,650 in July 2008.

Last summer, NYC and parent company New York Water Taxi added a midtown Manhattan stop, with free connector shuttle bus service.  At the time, officials said they planned a geared up, major marketing campaign, going so far to claim: “some unconventional ways, guerilla marketing,” according to David Simpson, spokesman for Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone.

Excuse me? What was the plan: ESP?

The campaign was to include television and internet marketing, drive-time radio spots, direct mail and direct outreach to big time Manhattan corporations with high percentage of Westchester-ites trekking into NYC daily. What happened?

Seeing that I live here, work here and there and everywhere, and am, it’s been said, “in-the-know” marketing wise, I hadn’t heard or seen sight or sound of the ferry. Nada. Nothing. Not a banner ad. Not a tweet. Not a billboard. Nothing shoved under my windshield wiper at the commuter lot. NOTHING.

If you market the pants off the service and it flops, well, then you’ve got nothing to sell. But this was (and remains) a viable, marketable, cost-efficient, environmentally and tourist-friendly unique service. How about sharing that information with the market anxiously awaiting it?