East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station

Located along the East River, the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station serves the east half of Manhattan. This section of the East River is known for strong currents that make barge maneuvering and mooring a challenge for DSNY staff and tugboat operations. Situating and orienting the station at this location was designed to facilitate ease of barge maneuvering and tugboat operations in a section of East River known for strong currents.  

The design of the 91st Street Marine Transfer Station was carefully created to integrate the facility with the adjacent East River Esplanade. With consideration of the popular walking and biking park, playground and recreation and swimming center, construction methods were devised to keep all these important community facilities in operation without impacts from the construction. The design of the approach ramp enables DSNY collection vehicles to queue on the ramp, screened from neighboring athletic facilities to improve traffic flow over York Avenue.  

Project Highlights: 

• Conceptual, preliminary and final design.
• Design accommodated the physical and operational challenges of a heavy industrial facility in a harsh marine environment.
• Integrated into the adjacent community.
• Accommodates heavy floor loads and long, column-free spans required in the waste dumping, processing and container handling areas for optimal accessibility and operational flexibility.
• Detailed construction sequencing developed to minimize community impacts.