They won't ever open the bridge to pedestrians because of the ferry contracts. Entrance to Ellis Island is free. Without pedestrians access, all visitors are required to use the ferry system to access the island, requiring the purchase of a ferry ticket. The national park service leases the right to the ferry service for large sums of money. So while access to Ellis Island remains free, the park service still earns a large amount of money from the ferry contract, and thus pedestrian access would devalue the royalties earned from the ferry service.

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I think that would mean establishing an additional visitor check point. The only place to put such a checkpoint would be on Liberty State Park land. I don't think state parks or the people that use the park would want part of the area closed down so the NPS could establish another secure entryway.

Right now that bridge is used for employee, contractor, and delivery access. The drivable part of the bridge is in decent shape, but the actual pedestrian side has not been maintained.

And I am sure that the contracted ferry company would be in an uproar as they would lose out on the ferry fee. Remember, there are no entrance fees for Ellis Island or the Statue, just cost for the ride over.

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But since it is, wouldn't it be wonderful if they allowed people to walk out to the island? It's part of the national park system and should be much more accessible than it is - especially since the means for greater access already exist.

And by the way...

Ellis Island reopens after weekend fire
By The Associated Press
November 09, 2009, 4:57AM

ellis.jpgThe Star-Ledger Jersey City Fire Department responds to fire at Ellis Island.JERSEY CITY -- Normal operations resumed here Sunday, one day after a smoky transformer fire there forced officials to shut down the site.

Meanwhile, authorities continued to investigate the blaze, which broke out in the museum's mechanical room shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday. No injuries were reported, but the fire did cause a power failure and sent clouds of thick, black smoke into the air.

Visitors were ferried off the small island in New York Harbor shortly after the fire started, although the nearby Statue of Liberty remained open.

From 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island.

Even if the above as pinky stated wasn't the case and FDNY had jurisdiction, cory is indeed pointing out the obvious answer. It would have taken far too long to shuttle the engine crews to the fireboats and ferries, ferry them over, and then have them set portable pumps. Life safety takes priority, so who cares who shows up, as long as the people are saved and the buildings protected. Much easier to get those engines right across that bridge.

Ironically, that bridge was never meant to be a permanent addition to the island. Good thing it is still there.

The legal address for Ellis Island is:
Ellis Island Jersey City, NJ 07305

Federal jurisdiction and state sovereignty dispute from wikipedia

According to the United States Census Bureau, the island, which was largely artificially created through landfill, has an official land area of 129,619 square meters, or 32 acres, more than 83 percent of which lies in the city of Jersey City.

The natural portion of the island, lying in New York City, is 21,458 square meters (5.3 acres), and is completely surrounded by the artificially created portion. For New York State tax purposes it is assessed as Manhattan Block 1, Lot 201. Since 1998, it also has a tax number assigned by the state of New Jersey.

Overview before restoration; the now-restored side is the north side, or right half of the island. Piers of Jersey City are in the background.

On October 15, 1965, Ellis Island was proclaimed a part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, which is managed by the National Park Service. The island is entirely on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. During the colonial period, however, New York had taken possession, and New Jersey had acquiesced in that action. In a compact between the two states, approved by U.S. Congress in 1834, New Jersey therefore agreed that New York would continue to have exclusive jurisdiction over what was the territory of the island at that time.

Thereafter, however, the federal government expanded the island by landfill, so that it could accommodate the immigration station that opened in 1892 (and closed in November 1954). Landfilling continued until 1934. Nine-tenths of the current area is artificial island that did not exist at the time of the interstate compact.
New Jersey contended that the new extensions were part of New Jersey, since they were not part of the previous cession. New Jersey eventually filed suit to establish its jurisdiction, leading New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to remark dramatically that his father, an Italian who immigrated through Ellis Island, never intended to go to New Jersey.

The dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled in 1998 that New Jersey had jurisdiction over all portions of the island created after the original compact was approved (effectively, more than 80% of the island's present land). This caused several immediate confusions: some buildings, for instance, fell into the territory of both states. New Jersey and New York soon agreed to share claims to the island. It remains wholly a Federal property, however, and these legal decisions do not result in either state taking any fiscal or physical responsibility for the maintenance, preservation, or improvement of any of the historic properties.

And that is why JCFD responded.

Gee, lemme think on this for a second... because there's a bridge from Liberty St. Park in Jersey City over to Ellis Island and there isn't one from NYC? So you either A) load up firemen onto a boat and get them docked and over there with no trucks or B) send trucks from Jersey City.

Wild hypothesis here, but I'm gonna guess that B is a lot easier and feasible.

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Why is it the Jersey City Fire Dept. respond to Ellis Island. The electric to the Statue of Liberty is hooked up from Jersey City. And these two landmarks are called N.Y.C Landmarks.

Fire Shuts Down Ellis Island
Visitors trapped in museum's elevator
Updated 2:30 PM EST, Sat, Nov 7, 2009

Ellis Island will be shut down until further notice.

Some visitors were trapped in the museum elevators at Ellis Island after a fire in the main boiler room caused a power failure, authorities said.

Ellis Island is closed until further notice because of the fire.

The Jersey City Fire Department was able to free all the visitors who were trapped in the elevators and put out the fire. All of the buildings on Ellis Island were evacuated.

No injuries have been reported.

Visitors are currently being ferried off the island back to New York and New Jersey. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

While Ellis Island will remain closed until further notice, the Statue of Liberty National Monument remains open to visitation.