The fate of strike negotiations was still unknown at press time, but if nothing else, the threat of a strike has increased people's interest in alternative transportation, big-time. Specifically, Brooklynites, and New Yorkers in general, have been asking about commuting by ferry, bicycle and foot.Phones at the Manhattan headquarters of New York Water Taxi have been "ringing off the hook, and our web site has seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in hits," says Stacy Sherman, a spokeswoman for the company.The problem is, however, that not too many people have been taking the ferry lately. "We've been losing $800 a day," she said. "That's why we ended service for the winter on December 10, and didn't plan to resume it until May."Still, in the event of a strike, New York Water Taxi plans to reinstitute two routes — from the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park to Manhattan's Pier 11, with boats going out every 40 minutes; and from Queens' Hunters Point to East 34th Street, every 10 minutes.Why not the Water Taxi's original route, from Fulton Ferry Landing to Pier 11?For one thing, says Ms. Sherman, both the Army Terminal and Hunters Point have parking lots — many people from Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge and Boro Park drive to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to take the ferry.For another, the Fulton Ferry Landing route has fewer riders. One might think it would be heavily patronized by Brooklyn Heights residents who work on Wall Street, or by Lower Manhattan residents who work in the Brooklyn court system. However, said Ms. Sherman, "those people aren't taking the ferry. Sometimes, we get only five people per ferry." At its peak in 2003, the ferry industry — not only New York Water Taxi but New York Waterway and SeaStreak — carried 65,000 passengers a day with the help of federal subsidy. But despite high-volume traffic and pleas from local communities, the federal government ended funding last year.Wheels Across the BridgesWhile ferry companies have all sorts of expenses — the cost of fuel, for example — bicyclists need little more than a bike, a lock, a pump and a helmet.Noah Budnick of Transportation Alternatives, the well-known cycling organization, says his group has gotten more phone calls about how to bike to work, bike routes, and so on. In the same way, he said, interest in bicycling also increased after 9/11 and after the 2003 blackout.Thankfully, all three bridges from Brooklyn to Manhattan now have bicycle lanes, with bike lanes on many other streets throughout the borough. "As part of the strike plan," says Budnick, "the Police Department plans to ‘cone off' the bike lanes [put orange cones out to separate the bike lane from the car lanes]," so that bicyclists will have more room to maneuver. Transportation Alternatives is also pushing to have the city set up more emergency "bike racks," where riders can leave their bikes. As it is, Budnick says, "the city has instructed building owners and employers to allow people to bring their bicycles indoors."On its Web site, www.transalt.org, the group has included a feature called "In Case of Strike, Bike." It includes such basic information as following the traffic laws, wearing a helmet, using front and rear lights, pumping up your tires and so on. The site also has a map of the bike paths throughout the metropolitan area."Our position is," said Budnick, "that the average subway commute is five miles, and you can go to most places by bicycle for five miles within 15 minutes."People have also been calling the organization and asking about walking. One woman, Budnick, asked how long it would take to walk over the Queensboro Bridge. The East River crossing would take longer than the train, Budnick responded, but you'd get a wonderful view of the city.With all that biking and jogging, do some employers who do so have to take showers to get to work? "Some do," Budnick replied, "but many just wash up."