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De Blasio, in Bay Ridge, announces enhancements to NYC Ferry service

May 3, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an increase in service and vessels for NYC Ferry to meet the demand.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an increase in service and vessels for NYC Ferry to meet the demand.
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The city will expand its popular NYC Ferry service with bigger boats, more stops at Governors Island and additional summertime service to the beach.

Roughly one year after the city launched the service, Mayor Bill de Blasio journeyed to Bay Ridge on Thursday to announce changes to accommodate an anticipated surge in ridership.

“New Yorkers have spoken. We’re going to need bigger boats,” de Blasio said. “We’re gearing up to meet the extraordinary demand for more public transit on our waterways.”

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The mayor said ridership could grow to as many as 9 million passengers by 2023, twice as many as initially projected. The service is highly subsidized and costs the city more than $300 million per year. 

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, the ferry’s East River and South Brooklyn routes will add Governors Island as a terminal. The East River route stops at East 34th Street in Manhattan, Hunters Point South in Queens, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg and Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (DUMBO). The South Brooklyn route stops at Pier 1, Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (Atlantic Avenue), Red Hook, the Brooklyn Army Terminal (Sunset Park) and Bay Ridge.

Also, service from the Brooklyn Army Terminal will be increased by 20 percent on the Rockaway Route. The Rockaway Route has three stops: Wall Street, the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Rockaway itself.

“We’ve come a long way since 2013 when I started the ‘Bring Back the Bay Ridge Ferry’ petition. Not only did we get the ferry back last year, but people love it and we need more service. Thankfully, with the mayor’s announcement today, that’s exactly what we’re going to get!” said Councilmember Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge).


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