All aboard for NY Sea!
New city ferry service starts Mon.
The new citywide ferry service will debut on Monday — and along with easing commutes, it is expected to be a boon for waterfront areas like the difficult-to-reach Rockaway beaches.
“The service will connect New Yorkers in ways they never have been before,” said Tom Fox, who was the founder and president of New York Water Taxi. “The roots are down, the need is there.”
The first new NYC Ferry route will go between Pier 11 on Wall Street and Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways with one stop in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
That will instantly cut some New Yorkers’ commutes by nearly an hour.
“It is going to fill the void that we don’t have with train service,” said Sara Phelan, a Bay Ridge artist. “It’s a quick fix, and the fact that the cost is the same as a train ride is a plus. I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time because the MTA is a terrible way to travel.”
Others said it will be a breath of fresh air.
“Anything we can do to spend taxpayer money to make our lives better, because life in the city is pretty dreary right now,” said Valerie Bell, an English professor who lives in South Brooklyn. “It sounds good not just to go to beach, but just to take a ride on the water.”
The second NYC Ferry route will be that of the current East River Ferry, which runs between Wall Street and East 34th Street with stops in Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Long Island City. Riders will get a break because the current fare on that route is $4 on weekdays and $6 on weekends.
The city pegged tickets to the cost of a subway or bus ride, even though they are different systems and not interchangeable. Like a MetroCard, ferry tickets are $2.75 a ride and a monthly pass is $121. Riders can bring bikes aboard for $1 per ride or an extra $20 per month. Ferry riders also get a free transfer to another ferry route.
On board, passengers will be able to quaff Brooklyn beers, New York state wines and coldbrew coffee from four taps.
The Rockaway and East River routes will feature Brooklyn Brewery Pilsner, 2015 Gotham Project Riesling, 2016 Empire Builder Rosé, and cold brew from Joe’s Coffee.
The beer will cost $6 for a 12ounce pour, the wine will go for $8 for 6 ounces, and the coffee will be $4 for 12 ounces.
In June, a third route will cover South Brooklyn. In August, ferries will go to Astoria, Queens, Soundview in The Bronx and the Lower East Side. The Staten Island Ferry remains the same, free of charge.
The city awarded the contract to Hornblower, a Californiabased company best known for the tourist ferries to Alcatraz.