By Michael V. Cusenza
East River Ferry ridership reached an all-time high in 2016, according to the City Economic Development Corporation — undoubtedly a good sign for the Citywide Ferry Service, which launches this summer.
The EDC said “New Yorkers are taking to the water in record numbers,” with a total of 1,584,149 trips on the East River Ferry last year – an 8-percent increase from the 1,467,860 trips taken on the ferry in 2015.
“This growing demand is one of the reasons we’re expanding ferry service citywide in 2017,” said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “More and more New Yorkers are looking to our waterways to get to work or school, and that’s led to increased East River Ferry ridership for the fourth year in a row.”
With 19 vessels operating at 21 landings across NYC, Citywide Ferry will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year across six routes – providing a new transit option traditionally underserved communities and where jobs and housing are growing rapidly, EDC officials noted.
Fast facts about the Citywide Ferry Service:
Routes
• Rockaway, South Brooklyn and Astoria routes are scheduled to launch in 2017.
• Rockaway route will connect to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Wall Street.
• Astoria route will connect to Astoria, Roosevelt Island (Cornell Tech), Long Island City, East 34th Street and Wall Street.
• South Brooklyn route will connect Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Red Hook, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 and Pier 6, and Wall Street, with an optional link to Governors Island (launch date TBD, according to EDC).
• Soundview and Lower East Side routes to launch in 2018.
• Routes from Coney Island and Stapleton on Staten Island are in the planning stages for future expansion.
The Boats
• Each boat will be able to carry 150 passengers.
• All boats will be equipped with WiFi.
• Boats will be fully accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities, and will comply with the requirements of both the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York City Local Law 68 of 2005.
• New boats will be equipped with the most modern engine design available to reduce emissions and noise, as well as an efficient hull design that will limit wakes and maximize fuel economy.
• The City contract with Hornblower allows the company to charter vessels if necessary to meet the implementation timeline.
City Support
• The City is investing $55 million in infrastructure upgrades, including building 10 new ferry landings. Barge construction is currently underway at a facility on Staten Island.
• The City is providing $30 million in operating support per year, over a period of six years. Based on a projection of 4.6 million annual trips, the per-trip subsidy for Citywide Ferry Service will be $6.60, lower than the nearly $8 per trip subsidy on the Long Island Railroad or the nearly $15 per trip subsidy for express buses. The City is providing $10 million for additional startup costs, such as vessel upgrades and ticketing machines.
• Potential sponsorships would offset operating costs.
• City negotiated an option to acquire at least 18 passenger ferry vessels, allowing for greater operational flexibility and providing significant savings to taxpayers over the life of the service (roughly up to $5 million per year).
• City will receive a portion of fare-box revenue if ridership exceeds 5.6 million passengers.
Courtesy of NYCEDC
