Courtesy of EDC
The new stops are on Rockaway Beach Boulevard at 77th and 96th streets.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Two new stops have been added to the NYC Ferry Rockaway Shuttle Bus service, the City Economic Development Corporation and Hornblower, operator of the Ferry, announced on Friday.
The latest posts are located at 77th and 96th streets along Rockaway Beach Boulevard. Additionally, the Beach 67th Street stop has been moved from Beach Channel Drive to Rockaway Beach Boulevard.
According to EDC, the new stops on the free shuttle bus route are in direct response to community feedback received at a town hall meeting held by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) in December.
“The community spoke and we listened. Based on their feedback, we’ve added two new stops to the Rockaway Shuttle Bus,” said NYCEDC President James Patchett. “It’s going to be even easier for Rockaway residents to ride NYC Ferry, and connect to good jobs and opportunities throughout the city.”
Earlier this month, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) indicated that he would be reaching out to EDC about possibly expanding shuttle service to accommodate residents in Broad Channel and Howard Beach.
“Currently, residents of Broad Channel who drive and park their cars before boarding the NYC Ferry in the Rockaways can do it for free, while residents of Howard Beach who wish to do the same are inundated with the toll for crossing the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge,” Addabbo said. “That just adds an additional fare for those people, which isn’t fair.”
Since it officially launched last May, NYC Ferry has served three million commuters, far outpacing preliminary ridership projections. In response to its popularity, EDC announced that it will be adding capacity to six new boats starting in 2018. These new vessels will be outfitted with bigger engines and with a capacity to hold 349 passengers. Two additional routes, the Lower East Side and Soundview, are slated to launch this summer.
