The Rockaway ferry travels from the peninsula to Lower Manhattan. File photo
Following months of rallies and pleas from civic leaders, residents and elected officials, Mayor de Blasio’s announcement Tuesday morning that the Rockaway ferry service would be extended for at least another three months was welcomed with open arms.
“We are committed to the Rockaways’ recovery,” de Blasio said. “From accelerating rebuilding programs today’s ferry extension, we are going to keep our focus on communities hit hard by Sandy to ensure no one is left behind.”
De Blasio said the weekday ferry service, which had been re-launched following Hurricane Sandy and which runs between the Rockaways and Lower Manhattan, will operate at least until May. Mayor Bloomberg had said the service would end at the end of January, and civic leaders, politicians and others had attended numerous rallies to support making the ferry service a permanent one, saying it would give a needed economic boost to a Rockaway peninsula that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy and has long been underserved by public transportation.
De Blasio, who had during his campaign vowed to support the ferry, said that come May, there will be an option to further extend the service until August. He also noted that the extension will allow the city’s Economic Development Corporation to issue a request for proposals to determine the viability of long-term service and identify an operator for the line.
The ferry, which now costs $2 for the 35-minute trip from Rockaway to Manhattan but will cost $3.50 at the end of January, was re-established after Sandy destroyed the A-subway line and left residents on the peninsula with few options for mass transportation.
Since November 2012, the ferry, operated by Seastreak, has carried more than 200,000 passengers.
“I applaud the decision of Mayor de Blasio to extend ferry service in the Rockaways,” Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said. “Affordable and fast transportation is vital to the growth and future of the peninsula. I also look forward to the upcoming RFP process and moving forward with making this essential service permanent.
This is the fourth extension of the ferry service since its launch in 2012, just two weeks after Sandy devastated waterfront communities throughout the city, leaving many Rockaway residents homeless. The ferry, residents have said, provided a critical way to access Manhattan during the seven months that that A subway was out of commission.
Alongside Katz, numerous Queens officials lauded de Blasio for the announcement, and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) said it was emblematic of the mayor’s campaign promise to focus on the outer boroughs – something Bloomberg critics have said the former mayor rarely did.
“It’s unfortunate it took a natural disaster to finally get the service that residents in South Queens and Rockaway need, but now that we have it it’s a lifesaver for families,” Goldfeder said.
Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) stressed that since the hurricane, the ferry has “provided a fast, reliable and affordable commute for many of my constituents.”
“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and his administration for extending this vital lifeline for his continued help and support in the recovery process,” Ulrich said. “This announcement is just another example of what can be accomplished when elected officials and community members work together for the common good.”
State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) too said he hopes that the extension will lead to a permanent service.
“I remain optimistic that through the continued, cooperative efforts of the elected officials and the residents, the city will achieve permanence,” he said.
