Riders Flocked to NYC Ferry in Historic Numbers in Summer 2025, Setting Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Records in August
August 2025 Marks First-Ever Single Month with 1 Million Boardings
Record Ridership Builds on Year-Over-Year Growth, Comes Ahead of NYC Ferry Route Optimization Plans to Improve Rider Experience and Access
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball announced that the NYC Ferry system shattered daily, weekly, and monthly ridership records in the summer of 2025 — reinforcing, once again, the strength of the city’s growing ferry system. This summer, NYC Ferry set records for the:
- Highest ridership in a single month in August 2025 with 1,014,317 total boardings — a 17 percent increase over August 2024 and the first time NYC Ferry has had more than 1 million boardings in a single month ever.
- Highest ridership in a single week from August 4 through August 10 with 240,264 total boardings.
- Highest ridership in a single day on Saturday, August 2 with 52,923 boardings.
The Rockaway Rocket — which connects passengers from Long Island City and Greenpoint to the Rockaways — also saw average daily ticket sales increase by 19 percent compared to its inaugural year in summer 2024. The historic summer records come as NYC Ferry looks to bolster the system even further and make the city’s ferry system more accessible, equitable, and financially and environmentally sustainable.
“In less than a decade, NYC Ferry has become an essential part of our city, bringing the five boroughs closer together, bolstering our local economy, and giving commuters, tourists, and day-trippers alike an affordable, convenient way to travel across our city,” said Mayor Adams. “Whether it’s the highest ridership on our ferries, the most jobs in city history, or a record number of small businesses across the five boroughs, the data is clear: New York City is not just back, we are better than ever.”
“NYCEDC is thrilled to celebrate another milestone summer for NYC Ferry, as record-breaking ridership numbers demonstrate just how vital and beloved the system has become throughout New York City,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “We’re thrilled to build on this continued success and are laser-focused on delivering improvements that will make NYC Ferry more efficient, more sustainable, and improve the rider experience. As we review more than 15,000 public comments to our proposed optimization plans, we look forward to making these changes a reality later this year — continuing to grow our ridership and better connecting communities across all five boroughs.”
This summer’s record-breaking ridership builds on the steadily growing popularity of the NYC Ferry system. NYC Ferry saw more than 7.4 million passengers in 2024 — the highest yearly ridership in its history — and is already experiencing a two percent increase in ridership in 2025. This growth is thanks, in large part, to a loyal commuter base as well as the popular ‘Rockaway Reserve’ and ‘Rockaway Rocket,’ which help accommodate increased passenger traffic to New York City beaches during the summer season.
The Rockaway Rocket, in its second year connecting Long Island City and Greenpoint to the Rockaways, sold more than 17,000 tickets and generated more than $200,000 in additional revenue for the NYC Ferry system. Average daily ‘Rocket’ ticket sales increased 19 percent from 2024. The Rockaway Reserve, which offers commuters an opportunity to reserve seats on vessels along the Rockaway Route, sold 30,000 tickets and generated more than $360,000 in revenue.
NYC Ferry’s record summer ridership follows the announcement earlier this summer of a proposed system-wide optimization and reconfiguration of routes, the first in the history of the NYC Ferry. The proposed optimization of the system follows a comprehensive and holistic review of how the NYC Ferry routes operate as a system, as well as years of rider feedback, ridership data, operational analyses, and existing infrastructure. The planned optimization will seek to address known issues, improve the rider experience, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the system. NYC Ferry held a feedback period spanning from July and August to maximize engagement during the highest ridership times of the year and received direct input and insights from over 15,000 riders. Additionally, NYC Ferry reached thousands of riders through tabling sessions, briefings, an online webinar and digital campaigns. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed said they would maintain or increase ridership because of optimization. A report summarizing this feedback and the finalized plan will be announced in fall 2025 and implemented this coming winter.
This September also marks the return of NYC Ferry Student Discount Program, which offers $1.45 NYC Ferry tickets for all New York City high school students on weekdays during the school year. NYC Ferry also offers access to $1.45 ferry tickets for seniors 65-years and older, people with disabilities, and participants in the Fair Fares NYC program. These programs support the “NYC Ferry Forward” vision to create a more equitable, accessible, and fiscally sustainable NYC Ferry system.
Spanning 70 nautical miles, the NYC Ferry system operates 38 vessels across six routes and 25 landings — the largest passenger-only ferry fleet in the United States. NYC Ferry is not only a major transit option for New Yorkers’ daily commutes — providing a vital link between job centers, schools, parks, and cultural destinations in all five boroughs — it is a trusted and iconic fixture of the city’s waterfront and is seen daily by millions of New Yorkers and tourists on the water and from New York’s shoreline, buildings, bridges, and more.
Since the launch of Mayor Adams’ ‘NYC Ferry Forward’ plan in 2022, NYCEDC and NYC Ferry have maintained a steadfast commitment to improve the accessibility, affordability, and fiscal sustainability of the NYC Ferry system. NYC Ferry continues to see record ridership year-over-year, while lowering the per passenger subsidy over 30 percent from its peak and hitting all-time highs of farebox revenue. NYC Ferry already has the lowest per passenger subsidy of any publicly-funded, passenger-only ferry system in the United States. Additionally, of the major transit systems in the New York region, NYC Ferry operates at a lower per passenger subsidy than the Long Island Railroad, Metro-North, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s express or commuter bus systems.
Recently, NYCEDC and NYC Ferry announced the next stage of its search for a first-ever naming rights partner for the NYC Ferry system. A naming rights partner will support the continued affordability, equity, accessibility, and sustainability of the NYC Ferry system. Revenue from the partnership will be reinvested to improve service, enhance rider experience, and advance sustainable water-based transit.
“On behalf of Hornblower’s New York City Ferry crew, thank you to the millions of everyday New Yorkers who continue to embrace the system and help us set new ridership records from neighborhoods and ferry routes throughout the five boroughs,” said Jonathan Figueroa, senior vice president of ferries and transport operations, Hornblower Group. “We look forward to building on this summer’s record success and welcoming millions more onboard in the months and years ahead.”
No comments:
Post a Comment