Two new routes launching this summer from Lower East Side and Soundview will serve more than 1.4 million riders per year
Mayor Bill de Blasio and community leaders celebrated the start of construction on the Lower East Side’s new NYC Ferry landing. The dock is one of four new landings for two new ferry routes slated to open this summer, shortening commutes for thousands of New Yorkers traveling to and from the South Bronx and Lower East Side. When service launches, nearby Lower East Side residents will have a 9-minute ferry ride to Wall Street or a 17-minute ride to Midtown, versus a 13-minute walk just to get on the nearest subway.
The Lower East Side Route will serve nearly one million riders annually traveling to and from Manhattan’s Wall Street/Pier 11, Corlears Hook, Stuyvesant Cove, East 34th Street; and Long Island City, in Queens. The route is expected to substantially reduce travel times for more than 8,000 families living in four NYCHA developments, the Baruch, Jacob Riis, La Guardia and Vladeck Houses.
The Soundview Route, also launching this summer, will serve an estimated 400,000 riders traveling to and from the Soundview area of the Bronx, East 90th Street, East 34th Street and Wall Street/Pier 11 in Manhattan each year.
“Docks are under construction and new ferries are on the way for this summer’s new service. Neighborhoods like the Lower East Side haven’t had the transit options they deserve. We can’t wait to launch two new ferry lines that will help New Yorkers get to work and to school, and to connect with their city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“It’s been less than a year since the first NYC Ferry boat carried its passengers from the Rockaways, and already this has become an established part of our city’s transit. With two new lines and nearly one and a half million more passengers using the system this year, we’re bringing more transit service to neighborhoods that need it,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen.
“The start of construction on the Lower East Side and Soundview landings is an exciting step toward expanding an already successful ferry network. NYC Ferry is opening up opportunities and connecting residents to neighborhoods throughout the city,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President James Patchett.
Four docks are being constructed at Corlears Hook, East 90th Street, and Stuyvesant Cove on the East River and at Clason Point Park in the Soundview Section of the Bronx. Construction of the ferry docks requires embedding piles into the East River to secure the ferry landing barge, support the gangway and guide the ferry vessels into the landing, as well as installation of the access gangway onto the barge. Additional shore-side work will also be required, including installing utilities, security gates and signage.
Last year, NYC Ferry’s inaugural year, the system launched four routes, the Rockaway, Astoria and South Brooklyn and East River routes, and served nearly three million riders, surpassing initial projections by 34 percent or nearly 800,000 riders. With the Lower East Side and Soundview routes, the system will have a total of six routes.
In response to high demand, NYC Ferry is adding six higher-capacity boats to its fleet. These bigger boats are each outfitted with larger engines and designed to hold up to 349 passengers. The first three of these larger vessels are expected to arrive in the New York Harbor over the summer.
With 20 vessels operating at 21 landings across New York City by the end of summer 2018, the ferry system will provide a new and easily accessible transit option for traditionally underserved communities and where jobs and housing are growing rapidly. A NYC Ferry ride is $2.75, the same as a subway ride, and includes free transfers to other ferry routes.
