If you live in lower Brooklyn and spend your daily commute dreaming of fresh air and a water view, you’re in luck. The NYC Ferry is set to launch its route to South Brooklyn on Thursday.
In just under an hour, riders will be able to travel from Wall Street’s Pier 11 to Bay Ridge. Stops include Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo, Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park at Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic Basin in Red Hook and the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and Bay Ridge. During the summer months, the ferry, which is operated by Hornblower, will also stop at Governors Island between Atlantic Avenue and Red Hook.
Each of the stops has nearby access to MTA buses or subways, and all but Dumbo have a covered waiting area, according to the NYC Ferry website. Some stops also have nearby Citi Bike stations as well.
The South Brooklyn route comes on the heels of the opening of NYC Ferry’s Rockaway route, which opened May 1. That sails from Wall Street to Sunset Park and Rockaway, Queens, in about an hour.
“The ferry service and its future will be determined by how many people use it,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference about the launch on Wednesday. “If ridership keeps growing, we will add routes and capacity. We want people out of the streets, out of the cars … the subways are so congested; we’d like this to be another option.”
Get back on the water this summer! @NYCFerry service begins to Bay Ridge and Red Hook tomorrow. https://t.co/UupHSBWPJ6
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) May 31, 2017
An Astoria route is slated to open in August and will connect Wall Street to Astoria, stopping at Roosevelt Island, Long Island City and East 34th Street.
Hornblower will launch two more routes in the summer of 2018. The first, the Lower East Side route, will travel from Wall Street to Long Island City in just over 30 minutes, while the Soundview route will sail from Wall Street to Soundview/Clason Point in the Bronx in about 45 minutes.
Hornblower also offers an East River route, which connects Wall Street to East 34th Street via Hunters Point South in Queens and Greenpoint, North and South Williamsburg, and Dumbo in Brooklyn, as well as Governors Island during the summer.
Where can I get an NYC Ferry ticket?
Tickets for the ferry can be purchased via a mobile app, the ferry.nyc website or via a ticket agent or vending machine at each landing.
How much does an NYC Ferry ticket cost?
Pricing is $2.75 for an adult one-way ride, with an additional $1 ticket for a bicycle. Adult passes are $121 monthly or $141 for a monthly ticket with bicycle.
