Big news out of the East River this morning, and we're not talking something that got fished out of it. The long-promised East River ferry service will launch in June with landings in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. The Times, Journal, Post, and probably every other newspaper in the hemisphere have coverage, so let's talk key details. The ferry will run on a commuter's schedule, operating between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the week, with stops every 20 minutes at peak times. Also during peak periods, Midtown ferry riders will have access to a free bus from the 34th Street pier headed west.
The stops: Long Island City, 34th Street, FiDi's Pier 11 (Wall Street), Greenpoint's India Street, North Fifth Street (finally putting the Pier in Northside Piers) and Schaefer Landing in Williamsburg and Dumbo's Fulton Ferry Landing. Paging Elizabeth Mulvihill. Elizabeth Mulvihill, are you happy now?
Maybe not, if she's going to be taking the ferry for her daily commute. Rides will cost either $3 or $5.50 each, depending on which price zone a passenger falls into, so a South-Burg-to-Midtown trek would cost $11 roundtrip. What makes this ferry initiative different from previous attempts? Though it will be privately operated by NY Waterway, the city will be subsidizing the service to the tune of $9 million over three years, so it's got a fair shot at finding its audience and then sticking around.
Some more details: Weekend service will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., bicycles are allowed on board, and summer stops will include Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 and (on Fridays) Governors Island. Gilligan hats are going to be so in this summer!
· East River in New York City Will Get All-Day Ferry Service [NYT]
· New Ferry Service Floated for East River [WSJ]
· New York Water Taxi squeezed out of East River routes by NY Waterway [NYP]
· Ferry coverage [Curbed]
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