NYC Ferry is proposing a new route map that would connect Staten Island and Brooklyn and extend South Brooklyn service to Manhattan, among other changes.
The proposed routes are due to be announced Monday, kicking off a public feedback period conducted by the city’s Economic Development Corp. — which controls the ferry network and contracts out its operations. Any route changes are not expected to go into effect until the winter.
The Economic Development Corp. has made tweaks to the commuter service before, trying out an express route from Brooklyn to Manhattan — but Monday’s proposal marks the first potential overhaul of the system since operations began in 2017.
“NYC Ferry is taking a fresh, holistic look across the system and proposing a comprehensive reconfiguration of routes to improve rider experience, fix known issues, and ensure NYC Ferry is a mainstay on our waterways for years to come,” James Wong, executive director of NYC Ferry, said in a statement.
“This map of proposed changes is based on years of rider feedback and operational analysis, and will be a strong starting point as we continue to solicit input from our riders and prepare for this next chapter.”
The proposed new map would add Bay Ridge, Atlantic Ave. and Wall St. stops to the St. George route, connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island for the first time.
The proposal also shifts the South Brooklyn route northward, adding a stop at the 34th St. landing in Manhattan but removing service to Sunset Park and Bay Ridge on that line.
The East River Route would be split into two, effectively running skip-stop service up the Brooklyn and Queens side of the river. The Soundview and Rockaways lines would be combined, with one route running from the Rockaways in Queens all the way up to Ferry Point Park in Throgs Neck, the Bronx.
But before any changes are made final, an Economic Development Corp. spokesman said, the city will be administering a survey of ferry riders this summer, seeking feedback on the proposed map.
Officials said a final version of the new map would be released in September, with changes going into effect this winter.
The NYC Ferry is operated by Hornblower, a San Francisco-based firm whose contract with the Economic Development Corp. was renewed in 2023.
