Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that two new ferry routes will begin in the Summer of 2018, shortening the commute for thousands of New Yorkers.
Construction is beginning on a new Lower East Side ferry landing that will allow residents to travel to Wall Street in 9 minutes and Midtown in 17 minutes. In comparison, it's a 13 minute walk for residents of the area just to get to the subway. The route will make several other stops as well, traveling all the way to Queens.
"We think this new line will serve almost one million New Yorkers a year as people really get connected to it and start using it. We think it’s going to have a tremendous ridership," Mayor de Blasio said.
The Soundview Route will also launch this summer, serving an estimated 400,000 people. That will connect people from the Bronx to Wall Street, with two other stops inbetween.
"So, this is about preparing this city for a new reality, a city that is growing in population but also has to grow in fairness and opportunity in all five boroughs, not just in this one, but in all five boroughs. That’s what NYC Ferry is all about," Mayor de Blasio said.
NYC Ferry began last year, with nearly three million riders taking advantage of four routes, the Rockaway, Astoria, South Brooklyn and East River routes. Ridership surpassed initial projections by 34 percent.
“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,” Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen said.
A trip on the ferry costs $2.75, the same amount as a subway ride. Free transfers are available to other ferry routes.
"We know a lot of our subways, sadly, are not truly accessible for example. NYC Ferry universally is. So, that’s going to be something very important to many, many New Yorkers," Mayor de Blasio said.
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