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New York City's ferry system has suspended all operations due to significant ice buildup in the East and Hudson rivers, leaving thousands of commuters to find alternative transportation.
The NYC Ferry service stopped running Tuesday afternoon with no immediate timeline for resumption. Officials warn the suspension could last several days as frigid temperatures continue to grip the region.
"Operating in heavy ice conditions requires slow speeds and little to no notice regarding landing service suspension," NYC Ferry explained in a statement on social media. The agency cited "significant, continuing ice build-up in the East and Hudson Rivers and across New York Harbor" as the reason for the complete shutdown.
Before the full suspension at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the ferry system had already been forced to skip several landing areas, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Atlantic Avenue/Pier 6-Brooklyn Bridge Park, where ice was too thick for boats to safely dock.
Tugboats were deployed to break up ice formations, but their efforts proved insufficient against the rapidly accumulating ice. Aerial footage showed large portions of the Hudson River covered in floating ice chunks following the weekend's winter storm.
Water temperatures at The Battery in southern Manhattan measured around 34 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to the National Data Buoy Center. While neither river has completely frozen solid, the Hudson River can freeze at approximately 32 degrees, while the saltier East River has a lower freezing point of about 28 degrees.
The six NYC Ferry routes connect parts of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island to destinations in Manhattan. Commuters who rely on the service will need to use alternative transportation methods until conditions improve.
Weather forecasts offer little hope for quick resumption, with temperatures expected to remain unseasonably low through the weekend. Wednesday will see continued frigid conditions with highs barely reaching the mid-20s.
Meanwhile, other transit systems are recovering from the weekend storm. NJ Transit announced that regular weekday service will resume Wednesday for all its services, including rail, which had been running on a modified schedule earlier in the week.
NYC Ferry officials said they will "continue to monitor evolving waterway conditions and prepare the fleet to ensure service can resume once conditions improve," and promised to provide updates as soon as service can safely restart.
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