First Day Of South Amboy-NYC Ferry Service: Customers 'Love It'

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ — About 20 passengers disembarked from the 5:25 p.m. ferry as it arrived Monday evening in South Amboy, direct from Manhattan.

Monday was the inaugural day for the revived South Amboy-NYC ferry service, provided by NY Waterway. Customer traffic was light, and the service seemed quickly thrown together: The parking lot at 100 Radford Ferry Road in South Amboy is not paved; it is a mixture of gravel and dirt.

Also, there is no ferry terminal; NY Waterway set up a mobile trailer, with a port-a-potty.

But the most important things functioned exactly as they should: The ferry boats departed and arrived on schedule. It was a speedy, non-stop ride (under 50 minutes) to Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. The boat ride was calm and not choppy — "It doesn't start getting bumpy until November," mused one seasoned ferry boat commuter.

The parking lot is free and parking plentiful; the boats are clean and spacious and the monthly ticket is cheaper than the NYC ferry service SeaStreak is offering just down the road at Belford (A South Amboy monthly ticket is $588; a 40-trip ticket from Belford to NYC by Seastreak is $720).

"It was a great trip," said Patrick Ha, 29, a South Amboy resident who up until today took NJ Transit and then PATH to his job in Manhattan. He said he was eager to check out the ferry on their first day of service. "I got the 7:45 a.m. ferry this morning and was in Manhattan by 8:37 p.m. It's definitely nicer than the train/PATH, and there were fewer people on the boat — and no transfer."

He said the ferry is $6 more expensive per trip than the NJ Transit/PATH combo.

"I have to be in NYC by 8:35 a.m. in the mornings, so I think I will stick with the train in the mornings, and use (the ferry) coming back at night. It's roomier; the trains get really crowded. And prettier. I texted my girlfriend a picture of how pretty it was coming home, going under the Verrazano."

Middletown resident Alex Pantaler is a regular ferry commuter: He worked from home during the pandemic, but his company increasingly wants him in the office. He used to always take the Seastreak ferry from Belford, but he will now start taking it from South Amboy for the sole reason that the South Amboy ferry is cheaper.

"This is cheaper. I'm going to start taking it from here," he said. "It's a calm boat ride. You never sit in traffic. In my mind, the ferry has always just been a much better commute."

Mike Vidal was one of many curious South Amboy residents who drove up Monday "just to check it out."

"I wish NY Waterway well; I'm glad this actually came to fruition," he said. "I do wonder if they'll pave this parking lot," he said, peering down at the dirt road. "I mean, do I want to walk through mud in a suit and tie to get to the ferry? And there is currently no weekend service. Do they plan to add it?"

South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry, NY Waterway CEO Armand Pohan and Congressman Frank Pallone were at the ferry dock Monday morning for a ribbon cutting to mark the first day of service.

“We’re thrilled to bring this ferry connection to the South Amboy community and to the thousands of commuters who live in surrounding Middlesex County and seek fast, comfortable and reliable service,” said NY Waterway CEO Pohan. “Free parking, easy South Amboy rail connections and free shuttles locally and in New York City make the ferry a highly attractive commuting option. And we expect the South Amboy terminal to be a catalyst for economic development in this area.”

The ferry is expected to service over 1,000 daily riders during each weekday. There is no weekend service. The ferry will provide direct service from South Amboy to two stops in Manhattan, the Financial District and Midtown.

"We loved it!," raved two other women who got off the ferry and huddled into their car in the cold late October wind that blew in off Raritan Bay. "We just wanted to do a day in New York City and the ferry took us there and back; it was so easy. We did Rockefeller Center, lunch, shopping. It literally could not have been easier taking the ferry in and back. The ticket round-trip was $26. We are fine with that. We really hope this service takes off around here!"

Need to know:

• Ferries depart South Amboy beginning 5:45 AM, with the last morning ferry arriving in Midtown at 9:50 AM, Monday through Friday.
• Evening ferries start departing NYC at 3:15 PM and conclude at South Amboy at 7:25 PM.
• Free transfers are available for South Amboy ferry riders to all other NY Waterway ferry terminals (in Manhattan, Weehawken, Edgewater, Jersey City, and Hoboken).
• Free local shuttles run between Sayreville and South Amboy and the ferry landing at 100 Radford Ferry Road in South Amboy.

There is a parking lot right next to the ferry dock, and parking is free. NY Waterway provides free shuttles from the South Amboy train station to get people to the ferry; they also provided free shuttles once the ferry docks in Midtown.

Ferries will go to both Downtown (Brookfield Place) and Midtown (West 39th Street). Right now, service will not run on weekends; it will be weekdays, Monday-Friday only. Service will run during the morning and evening commute hours, according to NY Waterway.

Starting Oct. 30, the first ferry leaves at 5:45 a.m., and then every hour: 6:45 a.m., 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Here is the South Amboy-NYC schedule: https://www.nywaterway.com/Sou...

Fares are one-way adult: $18, one-way senior: $17, 10-trip: $165, 40-trip: $600 and monthly $588. For comparison, a 40-trip ticket from Belford to NYC by Seastreak is $720.