City Eyes NYC Ferry Expansions, Linking Brooklyn And Staten Island

BROOKLYN, NY — A major shake-up is underway for NYC Ferry routes, promising faster, more direct service and stronger connections between the outer boroughs than ever before.

NYC Ferry unveiled a proposed new route map on Monday, kicking off a public feedback period led by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which oversees the ferry network and manages its operations.

The city is preparing its first significant route update since the system’s 2017 launch, featuring a landmark addition: a new service linking Staten Island and Brooklyn via the St. George route.

This route revives a historic ferry connection that hasn’t operated since 1964. The planned service would connect Bay Ridge’s 69th Street Pier with Staten Island’s St. George Terminal and continue to stops at Wall Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Other key changes include splitting the East River route into two separate lines and introducing a direct, one-seat ferry ride from South Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan.

“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.

Currently, passengers traveling from the Bronx to the Rockaways board ferries at either Throggs Neck or Soundview. The ferry stops along Manhattan’s East Side and terminates at Pier 11, where riders must transfer to another ferry to reach Queens.

The proposed new route would provide a seamless trip, allowing passengers to travel directly from the Bronx to the Rockaways without changing ferries.

With the new routes, frequency will remain largely unchanged. During morning peak hours (7 a.m. to 10 a.m.), ferries will arrive approximately every 43 minutes, compared to every 41 minutes previously.

As part of the review process, NYCEDC will consider feedback gathered throughout the summer and fall, aiming to finalize and implement any route changes by the end of 2025.

The proposed adjustments are part of the 2025 NYC Ferry Network Optimization Plan, which builds upon the successes and goals of the earlier NYC Ferry Forward Plan.

“Getting around New York City shouldn’t feel like you’re running a 5K. Wherever you live in the five boroughs, we want you to have choices, and our vision for the NYC Ferry helps provide New Yorkers with those choices,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

The NYC Ferry system serves over 6 million passengers annually, providing safe, reliable, affordable, and accessible transportation across the five boroughs.

Anyone interested in sharing their feedback can fill out the survey available here. The submission period ends on Labor Day, Sept. 1. For those seeking more details or wishing to ask questions, a public meeting is scheduled for July 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and registration is required to attend.

Officials said the finalized route map is expected to be released in September, with changes set to take effect this winter.