NYC's Fat New Ferry Network Will Stop in DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, Rockaways

Images via the NYC Mayor's Office

NEW YORK CITY, NY — As cows continue to fart and rich dudes continue to frack and rising sea levels continue to threaten million-dollar homes along the NYC coastline, it's only appropriate that city officials respond with a fat new network of ferry lines to dominate the old-turned-new frontier of sea commuting, is it not?

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio answered the ocean's call Wednesday, revealing an ambitious new plan for a network of eight sleek, WiFi-equipped ferry lines that will link NYC's five boroughs over 60-plus miles of waterway.

"It’s going to be a commute like no other: fresh air, harbor views and a fast ride on the open water,” de Blasio told the press.

De Blasio called his plan "the first citywide ferry system in more than a century."

He also revealed San Francisco-based ferry company Hornblower Cruises as the bid winner and future operator of at least 18 brand-new vessels running along six brand-new lines.

As such, the new vessels will be stamped on their foreheads with the word "Hornblower."

Each ride on a city ferry will cost the same as a single subway swipe, the mayor said Wednesday — including the East River Ferry, which currently costs an outrageous $4 per ride. He also promised commuters they'll be able to transfer between ferry lines for free. Bringing a bike aboard will cost $1 extra.

NYC's upgraded ferry network will cost taxpayers $55 million outright, and $30 million per year in operating costs for the first six years, according to the Mayor's Office.

The city says it will need to build 10 new ferry landings and rehab six others to accommodate the new sea traffic.

Below, via the Mayor's Office, some more initial stats on the network.

Routes

• Rockaway, South Brooklyn and Astoria routes scheduled to launch in 2017.

• Rockaway route will connect to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Wall Street.

• Astoria route will connect to Astoria, Roosevelt Island (Cornell Tech), Long Island City, East 34th Street and Wall Street.

• South Brooklyn route will connect Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Red Hook, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 and Pier 6, and Wall Street, with an optional link to Governors Island.

• Soundview and Lower East Side routes to launch in 2018.

• Routes from Coney Island and Stapleton on Staten Island are in planning stages for future expansion.

• Combined routes will cover over 60 miles of waterway.

• Over half a million New Yorkers live within a half-mile of one of the 21 Citywide Ferry landings, including 15,000 families living in NYCHA developments.

Commuting Times

• Rockaway to Wall Street (1 stop): Approximately 1 hour

• Astoria to E 34th Street (2 stops): Approximately 22 minutes

• Astoria to Wall Street (3 stops): Approximately 38 minutes

• Soundview to Wall Street (2 stops): Approximately 43 minutes

• Bay Ridge to Wall Street (4 stops): Approximately 48 minutes