Glen Cove Ferry Sets Sail During 'Summer Of Hell'

Ferry service arrived in Glen Cove early on Monday to kick off the Long Island Rail Road's "Summer of Hell."

The first ferry arrived at 6:10 a.m. and it was all smooth sailing from there, said Glen Cove Mayor Reggie Spinello.

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Ferry-goers received also free coffee and treats courtesy of local businesses like Panera Bread, Heritage Bakers bakery, Garvies Point and a Taste of New York.

The Glen Cove ferry transports commuters to 34th Street in Manhattan during three runs in the morning and three in the evening with a total capacity of 1,122 customers. The ferries will run from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m.

The LIRR's ferry service accepts monthly, weekly and daily train tickets. The ferry service will run from July 10 to September 1.

"Thank you to all of the passengers and ferry fans who joined us this morning as the first ferry left Glen Cove at 6:10 a.m," Spinello said in a statement on Facebook. "The MTA/LIRR did an outstanding job and I appreciated the support of the Glen Cove Police Department, Glen Cove Harbor Patrol , Department of Public Works, RXR Glen Isle Partners and my team in the Mayor’s office for their help in preparing for today’s start of the summer ferry service."

The ferry service is part of a four-part plan that looks to aid Long Island Rail Road commuters this summer as Amtrak conducts construction work at Penn Station, MTA says. Read more about the plan here.

In September, the City postponed their ferry service schedule to not impede the accelerated construction at Garvies Point. The service was postponed for 12 months and looked to be running no later than early 2019, but instead returned in July to accommodate the needs of the LIRR.

However, not everyone is happy about the ferry service. The Village of Sea Cliff warned the MTA the ferry could pollute the waterways and suggested the service be moved to a docking area at North Hempstead Beach Park, Newsday reports.

Images via Mayor Reggie Spinello on Facebook