Bill de Blasio Christens South Brooklyn Ferry Route As Complaints About Delays Mount

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday officially christened the new NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route amid concerns from riders and transit advocates who say the boats are too crowded and unreliable as a regular commuting method.

The new ferry route, which opens to the public Thursday, will start in Bay Ridge and run to Sunset Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO before pulling into Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan.

De Blasio and a host of local politicians and leaders stood at the Atlantic Basin in Red Hook to introduce the new route and some took the first ferry ride from the station, a direct shot to Wall Street.

"We’re bringing more ferry service to more neighborhoods that need better transit," the mayor said. "For decades, neighborhoods like Red Hook haven’t had the options they deserve. We’re changing that. NYC Ferry means an affordable way to get to work, to school and to opportunity."

The NYC Ferry service launched earlier this month, with the East River and Rockaway lines. One-way rides cost $2.75, the same as the subway.

While it was pitched as an alternative to the perpetually delayed and overcrowded bus and subway system, the ferries have suffered from the same issues themselves.

On its first day in service, passengers in Greenpoint were left stranded for more than an hour because of a "minor mechanical issue" on one of the boats. And over the Memorial Day weekend, the ferries were overrun by tourists looking for a cheap cruise where they could buy and drink beer.

Critics have also noted the ferries' 150-person capacity and 30- to 60-minute intervals at each station. For a service that cost taxpayers $55 million outright and $30 million per year in operating costs for the first six years, it's not exactly an efficient way to shuttle around millions or even hundreds of thousands of people, the critics say.

But the novelty of the sparkling boats and a new transportation method was on full display Wednesday.

De Blasio — separated from most reporters by a wall of cameras — promised that the ferry would "shave 20 minutes off" of Red Hook residents' travel time to Manhattan. "It fundamentally changes people's lives," the mayor declared.

According to the ferry schedule, the ride from Red Hook to lower Manhattan will take about 20 minutes, which is shorter than a walk to the F (or D or R) train and a ride across the East River.

De Blasio also said the city may look at adding more boats to the current routes or upgrading to bigger boats that hold more people.

"We're gonna keep adding what we need to make it work," de Blasio said in response to one reporter's question. "This new line is going to take a lot of pressure off the situation. But if we have to bring in new boats to meet the demand, we're happy to do that."

City Councilman Carlos Menchaca, whose district that includes Sunset Park and Red Hook will be serviced by the new ferry route, touted the ferry as a new way for his constituents to get into Manhattan and said it will bring more foot traffic to businesses in those neighborhoods.

"Red Hook has historically felt isolated," Menchaca told Patch as he stepped off the ferry in Manhattan. "But there's also no doubt that when you use the water, the blue space, you're going to have probably one of the more viable, green options to get in and out of Red Hook."

The first ferry on Thursday is scheduled leave Bay Ridge at 6:30 a.m., Sunset Park at 6:37 and Red Hook at 6:52. See the line's full schedule here.

Images via Marc Torrence, Patch Staff