NYC Ferry officially began service on its first two routes Monday morning, shuttling passengers between the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.
It was the Metal Shark-built Urban Journey that officially kicked off New York’s newest ferry service with the 5:30 a.m. first trip from Far Rockaway, Queens. The 86’x29’ catamaran ferry was christened only on Sunday, so for its first official voyage the boat was still identified by its hull number, 102.
Jim McHugh, who at 4:45 am became the first Rockaway resident to buy a @NYCferry ticket! @NYCEDC @NYCMayorsOffice #readytoride pic.twitter.com/4vyJZppvQh
— Anthony Hogrebe (@thehogrebe) May 1, 2017
According to DNAInfo.com, the boats officially dedicated to the Rockaway route (which have extra space on board for surfboards and bikes and also a deeper depth, draft and freeboard) have not yet arrived, so East River boats are being used on the route in the meantime.
The Rockaway and East River routes are the first of six planned NYC Ferry routes. The Rockaway route offers service between Beach 108th Street in Queens, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and Wall Street’s Pier 11 in Manhattan. The East River route offers service between East 34th Street in Manhattan, Hunter’s Point South in Queens, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, and Dumbo in Brooklyn, Governor’s Island (summer only) and Wall Street’s Pier 11.
“For the first time in generations, our amazing New York Harbor is part of our city’s critical public transportation system — and for the price of a subway ride you can get to work and also explore New York City’s beautiful coastal communities much more directly,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
First @NYCferry passengers from Rockaway arriving at Pier 11! @nycedc pic.twitter.com/k4qI745Jqa
— Seth Myers (@sopedascope) May 1, 2017
On June 1, the South Brooklyn route — linking Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Wall Street — is scheduled to debut. Service from Astoria, Queens is scheduled to launch in August with the two final routes (Lower East Side and Soundview) set to open in 2018.
More information on routes and fares is available on the NYC Ferry website.
The Incat Crowther-designed vessels are being built at Metal Shark, in Franklin, La., and Horizon Shipbuilding in Bayou La Batra, Ala., for Hornblower NY, a subsidiary of San Francisco-based Hornblower Cruises & Events that operates NYC Ferry.
