By Philip Newman
With the return of the A train, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also announced an extension of ferry service as the Rockaways edge toward recovery from Hurricane Sandy. He also said weekend ferry service in the Rockaways would start July 4.
“The continuation of the weekday service will give Rockaway residents another transportation option and the expanded summer weekend service will make it easier for visitors to get to the Rockaways, bringing additional economic activity to the beaches throughout the summer season,” Bloomberg said Tuesday. “We’re committed to helping the communities that were hit hard by Sandy rebuild, and this is another way for us to support the residents and small businesses of the Rockaways.”
New York City Transit workers have been toiling feverishly to restore the tracks of the A train line, torn up by Hurricane Sandy with May 30 as the officially scheduled return of service. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers also built a seawall to guard against further such destruction by nature.
Bloomberg announced that weekday ferry service between Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan would continue for at least six weeks with the potential to go on through Labor Day, provided there is strong ridership.
Beginning July 4, enhanced weekend service between the Rockaways and Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan will also start with the addition of one ferry running in each direction on Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day. The weekend ferry will also stop at Beach 108th Street.
The weekday ferry will continue to be operated by Seastreak, which has run the service since right after Sandy struck and will operate on the same schedule during morning and evening rush hours. One-way fees will be $2.
TWFM Ferry Inc. will operate summer weekend service between Jacob Riis Park and Pier 11 in Manhattan, which it has done for several summers.
The city has agreed to subsidize an additional boat, which will make possible three morning runs from Manhattan to the Rockaways as well as three return runs in the evening. All weekend runs will now stop at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive. Weekend service may be increased or cut based on ridership.
City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) said, “It is encouraging that despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, ferry service is still playing a vital role in the economic growth in New York City. The continuation of the Rockaway ferry service for at least six weeks demonstrates the city’s commitment to residents after the destruction of last year’s Superstorm Sandy by providing consumers a cost-effective method to commute into what were some of the city’s most devastated areas.”
“For the past six months, the ferry has been a vital lifeline for many of my constituents,” said Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). “I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg and his administration for continuing this important transportation option and expanding weekend service.”
“This is welcomed news for the residents and businesses of the Rockaway Peninsula,” said Borough President Helen Marshall. It will “bring much-needed transportation relief to its residents, who have endured and persevered since Hurricane Sandy.”
“For the people of the Rockaways, this announcement represents a critical move forward in the duration of bringing and keeping much-needed transportation services to the people on the peninsula,” said state Sen. James Sanders (D-Jamaica).
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-260-4536.
