Ferry service between the Rockaways and Manhattan has been extended yet again, all the way through to next year, January 31, said Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday.
This is the third extension for the water travel service, which most recently was pushed through the summer to Labor Day.
Since its initial launch in November post-Sandy, Councilmember Donovan Richards said the ferry has become many residents preferred method of travel between boroughs.
“The ferry provides an affordable access means of transportation for residents, and it’s also helping our businesses survive,” said Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder.
The ferry, operated by Seastreak, departs from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and stops at Pier 11 in downtown Manhattan and charges $2 for a one-way trip. Since its beginnings, the service has allowed for more than 120,000 passenger trips, according to city officials.
“I haven’t said this too recently, but I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for recognizing the struggles,” Goldfeder said.
He additionally said that there should be no concern over colder temperatures as fall and then winter approach.
“You look at ferry service across the city, and weather doesn’t affect ridership,” he said.
Goldfeder and Councilmember Eric Ulrich will host a press conference Thursday to call on mayoral candidates to support permanent ferry service.
Congressmember Gregory Meeks echoed this and said he hopes the city, based on its track record of previous extensions, will make “every effort to continue service beyond the January 2014 date.”
Updated Wednesday, August 21 at 3:35 p.m.
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