By Bianca Fortis
The city’s decision to extend weekday ferry service from the Rockaways has been praised by peninsula residents, but it just might not be enough to satisfy them.
The ferry operating between the Rockaways and lower Manhattan will continue to run through Jan. 31, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last week.
Ferries depart from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and stop at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and at Pier 11 at 34th Street in Manhattan. A one-way ride costs $2. Free transfer rides by boat are provided between Pier 11 and East 34th Street.
The ferry began operating in November to temporarily replace the A train while it was shut down as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority made repairs following Hurricane Sandy. Service has been extended several times because ridership remains high, officials said.
“Ferry service has proven to be a popular and effective mode of transportation for Rockaways and Brooklyn residents,” Bloomberg said. “Extending the service through January will allow riders to continue taking advantage of this quick, enjoyable and sustainable transit option.”
Peninsula residents, including both Phil McManus, who started the Queens Public Transit Committee, and state Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Beach), have long advocated for better public transit options in and out of the Rockaway peninsula.
McManus said peninsula residents are happy the ferry was extended, but they wish it were permanent.
“I think the ferry might be the best thing Bloomberg has done for the Rockaways,” he said.
Increased access to the peninsula can lead to more economic development, McManus said.
“Everybody knows Rockaway is hurting,” he said. “We were hit by Sandy, but we’ve been hurting for generations. The fact that we still have to beg for improvements, it really is disappointing.”
Goldfeder echoed McManus’ comments about economic development. The ferry, he said, can provide help to southern Queens and Rockaway so that small businesses can thrive.
“This is another great step for our community and I will continue to fight until the Rockaway ferry service is made permanent,” he said.
In a statement Borough President Helen Marshall said Rockaways residents have come to rely on the ferry to provide quick, reliable and affordable access to Manhattan.
“The residents of the Rockaways have had to deal with a lot during the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, but having a convenient and environmentally friendly ferry service to Manhattan has helped make their lives a little bit easier,” she said. “The service has proven to be very popular and I am sure it will continue to be so for as long as it remains in operation, which will hopefully be for a very long time.”
Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
