Though the A train is returning to the Rockaways tomorrow, the ferry is still going to continue, at least until July.
Rockaway Ferry weekday service between the peninsula and Manhattan has been extended for the next six weeks, with the possibility of continuing through Labor Day weekend, city officials announced Tuesday.
The ferry will also start an additional one service run in each direction every Saturday and Sunday, from July 4 through Labor Day, and will now also stop at Beach 108th Street.
“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,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The service will be extended through the end of the summer “if ridership remains strong,” according to officials.
After Sandy damaged the A train and cut off service past the Howard Beach/JFK Airport stop, the city provided several transportation options for residents served by the portion of the subway that was no longer running.
One of those options included ferry service between Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways, and Pier 11/Wall Street and East 34th Street in Manhattan.
Even with the return of full A train service, there is support to make the ferry permanent, including from Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder
A petition he started to keep the boat running gathered 2,000 signatures in three days.
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