By Bill Parry
Ferry service will return to Rockaway beginning May 1, a month ahead of schedule. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the newly branded NYC Ferry service will launch its Astoria route in August with an exact date to be determined soon.
“Rockaway residents have some of the longest commute times in the city,” de Blasio said. “We promised we’d bring them our new NYC Ferry service first, and we’re delivering on that promise. Best of all, our first NYC Ferry will set sail May 1 — a full month ahead of schedule.”
Hurricane Sandy devastated the Rockaway peninsula in 2012, cutting out A train service for more than a year and leaving 35,000 daily customers without a direct link to Manhattan, according to the MTA. The Bloomberg administration launched a subsidized ferry service in May 2012, but that came to an end during the first year of the de Blasio administration as ridership numbers failed to justify the cost.
“Residents of the Rockaways are in desperate need of additional transportation opportunities, so bringing NYC Ferry to the peninsula a month early will help get residents to Manhattan more easily and alleviate the crowded A train and local buses,” City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) said. “I’d like to thank Mayor de Blasio and the Economic Development Corporation for prioritizing the Rockaways and getting the service up and running ahead of schedule. I look forward to continuing the work of ensuring that this service best serves as many residents on the eastern end of the peninsula as possible.”
Free bus service will also debut May 1, with two shuttle routes spanning four miles each connecting the ferry landing at Beach 108th Street with Beach 35th Street to the east, and Beach 169th Street to the west. The first ferry will set sail that morning at 5:30.
“We are grateful that our concerns were heard and the first ferry will depart at 5:30 a.m., enabling our trades workers and city employees to arrive in Manhattan for their 7 a.m. shifts,” Community Board 14 Chairwoman Dolores Orr said. “The ferry … will give all New Yorkers the opportunity to experience the new ferry service.”
Astoria’s community leaders took a tour of their new ferry landing on Hallets Cove last month and did not seem to mind they would be third in line for their ferry service launch after South Brooklyn June 1.
“I don’t care when they open it, I just want to ride our boat,” CB1 District Leader Florence Koulouris said.
City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) agreed.
“I am excited to see that NYC Ferry is launching a month ahead of schedule and look forward to the August launch date for the Astoria route,” Constantinides said. “The ferry will transform western Astoria by providing new and convenient commuting options for residents who live only 1,550 feet from Manhattan but usually have to transfer between buses and subways. We will also be making better use of our waterfront resources and providing good jobs for New Yorkers.”
The fare for a ride on the NYC Ferry will be $2.75, but riders will not get a free transfer to MTA buses or subways.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
