NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Staten Island is getting a second ferry route.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday launched the latest route for his highly subsidized NYC Ferry system, connecting the island’s North Shore to stops at Battery Park City in 18 minutes and Midtown West in 30 minutes.
The St. George route in part closely mirrors the free Staten Ferry located nearby, which already runs between the neighborhood and Battery Park — but this boat isn’t free. An NYC Ferry trip costs $2.75 and does not come with a free transfer to MTA buses and subways.
De Blasio is banking on attracting riders heading to Midtown or looking for a speedier trip to the Financial District.
“Staten Islanders have always had the Staten Island Ferry, amazing important part of our city, but now another option for getting around the city and getting to the west side in particular,” de Blasio said at a news conference Monday. “It's really exciting.”
The NYC Ferry is expected to be seven minutes faster than the Staten Island Ferry to downtown and significantly faster than taking the free ferry to a subway or bus transfer to the west side. But the NYC Ferry route will be running less service than its free, 24/7 counterpart, with trips from Staten Island between 6:35 am and 9:35 pm.
Staten Islanders have long clamored for additional ferry service — especially on the island’s South Shore. But the city has reasoned that running a ferry to a far-flung area of the island with low residential density would be too costly and not draw enough ridership.
The city has committed at least $637 million to the NYC Ferry through 2022, a price tag that has attracted criticism from experts and officials.
The NYC Ferry operated with a per-passenger subsidy of $10.73 as of 2019. Despite the high price tag, De Blasio has considered the NYC Ferry a success and said the city should continue expanding the network, including with the addition of a possible South Shore route.
“The ultimate goal here is to have a much bigger ferry system in this city and one interconnected with the work done by the MTA, with the subways and buses, in a variety of ways,” the mayor said.